Outcomes Audio

When Crisis Hits

Your response becomes your story.

What many Christian nonprofits haven't prepared for is what happens when someone else starts telling your story for you. A crisis is, among other things, a challenge to authorship that introduces a competing version of your organization’s story.

Nathan Burchfiel is a senior vice president at the strategic communications firm Pinkston, where he leads the crisis communications practice. A former journalist and ordained deacon, he advises the executives, boards, and legal counsel of Christian nonprofits and churches through reputational crisis. Learn mo...

Your Website Tells Your Story

Don’t make your visitors work to understand it.

Every organization has a story, and your website needs to tell it well. For most donors, a website is the validation visit: the first stop and often the last word before someone decides to give, volunteer, or walk away.

Mike Lenda is Chief Relationship Officer at 5by5 Agency, a full-service marketing agency serving changemakers. He leads the client experience team focused on driving growth for purpose-driven organizations through research, brand strategy, digital, public relations, and creative se...

The Greatest Story

Witnessing the gospel at work through the local church.

If you truly want to understand Compassion, you have to understand the local church. The church is where the gospel is lived, taught, embodied, and extended. It’s where people are known by name, where poverty is confronted with courage, and where transformation unfolds through the saving grace of Christ.

Tim Glenn is the Director of Global Public Relations for Compassion International, where he has served for 22 years. Before joining Compassion, Tim spent 14 years in television news as an...

Hidden Under a Bowl

Why we know our story matters — and still won't tell it.

The organizations most convinced that storytelling matters are often the very ones least likely to do it. This is not a skills problem. Nobody needs another workshop on the anatomy of a good narrative. Our sector suffers from a knowing-doing gap. Until we name what holds us back, we will keep nodding along at conferences and driving home to say nothing.

James Misner is founder of The Kipos Group, which helps leaders of direct-service nonprofits ra...

The Leadership Story You Should Tell

Sharing how God formed you as a leader

Every leader has a story. Not the polished version we think we should have because we watched other successful leaders. Not the version we post because it sounds impressive or garners favor. The real story—the one that explains why we lead the way we do.

Tricia Bell has more than twenty years of experience in the corporate setting, primarily dealing with legal, compliance, and operations issues. In her current role as Chief Risk and Legal Of...

A Story from the Heart

Joni and Friends’ Donna Lucas shares insight on the power of storytelling.

Christian Leadership Alliance President and CEO Tami Heim, recently interviewed Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing Officer for Joni and Friends. In this edition of Outcomes, we explore the power of storytelling—and why it matters now more than ever for Christian nonprofits seeking to communicate with clarity, compassion, and conviction.

Learn more at joniandfriends.org

Structuring Successful Storytelling

Applying insights from the SUCCES framework.

There are as many frameworks for storytelling as there are stories to tell. We enjoy sharing “the SUCCES framework” from Chip and Dan Heath (from their phenomenal book Made to Stick, Random House, 2007), but there is not one framework that rules them all. However, a framework of some sort is non-negotiable.

Brock Anderson is Vice President of Content and Shelley Komoszewski is Vice President of Strategic Engagement for Sightline, a ministry of Cru. Sightline exists to cut through cultural confusion, so people s...

Can You Tell Your Ministry’s Story?

What Pray.com is learning about using AI to serve, not replace, the storyteller.

We built a system we call Pray Production Studio, a pipeline that uses AI tools to move a biblical story from written script to finished video far faster than a traditional workflow allows. It handles the labor-intensive middle of production, the part that historically ate the calendar and the budget.

Max Bard is Vice President of Content at Pray.com, a faith-technology platform serving more than 17 million people through pr...

Do Donors Know Their Role in Your Story?

It is vital for flourishing in fundraising.

What if your fundraising problem is actually a storytelling problem? Do your donors truly feel connected to the mission? Do they understand how their giving directly impacts hearts, lives, and eternities? Most importantly, do they realize they are a central character in your organization’s impact narrative?

Justin Eklund is founder and Chief Brand Strategist at Grove9 and author of Brand for Impact (Tela Publishing, 2024). With over two decades of marketing experience, he blends strategy an...

Stewards of the Story

Every ministry inherits a story it didn’t start. How we tell it is our stewardship.

Our ministries have stories of calling, sacrifice, failure, provision, and faithfulness. Telling our stories well is more than a communication technique. It’s part of caring for what God has entrusted to us.

Jason Fox serves as executive director of marketing and communications at Dallas Theological Seminary (dts.edu), where he leads enterprise marketing, brand stewardship, and institutional communications. Drawing on his background in ministry and design, he helps the semi...

Storytelling That Endures

Why the best ministry stories invite others into the mission.

