Visiting Other Churches as a Stake Communications Director | A How I Lead Interview with Maria Duncan

In this podcast, Kurt Francom sits down with four Evangelical Protestant pastors, Jeff McCullough of Hello Saints, Curtis Gilbert—a senior pastor in Shiloh, Illinois, Kyle Beshears, —pastor of a nondenominational church in Mobile, Alabama, and Nate Fox—pastor of Lightstone Church in Herriman, Utah. This conversation is part of the Hello Saints Summit, happening June 11-20, 2024, which involves two dozen Latter-day Saint and Protestant presenters—all FREE to watch! Links Watch the Hello Saints Summit Transcript coming soon Highlights 00:02:06 - Introductions of the four evangelical pastors 00:07:11 - Unexpected call to serve as a bishop 00:15:38 - Pastors sharing their unique stories of being called into ministry 00:26:08 - Typical week in the life of a pastor 00:28:40 - Discussion on burnout and validation in pastoral roles 00:35:49 - Importance of humility and avoiding self-validation in ministry 00:43:46 - Involving and supporting pastors' spouses in ministry The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Maria Duncan was raised in the San Francisco East Bay area where she learned the gospel from sister missionaries and joined the Church as she entered her teens. She moved to Cache Valley, Utah for high school and college, graduating from Utah State with a bachelor's degree in Technology Systems, then worked in the professional media market and has since transitioned to project work. In the Church, Maria has served in Young Women and Relief Society, worked with the stake youth, and been a Public Affairs (now Communication) director for the most recent six years. She serves on boards for non-profit organizations in her community while coaching middle school sports and raising seven children with her loving husband, Tom. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 3:10 Intro to Maria and an explanation of the role of a stake communications director 6:30 Misconceptions about the role of a stake communications director 8:50 The Global Communication Network site requires a special login. The purpose of a private site is for a private way to access marketing and PR materials before they're released to the public. 9:15 A good starting point when you are called as stake communications director 10:50 Maria’s stake’s focus is interfaith work. Bringing the church out of obscurity and serving your fellow man. It’s about getting to know your community and building connections and relationships with people from other faiths. 12:20 Maria shares some of the things that she does in her calling and the time commitment. She attends different churches in the community and builds relationships with them. 15:40 Involving youth in stake communications activities. Maria shares an experience she had taking some of the youth to a food giveaway and to another local church. 19:10 Are other pastors or church leaders skeptical when you want to work with them? 21:00 When visiting other churches cater to your audience. Dress as they dress, join them, sing with them. 23:00 How Maria involves the youth and the importance of taking youth to other churches 25:10 Attending different churches in the community and building relationships 28:40 Importance of networking and building relationships with other faith communities 30:10 Focusing on connections and relationships rather than conversion. Maria’s calling doesn’t allow her to talk about the church so her main focus is just building a relationship. 33:20 Reflection on the experience of temple open houses 36:10 Maria has 14 people that work with her on the stake communications team. There is a graphic designer, newspaper writer, youth specialist, social media manager, JustServe leaders, education specialist, interfaith leadership, a member of the stake presidency. 38:20 Advice and tips for doing a temple open house. 41:40 Gratitude for the stake communications work and its impact 42:30 How leadership in stake communications has enhanced following Jesus Christ The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences,

Dan Gray is an author, licensed psychotherapist, and lecturer. He co-founded the LifeStar Network, an internationally-known program designed to help individuals, couples, and families who have been impacted by a family member’s unwanted compulsive or addictive behaviors. Dan mostly loves being a husband, dad and grandpa, while helping other men become stronger and more loving leaders and mentors in their homes. Dave Gray has an entrepreneurial spirit and has enjoyed careers in the real estate and mental health fields. He believes in the symbiotic connection between the relationships we have with those around us, and the choices we make in our lives. He passionately cherishes his relationships with others, especially his close family and friends and specifically with his kids. Dave couldn’t be more excited to create powerful and unique opportunities for parents and their kids to make deep and meaningful connections with one another through Bridgecamp. Links Bridgecamp.com There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:30 Introduction to father and son Dan and Dave Gray 7:15 Dan mostly works with people struggling with pornography and other addictive behaviors. 9:24 Dan's therapy work and the genesis of Bridgecamp 13:45 Overview of Bridgecamp. A place for parents and their kids to connect. 16:01 Components of Bridgecamp: Adventuring, learning, and serving 18:45 The power of experiential activities 19:30 Dan shares how experiential activities with his dad created a strong relationship between them. These activities also gave his dad opportunities to teach him. 23:15 Experiential activities for the youth and church leaders. These activities help leaders connect with the youth and give opportunities for the kids to grow in different areas. 