Footstep Ministry Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Chuck Russ
Chuck's greatest joy is found in pouring his life into Christian leaders as they endeavor to obey Jesus and proclaim the Good News in their particular mission field.
Have you ever wished for something, only to realize later it wasn’t what you truly needed? The stories of King Midas and Israel’s demand for a king remind us that what we want isn’t always what we need. But the good news is, God’s plans for us are always better than we could imagine.
Samson’s story is one of strength, failure, redemption, and ultimately, God’s purpose. But let me say this upfront: Samson’s greatest enemy wasn’t the Philistines. No, Samson’s greatest enemy was himself. And isn’t that true for so many of us? The problem isn’t that God lacks the power to do great things in our lives. The problem is that, all too often, we are our own worst enemy.
🌿 Are you exhausted from the hustle? In this podcast episode, we explore the life-changing wisdom of Sabbath rest and the unforced rhythms of grace. 🪓✨
Discover how taking time to pause, reflect, and sharpen your axe can lead to a more fulfilling, productive, and spiritually grounded life.
God uses the broken, the flawed, and the unlikely to fulfill His purpose. From outcasts to cowards, He sees what we often cannot—our potential through His eyes. Will you trust His vision for your life?
If the church is the divinely established vehicle of kingdom ministry,
then what kind of church am I willing to throw my life into?
What does a post-pandemic, sustainable model
of the church look like for this generation?
How do we expand the boundaries of God’s work
beyond our traditions, predilection, and mores and
embrace an “incarnational missionary outpost” mindset
that looks like a Luke 15 lost sheep search and rescue operation?
Is God calling you to do something new and impossible? Is He challenging you to see your current ministry with fresh eyes? Is He giving you the vision to lead or launch a new ministry? Or is He showing you bold new directions in the place you now serve? As you wrestle with these questions, the pathway forward will begin to come into focus. I pray that this chapter will help you move from your comfort zone into His sweet spot.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are tried and true models and plans all around. Healthy 3C models can be found in almost any size church. Here are a few excellent examples.
The thought of merely compelling people to pray the sinner’s prayer and educate them in spiritual matters was incomplete. Spiritual formation can only take place in the context of ongoing-redemptive-life-giving relationships. This is the core principle upon which every cell, congregation, and celebration should function.
Prayer is a powerful tool for Christians seeking to share the Gospel with others and lead them to a relationship with Christ. While numerous books are available on prayer, this chapter will delve specifically into "Harvest Prayers." Harvest Prayers involve fervently praying for God's guidance and help in reaching others with the Gospel. In this chapter, we will explore six ways of prayer that can aid in your mission to share the Good News.
Building bridges by nurturing redemptive relationships allows us to effectively impact an increasingly divergent society in meaningful and relevant ways.
If we are to build a church on the Three C’s, we must shift from pastor-centric to people-centric, from building focused to people focused, and from attractional to incarnational.
Each church has its own DNA. It’s its own blueprint, or a fingerprint, if you will. If you look closely at its blueprint, you can tell many things about a local church. Launching a cell-based congregation requires that we start with the most fundamental attributes and ensure these become part of the DNA of every group.
I was learning that only some things that count can be counted, and not everything that is counted counts.
Were people coming to know Christ? Yes!
Were they being nurtured in their faith? Yes!
Was mentoring and discipleship taking place? Yes.
Were they reaching others with the Gospel? Yes!
Were they serving others? Definitely!
Were they coming to church at 10:00 a.m. for worship? Well, no.
But that was no longer important. What counted were the deep redemptive friendships being formed. What mattered was that those who were once marginalized and disconnected were finding a place they could call their own. What mattered was the emerging sense of belonging, encouragement, and God-focused lifestyles.
Russ, Chuck. Three Pillars for Launching and Leading Churches: Cell, Congregation & Celebration (p. 16). Xulon Press. Kindle Edition.
Feeling unqualified? Overwhelmed? Scared? You’re not alone. Gideon felt the same way—hiding in fear, doubting his abilities, and questioning God’s plan. Yet, God used him to lead Israel to an incredible victory.
