Restored on the Frontline Podcast - Episode 3 - Who Carries the Carrier?

Send us Fan Mail **NOTE**  This episode was originally recorded approximately six weeks before Travis completed his Doctor of Ministry. Restored on the Frontline began as part of that doctoral work exploring gospel-centered soul care for first responders and has continued to develop beyond the completion of the degree. The heart of the podcast remains the same: creating space for honest conversations about the weight carried by those who serve on the frontlines—and exploring where the hope of Jesus Christ meets us in the places others may never see. A video version of this conversation is also in development. For now, we are grateful to share the complete audio conversation with you here. INTRODUCTION: Chaplains are often called into the moments when everyone else needs someone to be strong, steady, and present.  But who cares for the person doing the caring? In this episode of Restored on the Frontline, Travis Jewell sits down with retired Navy Chaplain, author, Spiritual Director in training, and leadership coach Greg Woodard for a chaplain-to-chaplain conversation about soul care, sustainable leadership, and what it means to serve from overflow rather than depletion. Greg brings a unique perspective shaped by twenty-two years of active-duty military service, including fifteen years as a Navy Chaplain and seven years as a Marine and Army National Guardsman. His doctoral research explored the connection between deployed chaplains' soul care and emotional health and ultimately became the foundation for his book, Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success. Together, Travis and Greg explore an important question for chaplains, first responders, pastors, leaders, peer-support professionals, and caregivers: Who carries the carrier? The conversation explores the unseen weight carried by those who are continually present for others, why capable leaders can find themselves serving from depletion, and why caring for your own soul is not selfish or a sign of weakness—it is part of remaining healthy and faithful over the long haul. Greg introduces the four interconnected rhythms at the heart of Leadership from Within: • Relational • Spiritual • Emotional • Physical Rather than simply pushing harder, producing more, or surviving another season, these rhythms invite leaders to cultivate a life from which healthy leadership can overflow. Throughout the conversation, Travis and Greg discuss themes including: • Soul care for military and first responder chaplains • The unseen emotional and spiritual weight of caring for others • Leading from overflow rather than depletion • Presence versus the pressure to fix • Why slowing down can be difficult in high-performance cultures • Relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical rhythms • Burnout and the warning signs of running on fumes • Emotional health and vulnerability in leadership • Belonging, isolation, and the need to be known beyond our roles • Sustainable leadership and what it means to finish well • Caring for the caregiver • Developing rhythms that help leaders remain faithful for the long haul ABOUT GREG WOODARD Greg Woodard is a retired Navy Chaplain, author, Spiritual Director in training, and leadership coach. He retired after twenty-two years of active-duty military service, including fifteen years as a Navy Chaplain and seven years as a Marine and Army National Guardsman. Greg holds a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership Renewal and Coaching from Regent University. His doctoral work focused on connecting deployed chaplains' soul care with their emotional health, and he continues to have a passion for the soul care of faith-driven leaders. LEADERSHIP FROM WITHIN Greg's book, Leadership from Within: Navigating the Path Toward Soul-Driven Success, challenges leaders to build sustainable relational, spiritual, emotional, and physical rhythms so they can lead from wholeness and overflow rather than exhaustion. Book information: https://www.gregwoodard.com/leadership-from-within CONNECT WITH GREG Website: https://www.gregwoodard.com/ Additional information about Greg's background, leadership coaching, spiritual direction, and services can be found through his website. A NOTE TO OUR LISTENERS This podcast is intended for educational, spiritual, and informational purposes and is not counseling, psychotherapy, medical care, or a substitute for professional mental-health treatment. If something discussed in this episode brings up something difficult for you, we encourage you to reach out to a trusted chaplain, peer-support professional, pastor, counselor, or licensed mental-health professional. You do not have to carry the weight alone. Whatever uniform you wear, whatever title comes after your name, and whatever responsibility you carry, you were never created simply to perform, produce, or carry everyone else. Pay attention to your soul. Stay connected to Christ. Stay connected to people who know you beyond your role. And allow yourself to receive the kind of care you so readily offer to others. You are not alone. Christ meets you in the places no one else sees. RESOURCES & SUPPORT Faith-Based — Metro Detroit Woodside Bible Church — Pastoral care, groups & recovery ministries Celebrate Recovery — Christ-centered recovery REBOOT Recovery — Trauma support for responders, military & families Cadence Counseling — Christian, trauma-informed counseling Community & Crisis Support Frontline Strong Together (FST5) — Michigan first-responder support Oakland Community Health Network Macomb County Community Mental Health 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call/text 988 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 If this episode encouraged you, follow Restored on the Frontline, share it with a responder or chaplain, and leave a review. Podcast RSS: Subscribe to Restored on the Frontline If this episode resonates with you, follow the show, share it with a responder, and leave a review so others can find these conversations. Podcast RSS Feed Link: (copy and paste into your favorite podcast app) https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2551933.rss Hosted by: Travis Jewell — Chaplain, pastoral counselor, coach, and first responder soul-care advocate