I’m happy to say that I’ve had Jim Wideman as a mentor and friend in my life for nearly ten years. He’s been a hero of mine for much longer than a decade, so it’s really fun to have access to him like I do now. Last month, he and I were in Atlanta together for NEXT, an informal gathering of NextGen and Family Ministry Pastors that I help organize. While at NEXT, Jim had me on his podcast.

First of all, I have to say the the recording environment might have been my favorite. The last time I was a guest on the Club, I was sitting in Jim’s home office using a nice microphone and fancy audio equipment. Let me tell you, the Club Leadership Podcast has come a LONG way. First of all, we met for breakfast in an off-the-beaten path southern-styled breakfast joint. One of those restaurants that used to be an old house. After a healthy serving of biscuits and sausage gravy, we moved to the recording studio – Jim’s Pickup Truck. We recorded the podcast using his iPad and the nifty omni-directional microphone that has replaced his office recording rig. So much fun!

The podcast covers a topic I’m pretty passionate about. Generational Collaboration.

What is Generational Collaboration? Besides it being a term I just made up, it practically defines what I do for a living. About ten years ago, I transitioned for being a Children’s Pastor to the NextGen Pastor role. What makes a NextGen Pastor successful is his/her ability to help multiple age groups work together in a collaborative environment. This podcast wasn’t just about what NextGen Pastors do, but how current Children’s Pastors can leverage their influence and begin working with other age groups to improve the experience for kids and students at their churches.

Click here to visit Jim Wideman’s podcast page. To access the episode via iTunes, click here.