In this week’s study of Broken Heroes, we dive into Gideon’s story—a powerful reminder that God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.
You’ll discover:
✅ How God transforms fear into faith
✅ Why obedience matters more than strength
✅ The dangers of pride after victory
As Christians, we are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ and His love for us. One powerful way to do this is through personal testimonies. Our own experiences and journey into faith can inspire and encourage others who may be going through similar struggles or doubts. Join Mark and Carol as they share the exciting story of how they came to know and follow Jesus Christ.
Meals are not just about breaking bread and certainly more than nourishing our bodies. They are about breaking down walls and building bridges of relationships.
Listening carefully, lovingly, and without judgment is one of the most important gifts we can give to others.
Jesus wants us to spend our time in the harvest field. Not hanging out by the grain bins and holding pins. The truth is, most new believers tend to migrate from the fields to the folds. We protect the harvest field. We move the harvest from grain bin to grain bin, but we distance ourselves from the actual crops.
The idea of planting churches through small groups is not a unique idea. It finds its roots over two thousand years ago with Jesus Himself. We see it played out in the lives of early Christians throughout the book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles. And it’s finding new expressions throughout North America.
In the next few podcasts we are going to introduce you to some micro church planters. We are going to discover how this Luke 15 approach to ministry finds its expression in today’s world. We are going to open the tool box of micro church planting and see what’s inside.
Who do you know that can look inside you and find the person you long to be, and then help to bring that person to life? Who is it that has been where you want to be and knows how to help you get there?
So why have I chosen to enter into a covenant relationship with the Church of the Nazarene? Is there a reason to intentionally bring myself under the authority of a denomination? Indeed! Simply put—I’m not willing or able to go this alone. I find great value in the connectivity, the consistency and the accountability in becoming part of a denomination. But more importantly—I love being part of a global mission that reaches far beyond my local sphere of influence.
Every leader knows that conflict is inevitable. This episode discusses the various ways we deal with conflict, and introduces ways we can manage it to come to a better resolution.
Learn the importance of identifying, enlisting, training, commissioning and encouraging members of your team.
Learn what it means to have a spiritually and emotionally healthy team that works like a well-oiled machine that is able to set and reach agreed upon Kingdom goals.
Celebrating victories is critical in any organization. This episode introduces ways you and your team can celebrate.
A plan is only good if you put it into action. This episode introduces ways you can move from goals to execution.
This episode emphasizes the importance of being present; those meaningful interactions where you leave a lasting impression simply because you were willing to be available and take a genuine interest in another person.
What if the true measure of "growth" is vastly different than what we've come to believe? Let's take a look and see how God's Kingdom matrix may be slightly different than our traditional way of thinking.
Launching a new ministry can be a daunting task. We are bound to grow weary and may even get discouraged. Celebrating victories—whether they are big or small—can breathe new life into your ministry.
Isn’t it amazing how a great ministry can so easily lose its focus? Every ministry effort should be evaluated to ensure it is being effective in helping an organization reach its mission.
There are five steps to forming a launch team: 1) Identify 2) Enlist 3) Train 4) Commission 5) Encourage. Let's explore these concepts a little further.
It's great to have big dreams and ideas but now it's time to take the next step. This lesson will challenge you to move from strategy to execution.
Contextualization requires a clear understanding of today's culture as it pertains to religion. In this episode we explore contemporary views on religion and faith.
Hearing from God provides a foundation of certainty that goes beyond our own big ideas, the latest trends, or our personal inclinations. Wait on the Lord until you are certain He has spoken.
Here are a few suggestions that may help pastors to creatively overcome some of the stresses that can lead to burnout. Both pastors and church members can benefit from taking a few simple steps to help develop a thriving ministry that will last.
This episode emphasizes the importance of being present; those meaningful interactions where you leave a lasting impression simply because you were willing to be available and take a genuine interest in another person.
It has been said that no man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character. Discover ways individual character and personal influence go hand in hand.