Few things drain a church leadership team faster than a meeting with no clear purpose, no agenda, and no end in sight. But when handled well, a meeting can do far more than fill a calendar—it can strengthen relationships, clarify priorities, encourage volunteers, and move ministry forward.

In Season 3, Episode 17, Stan is joined at Howell Baptist Church in Lucedale, Mississippi by Caleb Howell, Lance Sudduth, and Connor McLeod for a practical conversation about leading church meetings that people are actually willing to attend. Together, they share lessons learned from meetings that went off the rails and unpack what makes a leadership gathering productive: setting the right tone, beginning with prayer and encouragement, providing a clear agenda, distinguishing check-in meetings from planning sessions, keeping dominant voices from taking over, valuing everyone’s time, and ending with specific action steps, clear ownership, and genuine accountability.

Whether you are gathering elders and deacons, church staff, ministry leaders, or volunteer teams, this episode will help you turn meetings from a necessary frustration into a meaningful tool for shepherding people and advancing the mission of the church.