Take Root - podcast cover

Take Root

Take Rootcentered.org
Take Root is a Gospel focused podcast hosted by Karen Johnson, a senior associate of Centered in Seattle. Join us as we share testimonies to deepen roots of faith, encourage one another, and learn from a diverse collection of stories! We'll be releasing new episodes every other week, and if you're interested in the ministry happening at Centered or have any questions, learn more at centered.org!
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Episodes

Cindy Barber: Breaking Free From Fear

Cindy Barber is an executive coach, leadership consultant, and author of C.L.E.A.R. The Fear . In this interview, she shares the journey that led her to write the book and expresses her hope that it will empower others to overcome their fears and embrace a life of confidence, purpose, and authenticity.

May 20, 202555 min

Will Acuff- From Just Surviving To Thriving

Will Acuff is co-founder of the Nashville non-profit Corner To Corner, and author of the book No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness. As a father and husband navigating family health challenges, Will found renewal through trauma counseling, and rediscovered God's love and guidance.

May 02, 202546 min

Jeremy Vallerand: From Exploitation to Freedom

Sometimes, the evil in this world feels so overwhelming that it’s hard to know where to even begin fighting it—like sex trafficking. Yet, there are individuals like Jeremy Vallerand who have the vision and determination to rescue victims from this monstrous evil and ultimately bring an end to it. I hope you will join me in hearing Jeremy’s courageous journey as he follows God’s calling to this incredible work. https://www.atlasfree.org

Mar 21, 202550 min

Catherine Hickem- Parenting Adult Children

What if I told you there’s help available for learning how to be a better parent to our adult children? In this interview, Catherine Hickem shares valuable insights on just that. Catherine is a psychotherapist, author, and executive coach with a B.S. in Counseling and an M.S. in Clinical Social Work, with decades of experience . Catherine is now leading a powerful shift in how we approach parenting adult children—a stage of life that is often overlooked yet deeply impactful. In 2024, she founded...

Feb 10, 202551 min

Greg Asimakoupoulos- Pastor and Poet

Greg Asimakoupoulos has been a pastor and author for over 45 years, with the last ten years serving as pastor to a retirement community being the most meaningful work of his career. He currently writes a weekly newspaper column and a poetry blog and is the author of 17 books. In this episode, Greg shares vulnerably about his journey as a pastor, and the severe depression he faced along the way.

Jan 17, 202534 min

Larry Snyder: A Legacy of Love

Seattle born Larry J Snyder, spends most days following the example of his extraordinary mother Jean, who modeled a life of faith and service. As a hands-on philanthropist, author, fundraising auctioneer, and Starbucks community champion, Larry's mission is to improve the lives of others. His actions reflect the love of Jesus in everything he does. Larry resides in Redmond, WA. with his wife and daughter.

Dec 10, 202442 minSeason 5Ep. 2

Dr. JoAnn Flett: Entrepreneurial Faith

Dr. JoAnn Flett is the Executive Director of the Center for Faithful Business at Seattle Pacific University. JoAnn is a frequent speaker, network collaborator and organizational consultant teasing out the intersection of business activities that promote shalom/flourishing. In this episode, she shares how God guided her to fulfill her childhood calling to missions, through the ministry of business.

Nov 13, 202432 min

Farrah B: A Courageous Faith

Farrah B. (a pseudonym for her safety) is a courageous young woman from Tajikistan who has faced heartbreaking persecution for her Christian faith and is currently seeking asylum in the United States. Her story is a challenging one, and one that reminds us of the hope we have in Jesus.

Oct 23, 202440 min

Skip Li: Living Into God's Invitations

Chi-Dooh Li (fondly known as Skip) is a founding partner at Ellis Lee and McKinstry, boasting over 47 years of legal practice. He is the author of "Buy This Land," a book recounting the founding narrative of Agros – a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring land in Central America to establish communities enabling individuals to break the cycle of poverty through land ownership. Skip is also a founder of the intentional living community in the University District of Seattle called Vision 16, encouragin...

May 28, 202450 min

Ellen Vaughn: Master Storyteller

Ellen Vaughn is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who has written or co-written twenty-four books. In this episode, she shares of her life-long passion for writing and storytelling and how her faith continues to inform her work. Former vice president of executive communications at Prison Fellowship, she collaborated with the late Chuck Colson on a number of his seminal works. She speaks at conferences, often travels to interview Christ-followers in hostile parts of the world, and s...

