The Five Gifts Podcast

The Five Gifts Podcast exists for Christian Leaders and Christ-followers to rediscover Christ's presence and activity in their lives and their churches.

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Charles Russell has served in Pastoral Ministry for 26 years. He is also a certified John Maxwell speaker, coach, and trainer for staff, leadership teams, and volunteers. He has a Masters in Organizational Leadership. Find out more at charlesrusselltraining.com.

Bruce Ritter Bruce Ritter has been a lead Pastor for 28 years and a Spiritual Life and Leadership Coach since 2005. He is also a consultant with Church Life Resources. He has a Masters in Pastoral Ministry and a Doctorate in Evangelism and Discipleship. Check out more at his website Coaching Cardia.

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Internal Foundations: Architecture of Your Inner Life

2026-06-01

Charles and Bruce introduce a series dedicated to the most neglected dimension of leadership development: the interior life of the leader.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 37 MB - Duration: 41:40m (118 kbps 48000 Hz)

The Scoreboard: Collective Results Over Individual Ego

2026-05-24

Charles and Bruce bring the full architecture of team health to its culminating challenge: inattention to results. This episode addresses the tendency of team members to prioritize individual results than the collective outcome the team exists to produce.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 33 MB - Duration: 38:09m (117 kbps 48000 Hz)

Entering the Danger Zone: The Power of Peer Accountability

2026-05-19

In the fourth installment of the Team Dynamics series, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter address the discipline that most leadership teams understand in theory and avoid in practice: peer-to-peer accountability.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 33 MB - Duration: 38:09m (117 kbps 48000 Hz)

The First Team: Breaking the Silo Mentality

2026-05-11

In the third installment of the Team Dynamics series, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter introduce one of the most consequential — and most frequently violated — principles in ministry leadership: the First Team concept.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 34 MB - Duration: 40:04m (116 kbps 48000 Hz)

Mining for Conflict: The Efficiency of "Fighting Fair"

2026-05-03

In Part 2 of our Team Dynamics Series, Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell expose one of the most dangerous dysfunctions in leadership culture: Artificial Harmony—the illusion of unity that actually prevents progress.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 26 MB - Duration: 30:36m (115 kbps 48000 Hz)

The Vulnerability Revolution: Redefining Trust

2026-04-27

Bruce Ritter and Charles Russell launch a five-part series on Team Dynamics by addressing one of the most overlooked leadership challenges: the absence of vulnerability in team culture.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 24 MB - Duration: 27:43m (116 kbps 48000 Hz)

Constructing the Divine Agenda: From Vision to Revelation

2026-04-20

In Season 3, Episode 15 of the Five Gifts Podcast, Charles Russell and Bruce Ritter explore the essential distinction between human vision and divine revelation in spiritual leadership.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 27 MB - Duration: 30:53m (117 kbps 48000 Hz)

Formed by the Spirit: Theology Anchors for Spiritual Formation

2026-04-12

This episode addresses a growing challenge in the Church: the tendency to substitute content-driven discipleship for Spirit-led transformation.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 25 MB - Duration: 28:13m (120 kbps 48000 Hz)

Formed by the Trinity: Theology Anchors for Spiritual Formation

2026-04-06

In this episode, we examine the formative power of theology and why a right understanding of the Trinity is essential for healthy spiritual formation and leadership.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 23 MB - Duration: 25:29m (120 kbps 48000 Hz)

Don’t Lose the Harvest: Contend, Celebrate, & Multiply

2026-03-30

Easter isn’t the finish line—it’s the front door.

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Filetype: M4A - Size: 37 MB - Duration: 43:23m (115 kbps 48000 Hz)