In these days of increasing political polarization and hyper-partisanship in church, Brian Kaylor joins the show to talk about why he doesn't think pastors should be partisan, how it is possible to be a bi-partisan church, and how pastors and church leaders can foster health political conversations. Brian also shares why churchgoers are more likely to change churches than change their politics and encourages pastors to focus on what unites people other than their politics. Brian is an writer and...
Oct 18, 2022•50 min•Season 11Ep. 113
Year after year, thousands of churches across America are closing. Churches that were once the heart and soul of their communities are now shrinking both in size and influence, leading author and filmmaker Thom Schultz to try to figure out why. The creator of the film, When God Left the Building, Thom joins the pod to talk about the spiritual malaise, refusal to change, and an irrelevance to modern life that doom so many churches. Thom also shares some signs of life and hope for fresh expression...
Oct 11, 2022•52 min•Season 11Ep. 112
In these times of contentious struggles over important issues, how can we fight like Jesus? Author and peacemaker Jason Porterfield joins the show to talk about fighting with means that are consistent with the way of peace, the importance of speaking truth to power but listening with humility, and how to fight like Jesus in an age of Christian Nationalism. Jason also shares his passion for cultivating God’s shalom wherever it is painfully absent and helping churches embrace their peacemaking voc...
Oct 04, 2022•53 min•Season 11Ep. 111
Covid-19 accelerated the digital reformation for the church as countless ministries were forced to re-evaluate and re-examine their strategies and methods around online ministry. Author and church leader Ryan Panzer encourages Christian communities to think like a reformer when planning what's next for digital ministry. In this conversation, Ryan talks about digital values, practices that must be preserved from before and during the pandemic, and how to make hybrid ministry sustainable. Ryan Pan...
Sep 27, 2022•45 min•Season 11Ep. 110
In many churches, innovation and experimentation is avoided, often due to a fear of failure. Author and Episcopal Priest Lorenzo Lebrija joins the pod to talk about Design Thinking, why frameworks can be helpful in church contexts, and why failing is okay. Lebrija believes that God rewards faithfulness, not success and encourages leaders to examine their goals rather than just aiming to get people in the seats! The Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija is the Chief Innovation Officer of Virginia Theological Semi...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 11Ep. 109
Growing up as a child, Christina Edmondson believed there were not that many white Christians in America, because the people she saw couldn't be connected to the Jesus she knew. In the years since, her passion for following the way of Jesus and bringing love and justice to racial dynamics in America has shaped her work. In this conversation, we talk about why talking about racism is not a "distraction" from the gospel, why common memory is crucial for forming community, and how to have a trauma-...
Sep 13, 2022•54 min•Season 11Ep. 108
While the Covid-19 pandemic forced many churches to join the digital revolution, many have failed to accept the "Great Digital Commission." Believing that embracing social media can be a catalyst for church growth and transformation, Caleb Lines joins to the show to talk about the importance of evaluating vision and mission, why branding is more than just trendy graphics, and why not everything you do at your church needs to be replicated online also. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines is Senior Minister o...
Sep 07, 2022•52 min•Season 11Ep. 107
For the last 10-20 years, church planting has become formulaic and systematized, as large church planting organizations brought corporate practices and values into the church world. This kind of business thinking has created an "industrial church starting complex" that according to author Nick Warnes, needs to be re-examined. In this conversation, we talk about a better model for church starts, the need for churches to shift from internal growth to reproduction, and why denominations are no long...
Aug 16, 2022•51 min•Season 10Ep. 106
As more churches struggle post-Covid, many are looking at how their building and property can support their flagging budgets. Yet, according to real estate expert and author Dominic Dutra, if churches are simply leasing or renting their property just to prop up their dwindling budgets - they're only hurting their mission. In this conversation, Dutra talks about his experience with real estate and church property, how real estate and church mission go together, and what questions to ask if your c...
Aug 09, 2022•46 min•Season 10Ep. 105
Far too often, churches are asking other to risk their discomfort - shouldn't churches be willing to risk their own discomfort for the sake of others? In this conversation, Sean Chow talks about how to help churches honestly assess their ability to pivot for change and growth, the importance of finding the right kind of change/growth leader, and why investing in resources bearing fruit matters. Sean believes that crisis accelerates change and understands the changes that are permanent post-Covid...
