If you have ever darkened the doors of a Hobby Lobby, you undoubtedly belong to the Hobby Lobby fan club. There is simply something special about this family-feel business culture. Today, well over 43,000 people belong to the Hobby Lobby team of workers, and this is largely due to the positive culture created by Steve and Jackie Green. This incredible couple has been so influential because of their grounding in Scripture, teaching, and personal growth. Plus, as a couple, they set an example of godly prioritization – putting God first, marriage and family second, and work third. Jackie summed up their core values as loving God and loving others. This simple phrase is their guide for everyday decisions. 

Steve and Jackie are also the co-founders of the Museum of the Bible, and if you have yet to visit, we encourage you to add it to your bucket list! Life and circumstances may be challenging and complicated, but God owns it all, and long ago, the Greens determined that God would be their guide. They know this is easier said than done but rely on their faith to see them through each day!

Guests: Steve and Jackie Green

Ministry/ Workplace: Hobby Lobby; Museum of the Bible

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Dr. Za’ndra Bishop and Dr. Andy Westmoreland are more than just headhunters; they are cultural influencers. With every leadership placement they make in an organization, they have the unique opportunity to impact the culture.  Whether it be in higher education, non-profits, or a host of other types of organizations, Za’ndra and Andy are always asking the question: “what could the culture here be?”

When we asked about what it takes to create a culture of belonging, Za’ndra says it starts with a self-aware leader that invests in and with people. Good leaders get to know who is on their team. Both Za’ndra and Andy love a challenge – helping an organization make a tough placement gives them a true sense of accomplishment, knowing the future is impacted by their work with FaithSearch Partners.

Guests: Dr. Za’ndra Bishop; Dr. Andy Westmoreland

Ministry/ Workplace: FaithSearch Partners

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As the President and CEO of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Tom Lin knows that he needs to regularly connect with people and the Lord in order to keep his life centered. Accordingly, he builds rhythms of retreat and mentorship into his daily life and supports Intervarsity staff members doing the same through affinity groups. With 1,600 US employees and coverage on 800 University campuses with over 1,000 students, Intervarsity must intentionally foster a culture of belonging.  As a result, Tom’s listening skills get exercised a lot as he listens to the Lord and staff to navigate the complexities of the organization.  

In a beautiful way that models the Gospel, Intervarsity is working in collaboration with Cru to reach every college campus for Christ. Be sure to refer any students in your life to Everycampus.com to pray, connect, and see where they can get plugged in on campus. We closed out our conversation with Tom by discussing the word “disaggregation.”  Data and trends may say one thing, but real stories tell us what God is up to, and He’s up to a lot at InterVarsity! 

Guests: Tom Lin

Ministry/ Workplace: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

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Jacinta Tegman, the CEO of CRISTA Ministries, says she leads out of her relationship with the Lord - but what exactly does that mean? Simply this: at the end of her term as a leader, the people she led would love Jesus more than they did when she started. As an early riser, Jacinta sees herself as a servant of the Lord and a servant of the mission and staff at CRISTA. With over 1,300 employees across five ministries, she works to create a culture where everyone knows they belong. She relates the experience of working with such varied staff to her childhood with four siblings. They all have different personalities and needs but are one big happy, messy family!

Jacinta had to become comfortable with the leader that God had made her to be, and today she loves living that out at CRISTA. One of the things Jacinta did to help the culture was to move her office into the middle of the activity, so she can know what is going on in the organization. Now that is transformative leadership!

Guests: Jacinta Tegman

Ministry/ Workplace: CRISTA Ministries

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Mike Mantel, the Chairman and CEO of Living Water International, is all about conversation - first with the Lord, then his wife, and then with others. According to Mike, conversation allows him to ask thoughtful questions and learn from the wisdom of others. This is his key to making good decisions as a leader – something we could all learn from!

As the head of a global initiative, Mike’s love for conversation and connection is critical. Living Water International brings together churches, communities, and individuals with extreme diversity both in wealth and geography in an effort to solve the water crisis. 

Mike’s core values start with a rock-solid belief that God is in control and that He is the Master Strategist. His book, Thirsting for Living Water: Finding Adventure and Purpose in God’s Redemption Story, shares of God’s faithfulness and an inspiring vision of a unified, global Church – in which each of us has a vital role to play!

