The REVEAL Study: Why Church Activities Aren’t Making Disciples

The REVEAL Study: Why Church Activities Aren’t Making Disciples

What if the things your church spends the most time and money on aren't actually helping people grow spiritually? That's exactly what the groundbreaking REVEAL research uncovered, and it changed the way thousands of churches think about discipleship. Mindy Caliguire sits down with her longtime friend and collaborator, the Reverend Dr. Nancy Lewis, an Anglican priest, research methodologist, and founder of Mission Metrics to unpack the surprising findings of REVEAL, explore the four stages of spiritual growth, and discuss what it really means to measure soul health. Whether you're a pastor, ministry leader, or simply someone on your own spiritual journey, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and equip you with a new way of seeing spiritual formation. Chapters: 0:00 — Welcome & Introduction to Dr. Nancy Lewis 2:07 — Nancy's Background: Anglican Priest & Research Methodologist 5:38 — What Is REVEAL? The Study That Surprised Willow Creek 10:16 — High-Level Findings: What Actually Drives Spiritual Growth 15:03 — The Four Stages of Faith (Exploring Christ → Christ-Centered) 20:24 — Nancy's Deep Dive into the REVEAL Data 28:00 — The 8 Church Archetypes: Is Your Church Complacent, Troubled, or Vibrant? 34:37 — What Faith Leaders Should Know About Data & Research 41:38 — The Soul Health Assessment: Measuring What Matters 50:34 — What Sustains Nancy's Own Soul 52:58 — Leading Silent Retreats & Entering Silence Together 56:25 — Nancy's Favorite Part of Being a Priest 58:00 — A Final Blessing Resources Mentioned: REVEAL Research — Willow Creek's landmark spiritual growth study (revealforchurch.com) Mission Metrics — Dr. Nancy Lewis's research consultancy (missionmetrics.net) Christ Church Austin — Nancy's Anglican parish Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) — Mentioned as a formative discipleship context Soul Health Assessment — Mindy Caliguire's psychometrically validated spiritual formation tool (soulcare.com) Discovering Soul Care — Book by Mindy Caliguire (referenced: "Symptoms of Soul Health" and "Soul Neglect") Rhythms — Soul Care subscription resource mentioned by Mindy The Daily Office (Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Vespers, Compline) — Practiced on Nancy's silent retreats Lectio Divina, Examen, Solitude & Silence — Spiritual practices discussed University of Texas at Austin — Where Nancy teaches Survey Research Methods

Flourishing at The Intersection of Faith and Work w/ Steve French

In this episode of Soul Care Conversations, Mindy Caliguire is joined by Steve French to explore the profound connection between spiritual formation and leadership in the marketplace. From high-stakes leadership in New York City to his work with the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, Steve shares insights on why the marketplace is a high calling and how practices like journaling, community, and humility are essential for a leader’s soul. In this episode, we discuss: The research behind human flourishing and why work is a vital pathway for it. A fresh perspective on Luke 5 and what it means to turn "ownership" over to God. The transformative power of forgiveness in professional environments. Practical rhythms for maintaining spiritual health in high-pressure roles. Chapters:0:00 — Introduction & Steve's Background 3:05 — Harvard Human Flourishing Program 7:26 — LifeWork Leadership Origin Story 11:31 — Faith, Work & the Purpose of Profit 14:14 — Jesus, Peter & the Theology of Business (Luke 5) 17:25 — Surrendering Ownership — What 'Leaving Everything' Really Means 28:38 — Soul Care in High-Stakes Leadership 29:31 — Spiritual Practices: Journaling, Community & Daily Surrender 36:08 — Leading The King's College Through Crisis 49:21 — Leadership Trauma & the Resistance to Receiving Care 1:08:39 — The Forgiveness Research — Its Impact on Flourishing 1:15:04 — Barna's Kinnaman: Work as the Last Institution People Haven't Given Up On 1:17:08 — Final Challenge: The Practice of Humility Resources Mentioned: LX Partners: https://lxpartners.org Harvard Human Flourishing Program: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu Barna Group: https://barna.com Soul Care: https://soulcare.com Prayer of Surrender: Jesus,  i am a humble, lowly servant Take me; take all of me. Add anything, take anything away With any cost, with any price. Make me Yours completely, wholly. May i not be remembered for the shape of my face, or the way i wear my hair, or the people i know,  or the crowds i’ve addressed.  May i be known for loving You.  For carrying a dream.  For building bridges to the lost, and broken and hurting in this world.  May i live this day as if Jesus were in my place.  May everything accomplished in my simple life bring honor and glory to You.  Take my human faults and failures, and use them to remind those who know me  that only You are God, and i will always just be  (your name here). Connect with Steve French: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-french-0272b35/Facebook (LX Partners): https://www.facebook.com/LXPartners/ #SoulCare #Leadership #FaithAndWork #HumanFlourishing #SpiritualFormation #MarketplaceMinistry

The Performance Treadmill: Why High-Achievers Struggle with Stillness w/ Geneviève Kroeker

In this episode, Mindy Caliguire sits down with Geneviève Kroeker, a leader at the CEO Forum, to discuss the often-isolated world of high-level executives and the transformative power of spiritual formation.   Geneviève Kroeker Geneviève shares her personal journey from a "conversational relationship" with God into a profound season of silence and physical suffering, revealing how God meets us in the "mud" of life to build a foundation deeper than surface-level success or "A + B = C" formulas. Chapters: 01:30 - Introductions and the "Unicorn" Reality of Marketplace Leaders 10:12 - Spiritual Formation in the Boardroom 12:12 - A Conversational Relationship with God 19:10 - When the Bottom Falls Out: Suffering and Disruption 29:58 - The Disorienting Silence of God 35:09 - Breaking the Spiritual Formula: Moving Beyond A + B = C 39:58 - The Solid Rock and Secondary Visions 43:03 - Practicing Stillness and Facilitating Encounters 50:21 - The Power of Vulnerability and Self-Disclosure 58:04 - The Ministry of Presence and the Unanxious Leader 01:05:27 - Looking Ahead and Closing Prayer Resources Mentioned: The CEO Forum: An organization serving CEOs and senior executives of companies with $100M+ in annual revenue. Books:   - This Too Shall Last by K.J. Ramsey.   - A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry Sitzer.   - Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey.   - A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman.     Music/Hymns:   - On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.   - Be Thou My Vision.

