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Pivot Podcast

About Pivot Podcast

Over the past few years, church leaders have been forced to respond to several global crises in the blink of an eye. In a moment with little information and lots of uncertainty, churches reinvented nearly every aspect of church.

Season 5 of the Pivot podcast explores the changing landscape of the church. Our co-hosts will dig into difficult questions that faith leaders are asking now, and provide an understanding of the deeper cultural shifts that account for the unraveling of inherited models of church.  What are the four key pivots that today's church must make? New episodes post weekly on Thursdays.

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Podcast Season Sort

#97: Innovative Church Fundraising Ideas: Transforming Spaces into Sustainable Income

October 3, 2024

Discover a groundbreaking approach to missional leadership with Dr. JR Woodward in this thought-provoking episode of the Pivot Podcast

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#96: Missional Leadership Reimagined: JR Woodward’s Four Spaces of Belonging

September 26, 2024

Discover a groundbreaking approach to missional leadership with Dr. JR Woodward in this thought-provoking episode of the Pivot Podcast

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#95: Fresh Expressions of Church and the Mixed Ecology

September 20, 2024

Discover how Fresh Expressions of Church are transforming the landscape of ministry in this eye-opening episode with Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile.

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#94: Fresh Expressions of Church: Exploring Churros, Chocolate, and Christ

September 12, 2024

Dive into the world of Fresh Expressions with Dr. Eliseo Mejia, director of Expressiones Divinas for Fresh Expressions North America.

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#93: Beyond Church Growth Strategies: Is Innovation a Helpful Category for the Church? (2 of 2)

September 5, 2024

Dr. Andy Root, Rev. Dr. Michael Binder, and Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile suggest true ministry innovation may come from slowing down, not speeding up.

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#92: Beyond Church Growth Strategies: Is Innovation a Helpful Category for the Church? (1 of 2)

August 29, 2024

Is innovation a helpful category for churches seeking to thrive in changing times? (Part 1 of 2)

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#91: Fruit of Evangelism

August 22, 2024

In episode 91 of Pivot, Dave Male discusses blending traditional and emerging church forms.

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#90: Faith and Justice: Lessons from Ferguson with Rev. F. Willis Johnson

August 15, 2024

Explore the intersection of faith and justice with the Rev. F. Willis Johnson, a pastor who led his church through racial tensions in Ferguson, Missouri.

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#89: Faith and Politics: How to Lead with Wisdom

August 8, 2024

Explore the complex relationship between faith and politics with Luther scholar, the Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza in this enlightening episode of the Pivot Podcast.

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#88: Preventing Pastoral Burnout: Insights and Strategies from Rev. Nicole Bullock

August 1, 2024

Rev. Nicole Bullock, church planter and ministry innovator, shares her personal journey and offers practical strategies for avoiding burnout in ministry.

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#87: Unleashing Lay Leadership: Vicki Elfers’ Lay Leadership Success Story

July 25, 2024

Vicki Elfers, an alum of Faith+Lead’s School for Lay Ministry, shares her remarkable journey from shy church secretary to confident lay minister.

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#86: The Practical Discipleship Revolution: Mark Scandrette and the “Jesus Dojo”

July 18, 2024

In this Pivot Podcast episode, Mark Scandrette shares his innovative "Jesus Dojo" concept and transformative spiritual practices that bring Jesus' teachings to life.

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Meet Your Hosts

  • Dwight Zscheile

    Dwight Zscheile is vice president of innovation and professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest book is Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press, 2023).

  • Terri Elton

    Terri Martinson Elton began teaching at Luther Seminary as an adjunct instructor in 2004 before becoming the director of the Center for Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2008. In addition to her continued work with the Center, Elton accepted the position of associate professor of Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2010 and associate professor of Leadership in 2014.

    Prior to her call to Luther Seminary, Elton served as an associate to the bishop in the Saint Paul Area Synod where her responsibilities included working with congregations, leadership development, First Call theological education and youth and family ministry.

    Before her work in the synod, she served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minn. for 16 years. While at Prince of Peace she worked in various roles within children, youth and family ministries, as well as served as the director of Changing Church Forum, an outreach ministry of Prince of Peace. She also authored To Know, To Live, To Grow, a confirmation curriculum, and co-authored What Really Matters, a book for congregational leaders, with the Rev. Mike Foss.

    Elton holds a B.A. degree in communications from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. (1986). She earned both her M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2007) degrees in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.

    Elton’s research and teaching interests include: congregational leadership, leading in the midst of change and conflict, helping ministry leaders craft a missional ecclesiology with an eye toward the First Third of Life, awakening a vibrant theology of baptism and vocation and reimagining faith and mission practices for children, youth, young adults and their families.

    Elton is a member of the Academy of Religious Leadership, the Association of Youth Ministry Educators, the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and the American Society of Missiology and is on the board for Real Resources. Elton spends much of her time working with congregations and congregational leaders and seeks out opportunities for enhancing ministry with those in the First Third of Life within the ELCA.

  • Dr. Alicia Granholm

    Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), MDiv (Bethel Seminary), and MA in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).