2.3M
Downloads
238
Episodes
A lively dialogue with Ruth Haley Barton about forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God in the midst of leading. Learn more at www.transformingcenter.org.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
We have a full house for today’s episode! Ruth and Rory are joined by David Bailey, Leo Ayala, and Charity McClure. Sunday morning continues to be the most segregated hour of the week and many of us find ourselves longing to worship alongside a community that reflects a beautiful diversity of age, race, gender, socioeconomic status and more. In this episode our brave participants discuss how little resources exist for multi ethnic worship, the ways in which worship planners can prepare services with only some members of their congregation in mind and how important it is to allow a variety of people to bring their whole selves and voices to the worship planning and execution. They also share a beautiful experience they all had together in community that gave them a glimpse of what it might look like to worship on earth as in heaven.
This season we’re focusing on worship, particularly worship that is transformative. Our season long guest is Rory Noland and we will be working with his book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered. In addition to Ruth and Rory, we will also be bringing other guests into the conversations about worship with spiritual formation at its core. This season is for all who worship, not just pastors and leaders who plan the weekly services!
David Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Leo Ayala served as a family pastor for over 15 years and later as lead pastor. For four years, he has been recovering from burnout, anxiety disorder, and depression. On his journey to heal his soul and develop new life rhythms, he completed two years with the Transforming Center (TC15 and now TC19). He is finishing a DMin. in Spiritual Formation on the topic of spirituality during seasons of disorientation. He is a liaison pastor for the Caminando Juntos (Urban Strategies) program, where he looks to improve the holistic well-being of Latino pastors.
Charity McClure has served the Transforming Center in several capacities over the past 10 years, most recently as Director of Strategy and Communications. During this time her work has deepened her own longing, not only for a way of life that works, but a way of life that creates space for beauty, purpose and meaningful connection with those around her. Charity is a tentative writer, an optimistic traveler and a committed bruncher. She lives in Glen Ellyn, IL with her husband Kyle and our three children Finn, Rhys and Elin.
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He mentors worship leaders, speaks at churches and conferences, leads retreats for artists, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory is also a trained spiritual director, a published songwriter and has authored five books, including the best-seller, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team. Rory earned a Doctoral Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He was part of TC2 and led worship for the The Transforming Center for fifteen years.
We are now accepting applications for Transforming Community 20! Use the code Podcast20 to receive $50 off your application fee. Learn more and apply HERE.
Mentioned in the episode:
Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered by Rory Noland
All music in this episode is featured on the Transforming Resource, The Lord is In Our Midst CD
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Chasing Butterflies from Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive bonus conversations, extra content and guided practices relating to Rory’s book. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
We’re back! This season we’re focusing on worship, particularly worship that is transformative. Our season long guest is Rory Noland and we will be working with his book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered. In addition to Ruth and Rory, we will also be bringing other guests into the conversations about worship with spiritual formation at its core. This season is for all who worship, not just pastors and leaders who plan the weekly services!
In today’s episode Ruth and Rory are joined by Aaron Damiani, an Anglican pastor, to discuss the worship practice of Communion. Ruth and Rory share about their own painful experiences trying to celebrate the eucharist across denominations in the early days of Transforming Community and the three talk about how to wade into the places of tension the Lord’s table can hold. They also tackle why the eucharist is an important part of transforming worship and how to make communion transformative if it’s become a rote practice.
Aaron Damiani serves as the Rector (Lead Pastor) of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago and is the author of The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent (Moody, 2017) and Earth Filled With Heaven: Finding Life in Liturgy, Sacraments, and other Ancient Practices of the Church (Moody, 2022). Aaron writes and speaks regularly about spiritual formation, leadership and recovering the gifts of the ancient church for today's challenges. Aaron and his wife Laura live with their four kids in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood.
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He mentors worship leaders, speaks at churches and conferences, leads retreats for artists, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory is also a trained spiritual director, a published songwriter and has authored five books, including the best-seller, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team. Rory earned a Doctoral Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He was part of TC2 and led worship for the The Transforming Center for fifteen years.
