The MxU Podcast

We came to Charity Church in Indianapolis to talk with worship pastor Meg Jones and production director Isaac Etheridge about legacy, team culture, and putting people before gear. Then, mid-conversation, Meg told us she's leaving her dream job to go back home to Georgia, and we got the whole story of how she got there. We also ask something a lot of us wrestle with: how does a Pentecostal church make room for the Holy Spirit without manipulating people? We talk set lists, uncomfortable pauses, messy moments, and celebrity culture too. Learn more about Charity Church: https://becharity.com/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep273-meg-jones-leaving-dream-job&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep273-meg-jones-leaving-dream-job&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

This week we're at Maryland Community Church in Terre Haute, Indiana with Paul Bamberg, their technical production director. Paul was the only production staff person across two campuses for 12 years, and he's honest about what that cost: the 60-hour weeks nobody asked him for, the hurdles he raised because he built systems for himself, and the people work that kept falling to the end of the week. We also talk about hearing God say stay when other churches came calling, and the trend of platforming yourself in church production. Learn more about Maryland Community Church: https://www.mccth.org/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep272-paul-bamberg-alone-for-12-years&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep272-paul-bamberg-alone-for-12-years&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

Brad Damas leads worship at Shoreline Church in Knoxville. For years, he hid a drinking problem while leading on Sundays. Then one night in a jail cell, God met him. He has been sober for 10 years. We talk about what it is like to lead on an empty well, why Shoreline will not call its staff “family,” and how a church that runs lean uses paid players and volunteer production. If you have ever wondered if you are the only one struggling, this one is for you. Learn more about Shoreline Church: https://www.shorelineknox.com/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep271-brad-damas-god-met-me-in-jail&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep271-brad-damas-god-met-me-in-jail&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

They can sing. They can play. But are they ready to lead people? We’re in Knoxville with Collin O’Neel from Sevier Heights Church, talking about what happens when talent gets ahead of character—and how we help young worship leaders grow without handing them the keys too soon. We also get honest about wanting the job someone else has, leading when we’re not the one in charge, and why praying before a hard conversation is more than the churchy answer. Learn more about Sevier Heights Church: https://sevierheights.org/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep270-collin-oneel-worship-leadership&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep270-collin-oneel-worship-leadership&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

We’re at Faith Promise with worship pastor Jess Elston, and this one gets personal. Jess talks about growing up as a Black woman in the South feeling like she had to be twice as good, and how a church that believed in her helped her step into leadership. We also get into the stuff we don’t always admit when we want a bigger role: the paycheck, the title, and wanting to prove we can do it better. Jess brings us back to a better question: who are we leading right now? Plus, communication mistakes and why the tech team eats first. Learn more about Faith Promise Church: https://www.faithpromise.org/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep269-jess-elston-worship-leadership&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ep269-jess-elston-worship-leadership&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

We’re at Fellowship Church in Knoxville with Spencer Garland. Years before coming here, he quit ministry and thought he was done for good. Then the pastor he’d clashed with called when his family was grieving. We talk about trying to fix the worship team at 22, the questions he wishes he’d asked his pastor, and what brought him back. If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t keep doing this,” this one’s for you. And no, the answer isn’t to stay somewhere that keeps hurting you. Learn more about Fellowship Church: https://fellowshipknox.org/ 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=268-fellowship-church&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=268-fellowship-church&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

David was 27 when he became worship pastor at First Baptist Concord, leading people old enough to be his grandparents. We talk about the pressure to prove you belong, why asking for help felt like admitting failure, and what changed when he stopped trying to have every answer. We also get into why Concord still has a choir, why you have to join it before getting a microphone, and how to move a church forward without treating its history like something to get rid of. Learn more about First Baptist Concord: https://concordonline.org 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=267-first-baptist-concord&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=267-first-baptist-concord&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

Three months to get their new church building ready. Two pieces of painter’s tape delay the opening. And when Easter rolls around, the LED wall still won’t work. We’re at Heart and Soul Church in Knoxville with worship pastor Tristan Hayes and AJ Rucker, talking about late nights, making old gear work in a new room, and keeping a team together when everybody’s tired. Then AJ tells us about the churches he served before Heart and Soul, the moves that didn’t go as planned, and why he still shows up to serve after all of it. 👉 Learn more about MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=266-heart-and-soul&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=266-heart-and-soul&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

A church hires a production company, signs the contract, and then says it doesn’t have the money to pay the bill. Now what? That story opens up a much bigger conversation about what happens when poor planning puts other people in a bad spot. How should leaders own the mistake? When should staff push back? And how do you protect your integrity when the final decision isn’t yours to make? We get into budgets, contracts, accountability, and why being a church doesn’t excuse us from doing business the right way. 👉 Sign up for a free trial of MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=265-church-budget-crisis&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=265-church-budget-crisis&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app

Ministry burnout often begins when church production and worship leaders neglect the very things their leadership depends on. In this candid episode, we examine how demanding ministry seasons can undermine sleep, nutrition, spiritual disciplines, mental health, marriage, and family life. We share practical ways to prepare for busy church calendars, build sustainable habits, ask for help, and serve with excellence without sacrificing what matters most. 👉 Sign up for a free trial of MxU https://getmxu.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=264-ministry-self-neglect&utm_medium=social 🆓 Discover free resources https://getmxu.com/resources?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=264-ministry-self-neglect&utm_medium=social 👥 Join the community https://www.facebook.com/app.mxu https://www.instagram.com/mxu.app