When your calling gets hard—or even questioned—do you keep going? Explore the high cost and deep purpose of leading with conviction when the dream gets tested.

Stepping into global leadership, Kristin Shuler shares the unexpected challenges, moments of self-doubt, and the spiritual resilience needed to serve faithfully. From navigating culture shock and spiritual attacks to orchestrating generational leadership transitions, this conversation unpacks what it takes to stay devoted to a dream that’s bigger than yourself. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at how massive visions come to life, why collaboration gets messy (and matters), and how to anchor yourself when obstacles threaten to derail you.

Key Takeaways

• Discover how Kristin Shuler found her calling at 12—and what it feels like when your dream faces real-life confrontation and doubt.
• Concrete family strategies for balancing high-impact leadership, motherhood, and Great Commission priorities.
• How humble, intentional leadership transitions prevent vacuums and set organizations up for lasting impact.
• The nitty-gritty of collaborating and letting go of “our way” for a Kingdom vision—why it’s so hard but so necessary.
• Practical encouragement for any leader in a tough season: return to your why, clarify your priorities, and step out in obedience even when it’s costly.

Subscribe for more honest stories from builders, leaders, and dreamers.
Like this episode? Drop a comment below—what helps you keep going when your dream is tested?
#Leadership #Dreams #Faith #Mission #WomenInLeadership #Unity #Podcast #DontLetTheDreamDie

Timestamps

00:00 — Hearing God’s call and the cost of obedience
00:50 — Welcome and intro to Kristin Shuler
01:32 — The Santa gifts debate: wrapped or unwrapped?
03:01 — [Speaker B] frames the scale of Kristin's leadership and vision
04:06 — Early influences: childhood, church, and the spark of a missions call
05:46 — Mission heroes and learning radical obedience
07:41 — How Kristin found her place at East West
09:37 — When the dream gets tested: doubt and cultural confrontation
12:25 — Balancing executive leadership, motherhood, and priorities
15:27 — The cost and challenge of stepping into President role
17:23 — Navigating gender in international leadership
19:16 — Generational leadership transitions: intentionality and humility
24:11 — What problem is East West really tackling?
26:06 — Equipping multipliers & the power of collaboration
28:24 — Hard lessons in Kingdom-minded partnership
31:08 — Methodology friction: why simple alignment isn’t so simple
34:06 — The deeper value and cost of unity
36:04 — Kristin’s advice for leaders about not letting the dream die
37:11 — Wrap-up and closing thanks

What happens when your calling gets tested? Explore how faith, grit, and clarity can rebuild what feels lost.

When NewSpring Church faced a turning point, Brad Cooper had a decision: stay and persevere, or walk away. In this honest conversation with Aaron Coe, Brad Cooper shares his journey through upheaval—the hard questions, the debt, and the daily choices not to give up. This episode isn’t just for pastors—it’s for anyone wondering whether to keep fighting for the dream that matters. Hear how conviction, unity, and practical faith can transform crisis into a foundation for fresh vision.

Key Takeaways:

• Why staying when it’s hard can shape your soul and your impact—no matter how uncertain tomorrow feels
• The role of “just making the next right decision”—instead of dramatic overcorrection—during crisis and change
• How NewSpring tackled huge church debt by moving “at the speed of cash flow”
• What “always reforming” means for building something solid and future-proof
• The power of unity: why influence without notoriety and locking arms beyond denominations unleashes real impact
• Why seeing your dream to the finish line takes daily faithfulness, not just grand passion

Subscribe for more honest conversations on grit, vision, and keeping your dream alive.
Like this episode? Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway.
Hit Like and join the conversation.
#DontLetTheDreamDie #Leadership #Faith #Resilience #Teamwork #Perseverance #ChurchLeadership #Vision

Timestamps

00:00 Super serious question: Are Santa’s gifts wrapped or unwrapped?
01:16 Clemson connections and family traditions
02:06 Brad Cooper’s childhood, faith, and family business roots
04:51 How parental influence shaped Brad Cooper’s approach to calling
06:12 From athlete to pastor: pivotal moments that led to ministry
08:15 The leadership transition at NewSpring: shock, pain, and first decisions
10:58 Why resolve to stay can change everything
12:14 Making the decision to persevere when quitting seems easier
13:14 Redefining passion as the pain you’ll endure to see it through
15:21 “Just keep doing the next right thing”—navigating uncertainty together
16:01 Learning to reform and anchor in Scripture, not just trends
18:01 The church’s financial reckoning and moving at the speed of cash flow
21:09 Stepping from survival to stability and dreaming again
23:20 Imagining the church’s future: everyday relationships and missional living
26:55 Impact outside Sunday: vision for the kingdom in every sector
29:33 Navigating polarization, diversity, and unity in a megachurch context
31:18 Influence without notoriety—the model of humble impact
33:08 Why post-denominational collaboration is essential for real change
35:10 Future orientation: picking a fixed point for purpose
36:18 The new opportunities for churches outside denominational walls
38:07 Walls, partnerships, and why the work is too big for narrow boundaries
39:19 What if I hadn’t stayed? The cost of giving up, and honoring daily faithfulness
41:48 Fourth-quarter finishers and what it means to end well
42:35 Final encouragement: legacy, perseverance, and the fruit that comes from staying in the game
43:28 How you don’t let the dream die: God gets the glory, you get the joy, the world gets the good
43:41 Closing remarks and episode wrap

