unSeminary
500 Volunteers in a Church of 1,300: How Community Did It with Lou Pizzichillo
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Lou Pizzichillo, Lead Pastor of Community Church in Babylon, New York. Today, Community Church welcomes roughly 1,200 to 1,300 people, with more than 500 actively serving on volunteer teams. Lou is also the founder of TeamFit, a volunteer placement tool that grew directly out of what Community Church has learned about helping people find meaningful places to serve.
How do you create a volunteer culture where people genuinely want to serve? What if the key isn’t simply recruiting more people, but helping them feel known, appreciated, and...
Everyone Says Young People Don’t Give. This Church Proves Otherwise with Brian Davis
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Brian Davis, lead pastor of Plaza Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Plaza was replanted in 2021 with about 40 people and has since grown to roughly 400, with an average congregation age of 28. The church’s mission is to make disciples who share and show the gospel.
Why do some churches struggle to develop generous people, especially among younger generations? What if generosity isn’t primarily a funding issue but a discipleship issue? Tune in as Brian shares how Plaza Church teaches generosity, creates rhythms of gratitude, and he...
The Communication Shift Your Church Made Without Deciding To with Jerod Walker
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Jerod Walker from Intulse, a church calling and texting platform designed to help ministry teams communicate with people without relying on personal phone numbers. Jerod spent 20 years serving in local church ministry as a children’s pastor, lead pastor, and church planter before joining Intulse, where he now helps churches strengthen communication, follow-up, and accountability.
Are your staff members using personal cell numbers for ministry? Are important conversations living on individual devices where no one else can see or access them? Tune in as Jero...
The People Quietly Drifting Out Your Back Door with Toni Nieuwhof
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Toni Nieuwhof, author, speaker, family law mediator, podcaster, and co-host of the Smart Family Podcast. Toni has spent much of her professional life helping people navigate difficult circumstances, and her own journey through pain, healing, and faith has shaped her latest project, Honest to God: Daring to Trust When You Don’t Understand.
How does your church help people when God feels distant, silent, or even confusing? Are there people in your congregation quietly wrestling with suffering while everyone around them assumes they’re doing...
150-Year-Old Church Adds a Zero to Its Vision. The Question That Changed First Orlando
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Trey Hildebrant, Danny de Armas, and David Loveless from First Orlando, a historic multisite church serving Central Florida since 1871. Together, they are helping lead the church into a new season focused on multiplication, leadership development, and sending people into new gospel expressions across their region and beyond.
What happens when a 150-year-old church decides it doesn’t want to simply preserve what it has built? How do you move from addition to multiplication without losing the strengths that got you there? Tune in as the...
The Problem Your Church Can Feel but Can’t Name with Gavin Adams
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Dr. Gavin Adams, author, ministry consultant, leadership coach, and founder of Accelerate Consulting Advisory. Gavin previously served for 13 years as lead pastor of Woodstock City Church, where attendance grew from 200 to 8,000. Today, he works with churches around leadership strategy, organizational health, and clarity.
Has your church become more complex than it needs to be? Are you running good programs that may no longer be moving the mission forward? Tune in as Gavin shares practical ways to rethink your ministry model, simplify your church’s path...
You Can Be a Kind Boss and Still Wear Your Team Out with Adam Weber
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Adam Weber, founder and lead pastor of Embrace Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. What began in 2006 with 32 people has grown into a multisite church reaching thousands each week. Along the way, Adam has experienced explosive growth, painful leadership setbacks, seasons of rebuilding, and renewed momentum.
Has your church hit a plateau after years of growth? Are you carrying more than your team can sustain? Wondering how greater clarity and healthier leadership rhythms could help your church move forward? Tune in as Adam shares le...
The Myth That’s Quietly Stalling Your Disciple-Making with Vick Green
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Vick Green, CEO of Replicate Ministries and co-author of Movement Ready Church. Replicate helps churches across denominations and sizes strengthen their disciple-making culture, clarify their vision, and mobilize people to make disciples where they live, work, and play.
Is your church busy but unsure whether people are actually being transformed? Do you have a clear pathway for discipleship but struggle to see multiplication happen outside your programs? Tune in as Vick challenges several common assumptions about disciple-making and offers practical ways to measure transformation, mo...
A Former Witch, an Ex-Muslim, and an Atheist Walk Into a Baptism Tank with Jon Thompson
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Jon Thompson, senior pastor of Sanctus Church, a multisite church on the east side of Toronto. Jon has served at Sanctus for 25 years and has helped lead the church through seasons of growth, renewal, revival, and cultural change. In this conversation, he shares insights from his latest book, Presence: Resilient Witness in Times of Retreat and Revival, and explores how churches can faithfully witness in an increasingly post-Christian—and even re-paganized—culture.
Learn to minister in a re-paganized culture. // Jon believes Canada offers a glimpse of whe...Making Scripture Come Alive for People Who Think They’ve Heard It All with Jason Hildebrand
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Jason Hildebrand, founder of Presence Creative Arts. For nearly 30 years, Jason has used acting, storytelling, film, and coaching to help people encounter scripture in fresh ways while creating space to listen for the voice of God.
How can churches use art and storytelling to help people slow down and engage with God more deeply? What happens when creativity becomes less about delivering a message and more about creating space for transformation? Tune in as Jason shares the journey behind The Shepherd and the Sound, a...
From Imitation to Innovation: Finding Your Church’s Own DNA with Sam Hamstra
Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Sam Hamstra, Lead Pastor of Anthem Church, a fast-growing, multi-ethnic and multi-generational church serving Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. Anthem became an independent church in March 2020—the same week the world shut down—and has since grown to multiple locations and thousands of people. In this conversation, Sam shares how clarity around mission, values, discipleship, and vision has helped Anthem develop a distinct ministry culture and sustain healthy growth.
Does your church know exactly who it is and how it does ministry? Are your leader...