We are now accepting applications for Transforming Community 20! Use the code Podcast20 to receive $50 off your application fee. Learn more and apply HERE.
Mentioned in the episode:
Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered by Rory Noland
All music in this episode is featured on the Transforming Resource, The Lord is In Our Midst CD
Earth Filled With Heaven: Finding Life in Liturgy, Sacraments, and other Ancient Practices of the Church by Aaron Damiani
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Springs of Living Water from Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive bonus conversations, extra content and guided practices relating to Rory’s book. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
We’re back! This season we’re focusing on worship, particularly worship that is transformative. Our season long guest is Rory Noland and we will be working with his book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered. In addition to Ruth and Rory, we will also be bringing other guests into the conversations about worship with spiritual formation at its core. This season is for all who worship, not just pastors and leaders who plan the weekly services!
This week Ruth and Rory brought in podcast producer Colleen Powell to discuss the problem of Sunday morning. Is it even possible to experience transformative worship in a one hour Sunday morning (or Saturday evening) service? Should you stay at a church where you are not experiencing transformative worship? And what is the secret to services that are transformative? This conversation was challenging and hopeful all at the same time.
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He mentors worship leaders, speaks at churches and conferences, leads retreats for artists, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory is also a trained spiritual director, a published songwriter and has authored five books, including the best-seller, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team. Rory earned a Doctoral Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He was part of TC2 and led worship for the The Transforming Center for fifteen years.
We are now accepting applications for Transforming Community 20! Use the code Podcast20 to receive $50 off your application fee. Learn more and apply HERE.
Mentioned in the episode:
Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered by Rory Noland
All music in this episode is featured on the Transforming Resource, The Lord is In Our Midst CD
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
The Lord is In Our Midst from The Lord is in Our Midst
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive bonus conversations, extra content and guided practices relating to Rory’s book. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
We’re back! This season we’re focusing on worship, particularly worship that is transformative. Our season long guest is Rory Noland and we will be working with his book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered. In addition to Ruth and Rory, we will also be bringing other guests into the conversations about worship with spiritual formation at its core. This season is for all who worship, not just pastors and leaders who plan the weekly services!
In today’s episode Aaron Niequist joins Ruth and Rory to discuss the practices that make up Transforming Worship. They discuss how Covid revealed just how little participation was required in most church services, the temptation leaders face to create emotional experiences rather than allow space for the Holy Spirit to do its work, and what’s wrong with how most of us pray in worship settings. This conversation is full of thoughtful dialogue and practical advice.
Aaron Niequist is a liturgist, writer, and pastor who recently graduated from General Theological Seminary in NYC. After leading worship at Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, MI) and Willow Creek Church (Barrington, IL), he created A New Liturgy - a collection of modern liturgical worship recordings. He then curated a discipleship-focused, formational, ecumenical, practice-based community at Willow Creek called “The Practice”. Aaron released a book called The Eternal Current: How a Practice-based Faith can Save us from Drowning, and continues to create resources to help others flesh it out. He currently serves at St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea and helps lead Pastors, Priests and Guides retreats around the country. The best part of his life is his wife Shauna, and their sons Henry and William. Aaronniequist.com
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He mentors worship leaders, speaks at churches and conferences, leads retreats for artists, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory is also a trained spiritual director, a published songwriter and has authored five books, including the best-seller, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team. Rory earned a Doctoral Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He was part of TC2 and led worship for the The Transforming Center for fifteen years.
We are now accepting applications for Transforming Community 20! Use the code Podcast20 to receive $50 off your application fee. Learn more and apply HERE.