As The Salvation Army approaches 150 years of ministry in the United States, I have reflected often on what allows certain stories to endure. Some lessons are unique to our organization. Others, I believe, apply to every Christian leader seeking to engage supporters, inspire teams and advance kingdom impact.

Dr. Dale Bannon is the National Community Relations & Development Secretary (Director) and National Spokesperson for The Salvation Army USA. He leads national fundraising, brand awareness, and communications for The...

The Human Premium

Why authentic voices still win trust in the age of AI

As AI content multiplies, audiences increasingly reward the opposite of blending in: a real person speaking plainly, with something at stake. A donor, volunteer, reporter or stranger scrolling past a hundred identical posts all respond to a voice that could only belong to one specific person, not a template doing the same work for everyone else.

Anna Hutsell is passionate about assisting organizations to overcome internal and external challenges. At Guardian, Anna has been heavily involved in...

Equipping All-In Staff Teams

The power of being all-in with time, talent, and treasure

Equipping staff teams for excellence requires more than tactical training; it demands a cultural shift where generosity becomes the norm. Time, talent, and treasure are the three pillars of this commitment, each reflecting a deeper surrender to Christ.

Chris McDaniel (MBA, Liberty University) is the author of Ignite Your Generosity and Steward Leaders Rise: A 21-Day Devotional to Ignite Transformational Stewardship. As Chief Revenue Officer at vTECH io and a stewar...

Equipped for the Calling Ahead

The role of continuing education in your leadership journey

Christian leaders often feel called by God to step into leadership. That calling, however, does not always come with a sense of being fully equipped... For some leaders, this journey of equipping may also include pursuing more formal academic study.

Dr. Brittany Kretz is Director of the Master of Arts in Organizational and Global Leadership at York University. At York, she equips current and future leaders through Christ-centered leadership programs. She...

High-Trust, High-Performing Teams

Building a persistent system of trust at Echoing Hills

If you are a CEO or a leader weary of the "flavor of the month," I challenge you to stop looking for a quick fix. You cannot microwave trust, and you cannot build a high-performing team on buzzwords alone. You need data, a roadmap, and the courage to start at the top.

Tim Neville is President and CEO of Echoing Hills, a nonprofit serving over 900 Ohioans with developmental disabilities. Since 1991, he has led with a mission to serve an...

Equip to Flourish

Building a culture that attracts and retains exceptional ministry leaders

Equipping your team is not ancillary to your mission. It is central to it. When organizations create cultures grounded in faith, servant leadership, recognition, and intentional development, they strengthen not only their teams, but also their long-term ministry impact.

Ed Fry is President/Founder of FaithSearch Partners, elevating executive search and leadership advising for Christian organizations since 2007. With locations across the country, FaithSearch serves nonprofits, media, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, ministries, an...

Staff Discipleship

Developing a culture of continuity & succession

By imprinting biblical discipleship principles into this leadership responsibility, The Staff Discipleship Model was born. The Staff Discipleship Model offers ministries a sustainable, biblically rooted framework for continuous growth.

William (Bill) Tom is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ministry Transitions. Bill has served in executive leadership in marketplace businesses, church, and parachurch ministries for over four decades focusing on sustainable growth and leadership transitions. He cofounded Ministry Transitions in a response to his calling to help ch...

R.E.S.T. and Rise

A sacred contradiction for leaders carrying too much

When leaders break, organizations tremble. Families ache. Communities fracture. The fallout spreads far beyond the individual. But maybe there’s another question worth asking: What happens when you R.E.S.T. and rise?

Nathan Lagrange is the Executive Director of Oasis Rest International. Nathan and Tricia have been married for 30 years with 4 children and 3 grand babies. With over 25 years of pastoral and nonprofit leadership, Nathan is honored to through Oasi...

Equipping Beyond Orientation

Building a culture of continuous growth

Organizations that thrive are those that intentionally create a culture of continuous growth. At First Baptist Church of Glenarden International (FBCG), we have learned that equipping people is ultimately about stewardship.

Kimberly Robinson, CCNL, is Director of Human Resources at First Baptist Church of Glenarden International in Maryland, where she has served since 2007. She has more than 20 years of HR experience and specializes in organizational development, leadership growth, and building systems that help ministries thrive. Co...

How are They Wired?

Applying The 6 Types of Working Genius for your team.

The 6 Types of Working Genius, developed by Patrick Lencioni, gives Christian nonprofit leaders a practical framework for equipping people well. It helps leaders understand how each team member is naturally wired to contribute to work.

Aaron Stroman is a nonprofit consultant with Stroman & Associates, where he helps Christian and nonprofit leaders strengthen board governance, fundraising, strategic clarity, and team health. He is a The 6 Types of Working Genius Certified Facilitator and work...

