A Little About Jim
Nearly Five Decades of Ministry. Still Learning. Still Growing. Still Investing in People.
Jim Wideman is one of the most recognized and celebrated names in church leadership for a reason. For nearly five decades, he has been a pioneer and leading voice as a pastor, speaker, author, and ministry coach around the world.
He has served at some of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the United States, including 17 years leading one of the largest children’s ministries in the country. He has published over 16 books, many of which are considered essential resources for children’s and family ministry leaders.
Throughout his years of investing in children, families, and leaders around the globe, Jim’s influence and intentionality have been consistently recognized. The International Network of Children’s Ministers has honored him with its Ministry of Excellence Award and presented him with its first-ever Legacy Award for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry. Children’s Ministry Magazine has also named him one of the Top 10 Pioneers of the Decade and one of the Top 20 Influencers in Children’s Ministry. The Amazing Life Foundation also recognized Jim with it’s first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jim is grateful for the fruit of past seasons, but his commitment to producing fruit in this season is evident in the way he continues to empower others to lead well and help parents and grandparents thrive in their roles as disciples who make disciples. His passion for connecting families with Jesus is unparalleled, and his own family is a beautiful picture of what generational discipleship can look like.
Jim and his wife, Julie, have been married for more than 45 years. They have two wonderful daughters and three of the cutest grandsons ever!
Through every season, Jim has experienced incredible victories, unexpected challenges, exciting opportunities, and difficult moments. And he has learned that God doesn’t waste our experiences. He can use the good times, the hard times, and everything in between to help us encourage someone else.
His heart today is simple:
To take everything God has taught him and use it to help others lead better, live stronger, and leave a lasting legacy.
Jim is not finished learning, and he is certainly not finished investing in people.
And he doesn’t believe you are either!
What Others Are Saying…
I absolutely loved going through Coaching with Jim Wideman. As someone who leads across multiple campuses, I’m full of vision and ideas, but I’ve often struggled with staying organized, and that’s hurt me. This program gave me super practical tools and strategies to help me get a handle on that, and it’s helped me tremendously!
What I really appreciated is that Jim doesn’t just teach good leadership, he backs everything up with the Word of God. He’s full of wisdom that only comes from someone who has walked the road faithfully and fruitfully for decades. Jim is not only incredibly experienced, he is clearly anointed by the Holy Spirit. He carries both excellence and authenticity in everything he does, and that combo can be rare.
The community aspect was also amazing. Getting around other leaders who think differently than I do really sharpened me. I learned so much just from being around the others.
Jim’s coaching and wisdom is on another level. If you’re a leader looking to grow in your capacity, sharpen your systems, and carry well all that God has entrusted to you, I can’t recommend Coaching with Jim enough.
Alysia Gonzales
Executive Ministries Pastor, Harvest Church // Turlock, CA
“What a privilege it has been to be coached and mentored by Jim Wideman. He is a fantastic leader who is full of knowledge that has helped our church become what it is today. He has helped us take megachurch ideas and translate them into church-plant possibilities. His leadership development tools have helped us to establish an influential culture within the core areas of our church. Church growth is in his DNA, and it shows each time we meet. If you have the opportunity to be coached by Jim, he will truly enrich your life, family, and ministry. His coaching has made such a difference that we have budgeted to make it an ongoing part of what we do with our team.”