Aug 02, 2022•49 min•Season 10Ep. 103
In a time in which countless church leaders have cast aside Christian ethics in the pursuit of power, David Gushee believes that Christian ethics still matter. In this conversation, we talk about why ethics should still be important to Christians and churches, how he sees the kingdom of God as a basis for Christian ethics, and how to promote an ethic of creation care rather than a relentless pursuit of profits. And, in this post-Roe landscape, David examines the lessons from SCOTUS and whether t...
Jul 26, 2022•45 min•Season 10Ep. 102
It's vital that new churches and communities of faith are started in order to carry the faith on to future generations, yet church planting has never been harder. Setting aside the challenges of Covid and a culture in turmoil, there are common pitfalls that can trip up even the most agile. Pastor and veteran church starter Daniel Steigerwald joins the pod to talk about these common pitfalls and how they can be avoided, such as navigating bi-vocational ministry contexts, leadership challenges, an...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 10Ep. 101
In many church and clergy circles, part-time is considered the "kiss of death," the dreaded sign that the church has thrown in the towel and is circling the drain, trying to squeeze out a few more months or years before inevitably closing its doors. It need not be so, says Jeffrey MacDonald. In this conversation, we talk about how utilizing part-time clergy can actually be a move toward vitality and growth for struggling churches, what denominations can do better to support PT clergy, and what c...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 100
"The church can break our hearts more often than it does the gospel work of healing us" says pastor Amy Butler, who in being the first woman to serve at 3 different churches knows what it's like to find heartbreak rather than healing. In this conversation, Pastor Amy shares why she still believes the church can be a powerful force for healing and hope, talks about Invested Faith - one of the ways she is seeking to lead the church forward into more healing and hope, and explains why she's fascina...
Jul 06, 2022•42 min•Season 10Ep. 99
Deconstruction has been the buzzword in progressive Christian contexts for the last 5+ years, yet often times that deconstruction looks more like an angry sledgehammer than a thoughtful critique. While there are certainly aspects of the Christian tradition that need to be taken apart, pastor and author Brian Zahnd joins the pod to talk about the dangers of deconstruction, the mystical future of Christianity, and why the future will be sustained by an experience--not an argument. Brian Zahnd is t...
Jun 28, 2022•52 min•Season 10Ep. 98
As with many things in our society, Covid accelerated the revolution in church economics that was already coming. Mark DeYmaz joins the pod to share from his book, written before Covid, about what inspired him to write the book and why he thinks it's all the more important as a result of the Covid-related changes. In our conversation, we talk about the change in mindset church leaders need to have, how churches can develop multiple streams of income and leverage their assets, and why churches ne...
Jun 21, 2022•58 min•Season 10Ep. 97
Evangelicalism has been in a season of conflict and turmoil as seemingly unending scandals and controversies have rocked the space. As an uneasy insider, Pastor and author Dan Stringer acknowledges the struggles yet seeks an alternative option between "everything's fine" or "burn it all down." In our conversation, we talk about understanding Evangelicalism as as a space rather than a brand, the importance of understanding evangelicalism as more than simple white and American, and why he understa...
Jun 14, 2022•53 min•Season 10Ep. 96
Do I stay Christian? A question countless pastors, church leaders, and followers of Jesus could never have imagined themselves asking, yet when confronted with the behavior of modern-day Christians and the historical legacy of Christianity, many can't help but ask themselves the question. In our conversation, Brian talks about the complexity of what it even means to be a Christian, why solidarity--not supremacy--should be the model for Christianity moving forward, and why some people may need to...
Jun 01, 2022•50 min•Ep. 95
Evangelism, the "E" word is often one of the most dreaded conversation topics in many mainline and progressive church communities. Rev. Phiwa Langeni, a self-described "evangelist for evangelism" joins the pod to define what they mean by "evangelism," clarify the differences between evangelism and colonialism, and also provided good examples within progressive contexts. Phiwa believes there is a difference between proselytizing and evangelism, and we need to better train church people to share t...
May 24, 2022•58 min•Season 9Ep. 94
Numerical church growth in mainline churches is often seen as problematic or even impossible. Pastor and author Tracy Barnowe joins the pod to talk about ethical and achievable action plans to help churches bring in more people. In our conversation, we talk about why church growth is often so frowned upon in mainline churches, what churches are doing that doesn't work, and 3 things churches can start doing immediately to grow their church! Rev. Tracy Barnowe is an ordained minister with the Unit...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 9Ep. 93
In this time of disruption and decline among mainline denominations, it's vital that efforts be made to start new churches and worshipping communities. Consultants Paul Nixon and Craig Gilbert join the pod to share practical, how-to steps for everything from initial advertising to building a volunteer team from their book Launching a New Worship Community Paul Nixon is the author of multiple books on church development. His company, Epicenter Group , has coached hundreds of congregations and the...