When the dream is bigger than you, how do you keep going—especially when the cost gets personal? Journey through the story of Illuminations, where unity, sacrifice, and grace reshape a global mission.

What does it take to unite dozens of organizations, overcome deep fragmentation, and shave a century off a world-changing timeline? In this episode, Aaron Coe sits down with former NFL kicker Todd Peterson, who helped lead a radical collaborative movement to translate the Bible into every language. They explore the hard-won battles behind partnership, the uncomfortable truth about finances in mission, and the real price paid—spiritually and relationally—by leaders who chose to work together. More than just a win for Bible translation, their conversation reveals how humility, generosity, and perseverance can spark acceleration where division once stalled progress.

Key Takeaways:
- How collaborative impact in Bible translation turned competing organizations into partners—and sped up global access by decades
- Why tackling the financial side of mission work is essential for real progress—and how generosity multiplies results
- The personal and spiritual costs paid by leaders who pursue unity, including the unseen battles and setbacks
- Why robust cooperation isn’t just a logistical win, but a spiritual one: God commands blessing where there’s unity
- Practical wisdom for anyone dreaming of collective efforts, from neighborhood projects to global movements

Subscribe for more honest conversations and practical insights.
Like if you found this helpful.

Comment: What’s your biggest lesson about collaboration or generosity?

#BibleTranslation #Leadership #Collaboration #Mission #Illuminations #Generosity #Faith #DontLetTheDreamDie

Timestamps
00:00 My story is a story of grace: Todd Peterson's pivotal college football moment
00:17 “Not on our watch”—spiritual urgency and early resistance
01:12 Introducing Todd Peterson: NFL years and mission-driven life
01:59 Unmerited favor, stewardship, and entering Bible translation
02:59 How passion for youth, sports, and leadership led to a focus on God’s word
03:40 Bible translation’s timeline and the first collaboration spark
04:33 Birth of Illuminations: solving fragmentation, embracing unity
06:20 Painting the landscape: agencies, Bible societies, and the need for partnership
07:33 Early choke points—data, copyright, and sausage making
08:44 The AI challenge: agencies unite instead of competing
09:56 Breaking down giver/receiver dynamics and spiritual arrogance
11:14 Culture shift: unity, vision, and why “not on our watch” matters
12:07 The YouVersion story—why digital distribution required unified effort
12:54 Illuminations as precursor: unity catalyzes solutions
13:38 Repository, access, and self-perpetuating good behavior
15:12 Isaiah 60:3—the biblical heart behind Illuminations
15:34 Solving the distribution issue and unlocking global reach
16:26 Old habits, new tricks: value-driven change accelerates engagement
18:19 What’s next: hurdles and opportunities for collaborative impact
18:51 Collective impact essentials and fundraising breakthroughs
20:21 Brave CEOs, shared donors, and “all boats rise”
22:24 Empirical results: generosity transforms giving
23:19 Why finances are the catalytic third leg of sustainable impact
25:07 The gospel’s model for generosity—and breaking scarcity mindset
27:40 Ministry leaders, business perspective, and trusting God for provision
29:27 Positive reinforcement and winning behavior
29:42 Honoring the personal cost of collaboration
30:54 How far we’ve come: updated timeline and goal for 2033
32:16 What "eradicate Bible poverty" really means—impact metrics
33:28 Aspirational targets, acceleration, and the AI advantage
34:26 Quality, speed, and how Illuminations avoids “sloppy” translation
35:01 Why this level of cooperation is unprecedented in missions history
36:17 The real price: personal, spiritual, and emotional costs paid
37:07 “Is it worth it?”—stories from CEOs and resource partners
39:12 Stakes are high: spiritual warfare and obstacles
39:54 Family adversity, enemy resistance, and staying the course
41:40 Encouragement for those dreaming of working together
42:22 Wisdom for aspiring collaborators: unity, humility, perseverance
45:08 “Team together”—final reflections on why partnership wins
45:23 Football predictions and the lighter side of perseverance
47:02 Celebrating friendship, faithfulness, and the long journey