Guests: Mike Mantel

Ministry/ Workplace: Living Water International

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Fun fact: Reverend Dr. Nicole Martin started annually reading through the Bible 20 years ago as a dare from a youth pastor, but it wasn’t until five years ago that she joined the team at American Bible Society. For years God was preparing her heart to love His Word and desire that others would also come to be, as she says, “a Bible nerd like her.” American Bible Society collaborates with other people and ministries to share the good news of the Gospel with the world! Currently, their goal is to reach 7.8 million people with God’s Word and help 100 million Americans engage with the Gospel! 

With God-sized goals like this, Nicole knows that communication is key. And bonus, God knows exactly how He has made her and every other person on the planet – so He knows how to communicate to them individually through His Word! Accordingly, Nicole also works hard to create a culture at American Bible Society that celebrates differences and allows people to feel valued for who God made them to be.  

Guests: Dr. Nicole Martin

Ministry/ Workplace: American Bible Society

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Mark Vincent is a leader who loves leaders that love leaders. His 4-year peer-based program, Maestro-level leaders, is all about supporting leaders in the "Third Turn," where they begin to craft their organization's long-term vision, legacy, and future value. After all, no leader can do it by themselves. We all need to learn from others, and the earlier we begin this process in our career, the better we become as leaders. This is the heart of Maestro-level leaders: community! 

Mark's people-centered posture is rooted in a daily habit of prayer and reading and a weekly worship routine. These spiritual practices allow him the opportunity to inhale and exhale from the chaos of the week and reset his mind on the things above. Plus, Mark talks with us about his new book Listening, Helping and Learning: The Core Competencies of Process Consulting.

Guests: Mark Vincent

Ministry/ Workplace: Maestro-level leaders

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Flipping around the microphones today, Tami Heim and Scott Brown of Christian Leadership Alliance interview your very own Jim and Martha Brangenberg of iWork4Him Ministries. In this special show, Jim and Martha share about leadership strategies and creating a culture of belonging at iWork4Him. 

The Brangenbergs have had a front-row seat to over 3,000 leaders through their podcast interviews on iWork4Him, iRetire4Him, and sheWorks4Him. This ministry has allowed them to highlight the stories of others, see God work mightily in the everyday, and make connections in the Kingdom that have an eternal impact. Learning from others, along with Scripture and prayer, are their keys to growing as leaders.

This interview reminds us of the importance of the Tapestry Project – to create and freely offer a database that will increase collaboration between ministries. Take a few minutes to learn more about the Tapestry Project.

Guests: Jim and Martha Brangenberg

Ministry/ Workplace: iWork4Him

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We consistently find that great leaders have spiritual disciplines to help them grow. Al Lopus, Co-Founder and CEO of Best Christian Workplaces Institute, is no different. He has daily prayer and devotional time, weekly Sabbath, quarterly spiritual days, and annual 3-day retreats to keep him grounded and growing in his faith. Al also implements personal disciplines to stay emotionally and physically fit. His drive for consistency and excellence is mirrored in the mission of Best Christian Workplaces Institute. Through their intentional connections with leadership and one-on-ones with supervisors, they're able to invest in every level of the organization.  

In today’s show, Al reminds us that you can’t give what you don’t have and that we shouldn’t ask others to do what we wouldn’t do ourselves. He makes it a point to talk last at meetings, so others’ voices are heard first. Plus, as a lifelong learner, Al is a reader and author, and his new book Road to Flourishing was voted Christian Leadership Alliance book of the Year 2022.    

Al is offering the first chapter of his new book, Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boost Employee Engagement and Well-Being, for FREE at roadtoflourishing.com. He also has a free video course and free workplace diagnostic!

Guests: Al Lopus

Ministry/ Workplace: Best Christian Workplaces Institute

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The title “Chief People and Culture Officer” perfectly describes the work that Tom Beck does at Compassion International. With a global workforce in 26 countries, every day Tom tackles the challenge of creating an organizational culture of belonging for staff who live across the world. So, how does he do it? According to Tom, it starts with cultivating the spiritual habit of prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit. As an extremely early morning person, Tom begins his most productive part of the day in prayer and Bible reading. From this place he is able to focus on the people and workplace culture he stewards – one that is in line with Compassion’s brand promise “to be known, loved, and connected.”

Our last words of wisdom from Tom are based on his line, “teach what we know – replicate what we are.” These are just a few ways that Tom leads a culture of belonging at Compassion International!

Guests: Tom Beck

Ministry/ Workplace: Compassion International

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