May 10, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 92
For the last 2+ years, pastors and church leaders have wondered what church after Covid would look like. While there are some conclusions to be drawn, in many ways the results are still unclear. Pastor and Researcher Ann Mitchell Hall joins the pod to talk about cultivating change readiness, leading intentionally, and making meaning meaning out of transitions from her book Church After , a book written before Covid, yet incredibly applicable to these times. Listen in to learn more about the impo...
May 03, 2022•55 min•Season 9Ep. 91
From tiny houses to Marie Kondo, Minimalism has a strong counter-cultural following against the endless onslaught of consumerism. Author and educator Becca Ehrlich joins the pod to talk about minimalism, how it connects with the Christian faith, and why minimalism isn't just about getting rid of stuff, but choosing to live intentionally and purposefully. Becca Ehrlich AKA The Christian Minimalist , is striving to be a Christian minimalist in a consumer society. She is an ordained pastor in the E...
Apr 26, 2022•43 min•Ep. 90
We all have so many demands and distractions that it is hard to take time away for ourselves to spend with God. Rich Lewis joins the pod to talk about the importance of making time to spend in quiet contemplation. Rich talks about the practice of centering prayer and why it has been an important spiritual practice for him, allowing him to let go of stress, find rest, and be more present in everyday life. Rich Lewis is an author, speaker and coach who focuses on centering prayer as a means of inn...
Apr 19, 2022•39 min•Season 9Ep. 89
Terry Wildman joins the pod to talk about the First Nations Version, a new translation of the Sacred Scriptures by and for Native North Americans. In this conversation, we talk about what inspired the translation, their choice for the name of Jesus (Creator sets free), and how he hopes the translation will be a blessing to first nations people. Terry M. Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui) is the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version . He serves as the director ...
Apr 12, 2022•48 min•Season 9Ep. 88
Jeya and Daniel So join the pod to talk about what is a third culture leader, how to develop them, and the gifts they bring. Jeya and Daniel believe that changing our attitude toward post-Christendom will help us all, and why Christ does not erase our cultural or ethnic heritage, but rather redeems it. Revs. Jeya and Daniel So are the co-founding and co-lead pastors of Anchor City Church , a third-culture community in San Diego,CA. They are contributing authors to the book, " Deconstructing Chur...
Apr 05, 2022•51 min•Season 9Ep. 87
American Christianity seemingly has built-in assumptions that God is only honored in victories. Writer and author Tanya May Avent joins the pod to talk about why it's a mistake to only understand God's abundance as being in external metrics, how our own demands for results can hurt the ones we love, and why she's redefined winning and worshipping God and loving her family. Tonya is an engaging speaker, teacher, and award-winning author who has contributed to Chicken Soup for the Soul and has wri...
Mar 29, 2022•44 min•Season 9Ep. 86
"Dreamcrusher" and fellow Coloradan Jessie Cruickshank joins the pod to talk about about Neuro-ecclesiology. In this off-the-cuff conversation, we talk about why shame is never a tool of God, why people will never make it on information alone, and why the brain can't be trusted, or at least, our own understanding of the world. Jessie also talks about why the job description for pastors is one crafted in hell. Jesse is an ordained Foursquare minister and nationally recognized expert in the fields...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 85
Love is perhaps, one of the most overused and misunderstood words in the English language, especially when it comes to God. Theologian Thomas Jay Oord, author of the new book, Pluriform Love, joins the show to talk about the confusion around live in the Bible, why the Augustinian idea of God's love isn't ideal, and why he believes there is not a distinction between human love and God's love. Thomas Jay Oord , Ph.D., is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Oord di...
Mar 10, 2022•41 min•Season 8Ep. 84
With all the controversies of the past few years, many churches have sought to avoid difficult conversations and tough topics. Pastor and Author Elizabeth Hagan believes such an approach is mistaken. Rather, she believes people need to speak their truths without fear of being dismissed, shamed, or judged. In this conversation, we talk about safe spaces vs. brave spaces, why conflict can be a good thing, and the importance of boundaries. Elizabeth Hagan is an ecumenical pastor at heart who curren...
Mar 08, 2022•52 min•Season 8Ep. 83