May 06, 202442 min

Sally Leist: Love and Justice in Uganda

Sally Leist, a native of the Pacific Northwest, has worked in various career paths, including roles in business and with Young Life International and World Vision. Alongside her husband, Scott, she is currently based in Kampala, Uganda, dedicated to pursuing justice where it has been absent. In this episode, Sally delves into her most recent work, sharing both the challenges and the joy encountered in addressing the brokenness of our world.

Apr 03, 202440 min

Valeriy Goloborodko: Loving God, Loving Ukraine

Valeriy G. Valeriy serves as the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Washington and Oregon, and is vice president of VS Foods and president of Goel Payment Solutions. Growing up in communist-controlled Ukraine, any discussion of God was unsafe. But God intervened in miraculous ways to introduce Valeriy and his family to His great love, and that changed everything. Valeriy lives in Bellevue, Washington with his wife and 5 children and he continues to serve an ever-growing Ukrainian population.

Mar 20, 202442 min

Levi Davenport: Faith in Business

Levi Davenport is the president of C3 Leaders, a ministry committed to empowering business leaders to make a positive difference in the world through community, commerce, and culture- all rooted in their faith in Christ. In this interview, he shares vulnerably from his own life story, and how God has led him to this opportunity to guide business leaders in the greater Seattle area to a deeper walk of faith.

Feb 27, 202437 min

The Take Root Podcast- Millie Voigtlander: Adoration House

Millie Voigtlander is the founder of Adoration House, a house of worship and prayer in the University District of Seattle. In this episode, Millie shares the story of the clear calling she received to move to Seattle for the purpose of gathering people to pray, and how God provided everything needed to make that happen. Woven throughout this story is a hopeful vision for the future of Seattle- a beautiful picture of God's desire for healing and reconciliation.

Feb 06, 202443 min

The Take Root Podcast- Kendra VanderMeulen: Living Generously

Kendra VanderMeulen is currently serving as the CEO of the National Christian Foundation, the largest Christian grant maker in the world. The team at NCF mobilizes resources and inspires Biblical generosity, serving thousands of families, advisors and ministries nationwide. Kendra is a veteran of the wireless telecommunications industry, having served as an Executive Vice-President at InfoSpace and as the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of the Wireless Data Division of AT&T Wireles...

Jan 18, 202448 min

Keith Carpenter: Living in the Miraculous

Keith Carpenter and his wife made the difficult decision to leave their cherished home in Minnesota and embark on a mission to establish a church in one of the most challenging neighborhoods in Seattle back in 2009. The inception of Epic Life Church marked the beginning of a remarkable transformation within the community, as miracles started to unfold in abundance. In this particular episode, Keith takes us on a profound journey of faith, emphasizing the importance of trust and love. Furthermore...

Dec 29, 202353 min

Dr. Gregg Glenn: The Intersection of Science and Faith

Dr. Gregg Glenn has had a remarkable career in the field of vaccine development and bio-technology. As the recently retired President of Research and Development at Novavax, he is a recognized innovator and leader in the fields of vaccine delivery, discovery, and translation to development. In this interview, Dr. Glenn shares incredible insight about his lifetime of work, and about how his faith has always been a guiding light.

Dec 14, 202354 min

The Take Root Podcast- Katie Mathews: Unparalyzed

Katie Mathews was paralyzed in a car crash at age 16, and is now a life coach for other women healing from life's traumas. She is author of the book Unparalyzed and has much to teach about what that word can mean for each of us as we release our fears to God.

Dec 01, 202328 min

The Take Root Podcast- Amber Cantu: Healing Families and Nations

Amber Cantu is the 6th generation granddaughter of Chief Seattle, and is part of the Colville confederation of 12 tribes. She is a warrior for women and children, and for her people. Amber and her husband have 5 adult children, 7 grandchildren, and are currently fostering 7 Native American children. She is working to break generational trauma and addiction by raising up the next generation to know “who” they are and “whose” they are- children of God with value and purpose. But her vision is even...

Oct 31, 202343 min

Barry Rowan: The Spiritual Art of Business

Barry Rowan is a Harvard Business school graduate who has held a range of C-suite roles and has been instrumental in building and transforming eight businesses, primarily in the technology and communications space. After spending nearly 40 years thinking about the integration of faith and work, Barry has authored a book entitled The Spiritual Art of Business (Connecting the Daily With the Divine). In this interview, he shares with vulnerability and wisdom what he has learned....

