The Slow Drift: 6 Subtle Behaviors That Tear Church Leadership Teams Apart | Chris Sonksen
Phil Cooke Podcast
What happens when a church leadership team begins to slowly drift? The warning signs may be subtle—but over time, they can damage trust, create division, and undermine the health of the entire church. In this interview, Phil Cooke sits down with Chris Sonksen, founding pastor of SouthHills Church and founder of ChurchBOOM, to uncover six subtle behaviors that can tear leadership teams apart—and what senior pastors can do before small issues become major problems. Chris shares practical wisdom on how to recognize leadership drift, including pride in your leadership team, artificial harmony...
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Failed? Here's How to Bounce Back Stronger
Phil Cooke Podcast
Failure can knock you down or move you forward! If the bottom just dropped out in your creative career, Phil Cooke offers 5 keys to help you gain resilience and come back stronger. Many of your ideas are going to fail – but if you’re not failing on a regular basis, you’re not pushing the envelope very hard. Here’s how to turn failure into success. “Don’t let failure derail your dream. Your failure does not define you.” —Phil Cooke Phil Cooke, Ph.D. — Strategic Advisor | Cultural Influence & Crisis Leadership Phil Cooke, Ph.D., is a strategic advisor to church,...
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Work Cultures: How to Build a Creative Team that Thrives
Phil Cooke Podcast
In today’s design-driven world, creativity is more important than ever before. If you’re leading a creative team, Phil Cooke highlights five ways leaders can create a work culture where ideas flow and creatives thrive. Inspire and challenge your creative team and they’ll do amazing things for your organization. Phil Cooke, Ph.D. — Strategic Advisor | Cultural Influence & Crisis Leadership Phil Cooke, Ph.D., is a strategic advisor to church, nonprofit, and media leaders navigating crisis, credibility, and cultural influence in a rapidly changing digital world. Founder of Cooke...
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Rebuilding After Your World Falls Apart: Helping Leaders Heal with Steve Robinson
Phil Cooke Podcast
Trauma can be a one-time event or a cumulation of crisis events – but most leaders ignore the symptoms that lead to post traumatic stress. In this conversation, Phil Cooke sits down with Steve Robinson, pastor of Church of the King in New Orleans, to talk about his book, “Soul Leadership: Rebound from Crisis, Grow in Resilience, Live from Wholeness.” Based on Steve’s personal journey of healing after a meltdown, this interview will help leaders struggling with mental health and emotional trauma to find the pathway to recovery through the integration of theology, therapy and neural...
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Church on Trial: Legal Lessons Every Leader Needs | David Middlebrook, The Church Lawyers
Phil Cooke Podcast
Does your church have a crisis communication plan? In this interview, Phil Cooke talks with David Middlebrook, one of the country’s leading practitioners in religious nonprofit organizations law and founder of The Church Lawyers. David’s team provides legal support to churches, ministries and nonprofits, domestically and internationally, with years of experience helping churches with crisis planning and crisis management. In this interview, you’ll gain practical wisdom on how to: 👉 Prepare a crisis communication plan👉 Develop a crisis communication team👉 Implement...
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No Burn Out! How Pastors Can Flourish in Ministry | Josh Turner, The 10Ten Project
Phil Cooke Podcast
“When guys have moral failure, I always ask them, ‘What got you there?’” Helping pastors and ministry leaders avoid burnout is the topic of today’s conversation as Phil Cooke sits down with Josh Turner, founder of the 10Ten Project. Josh has dedicated his life to helping Christian men flourish in their calling and in every area of life. If you’re a pastor or ministry leader, the 10Ten project offers connection, coaching and care for spiritual, emotional and mental health as you serve the Lord. “We give pastors a safe place to say dangerous things — to be honest, open.”...
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3 Rules for Pitching: Connecting with the People Who Can Make Your Dream Happen
Phil Cooke Podcast
If you’re having trouble getting your ideas heard, media executive Phil Cooke’s three rules for pitching will help you share your creative vision with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re pitching a film idea, business idea, creative project or ministry vision, these pro tips will help you connect with the people who can make your dream happen. 👉 Listen now and transform your creative leadership career! Rate and subscribe for more tips on faith, media and culture for executive pastors, nonprofit leaders, and church media and communications creatives. Get the book: ...