Equipped for the Work

A biblical call to develop people well

In Christian leadership, few responsibilities are as weighty, or as overlooked, as the call to develop people well. Scripture makes this clear. The role of a leader cannot be separated from the requirement to shepherd, equip and develop those God has entrusted to us to lead.

Ramona Bishop has been a HR professional for nearly 30 years both in the corporate world and in ministry. For the past 32 years she has been a volunteer l...

The Overflow Effect

Living in the overflow

The Overflow Effect is the unmistakable presence of God in someone’s life that impacts both the person living in it and everyone around them. Someone may naturally have gifts that attract people, but living in the overflow is much more.

Dr. Linda M. Cunning is the CEO of New Horizons of Southwest Florida and has spent more than 30 years serving nonprofits, ministries, and schools through leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development. She is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations strengthen communities and create lasti...

The greatest leaders are leaders who replicates themselves, multiplying their reach, their impact and their influence. As God calls you to your purpose, make sure you identify those he has called to go with you.

Lauren Vanaman, CCNL, Executive Director of the Aspire Leadership Foundation, helps leaders increase their influence and empower teams to excel. Before Aspire, she worked alongside Jeff Banning at Trinity Logistics, where they built the leadership development framework that powered Trinity’s rapid growth and award-winning culture.

Christian Leadership Alliance President and CEO Tami Heim, recently interviewed Jay Bransford, President and CEO of Best Christian Workplaces.

This edition of Outcomes explores equipping teams for success. Best Christian Workplaces believes kingdom impact hinges on the well-being of your people and the health of the workplace culture you create.

Want to learn more? Visit workplaces.org.

Fostering lasting impact by aligning with God’s purposes.

When our prayer life, character, and daily decisions flow with God’s heart, multiplication becomes a natural overflow instead of a forced result. When leaders pray with alignment, lead with integrity, and invest in others, their ministries reproduce fruit that lasts.

Dr. Peggy Banks serves as the Vice President of Global Field Operations for International Christian Concern. With over 25 years in ministry leadership and trauma counseling, she equips global leaders to serve the persecuted church with character, prayer, and purpose, multip...

Improving processes to empower people

In an operational role, we can take the initiative to evaluate our ministry processes to determine how to better serve people. Start with the heart. Remember that the process exists to serve others.

Nate Miller has served thirty years with Cru. He now leads Cru’s Transformation Center of Excellence seeking to bring rest to Cru staff by improving time, cost, and quality. Connect on LinkedIn or nate.miller@cru.org.

Nate Miller will lead a workshop entitled “Effectively Stewarding...

Multiplying legacy across generations

Much like a musical Maestro who composes for a future conductor and orchestra, a Maestro-level leader guides, inspires, and harmonizes the diverse talents within an organization to create something extraordinary.

Executive Advisor, Mark L. Vincent, PhD, EPC, CCNL, founded Maestro-level Leaders, Design Group International, and the Society for Process Consulting. His latest book is The Maestro Effect: Future Value, Succession, and Legacy in Business. If you wish to discuss Maestro-level Leaders, he can be reached at mark@teallvincententerprises.com.

Learn more...

Three insanely practical ways to accelerate the process

For a leader to truly multiply they must do more than simply delegate tasks to those they are choosing to invest in. To truly multiply a leader must go beyond the simple transfer of skills and responsibilities.

Lyle Wells is a trusted advisor and chief encourager, who ignites disciple-makers. Lyle’s ministry experience includes serving as a senior pastor, church planter, and an executive senior pastor. Lyle is the president of Integrus Leadership™, a published author, and an in-demand speaker and execut...

What we are learning at Reaching Souls

Making disciples by multiplication is God’s plan to reach the world. We can learn from this strategy in developing leaders in our organizations.

Dustin Manis serves as President & CEO at Reaching Souls International. Last year, Reaching Souls saw 11,595,430 decisions to follow Christ and planted 4,843 churches through 2,700 National Missionaries in 16 countries. Dustin holds an MA in Philanthropy and Development. Connect with him at dustin@reachingsouls.org or on LinkedIn.

Dustin Manis will lead a workshop entitled “Leadership Bench Press...

Multiply your reach by sowing clear and honest stories.

When we tell stories clearly and honestly, we are not persuading—we are sowing. Here is how to tell better stories—stories that invite, clarify, and multiply.

Caitlin Curry serves as Client Success Manager at Infinity Concepts, helping faith-based ministries craft compelling, donor-focused communication strategies. With a passion for message clarity and eternal impact, she equips clients to tell stories that resonate, invite, and multiply. Learn more at www.infinityconcepts.com.

Caitlin Curry will lead a works...