Sep 28, 202350 minSeason 4Ep. 7

Evans Kaame: From Street Kid To Scholar

Evans Kaame is a graduate student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. A student advocate, who is serving with passionate student leaders and multiple community organizations, he seeks to improve the wellbeing of students in our institutions of higher education across the state of Washington. In this podcast, he shares the incredible story of how he came from the streets of Lodwar, Kenya to the halls of a great university....

Jun 21, 202342 min

Rita Nussli: Intimacy With God

Rita Nussli is a Spiritual Director with the ministry of SoulFormation, and teaches at their Academy of Spiritual Formation and School of Spiritual Direction. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director of New Horizons for 22 years- an organization that serves homeless and street involved youth in Seattle. It was here that Rita learned the importance of personal closeness to God rather than just relying on her own skills and strength. Rita has a Masters in Social Work form the University of Wa...

May 31, 202337 min

Karen Johnson: Surprised by God

Karen Johnson is a Senior Associate with Centered , a Seattle based nonprofit whose mission is, "Raising up generations of Jesus-centered leaders." She is the director and host of the Take Root Podcast. In this episode, she shares her own story of being surprised by God. Karen’s passion is building deep relationships that are rooted in the love and grace of God. Working with young adults, marketplace and civic leaders, she seeks to build fellowship based on the reconciliation that is possible th...

May 09, 20231 hr

Al Erisman: An Integrated Faith

Al Erisman is the Executive in Residence and the past Director for the Center for Integrity in Business in the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University. He is also executive editor of Ethix magazine , where he has interviewed business leaders from around the world on issues of ethics, values, and purpose. He led a distinguished 32 year career at Boeing, and has authored three books. In this interview, Al shares how his deep faith is at the core of who he is and everything h...

Apr 03, 202342 min

David Bluhm: Master Mentor and Entrepreneur

David Bluhm has spent the last 39 years starting and growing technology companies and has been involved in over 20 start-ups that have achieved a combined high water equity value of over 36 billion dollars. Above all, the most impressive thing about David is his love for the Lord and how he shares that with young people through mentorship in business. Listen in and be encouraged!

Feb 17, 202359 min

Norma Smith: A Legacy of Service

Norma Smith has lived a life of public service. For 13 years, she served in policy as a Washington State Representative sponsoring legislation that impacted privacy, government transparency, the environment, education, behavioral health, and much more. In this episode, Norma shares how her faith in Jesus informs every aspect of life and work, even through losing the love of her life. Norma lives on Whidbey Island and is the mother of 4, and grandmother of 11.

Jan 19, 202339 min

Don Bonker: A Higher Calling

Don Bonker is a former United States Congressman who is a world leader in international trade, security and human rights. His deep faith, humility and wisdom of many years make him a man worth listening to. Fortunately, he has written a book in which he shares from this deep well of faith and life: A Higher Calling: Faith and Politics in the Public Square . At 85 years old, this statesman is celebrating 50 years of marriage (to Carolyn) and the joys of being a father and grandfather. His life is...

Dec 21, 202239 min

Rick Newell: An Onramp For Foster Teens

Rick Newell is the founder of M.U.S.T. (Mentoring Urban Students and Teens), and the owner of Fairway Studios. In this episode, he describes God's leading to hand over the leadership of M.U.S.T. and begin a new ministry, called ROUTE 21. This ministry uses the same mentoring model to support teens as they are aging out of the foster care system, preventing these kids from falling through the cracks. Starting in high school, ROUTE 21 steps in to provide an "onramp to adulthood" through 7 years of...

Dec 02, 202237 min

Jesse Peone III - A Life Redeemed

Jesse Peone III is the youngest school board member ever elected in the State of Oregon. He owns 2 newspapers, a magazine, and a real estate business, is a full time MBA student at Willamette University... and he is only 27 years old. Here he shares how God intervened in his life when he was living on the streets at age 17, a hopeless soul who had lived in 50 different foster homes. Listen in to an amazing story of a life redeemed.

Oct 25, 202246 min

JJ Breilh: Loving College Athletes

JJ Breilh is the Collegiate Director at the University of Washington with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. HIs passion for discipleship, love of sports, and pursuit of meaningful relationships makes him the perfect guy for this job. JJ and his wife Krista have literally moved in with the athletes they serve- living in an old sorority house in the U. District, and creating opportunities for fellowship. Just think of the ripple effects on this large campus! https://www.fcaseattle.org Vision: To s...

Jul 07, 202233 minSeason 2Ep. 15
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