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Why Pastors Fail: Christian Leadership & Accountability with Larry Stockstill, Pastors University
Phil Cooke Podcast
What should Christian leadership and accountability look like in today’s church? Join Phil Cooke for this insightful conversation with Larry Stockstill, founder of Pastors University, as he shares hard-earned wisdom from over 50 years in ministry. This conversation dives deep into leadership accountability, crisis communication, pastoral integrity, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. If you're a pastor or ministry leader, this episode will equip you to lead with integrity and build sustainable leadership structures that last. Larry Stockstill is the founder of Pastors University...
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🎬 Indie Film Distribution: How to Submit Your Film to Angel Studios | Jared Geesey Interview
Phil Cooke Podcast
Want to get your film distributed by Angel Studios? In this in-depth conversation, Phil Cooke https://philcooke.com sits down with Jared Geesey (EVP of International Distribution at Angel Studios) to break down the Angel Studios submission process, how the Angel Guild works, and what filmmakers need to know to secure a distribution deal. If you're an indie filmmaker looking for film distribution opportunities, this episode reveals how Angel’s audience-driven model is changing the industry—giving YOU the chance to get your project reviewed, improved, and potentially...
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Why Most Churches Struggle to Grow | Mark MacDonald, Church Branding Strategist
Phil Cooke Podcast
What is your church known for in your community? In this episode, Phil Cooke sits down with church branding strategist Mark MacDonald to uncover the real reason many churches don’t grow and what church leaders can do to fix it. Discover how churches can stop being known for what they’re against and start becoming known for what they’re for—using practical branding and communication strategies that actually help people find and understand your church. If your church wants to grow, stand out, and truly matter in your community, this conversation will challenge the way you think about...
info_outlineCan anyone predict the future? While Hollywood and media experts try to figure out what’s next, media consultant Phil Cooke https://philcooke.com shares 5 essential strategies for embracing uncertainty and building resilience in today’s chaotic culture.
🔑 What You'll Learn: ✅ How to get comfortable with uncertainty and think strategically about alternatives ✅ Why focusing on your team is crucial for navigating change ✅ The importance of understanding and communicating with your stakeholders ✅ How to choose the right advisors and counsel for your vision ✅ Learning to listen to God's voice in popular culture and media
📖 Key Topics Covered:
- Leadership in uncertain times
- Building resilient creative teams
- Faith-based media strategy
- Popular culture analysis
- Digital transformation and AI impact
- Creative problem-solving under pressure
- Stakeholder communication
- Vision and strategy development
🎬 Featured Insights from Phil Cooke: Media consultant and filmmaker Phil Cooke (https://philcooke.com) draws from decades of experience launching Cooke Media Group in 1991, sharing practical wisdom for leaders, filmmakers, nonprofit organizations, and ministry leaders navigating today's digital landscape.
Get my FREE DOWNLOAD and transform your creative leadership skills when you sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.philcooke.com/subscribe/
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Church on Trial—Crisis Management with Phil Cooke https://philcooke.com/masterclass
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Phil Cooke – Media Producer/Writer/Speaker/Coach
Helping Creative Leaders Influence the World at the Intersection of Faith, Media and Culture
Do you have a message or story the world needs to hear? I offer advice on creative leadership, digital media, branding, marketing, film and television production – and the faith to take you from where you are in your ministry or career to where you want to be.
As a filmmaker, media consultant and co-founder of Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles, my client list includes Hollywood studios, major nonprofit organizations, and many of the most respected churches and ministries in the world. I’ve produced media programming in nearly 70 countries and created many of the most influential inspirational TV programs in history.
My philosophy? Get your ideas out there and change the world in the process.
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Connect with me on social media:
Twitter https://twitter.com/philcooke
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/philcookepage/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/philcooke/
Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/philcookes-podcast/id1439369056
Find out about Cooke Media Group here: https://www.cookemediagroup.com
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*More About This Episode* Embrace Uncertainty: Faith, Media and Popular Culture
What you can do in an uncertain world is position yourself for success. Embrace uncertainty.
“God speaks in places we often don’t expect. Don’t be afraid to engage with the culture even when it’s uncomfortable.” – Phil Cooke
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel and allows us to continue making videos like this. Thank you for the support!)
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 We live in uncertain times
01:41 The challenges as a freelance filmmaker and media producer
02:26 Hollywood tries to predict the future
04:41 Stop worrying about what’s next
07:50 We can’t control a client, a congregation or a ministry partner
05:21 Get comfortable with uncertainty
08:40 Focus on your team
10:46 Understand who your stakeholders are
13:17 Spend time thinking about your vision and strategy
15:15 Learn to listen to God’s voice in popular culture
20:31 Being resilient is far more important than predicting the future.
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