The Being Formed Podcast

Adam Ormord (LifePoint Resources) sits down with author, worship leader, coach, and spiritual director Becky Ykema to discuss her new book.

After more than two decades serving in churches ranging from church plants to one of the largest churches in the country, Becky began noticing subtle patterns shaping ministry culture. Those observations became her new book, Composing Church: Considerations for the Modern Creative Leader.

While written with worship leaders and creative teams in mind, this conversation reaches much further, exploring the formation of ministry leaders, the culture of our churches, and the invitation to become people who lead from authenticity rather than performance.

Whether you're a pastor, worship leader, volunteer, elder, or someone who simply longs for a healthy ministry culture, we believe you'll find encouragement and hope in this conversation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What it means to "compose" a church culture.
• The subtle pressures ministry leaders often carry.
• Performance versus presence.
• How church culture shapes the souls of those who serve.
• Henri Nouwen's timeless warnings about relevance, spectacle, and power.
• How spiritual direction has further shaped Becky's understanding of leadership.

Resources Mentioned:

Composing Church: Considerations for the Modern Creative Leader (by Becky Ykema)

Connect with Becky:

www.beckyykema.com

Thanks for listening to The Being Formed Podcast. If this conversation encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who loves the Church and longs to see her become more like Christ.

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What if the deepest truth about you is not what you do, what you believe, or even what you have accomplished, but that you were created for relationship?

In this solo episode, Adam Ormord explores the idea that we are, at our core, relational souls. Drawing from the work of Richard Plass and James Cofield, Todd and Elizabeth Hall, Trevor Hudson, Henri Nouwen, and others, Adam reflects on the transformative power of loving relationships and why trust sits at the heart of spiritual formation.

Along the way, he shares personal stories of God's faithfulness, explores the difference between knowing about God and knowing God relationally, and invites listeners to consider what it means to live as God's beloved.

Whether you find yourself longing for deeper connection, wrestling with trust, or simply seeking a more experiential relationship with God, this conversation offers a timely reminder that transformation happens in the context of love.

In This Episode

What it means to be a "relational soul"

The difference between informational knowing and relational knowing

Why trust is central to spiritual formation

How loving relationships shape our ability to love God and others

The connection between attachment, belovedness, and transformation

Hospitality, presence, and the ministry of spiritual direction

Learning to receive God's love more deeply

The invitation to come home to the Father

The Sacred Way Community (LifePoint's Cohort-Learning Community)

Books and Resources Mentioned

The Relational Soul — Richard Plass & James Cofield

Relational Spirituality — Todd Hall & Elizabeth Hall

Seeking God — Trevor Hudson

Reaching Out — Henri Nouwen

The Life We're Looking For — Andy Crouch

A Reflection Question
Where in your life might God be inviting you to move from simply knowing something about Him to experiencing it more deeply through trust?

Closing Thought
"Perhaps the deepest invitation of the spiritual life is learning to come home - home to the God who sees us, delights in us, and has never stopped watching the horizon for our return."

The Being Formed Podcast is a Soul Care Ministry of LIfePoint Resources.

What if Jesus is always moving toward us, offering us friendship and love, but we've lost the ability to notice?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord sits down with Dale Gish, founder of The Ignatian Center, spiritual director, retreat leader, and guide of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Drawing from a recent pilgrimage through Spain, Dale shares stories from visiting significant locations in the life of Ignatius of Loyola, including Montserrat and Manresa. Along the way, he reflects on the transformative power and enduring wisdom of the Spiritual Exercises, and why Ignatian spirituality continues to resonate with so many people today.

Together, Adam and Dale explore the life of Ignatius and the invitation to discover God's presence in the ordinary moments of daily life. They also discuss the growing interest in the 19th Annotation of the Exercises and how this accessible pathway allows people to journey deeply with Jesus while remaining fully engaged in everyday responsibilities.

Whether you're new to Ignatian spirituality or have been walking this path for years, this conversation offers a thoughtful introduction to a tradition that has helped countless people cultivate a more attentive, discerning, and relational life with God.

 

In this episode, you'll hear:

Dale's reflections from leading an Ignatian pilgrimage through Spain

A brief introduction to the life and conversion of Ignatius of Loyola

An introduction to the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises

Examples of how imaginative prayer draws us closer to our friend, Jesus

Opportunities to engage with The Ignatian Center and upcoming training cohorts

 

About Dale Gish

Dale Gish is the founder of The Ignatian Center, a ministry devoted to helping people encounter God through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. He is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and experienced guide of the Exercises. Through teaching, training, retreats, and pilgrimage experiences, Dale helps individuals and groups cultivate deeper attentiveness to God, greater discernment, and a more intimate relationship with Jesus.

 

Resources & Links

The Ignatian Center: https://www.theignatiancenter.org

Connect with Dale and learn more about upcoming cohorts, webinars, and training opportunities through The Ignatian Center.

 

Reflection Question

Where do you sense yourself on the journey with Jesus right now, and what invitation might be waiting for you in this particular stretch of the road?

 

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.

