Listen Now

Shannon and Steven explore the idea of Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats, and how they might be useful for ministry teams. 

Shannon and Steven talk about how church leaders can engage God's people in spiritual formation, moving beyond program management or event-based ministry.  Find us on twitter at @itsallprologue (Shannon) and @stevenhovater.   We'd love for you to subscribe!    Sorry to those who got the 17 second version of this episode initially! If you want some Fla-vor-ice, here's a sweet deal on Amazon. 

Hosts Steven Hovater and Shannon Cooper talk about what it will mean to invest in training the next generation of ministers, and the different areas in which up and coming ministers need to grow.  If you have thought or ideas for the show, please share them with us on twitter: @stevenhovater, and @itsallprologue.   Don't forget to subscribe!

This episode develops the idea of "Design Thinking" with the concepts of Divergence and Convergence.  Long-Term Sermon Planning is available for Kindle on Amazon! Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

This episode develops the idea of "Design Thinking" with the concepts of prototyping and iteration.    Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

My good friends Joel Abrahams and Jeremy Daggett join me for a fantastic conversation about what it means to participate in God's mission.    Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

This episode introduces the idea of "Design Thinking", and begins to lay out how two of the key concepts, Function and Constraints, can be useful to ministers.  If you're interested in reading more on design thinking, I think Tim Brown's Change by Design is a great starting point, though The Design of Business by Roger Martin or Tom's Kelly's work might work well for you, too.    Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

Our resident theologian Nathan Bills joins the podcast for a super nerdy conversation about the Creative Rhythm we talked about in Episode 3.   Consume, Dwell, Create, Connect Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

This episode is about crafting the community through attention to its Vision and Structure, as well as the relationship between the two.  Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

This episode is about developing your capacity to attend, to focus your energy towards a particular person, task, or situation.    Host: Steven Hovater (Twitter: @stevenhovater, Web: stevenhovater.com) I'd appreciate it if you would share the podcast with others, and please remember to subscribe for future episodes. You may also be interested in my other podcast, Spiritual Steps, which is about taking small steps in your spiritual journey.

How can you model growth as a spiritual leader? In this episode, we looks at how people in ministry can demonstrate what it means to be people in progress, rather than having to project a "finished product" of spirituality.  Connect on twitter at @stevenhovater, or on the web at stevenhovater.com. 

This episode is about four beats that make up a framework for the kind of work we find ourselves doing in ministry.   Creative Ministry by Henri Nouwen   Hosted by Steven Hovater www.stevenhovater.com Twitter: @stevenhovater

In this episode, we talk about the fine art of not taking things personally.  Hosted by Steven Hovater   www.stevenhovater.com Twitter: @stevenhovater

This launch episode for the Craft of Ministry podcast begins by talking about how important it is to deeply understand the core of your work.  Why our understanding of our work gets distorted Strategies for recovering a grasp of our work The importance of understanding the nature of your work on different levels.  Hosted by Steven Hovater