24:50 Bridgecamp is a one-on-one experience for kids 12 to 17. Now that the Church isn’t associated with Boy Scouts it's a great opportunity to get out and camp and be mentored. 28:00 The best way to describe Bridgecamp is that it’s a relationship-, trust-, and connection-building program. It’s not a therapy program but it is a therapeutic environment. 29:00 Bridgecamp can be an alternative to therapy for a struggling teen. An opportunity for parents to break down their teen’s walls and connect with them. 32:00 How can we be more intentional when it comes to girls camp, high adventure, or doing parent and child activities? 35:00 When you are self aware you are also aware of what’s going on in your relationships and building them. 39:20 Addressing parental issues at Bridgecamp 42:35 Discussion and learning components at Bridgecamp 45:30 The mentoring aspect of the camp is important also. The staff are there to mentor, and give examples of healthy interactions. 46:00 We were created to connect. In Genesis it says that it’s not good for man to be alone. We all long for bonding and the love and connection with others. The camp plants the seeds to create a better relationship that you can continue to develop when you go back home. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne,

See Summit Details Here: https://hellocreative.life/summit-2024

Sierra Larson serves as a stake Relief Society president in Brandon, Florida, and previously served as a ward Relief Society president. She served a mission in Santiago, Dominican Republic, earned a master's degree in Social Work, and is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma. She recently joined the Chaplain Corp in the United States Air Force and graduated with a second master's in Divinity, with a focus in spiritual leadership. Sierra and her husband Joe Larson have three children. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:40 Sierra's background, how she met her husband, and military experience 9:45 Day to day responsibilities of a chaplain in the military 12:30 Sierra's leadership roles. She served as ward Relief Society president and then stake Relief Society president. 14:30 Praying to have a vision for the ward Relief Society and creating a vision statement. This statement has helped Sierra have a focus and communicate what they need to do and why. 17:00 When beginning a new calling, Sierra suggests that the most important things are seeking revelation and reading the handbook. She then created templates to make sure that she was covering all her bases. 18:20 Sierra’s ward and stake demographics 19:30 Sierra’s routine as a stake Relief Society president and how she works with her counselors 23:00 Sierra's stake Relief Society conference. Their conference with focus on 3 values: Authenticity and vulnerability Inclusion and loving everyone when we are all so different Women’s strength and drawing down power from heaven to do God’s work 25:40 Getting together all the Relief Society presidents for an informal gathering just to get to know each other and minister to them 27:40 * Leadership principle: Lead yourself to Christ and rely on Him to accomplish His work 29:10 * Leadership principle: Be a servant leader 29:45 Sierra shares an experience she had and how she applies the leadership principle of being a servant leader. Serving in the way that Christ would and being humble enough to do anything that’s needed. 33:20 * Leadership principle: Have an inspired vision and plan 36:00 Sierra’s final thoughts on being a leader and the way she leads The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Todd McLauchlin served a mission to Japan and studied philosophy at Brigham Young University. In this conversation, Todd and Kurt delve into the concept of magnifying one's calling in the priesthood, emphasizing the importance of sacrifice and obedience, and discuss how leaders can magnify redemption to others. Links Shattering Triangles YouTube channel There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Scriptures related to this podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 88, 112, 109, 61, 1 Nephi 12, Mosiah 2-5 (King Benjamin's address), 2 Nephi 9, Jacob 1-2 Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 3:40 Todd’s background 6:20 Exploring the intersection of leadership, theology, and priesthood 7:40 A question that has always pounded Todd is do you REALLY believe what you believe? Why do I believe this? 10:30 Being Christ-like is more than just being a nicer person. How can I be a much more truthful person and what am I willing to sacrifice for it? Bring the darkness out of you into the light. 12:00 What is the dread of the holy? If you really want to pursue holiness and Jesus Christ you will most likely face dread in that path. You will have to encounter your demons to feel that sanctifying light. 13:00 Even the person that seems like they have everything together and is temple worthy has a lot of work to do on himself. 17:00 We need to humble ourselves without being compelled. We can go to the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit to know the depth of our weakness and insufficiency so that we can know the power and salvational abilities of Jesus Christ. It will be a radically transformational experience. 18:50 The temple endowment is an endowment of the priesthood. The significance of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. 22:00 The order of the priesthood is a group of people that are obtaining covenantal relationship intimacy with the Lord in degrees of intimacy. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ share their power with you as you become sanctified and fulfill their purposes. 23:00 The meaning of the order of the priesthood. The ordination is the authoritative invitation to enter into the order of the priesthood but you must do much more to sanctify yourself to share the power of God. That is the difference between being called and chosen. 24:50 Unpacking the temple endowment to understand priesthood theology 26:20 The covenant of the priesthood and becoming clean from the blood and sins of the generation. This is our primary call and covenant. 27:30 Magnifying one's calling and the connection to priesthood theology 35:20 Sacrifice, leadership, and the impact on relationships and redemption 39:00 The consequences of breaking covenant and the role of priesthood in delivering Christ's message 42:00 Applying covenant principles to leadership roles like Relief Society and Elder Quorum Presidents. Normally the things that the Lord wants us to do are things that we don’t want to do but that is where the power is unlocked. 45:30 When Adam and Eve were cast out, God said I will give you a savior and the law of sacrifice. We get to partner with Christ through our sacrifices. 46:40 Many are struggling with children that don’t want to participate in the covenant. What can they do? 49:00 When people leave the covenant. They haven’t seen how the gospel can work for them. Their testimony is not the problem; not experiencing redemption is the problem. 50:20 Are people leaving their Sunday feeling the redemption or like they haven’t been doing enough? There has to be a balance. We need to be careful on how we talk about repentance. 54:10 Going through a true repentance process and giving everything to Christ so that you can be transformed. Your own redemptive experience will magnify to others. 56:15 We are ALL sinners. Should we even use the word ‘serious’ in front of sin?

Over the last 45 years, Jim Ritchie has been the founder or principal of multiple business adventures, including serving as senior vice president for Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey). He is a member of the Brigham Young University President’s Leadership Council for both Provo and Hawaii campuses, a member of the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Business, and has served as an adjunct professor at Provo. He has also served as a board member and NAC advisor to Southern Virginia University. Jim and his wife Carolyn Orton have spent over 20 years serving full time in Church service on four continents, including as bishop, stake president in Simi Valley, mission president in Roanoke, Missionary Training Center president in Ghana, Institute director in New Zealand, CES area director in Africa, regional representative in the Provo Region, director of the Willes Center at BYU-Hawaii, and most recently as the young single adult specialists for the Washington DC South Mission. The Ritchies have eight children and forty grandchildren. He is also the principal founder of the Ritchie Enterprises LLC which began in the late '60's, and part of The Ritchie Group, of which he says he is "the gray hair". Links Launching a Rising Generation of Leaders | An Interview with Steven Hitz and Michael Leonard There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 1:45 Jim shares his story. He got polio when he was 1 year old. When he started talking at two he had a stutter. Despite his impediments and inadequacies he was able to laugh it off and was in student leadership growing up. 4:45 He thought because of his problems that he wouldn’t serve a mission. He tried to run away but thanks to church leaders stepping in he ended up serving in Scotland. 6:30 Jim thought he would fail on his mission because of his stutter. He was the missionary that didn't speak until he got a companion that changed his life. 11:40 When Jim was about to come home from his mission in Scotland Elder David B. Haight gave him some advice. The formula for happiness and success is: Get up early Work hard Get your education Find your oil Make your mark in life Give back and serve others 13:05 The work ethic of Elder Haight 14:15 He was a limping, stuttering, chicken-farmer kid. In his patriarchal blessing it said that he would travel for the Church, have friends all over the world, and witness before many. Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we can become. 17:20 The organization of the mission. Jim was a mission president and applied a lot from what he learned from Elder Haight. 20:20 Give a kid a position, explain to him what it means to live up to it, and let him rise up to it and become a leader. Jim shares his leadership journey. 25:40 How can we be better mentors? Look at the story of Moses. 29:45 When Jim got home from his mission and went to BYU, got married, and had children. He started 27 businesses. 35:10 If he could go back in time and mentor himself as a new bishop. Jim shares what he learned from David Haight on his mission in Scotland and how it impacted his leadership in the Church. 43:50 The story behind getting called to be a mission president 45:40 Where do you start when becoming a mission president? 48:30 When a new missionary comes in how do you train them and get them into the culture of the mission? 50:00 Jim’s wife’s role in the mission 51:00 Striking up a balance between raising and mentoring your children and serving in leadership roles 54:00 How to get people on board and excited with new ideas, programs, and leadership? 57:50 Giving autonomy to mission leaders instead of giving orders. Creating a Zion mission. 1:01:30 Jim reflects on his life. By going on a mission and meeting David Haight it changed the course of his life.