What does it look like to walk with Jesus in a way that is relational, intentional, and deeply transformative?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam is joined by spiritual director and retreat guide Kim Van Natta for a conversation about a new initiative from LifePoint Resources called the Sacred Way Community.

Together, they explore the growing hunger many people are experiencing for a more relational and experiential life with God, especially in a cultural moment marked by exhaustion, disillusionment, disconnection, and spiritual uncertainty. They discuss the difference between merely learning about God and learning how to be with God, and why intentionally small, immersive, and formational communities can become sacred spaces of healing, growth, and transformation.

Adam and Kim also unpack the vision and rhythm behind The Sacred Way Community, an 18-month cohort journey centered around relational spiritual formation, shared retreats, contemplative practices, and authentic community.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and consider where God may be inviting you into deeper formation and a more sustainable way of following Jesus.

In This Episode

Kim’s personal journey into spiritual formation and relational discipleship

Why transformational growth happens best in authentic community

The growing spiritual hunger beneath disillusionment and deconstruction

What we mean by “The Sacred Way”

Relational spirituality and secure attachment with God

Why retreats and immersive experiences matter

The difference between information-based learning and transformational knowing

What spiritual transformation actually looks like in everyday life

Why slower, smaller, and more intentional communities matter right now

Personal reflections on being with Jesus and becoming people of love

About Kim Van Natta
Kim Van Natta is a spiritual director, Ignatian retreat guide, and the founder of Transforming Experiences. Her work centers on helping people cultivate deeper awareness of God’s presence through spiritual direction, contemplative practices, creation-based experiences, and relational spiritual formation.

Kim is helping lead the development of The Sacred Way Community and will serve as the first Director of this new initiative through LifePoint Resources.

The Sacred Way Community
The Sacred Way Community is an 18-month journey of relational spiritual formation designed for those longing for a deeper, slower, and more authentic life with God.

The journey includes:

Seven retreats over 18 months

Ongoing relational connection and spiritual companionship

Contemplative practices and guided formation

Space for honesty, discernment, healing, and transformation

A community-centered approach to becoming more deeply rooted in the love of God

Our first cohort is scheduled to begin in September 2027.

To receive updates and learn more as plans continue to unfold, visit: LifePoint Resources or email: swcLifePoint Resources

Reflection
As you listen to this conversation, where do you sense an invitation toward deeper formation in your own life? What has been stirring in you?

Connect with LifePoint Resources
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources, a nonprofit ministry devoted to making soul care accessible to all. Through spiritual direction, retreats, webinars, and formational community, we help you cultivate a deeper, more sustainable life with God. www.lifepointresources.org

Share the Episode
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend, colleague, or leader who may be interested in joining the Sacred Way Community.

What sustains a leader over time?

In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord (Founder and President of LifePoint Resources) sits down with retired Navy chaplain and author Gregory Woodard to explore the inner life of leadership. Drawing from years of experience in ministry and the military, Greg shares how leadership that lasts is not built on competence alone, but on a life that is rooted, attentive, and formed from within.

Together, they explore the drift many leaders experience - remaining effective on the outside while becoming disconnected, isolated, and unhealthy on the inside - and why so many leaders struggle to finish well.

Greg introduces a framework of four essential rhythms - relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical—that help leaders cultivate a more sustainable and integrated life.

This conversation moves from Greg’s personal story, to practical insights for leaders today, and ultimately to the deeper invitation of becoming the kind of person who leads from the soul.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

Greg’s journey from Navy chaplaincy into a new season of spiritual formation

Why leadership often becomes disconnected from the inner life

The hidden cost of burnout, isolation, and unprocessed emotion

The four rhythms that sustain healthy leadership: relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical

Why emotional awareness is essential - not optional - for leaders

How identity and calling unfold over time, rather than being quickly discovered

What it means to “finish well” in leadership

Simple, meaningful steps toward cultivating a life of leadership from within

About Greg Woodard
Greg Woodard is a retired Navy chaplain who served for over two decades, walking alongside individuals and leaders in some of life’s most challenging and formative moments.

He is the author of Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success, a book that invites leaders to cultivate a sustainable and integrated life through intentional rhythms of soul care.

Learn more: www.gregwoodard.com

Key Themes

Leadership begins beneath the surface

Formation over performance

Integration of the inner and outer life

Paying attention to the soul as a leadership practice

Sustainability and finishing well

Reflection
As you listen, you might take a moment to notice:

Where in your life are you leading from the outside in… rather than from within?

And gently consider:

What might it look like to pay attention to your soul - not to fix anything, but to be present to God there?

Resources & Links

Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success – Greg Woodard

Stop Chasing Work-Life Balance: Four Rhythms for Sustainable Leadership Integration - Greg Woodard

Connect with LifePoint Resources
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources, a nonprofit ministry devoted to making soul care accessible to all. Through spiritual direction, retreats, webinars, and formational community, we help individuals and leaders cultivate a deeper, more sustainable life with God. www.lifepointresources.org

Share the Episode
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend, colleague, or leader who might be carrying more than they realize.