Mentioned in the episode:
Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered by Rory Noland
All music in this episode is featured on the Transforming Resource, The Lord is In Our Midst CD
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive bonus conversations, extra content and guided practices relating to Rory’s book. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Today we are sharing a clip from an episode that was released over on Patreon. This is a conversation between Rory and Ruth about what they both consider to be the principles of transforming worship. They draw from the ideas in Rory’s book and from their work together in Transforming Community. If you are not already a patron, may we humbly ask that you consider supporting the work of this podcast over on Patreon? Patrons receive all sorts of excellent bonus content like additional podcast conversations, guided spiritual practices, and episodes where listeners get to ask Ruth their questions. This season we have a ton of great stuff for our patrons including extras from Rory’s book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered, a guided practice helping us to reflect on the attributes of God, and a special conversation between Rory and Ruth about the tension between prioritizing the planning of Sunday services to edify believers or engage non-believers.
Right now you can sign up for a free 7 day trial where you are able to check out our Patreon program and listen to the rest of the conversation that we are sharing today. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast is listener supported and runs because of our wonderful patrons. If you love what you hear on this podcast we think you’ll really enjoy all that we offer over on Patreon. Go to patreon.com/transformingcenter to take advantage of that free 7 day trial and become a patron today!
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
We’re back! This season we’re focusing on worship, particularly worship that is transformative. Our season long guest is Rory Noland and we will be working with his book, Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered. In addition to Rory and Ruth, we will also be bringing other guests into the conversations about worship with spiritual formation at its core. This season is for all who worship, not just pastors and leaders who plan the weekly services!
This week Ruth and Rory discuss how this idea of transforming worship grew from their time together in Transforming Community. They share the necessity of making space for the Holy Spirit in worship that is transformative, the importance of one’s own private worship in the public worship setting, and the sacred cows of Sunday morning worship.
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church. He mentors worship leaders, speaks at churches and conferences, leads retreats for artists, and consults with churches in the areas of worship and the arts. Rory is also a trained spiritual director, a published songwriter and has authored five books, including the best-seller, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team. Rory earned a Doctoral Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He was part of TC2 and led worship for the The Transforming Center for fifteen years.
We are now accepting applications for Transforming Community 20! Use the code Podcast20 to receive $50 off your application fee. Learn more and apply HERE.
Mentioned in the episode:
Transforming Worship: Planning and Leading Sunday Services as If Spiritual Formation Mattered by Rory Noland
All music in this episode is featured on the Transforming Resource, The Lord is In Our Midst CD
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive bonus conversations, extra content and guided practices relating to Rory’s book. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
This is a replay of an episode we released only to patrons of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. While we take a small hiatus from normal programming to attend to the work of The Transforming Center as well as a special Digital Film Capture project we invite you to revisit some of our previous seasons.
Please visit our website to learn more about the work of The Transforming Center and our Digital Capture project!
For our patrons during the Lent season we recorded a special conversation with Sandra Van Opstal. Sandra sat down with Ruth and Tina to discuss why lent is so significant to someone who was formed in a Latina Roman Catholic tradition, how the Transforming Center helped make the bridge to a reforma-costal BIPOC pastoral space as well as why diverse spiritual practices lead us to solidarity and mutuality.
This conversation was insightful and important for us all as we seek to be leaders doing God's important justice work.
Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina and the executive director of Chasing Justice. She is an author, pastor, and activist reimagining the intersection of faith and justice. Her work centers on chasing justice under the mentorship of the global church, for the mobilizing of the next generation of leaders. Sandra has given leadership in global movements such as Lausanne, The Justice Conference, and Urbana Missions Conference. She has also had a strong domestic presence as an executive pastor at Grace and Peace Church and as an activist on the west-side of Chicago. Sandra serves as a board member for CCDA. She holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in urban leadership and transformation. She is a contributor to the New York Times Bestselling book A Rhythm of Prayer and she's also the author of The Next Worship.
If you’d like to hear more content like this, become a patron! Patrons receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
This is a replay of an episode we released only to patrons of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. While we take a small hiatus from normal programming to attend to the work of The Transforming Center as well as a special Digital Film Capture project we invite you to revisit some of our previous seasons.
