330: How Following Jesus Transforms the Way You Lead Others (Mandy Smith)
"We do Kingdom things in Empire ways. What might it mean to do Kingdom things in Kingdom ways?"
Mandy Smith poses this powerful question, inviting us to reimagine Christian leadership—not as coercion or burnout, but as a life deeply rooted in the ways of Jesus. In this episode, we explore why so many Christian leaders are exhausted, losing faith, or misusing power, and how confessing our limitations might be the key to rediscovering the true heart of ministry.
Mandy, a pastor and author, doesn’t offer quick-fix strategies. Instead, she calls us back to the simplicity of followership, integrity, and sharing our lives with God in ways that bless the world. Together, we unpack the pressures of modern church culture, the hidden desires that overwhelm leaders, and how we can make space for God amid ministry demands.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How cultural tendencies like efficiency and control are shaping (and distorting) church leadership.
- Why embracing our limits can lead to deeper faith, healthier leadership, and renewed joy.
- Practical ways to make space for God and soul care in the midst of ministry demands.
Join us for a conversation that will renew your vision, refresh your soul, and remind you of the invitation at the center of it all.
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Mandy Smith is a pastor, author and speaker who, after living and ministering in the US and UK, now ministers in her homeland of Australia. She is a cohort co-leader for the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination and regular contributor to Missio Alliance.
Her books include:
- The Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry (IVP)
- Unfettered: Imagining a Childlike Faith Beyond the Baggage of Western Culture
- Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader’s Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God.
Mandy and her husband, a New Testament professor, live in the parsonage at St Lucia Uniting Church where the teapot is always warm.
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Connect with Gem on Instagram and learn more on the Unhurried Living website and her new book, Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads
Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Alan consults and coaches leaders and their organizations in the U.S. and around the world, helping them work towards long-term productivity that lasts rather than settling for quick fixes that don’t. He is the award-winning author of five books, including An Unhurried Life, An Unhurried Leader, and A Non-Anxious Life.
Gem is the co-host of the Unhurried Living Podcast as well as the author of Hold That Thought and co-author of What Does Your Soul Love? Her work has appeared in Propel Women and Our Daily Bread.