Building leadership capacity in an era of always-on change

Rather than driving change, leaders must absorb and translate it. In this context of “always-on change,” the challenge organizations face is less resistance than depleted capacity.

Dr. Julie Armstrong is a strategic leadership consultant, researcher, and founder of 3H Leadership Consulting. She partners with organizations to build resilient leadership systems, strengthen capacity at all levels, and help leaders navigate complexity and change across nonprofit and faith-based contexts. You can reach Julie at julie@3hleadership.com.

Dr. Jul...

Escaping the relentless pursuit of productivity

Living from well pleased is where the power to live for Jesus is experienced. It confirms our identity in Christ, the firm foundation upon which we can do anything he asks.

Dr. R. Scott Rodin has taught and consulted with ministries across five continents to improve their effectiveness in leadership, fund development, strategic planning, and board development. His books and articles are translated into over twenty languages. He is Senior Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer for The Focus Group and he blogs regularly at thec...

Preventing burnout and multiplying lasting ministry impact

Soul care includes practices like diverse prayer forms, gratitude, forgiveness, community, solitude, and Sabbath. These practices reconnect leaders to God’s presence and remind them that ministry was never meant to be sustained by human effort alone.

Kat Landa is the Chief Growth Officer at DickersonBakker, helping ministries and other nonprofits grow through fundraising and talent planning. A CFRE with 22 years of experience, she has supported 100+ organizations in raising $65M. Kat is also a certified Spiritual director and speaks frequently in the indu...

Christian Leadership Alliance President and CEO Tami Heim reflects on God's faithfulness.

Christian Leadership Alliance is an expression of what is possible when we gather and how this generous exchange of ideas seeds the minds and hearts of our community. Multiplication and growth follow as ministries begin to put to work what they learn.

To learn more about Christian Leadership Alliance visit: christianleadershipalliance.org

A leader's journey from burnout to balance

We disregard the stewardship of self, trusting that God will somehow bless our efforts as we build organizations for his glory. But consider Jesus. There's a reason Jesus retreated to pray to the Father. A reason he rested.

Dr. Benjamin D. Espinoza serves as lead pastor of Riverstone Church in Avon, New York, and publisher of Aldersgate Press. He is the author of Good News About Self-Care: How Nurturing Your Soul, Your Self, and Your Sanity Honors God (NavPress, 2026). Ben serves on the b...

God multiplies impact through faithful governance.

Great boards multiply organizational impact. But how do we multiply great board members when traditional approaches no longer meet today’s needs?

Caryn Ryan is the Founder and Managing Member, and Nicole Elmes is President of Missionwell LLC, an organization formed out of the belief that nonprofit organizations should benefit from the same efficiency and expertise as the for-profit sector. Missionwell specializes in Finance and Accounting Services, Human Resources and Corporate and Board Services. Learn more at missionwell.com.

Nico...

Understanding generative AI is particularly important for Christian marketers who want to stay at the forefront of effective communication. We can’t afford to be left behind in the dust of irrelevance.

Heather M. Day has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of marketing and ministry and is the author of Money and Spirit: Surrendering Our Finances to the Work of the Holy Spirit (Morgan James Faith, Jan. 2025). As director of marketing for Barnabas Foundation, she provides planned giving marketing resources and ongoing support to their more than 200 member ministries.

Heathe...

The AI Bubble: If you lead a mission-driven organization, the stakes for adopting AI feel high. And they are. But your goal isn’t to win the AI arms race, it’s to discern how this technology can serve your people, your process, and your purpose.

Stewart Severino is the Head of Innovation for The Navigators a global disciple-making ministry, where he architects cross-functional initiatives to scale both digital and in-person impact. He integrates emerging tools, including AI, to accelerate clarity, alignment, and execution across complex team dynamics. He also advises other mission-driven organizations on growt...

By viewing cybersecurity as a strategic investment, organizations can reduce their risk and help ensure continuity, even in the face of evolving threats.

Allison Ward is a partner at CapinCrouse (Capin Crouse, LLC and CRI Capin Crouse Advisors, LLC) and CRI Advisors, LLC. Allison provides information security assessment and consulting services for nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, health facilities, educational institutions, and a variety of other organizations.

Lindsey Whinnery is a partner at CapinCrouse (CRI Capin Crouse Advisors, LLC) and CRI Advisors, LLC. Lindsey has 25 years of experience in information technology and information securi...

For nonprofit organizations, especially Christian ones, the effectiveness gained by technology can mean the difference between ministry success or irrelevance.

Jonathan Smith is the President of MBS and the Director of Technology at Faith Ministries in Lafayette, IN. He is an author and frequent conference speaker. You can reach Jonathan at jonathans@mbsinc.com and follow him on X @JonathanESmith.