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Pivot Podcast

Faith+Lead
Community Engagement
Discipleship
Church Leadership
Evangelism
Covid-19
Luther Seminary
Community
Spiritual Practices
Church Planting
Lay Leadership
Christianity
Christian Community
Jesus
Spiritual Formation
Congregational Leadership
Holy Spirit
Beloved Community
Advent
Fresh Expressions
Part-Time Clergy Leadership

Over the past few years, church leaders have been forced to respond to several global crises in the blink of an eye. In a moment with little information and lots of uncertainty, churches reinvented nearly every aspect of church. Season 5 of the Pivot podcast explores the changing landscape of the church. Our co-hosts will dig into difficult questions that faith leaders are asking now, and provide ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes183Founded6 years ago
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EducationChristianityReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for Pivot Podcast

Latest Episodes

Why is cultivating community in church so hard right now? In this Season 6 finale, hosts Dwight Zscheile and Alicia Granholm reflect on a full season of conversations with historians, theologians, pastors, and researchers who helped them understand t... more

The guilt most Christians carry about their prayer life, that it isn't deep enough, consistent enough, disciplined enough, may say less about them than about the world they're living in. In this episode, Dwight Zscheile talks with the Rev. Dr. Wesley... more

Church community building has never been more urgent or perhaps more difficult. In this episode of Pivot Podcast, Jeff Galley and Phil Smith, co-authors of The Way Back to One Another, join Dwight Zscheile and Alicia Granholm to talk honestly about t... more

What is the meaning of Pentecost? In this reflection episode of the Pivot Podcast, Luther Seminary theologian Dr. Lois Malcolm moves past the familiar imagery of wind and fire to ask what the Spirit was actually doing that day in Jerusalem. Her answe... more

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Recent Guests

Wesley Ellis
Reverend Dr., Pastor of First Congregational Church, Ramona, California
First Congregational Church, Ramona, California
Episode: Amen Means I Trust You
Jeff Galley
Co-author of The Way Back to One Another; leader in community ministry at Life.Church
Life.Church
Episode: Half of Christians Say Faith Is Private. Here's What We're Losing
Philip Smith
Co-author of The Way Back to One Another; senior leader with global relief experience
World Relief / Hope International
Episode: Half of Christians Say Faith Is Private. Here's What We're Losing
Rev. Dr. Al Tizon
Lead pastor of Grace Fellowship Community Church in San Francisco; affiliate professor of mission at North Park Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary; author of seven books
Grace Fellowship Community Church; North Park Theological Seminary; Fuller Theological Seminary
Episode: The False Choice That's Been Costing the Church for a Hundred Years
Kathryn Schifferdecker
Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary; ordained ELCA pastor
Luther Seminary
Episode: God Doesn't Say Follow Your Bliss
Rolf Jacobson
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary
Episode: What to Say (and Not to Say) to People Who Are Suffering
Eun Strawser
Reverend Dr., physician, author, church planter
Ma Ke Alo'o, church of multiplying missional communities in Honolulu, Hawaii
Episode: A Crowd Is Not a Community
Jennifer Wojciechowski
Professor of Church History, Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary
Episode: The Two Things That Have Always Renewed the Church
Ryan Burge
Author of The Vanishing Church
Eastern Illinois University (as of discussions)
Episode: Most Americans Still Believe in God. So Why Aren't They in Your Church?

Hosts

Alicia Granholm
Host of Pivot Podcast; Faith Lead; Pivot / Luther Seminary affiliate
Dwight Zscheile
Co-host of Pivot Podcast; Pastor and theologian; Luther Seminary liaison

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 36 ratings
  • Insightful, practical, and biblical

    Insightful, practical, theoretically sound, and biblically based.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Amgad Beblawi
    United States6 months ago
  • What leaders need

    The interviews are powerfully thought provoking and insightful. They are timely for this time in the church and in the world. I always come away with something meaningful. And always looking forward to the next one! Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rev. Ell
    United States2 years ago
  • Thought-provoking

    Moving and helpful conversations that make me feel less alone in ministry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    HelloPastor
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insightful, practical, and biblically grounded—helps leadership think differently about community.
Conversations offer encouragement for pastors, making them feel less isolated in ministry.
Interviews provoke deep reflection and feel timely for church leadership today.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When Did Politics Become More Powerful Than Faith?
Q: What role does media consumption play in shaping the relationship between faith and politics, and what can pastors do to counteract a political-first worldview in their congregations?
Media ecosystems create a feedback loop that elevates politics over faith; pastors can foster spaces that prioritize spiritual formation and civil discourse, encouraging diverse viewpoints within a framework of shared values.
When Did Politics Become More Powerful Than Faith?
Q: Can you walk us through the data on mainline churches versus evangelical and Catholic communities, and what that says about the future of religious pluralism in America?
Mainline churches have notably declined, with shrinking weekly attenders and less political diversity, while white evangelical and white Catholic groups have become more politically homogeneous; this trend risks reducing pluralism and complicating democratic participation.
Most Americans Still Believe in God. So Why Aren't They in Your Church?
Q: Is there a clear strategy to preserve political diversity within a single congregation?
Diversity is less about a program and more about bottom-up engagement, creating environments where people from different backgrounds can engage honestly and empathetically without a top-down directive.
Most Americans Still Believe in God. So Why Aren't They in Your Church?
Q: What do you think actually moves people to attend church when they feel distant from faith?
A macro posture toward the world that invites people to connect to community and the Imago Dei, rather than prescribing every individual circumstance, appears more effective than trying to micromanage every decision.
The Problem With Trying to Make God Show Up
Q: How have you responded to the pressures that many pastors feel to grow or manage outcomes?
Kara shares her experience of greater trust in her congregation compared to her children, emphasizing openness to what God is doing.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Pivot Podcast

What is Pivot Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program centers on how Christian communities can respond to modern crises by rebuilding relational life, holistic mission, and faithful leadership. Across episodes, hosts and guests tackle loneliness, church decline, and the need for practical, incarnational discipleship—emphasizing one-another norms, shared meals, and local missional communities as antidotes to fragmentation. Guests range from pastors and church historians to theologians and data-minded researchers, all exploring how to weave gospel witness with justice, hospitality, and unity in a polarized world. The show often pairs theological reflection with concrete examples from real-world ministries, making it useful for leaders seeking actionable strategies and for listeners ... more

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How many episodes of Pivot Podcast are there?

Pivot Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 183 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Pivot Podcast?

Recent guests on Pivot Podcast include:

1. Wesley Ellis
2. Jeff Galley
3. Philip Smith
4. Rev. Dr. Al Tizon
5. Kathryn Schifferdecker
6. Rolf Jacobson
7. Eun Strawser
8. Jennifer Wojciechowski

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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