Please visit our website to learn more about the work of The Transforming Center and our Digital Capture project!
Over on patreon we close out every podcast season with a special Ask Ruth episode, where Ruth answers patron’s questions about the season. This episode includes Ruth and Transforming Center staff member Tina answering questions about our most recent season, A Just Lent: Learning to Love What God Loves. These questions were thoughtful and challenging and we hope they serve to round out our most recent season.
If you’d like to hear more content like this, become a patron! Patrons receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
This is a replay of a previous episode of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. While we take a small hiatus from normal programming to attend to the work of The Transforming Center as well as a special Digital Film Capture project we invite you to revisit some of our previous seasons. Please enjoy this episode from Season 17: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again.
Please visit our website to learn more about the work of The Transforming Center and our Digital Capture project!
We’re here this week to talk about the elephant in the sabbath room… technology. Ruth and guest, Tiffany Shlain, talk all about how our technology impacts our ability to truly rest, why a “tech Shabbat” has been a lifeline for Tiffany, and the nitty gritty details of how Tiffany goes completely screen-free (and we mean completely) for 24 hours each week. We also hear from one of the founders of our sponsor, Good Kind, Chris Pappalardo, about the Sabbath Boxes they created to help people really unplug on the sabbath.
Tiffany Shlain is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, filmmaker, and public speaker. Her work explores the relationship between humanity and technology; the future of work, digital wellbeing and happiness; gender and women's rights; and neuroscience and creativity.
Honored by Newsweek as one of the "Women Shaping the 21st Century," Tiffany is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, founder of the Webby Awards, and author of the national bestselling book 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection.
Chris Pappalardo is editor at The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He is the author and co-founder of GoodKind, an organization that cultivates practices that draw people to God and to one another. He is married to Jenn and is the proud dad of Lottie, who wants to save the planet, and Teddy, who wants you to read him another book.
Mentioned in this episode:
24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection by Tiffany Shlain
.
Purchase Ruth’s new book! Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is available wherever you buy books (Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org).
You can also order the Sabbath Journal.
This season of our podcast is sponsored by GoodKind. GoodKind is all about helping people cultivate the GoodKind of habits and holiday practices that allow them to engage with God and one another throughout the year. They have a great tool for Advent, a Sabbath Box to help you practice unplugging, and more. To learn more about them and the products they make, you can find them at goodkind.shop
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Reflection from Transforming Center Resource Music in Solitude
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn’t fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
This is a replay of a previous episode of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. While we take a small hiatus from normal programming to attend to the work of The Transforming Center as well as a special Digital Film Capture project we invite you to revisit some of our previous seasons. Please enjoy this episode from Season 16: Transforming Leadership: Managing Anxiety Within our Communities.
Please visit our website to learn more about the work of The Transforming Center and our Digital Capture project!
Sometimes our greatest anxieties can surround areas of stuckness, places where we know what we are doing isn’t working, but we can’t seem to find our way out. This week, Ruth and Steve will discuss second order change and how we can recognize and dissolve our stuck patterns. How does paying attention to process over content help us with this? And how can changing our own behaviors actually change the behaviors of others? Find out all this and more in this episode.
Helpful to this episode:
Everything Isn’t Terrible by Dr. Kathleen Smith
Steve Cuss Resources:
Managing Leadership Anxiety, Yours and Theirs by Steve Cuss
General Resources for Systems Theory:
Season 9 Episode 6 of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast
Season 9 Episode 7 of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast
Family Systems and Congregational Life: A Map for Ministry by R. Robert Creech
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue by Edwin H. Friedman
Extraordinary Relationships: A new Way of Thinking about Human Interactions by Roberta M Gilbert
Music Credit:
Kingdom Come by Aaron Niequist
Support the podcast! This season, patrons will receive exclusive bonus content that includes conversations with Ruth and Steve that delve into episode topics a little deeper. This week we will offer a conversation about universal sources of anxiety. Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!
The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders. Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!