LEAD Ministry

Need some fun, faithful and interactive curriculum for your faith setting??

Gamer's Journey curriculum designed for students to lead and adults to mentor. It can be used over the course of a semester, retreat setting or day camp.

Check out LEAD's Camp Hope Gamer's Journey - leadconnects.org/camphope/

LEAD was excited to have our Camp Hope Co-Directors at the TLGC Synod Assembly last weekend! Andrea and Jasmin grew up going to Camp Hope at their home congregation starting as campers and moving to staff and then Director. NOW they oversee Camp Hope ministry that happens at congregations all over the United States. Learn more about Camp Hope at leadconnects.org/camphope/

TODAY on The Daily LEAD we unpack a powerful leadership lesson: How to honor the past without getting stuck in it. This episode explores why organizations resist change, how nostalgia can become quietly unhealthy, and what leadership looks like when guiding people into the future while still respecting the legacy that came before them. Listen NOW on your favorite platform or at leadconnects.org/podcast/

Strategy=Choice
By Deacon Peggy Hahn (she/her), Director of Innovation at LEAD

“Implicit in that choice, but explicit in action, is the choice of where not to play: The greatest business (insert the word “church” here) failures often come not from playing the game poorly, but from continuing to excel at things that no longer matter. When you choose, you immediately start having more specific conversations.”1

You know this too well: Feeling worn out from doing the best you have ever done planning X, only to have very few people show up, and fewer who truly noticed your efforts or benefit from the experience. Read more here - leadconnects.org/strategy-choice/

We love their resources!

"...may we go out into the world ready to be overwhelmed with amazement.⁠
May we clear our throats to shout good news.⁠
May we not shy away from the fire and wind of the Spirit,⁠
but rather, let it envelop and hone us for the work of love⁠
that God entrusts to us as the body of Christ." 💛

—from a benediction written by Rev. Adrian White, included in our 2024 Pentecost Liturgy Package (https://sanctifiedart.org/creative-written-liturgy/pentecost-2024)

Today on The Daily LEAD - What if rejection doesn’t just feel uncomfortable… but emotionally overwhelming? In this episode, we explore Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), the connection to ADHD, autism, trauma, and why some nervous systems experience criticism, exclusion, and feedback so intensely. We’ll also talk about cognitive distortions, emotional regulation, and practical tools to quiet the rejection spiral.

Listen NOW on your favorite platform or at leadconnects.org/podcast/

Today on The Daily LEAD podcast - In this episode we continue our journey through Bob Iger's book: The Ride of a Lifetime. Today we explore an often-overlooked leadership trait: Optimism. Today we define what optimism really is and how tone shapes culture during times of pressure and uncertainty.

Listen NOW on your favorite platform or at leadconnects.org/podcast/

Our prayers are with the Southeastern Iowa Synod and South-Central Synod of Wisconsin as they gather for their synod assemblies to discern new bishops. We pray that the movement of the Holy Spirit is clear in this process.

Walking Together
By Deacon Jessica Noonan (she/her), Executive Director at LEAD

Often, we talk with church leaders that feel stuck, like there is no forward movement in the congregations in which they serve. They feel alone. They feel overwhelmed by the world and by ministry.

Have you ever felt like that? The future is hard to imagine.

This makes me think about Naomi, Ruth and Orpah who are in a situation none of them could have imagined. Read more here - leadconnects.org/walking-together-2/

Are you signed up? LEAD's weekly newsletter comes out every Thursday with information for Christian leaders like yourself. You can sign up or sign up your friend at leadconnects.org/lead-newsletter-signup/

Today on The Daily LEAD podcast - This time of year can hold so many emotions at once—gratitude, exhaustion, celebration, overwhelm, hope, and burnout. In this episode, we talk about the pressure to “just be grateful,” why high-functioning people often struggle quietly, and how two things can be true at the same time. Whether you’re a parent, leader, helper, educator, counselor, clergy member, or simply emotionally tired, this conversation is a reminder that gratitude does not cancel out struggle.

Listen NOW on your favorite platform or at leadconnects.org/podcast/