ServingLeaders Podcast

What does it look like to trust God, find joy, and remain openhearted in the midst of uncertainty? In this deeply personal conversation, ServingLeaders Founder and Executive Director Dave Wiedis and his wife, artist Miho Kahn share their journey through cancer, anxiety, acceptance, and learning to surrender to God one day at a time. They reflect on discovering God's presence in suffering, embracing life's limitations, being caregivers for each other, and continuing to welcome others into their home and lives—even in a season when they need to receive care themselves. Their honest, moving story offers a powerful reminder that we don't have to have it all together to love others well or say yes to God in whatever season we find ourselves.More episodes like this:Facing Down Terminal Illness in the Grace and Power of Christ: With Jim RhodesMaking Sense Out of Suffering With Jim Rhodes

What does it look like to care for your soul in the midst of ministry, especially when the demands of serving others leave little time to care for yourself? In this episode, Carl and Caroline Kishbaugh of ServingLeaders share about Soul Care Intensives, a guided process that helps ministry leaders slow down, reflect on their stories, recognize how God is at work, and move toward greater wholeness. Then, in a special second segment, hear the personal story of Zack Yoder, a missionary for 14 years in overseas missions as he shares his personal experience of burnout and the impact of a Soul Care Intensive in his own journey to healing. Together, these conversations explore the importance of caring for our own souls so we can serve God and others with greater health, freedom, and resilience. Find out more about Soul Care Intensives/Debriefing with ServingLeaders Ministries.

In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Soul Shepherding founders Bill and Kristi Gaultiere around the vital need of each one of us to receive the empathy of Jesus. Bill and Kristi will be the keynote speakers at the upcoming ServingLeaders Annual Celebration Banquet and will also be leading a special workshop hosted by New Story Church in Phoenixville, PA. Don't miss this special opportunity to hear from them and register today for the banquet and workshop! You're invited! Register for the 2026 ServingLeaders Annual Celebration BanquetRegister for the Deeply Loved Workshop Purchase the book, Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God's Great Empathy for You Find out more about Soul Shepherding

What does it actually mean to have confidence in Christ? In this conversation, Rebekah Hannah challenges the way we often think about identity, confidence, and leadership, especially the temptation to use “identity in Christ” as a Christianized form of self-help. Together, we explore the freedom that comes from seeing Jesus rightly, embracing both our weakness and our God-given strengths, and releasing our need for approval. Rebekah offers practical wisdom for ministry leaders navigating criticism, difficult decisions, insecurity, and the pressure to be liked—reminding us that confident leadership isn't about becoming more impressed with ourselves, but becoming more grounded in Christ.The Secret to Confidence: Finding Lasting Confidence in Christ When Identity and Feelings WaverTalking to Kids About Hard Things: Honest Conversations When Life Gets Complicated Zara and the Mean Girl: The Courage of KindnessQ&R Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Chuck DeGroat—therapist, professor, pastor, and author of When Narcissism Comes to Church and Healing What’s Within—to explore the question, “Who are we becoming?” Chuck is Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary, a licensed therapist specializing in pastoral and leadership health, spiritual abuse, and religious trauma, and has spent more than 25 years helping people pursue greater wholeness and wholeheartedness. In anticipation of his new book, Who You’re Becoming: The Slow and Courageous Work of Cultivating Character in a Narcissistic Age, releasing October 20, we talk about the difference between self-awareness and genuine transformation, the temptation to use therapeutic tools as a shield from accountability, “fauxnerability,” humility, and what it actually looks like to slowly become more like Christ.Who You're Becoming: The Slow and Courageous Work of Cultivating Character in a Narcissistic AgeChuck DeGroat's websiteThe Soul Care CollaborativeSit with Chuck on Substack

In this second part of our series on “The Spiritually Healthy Leader: Finding Freedom from Self-Sabotage,” Dave Wiedis talks about what it means to live centered in the supremacy of Christ as the pathway to freedom, what to do with our longings, and how Christ's lordship supercharges our desires. A personal recommendation from ServingLeaders Founder and Executive Director, Dave Wiedis: “I like this episode because in it we explore the supremacy of Christ as our ruling passion and why that matters. Many Christians try to kill their desires or pathologize them. A more scriptural and comprehensive approach to desires and spiritual growth is reordering our desires under the supremacy of Christ.”Buy Dave's book here:On AmazonOn New Growth Press

In this episode, Dave and Laura sit down with world-renowned psychologist Dr. Diane Langberg for a conversation around her newest book, "When the Church Harms God's People: Becoming Faith Communities that Resist Abuse, Pursue Truth and Care for the Wounded". They talk about what it really means to be the body of Christ, the dangers of unhealthy leadership and how to identify it in yourself and others, how to practically address issues of abuse in the church, and what healthy forgiveness and restoration look like. Stay tuned after the episode while Dave and Laura debrief our conversation with Diane.A personal recommendation from ServingLeaders Clinical Director, Jon Sovocool: “I like this episode because it explores the incentives for churches to ignore, dismiss or cover up abuse and the unforeseen and devastating ramifications of doing so. Abuse requires the habituation of deception--including deception of the self--in order to protect the self and the organization.”Find Dr. Langberg's book on Amazon, Baker Publishing Group, TGC, and more.

Join us in a conversation with Dave Wiedis as we take a deeper dive into the heart of sexual wholeness. In this episode, we explore how the motives and idols of the heart intersect with and drive our sexual brokenness and how to find freedom.A personal recommendation from ServingLeaders Assistant Clinical Director, Dr. Penny Freeman: “It can be so hard for believers to respond well to our current culture, where gender is determined by how we feel. It’s helpful to think about sexual maturity and how our ruling passions intersect with that.” Get Dave's book, The Spiritually Healthy Leader on Amazon here. 

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Penny Freeman, our Clinical Supervisor at ServingLeaders, to discuss the complex generational family dynamics that influence our lives. We talk about how to understand (and have context for) the differences and challenges we experience between us and our parents, grandparents, and children. We also talk about how to change family dynamics over time and experience God’s redemption in even the hardest family challenges.A personal recommendation from ServingLeaders Ministry Director, Tucker Else: “Penny’s vast experience and wisdom should be required listening for young counselors and church leaders, and anyone who longs to serve others in a Godly, thoughtful, clinically-informed way.” Reflection QuestionsInformation about generations

In this episode, Dave Wiedis interviews missionary Jim Rhodes, who provides lessons learned from 45 years of ministry leadership to encourage and equip leaders well. A personal recommendation from ServingLeaders Chief Operating Officer, Joe Bruni: “I love these episodes because Jim, with years of experience in ministry, shares some of the core principles for health and flourishing as a leader. Jim’s passion for keeping our heart set on Jesus as we navigate some of the biggest struggles in ministry (including enduring hardship, openness to the Spirit, creating community, navigating conflict, and creatively living out our calling) is invaluable as a vision for healthy leadership.”