Ganel-Lyn is a popular motivational speaker, known for inspiring others with her unique honesty, authenticity and spirit. She is dedicated to her family, faith, and inspiring others and loves teaching through speaking and writing. She has experienced healing from a major chronic illness and is the mother to two miracle children. After the heart-breaking suicide of her 40-year-old sister, Ganel-Lyn is constantly working towards prevention. She lives with an open heart and feels passionate about sharing principles that will empower others to live life with more joy. She is a regular television/radio guest and hosts the popular shows “Talk of Him” and “The Middle.” Links Why God Calls Some as Relief Society Presidents and Others as Cancer Survivors | An Interview with Ganel-Lyn Condie There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:20 Who is Ganel-Lyn Condie? She is an author, speaker, podcaster, mother, and now empty-nester. 6:30 Ganel-Lyn hosts a PMG, (Preach My Gospel) group in her home led by the youth. What is it? How can people start it? 7:30 How did the PMG group start? It was an amazing success and grew quickly. Very authentic and spirit led teaching. 14:30 It’s not just a mission-prep class, it’s a life-prep class. Open to anybody because Preach My Gospel helps you develop all sorts of skills. 16:30 If you want to start a group like this it can be once a month or even once a week. 18:10 Why would kids want to go to these meetings? It’s not like your normal church meeting. 18:40 The adults have to get out of the way. 20:00 What does home-centered feel like and why is it different from having a church meeting? These meetings are not strictly Preach My Gospel but a place to have vulnerable conversations about hard topics and addictions. Youth can show up in sweats if they want. 22:50 The rule is that the Spirit interrupts. 23:40 The structure of the PMG meetings. Review the rules and introduce who is new, announce new mission calls, kids that are leaving on a mission always giving a closing testimony and are sent off with the hymn, "God Be with You Till We Meet Again". They start a song and kneel in family prayer at the end. 24:15 Teaching the youth what it feels like to have to the Spirit lead the meeting is powerful. You don’t know how to teach it until you experience it. It might be difficult at first but the adults need to stay out of the way and let the youth learn through it. 26:00 It is not Ganel-Lyn and her husband’s calling to have these meetings. They felt inspired to do it. 29:00 The sweet spot for these meetings is age 16 and older. Missionaries and returned missionaries also come. It helps returned missionaries transition back into life. 31:30 This is a non-stress meeting. You don’t have to have treats or a formal lesson planned. 32:00 Ganel-Lyn and her husband were also called by the stake to teach mission prep classes but she noticed that it wasn’t the same as having the home-centered PMG group. 35:00 Have real life conversations that are connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They shouldn’t be two separate things. The PMG magic is the gospel and real life in action. It’s not adult-pushed or calling-pushed. 36:40 They use Groupme to communicate with the youth and the youth are over it. 40:30 Finding a youth member to be the facilitator. If you don’t have one you can rotate. 42:50 What if the topic takes a left turn? Do you step in? 45:00 Oversharing is not actually a thing. Something in you might be triggered but for other people it’s fine. It’s ok for it to be awkward. We need to create a safe place for people to open up. 52:00 You can do these meetings in your way and for your needs. Just create a safe place. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part o...

Dr. Steven G. Rogelberg, an organizational psychologist, holds the title of Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte for distinguished national, international and interdisciplinary contributions. He is an award-winning teacher, has over 200 publications, been cited well over 12,000 times in the academic literature, and was recipient of the very prestigious Humboldt Award for his research on meetings. Dr. Rogelberg is the author of two highly-praised leadership books, Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings and The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance. He has been interviewed or featured on major TV and radio broadcasts, podcasts, and in most major newspapers and magazines. His keynotes on meetings span the globe and occur at the world’s leading organizations. He was the inaugural winner of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Humanitarian Award and just finished his term as president of SIOP, the world's largest professional organization for organizational psychology. Links The Science of Church Meetings (including Ward Council) | An Interview with Steven Rogelberg Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance StevenRogelberg.com There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts here. Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:10 Steven shares his professional background. He is a professor and has been studying meetings for the past twenty years. He has written two books on his findings. 7:00 Steven’s newest book is about one-on-one meetings. He goes into why he wrote it and what he means by one-on-one meetings. 10:45 The importance of feeling seen. One to one meetings bring humanity to work and create business success. It’s a focus on the employee and gives them the opportunity to say anything they need to and receive guidance. 15:30 There are 3 principal phases of a one to one meetings: The start The heart The end 17:00 Start each meeting with two questions. How are you? Have them answer on a 10 point scale. 0 being terrible and 10 being great. Ask them to tell you more about it. The second question is, "I know you were struggling with X and were going to try Y. How did that go for you?" 18:00 The goal is to get the direct to share and the manager has to be an awesome listener. The manager should not be talking more than the direct. Instead they can say things such as, "Tell me more, help me understand, how can I help you with that?" 19:20 What do you do in the close of the meeting? Make a meaningful recap. End on a positive. 20:30 What setting should we be having these meetings? Managers can also ask the employee where they want the meeting and to come prepared with what they want to talk about. 22:00 Our behaviors signal what we value. When we meet with our people and show interest in them it shows a lot about who we are. If we don’t do certain things, the lack of behavior also signals who we are. 23:00 You will make more time by doing these one-on-one meetings. They will reduce rework time because they will get it right the first time. Retention of your best performers so it’s less time refiling these roles. 24:00 It’s so easy to focus on key indicators and the progress report but what we want in these interviews is to create psychological safety in the workplace. To do this we must lead with authenticity and create trust. 27:30 If your leader or manager is awkward, what can the interviewee do to make it better? You as an employee or member of the church can’t get your needs met if you don’t know what your needs and wants are. You can also engage and ask for constructive help. 31:40 Is it good to take notes? The notes become the story of that employee or person. They communicate engagement.

Kirby Heyborne is an accomplished actor, narrator, musician, and comedian. He is best known for his roles in Saints and Soldiers, The Singles Ward, The R.M., The Best Two Years, Sons of Provo, and The Three Stooges. He has also starred in numerous television series and national commercial campaigns. Kirby currently hosts the popular BYUTV show, “Making Good.” As an audiobook narrator, Kirby has been nominated for a Grammy, received two Odyssey Awards, and countless Earphones Awards for excellence in narration. He has narrated over 2000 audiobooks, including SAINTS: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days. At church, Kirby has served as a Primary music leader, Sunday School teacher, and bishopric counselor, and is currently the bishop of his ward. He loves spending time with his wife and kids. Kirby Heyborne, photographed by Justin Hackworth Links When Leaders Accidentally Limit Their Effectiveness | An Interview with Dustin Peterson Build an A-Team in Your Calling | An Interview with Whitney Johnson Are Leaders “The Chosen One”? Bearded Bishops, Rated-R Movies, & the Honor Code | An Interview with John Hilton III There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:40 Introduction to Kirby. His background as an actor and being bishop. Why did God call me? 6:50 Getting into acting and having faith it would work out 9:00 The Best Two Years movie. It’s still very loved even after 20 years. 10:20 We need to make a movie about the best five years, all about bishops. Kirby describes getting called and how he got started. 12:20 The importance of the law of the lid. Thinking that I have to do it all denies others the opportunity to grow, to strengthen their relationship with Jesus, and to use the talents that God blessed them with. It also took the pressure off him as bishop. 14:00 My job as bishop is to get out of the way and point people to Jesus. 14:30 The first few weeks of being bishop. Building a powerful team and what Kirby took into consideration when calling counselors and people for other callings. 20:00 The unique thing about Kirby’s ward. It’s a new ward with people from everywhere. 21:40 Kirby was called as bishop just as they were creating a brand new ward. He had to call all the leaders. 23:50 “I never thought I would have a testimony of a schedule.” Having a streamlined schedule has allowed him to have a touch point with every organization each month. 25:00 “I think that an executive secretary is the most important calling in the ward.” They are a critical part of the ward. 27:10 What a typical Sunday works for Kirby. What his schedule looks like. 30:15 You might feel a little uncomfortable as a male leader hanging out with the young women but remember that it's not about you. Let them lead and get out of their way. He shares what he teaches with the young women. 32:25 Ministering with the young women and young men so they have a mentor. The people in his ward know the youth and are very supportive of them. 34:00 Kirby never looks at his phone or has it out when he is in a meeting. It’s too easy to disengage from the person you are speaking with when you hear a buzz from your phone. 35:10 The importance of getting outside. The youth need to connect with nature. They created a calling in Kirby’s ward to create monthly activities that are outdoors and a little bit hard for the youth in the ward. 37:45 A lot of times the girls want to be included in more outdoor activities. They feel left out. They have started doing combined outdoor activities with young men and young women. 39:20 “There is something special about being outside, doing a hard thing.” These experiences are transformational. 41:00 We have to include women as much as possible. They have now called women leaders to also help with the...