The Cost of "Yes" w/ Grant + Cheyanne Skeldon

In this episode of the Soul Care Conversations Podcast, host Mindy Caliguire sits down with Grant and Cheyanne Skeldon to discuss the unique challenges facing high-capacity leaders in the modern age. They explore the intersection of spiritual formation and mission-driven leadership, specifically addressing how young leaders can navigate the pressures of the digital world without sacrificing their inner health. Grant shares his personal journey through burnout and a pivotal "second salvation" in his leadership health, while Cheyenne provides insights into using life planning and frameworks to find an activated, sustainable rhythm for ministry. Chapters: 0:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY] - Opening prayer and the "occupational risk" of ministry 2:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=171s] - Introducing Grant and Cheyenne Skeldon 4:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=258s] - Cheyanne's journey into spiritual formation and soul care 5:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=351s] - Grant's start in leadership and the "pity invite" that changed everything 11:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=663s] - The myth that leadership must be lonely 13:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=834s] - How soul care impacts personal relationships and shared ministry 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1062s]7:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1062s] - Biblical perspective: Was the Apostle Paul a healthy leader? 20:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1256s] - The Mustang vs. the Turtle: Finding your natural pace 23:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1385s] - What is Life Planning? Using a lattice for personal growth 28:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1736s] - The power of noticing and the Culture Index assessment 32:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1938s] - Reaching Gen Z: Big brother/sister seasons and new workshops 40:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=2435s] - Diagnosing burnout across four life domains 46:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=2791s] - Why processing the modern world in four-second clips leads to exhaustion 53:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=3218s] - The Brazil Story: When high-capacity leadership hits a breaking point 1:01:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=3702s] - Final thoughts on maintaining a healthy interior life Resources Mentioned: - The Patterson Center (Life Planning process) https://patersoncenter.com/ - Culture Index (Personality and work wiring assessment) https://www.cultureindex.com/ - The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazzero https://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Healthy-Leader-Transforming-Transform/dp/0310494575 - THINQ (Gabe Lyons) https://thinqmedia.com/ - Barna Group (David Kinnaman) https://www.barna.com/ - Way Church Nashville https://www.waychurch.com/ - Five-Fold Survey (APEST assessment) https://fivefoldministry.com/ - Jason Jackson (Gen Z Christian content creator) https://www.instagram.com/thejasonjacksonjr/?hl=en

Choosing Hope - Navigating the AI Frontier w/ Daniel Norris

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Norris, a missionary, technophile, and HubSpot solutions partner who has been a vital part of the Soul Care team for over five years. Daniel shares his unique journey - from growing up in a missionary family in New Zealand and Hawaii to pioneering youth ministries in Australia.We dive deep into the intersection of technology and faith, discussing Daniel’s recent experiments with "vibe coding" AI-driven apps and his philosophy of "human-finished" work. We also explore the critical importance of healthy rhythms, the courage it takes to advocate for a sabbatical, and the power of consistency in a high-stakes, digital world.Chapters:00:00 - Welcome and Introduction to Daniel Norris00:56 - The LinkedIn Layover: How the Partnership Started02:51 - A Kiwi Upbringing: Growing up in Global Missions06:59 - Finding Faith and Surfing in Australia10:14 - Early Technophile: Building Websites and Editing Video in 200213:50 - Influencing Youth Culture: Pioneering Youth Street17:42 - The "Plentiful Harvest": The Need for Multiplying Ministry21:32 - Communication vs. Noise: Learning to Value Feedback26:38 - Marriage and the Gift of Slowing Down31:24 - The Sabbatical Decision: Choosing Obedience over Policy41:34 - Soul Care’s Evolution: From Vision to Impact44:33 - Navigating the AI Frontier: Choosing Hope over Doom55:25 - The Framework: Human-Inspired, AI-Assisted, Human-Finished57:57 - Vibe Coding: Building Apps at the Speed of Thought01:09:10 - The Master Craftsman: Precision, Logic, and Innovation01:16:38 - Saying "No" to Good for Great: Leadership Principles01:23:23 - Consistency as a 40th Year Milestone01:26:06 - How to Connect with DanielResources Mentioned:Soul Care Journal App: A digital companion to the physical 90-day journal.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soul-care-journal/id6760571093Dialed Shots App: Daniel's custom-built espresso logging app for coffee enthusiasts. https://apps.apple.com/kz/app/dialed-shots/id6760679055Culture Index: The personality assessment identifying Daniel as a "Master Craftsman".https://www.cultureindex.com/HubSpot: The platform where Daniel serves as a Solutions Partner.Claude (Anthropic): The AI tool Daniel recommends for its advanced coding and reasoning capabilities.https://app.hubspot.com/Connect with Daniel: Visit danielnorris.com or find him on LinkedIn.https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrnorris/