• 7 Signs Your Church Will Never Change- Blog Post Reaction
    Jun 5 2026

    Today we are reacting to the blog post, 7 Signs Your Church Will Never Change (And What to Do About It), written by Carey Nieuwhof. I encourage you to read the article at: Article Link.

    Which of the 7 do you hear the most?

    Free Resource: Church Health Snapshot.

    The Church Health Snapshot is a simple diagnostic tool that moves us from guessing to growing.

    Download the Church Health Snapshot Now

    In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast focuses on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

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    24 mins
  • The Community Expert: Discovering the Open Doors in Your Community
    May 22 2026

    Today, we’re talking about Discovering Needs. Not the needs we assume people have, but the actual heart-cries of your specific community. Why? Because as pastors we are called to fulfill the Great Commission, and that means that we are called to be experts in the Word of God, but we are also called to be experts in the People of God—and that includes the people living in the three-mile radius around your steeple.

    Today, I’m giving you that panel. We are diving into the Church Health Snapshot. It’s the diagnostic tool that moves us from guessing to growing.

    Download the Church Health Snapshot Now

    In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast focuses on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

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    14 mins
  • Defining Reality: The Map, The Compass, and the Tyranny of the Week-to-Week
    May 7 2026

    Max DePree said, 'The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.' In other words, a leader who doesn’t know the true health of their organization is a leader who is about to lose their way.

    But here is the truth for most of us listening: Defining reality is the hardest part of the job because we are exhausted. We are gospel bearers, but we are often also the 'chief firefighters' of our churches. And you cannot offer a hopeful future if you are too busy or too tired to see the truth about your current reality.

    ----

    Today, I’m giving you that panel. We are diving into the Church Health Snapshot. It’s the diagnostic tool that moves us from guessing to growing.

    Download the Church Health Snapshot Now

    In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast focuses on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • The Diagnostic: Using a Snapshot to Measure What Matters
    Apr 24 2026

    Most pastors I know lead based on 'feelings.' If Sunday felt good, the church is healthy. If the offering is up, we’re doing great. But a 'feeling' is a terrible way to lead a 'Plan A' instrument. You wouldn’t want a pilot to fly a plane based on how the 'air felt'; you want them looking at the instrument panel.

    Today, I’m giving you that panel. We are diving into the Church Health Snapshot. It’s the diagnostic tool that moves us from guessing to growing.

    Download the Church Health Snapshot Now

    We are making a change. In the Trenches is officially pivoting to In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast. Starting today, this show is the headquarters for Church Health. We are dropping the general business talk to focus exclusively on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

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    14 mins
  • Beyond the Umbrella: Finding your Specific Mission in the Local Church
    Apr 10 2026

    As you pastor, is there something specific the Lord is leading you toward as a focus? Because 'Pastor' is the umbrella, but underneath that, God often gives us a laser-focused burden. Maybe it’s preaching—the relentless drive to herald the Word. Maybe it’s an evangelistic fire for those far from Christ. Maybe it’s a heart for young families, senior adults, or a very specific segment of the broken in your city.

    What is your calling that is specific in ministry?

    We are making a change. In the Trenches is officially pivoting to In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast. Starting today, this show is the headquarters for Church Health. We are dropping the general business talk to focus exclusively on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • God's Plan A
    Mar 27 2026

    The local church is Plan A. And there is no Plan B. That realization brings a certain 'weight' to your Monday morning meetings and your Saturday night prayers. Today, we’re talking about the stewardship of being God’s instrument and why your church’s health is of upmost importance.

    Character Audit- https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0mpxnjaceitw300atavx6/The-Character-Audit-Guide.pdf?rlkey=vgghlvf1iumkxy2thbskomktf&dl=0

    We are making a change. In the Trenches is officially pivoting to In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast. Starting today, this show is the headquarters for Church Health. We are dropping the general business talk to focus exclusively on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Pivot to Focus on Church Health
    Mar 13 2026

    We are making a change. In the Trenches is officially pivoting to In the Trenches: The Church Health Podcast. Starting today, this show is the headquarters for Church Health. We are dropping the general business talk to focus exclusively on five pillars:

    1. Vision & Strategy for the modern era.
    2. Revitalization & Renewal for the plateaued church.
    3. Leadership Development.
    4. Pastoral Ministry and all the ups and downs.
    5. The Stats & Trends that will define the church this year and in the years ahead.

    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • The Character Audit: Strengthening the Foundation
    Jan 23 2026

    Today, I’m giving you a practical tool to do just that. Based on the principles from John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 and Gordon MacDonald’s Building Below the Waterline, here is your Leadership Character Audit.

    If we’re honest, most of us don't know where our foundation is cracking until the building starts to lean. We need a way to inspect the "below the waterline" part of our lives before the sinkhole appears.

    Character Audit Worksheet- https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0mpxnjaceitw300atavx6/The-Character-Audit-Guide.pdf?rlkey=vgghlvf1iumkxy2thbskomktf&dl=0


    Books Mentioned:

    The Secret by Mark Miller and Ken Blanchard- https://a.co/d/2zN49fp

    Building Below the Waterline by Gordon MacDonald- https://a.co/d/hd1e1yy

    Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 by John Maxwell- https://a.co/d/592SOOT


    www.hudsonleadership.com

    keith@hudsonleadership.com

    Book a Discover Call

    Help us grow our community by liking and sharing.

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    12 mins