What does it mean for the local church to truly “send well”? In this episode of Oak Hill College’s Deep Roots podcast, host Chris Howles sits down with Bradley Bell and Larry McCrary from The Upstream Collective (USA) to explore what it looks like for churches to reclaim their biblical role in global mission.

Together, they unpack the vision behind the Upstream Collective’s motto — “The church sends, we help” — and discuss key insights from their book The Sending Church Applied, including their “Periodic Table of Sending.”

🕊️ Topics include:

• Why every believer is a “sent one”
• How churches can move from reactive to proactive mission sending
• The four stages of a healthy sending culture — Establishing, Developing, Engaging, and Multiplying
• The crucial role of care, commissioning, and re-entry for missionaries
• Practical steps for pastors and leaders to start cultivating a sending culture

📚 Resources mentioned:

• The Sending Church Applied by Bradley Bell, Larry McCrary, and colleagues
• Learn more about The Upstream Collective: https://www.theupstreamcollective.org
• Explore Oak Hill College’s Cross-Cultural Training: https://www.oakhill.ac.uk

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations helping you grow deep roots in theology, mission, and ministry.

🔗 Learn more about Oak Hill’s courses and resources: https://www.oakhill.ac.uk

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#DeepRootsPodcast #MinistryLife #OakHillCollege #mission #upstreamcollective

What happens when leaders don’t truly know themselves?

In this episode of Deep Roots, Jonny Reid talks with Dr. Mark Stirling, Programme Director of Oak Hill’s MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership. Together they explore why self-awareness and self-deception are such critical issues in ministry — and how our blind spots can quietly harm those we serve.

Mark shares personal stories and lessons from years in pastoral ministry and medicine, and practical wisdom for cultivating humility, accountability, and honest relationships in leadership.

📖 Topics include:

• Why self-awareness is central to Christian leadership
• How fear, insecurity, and image-shaping distort ministry
• The loneliness of leadership — and how to resist it
• Building honest relationships that help us see ourselves clearly
• What true maturity and self-knowledge look like in Christ

Whether you’re a pastor, elder, or ministry trainee, this episode will help you lead with greater integrity and grace.

🔗 Learn more about Oak Hill’s courses and resources: https://www.oakhill.ac.uk

🎧 Subscribe to Deep Roots for more conversations on theology and ministry.

#DeepRootsPodcast #ChristianLeadership #SelfAwareness #MinistryLife #OakHillCollege

This time on the Deep Roots Podcast, we are joined by @EmuMusic - Philip Percival and Alanna Glover talk with Jonny Reid about three big questions that the church needs to wrestle with in church music and singing.

https://emumusic.com

https://www.oakhill.ac.uk

Technology is changing at lightning speed—but how do we keep up without losing our sanity? In this episode of Deep Roots, Jonny Reid and Robin Barfield dive into the moral panics of the past (yes, people once feared cheap paperbacks!), the accelerating pace of digital change, and how it impacts everything from anxiety to Christian ministry. They also explore how online theological education is shaping a new generation of learners. Whether you're a pastor, a student, or just someone trying to navigate the digital age wisely, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

Everyday Dadding - Are smartphones rewiring my kids brain? - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5UNqVNhYs18TPgzeiw0Dlx?si=157456c8a292410f

Fresh off of the plane from Seoul, South Korea, Chris Howles the Director of Cross-Cultural Training here at Oak Hill College shares his experience from The Fourth Lausanne Congress. 5000 believers gathered from every country in the world to Seoul to connect, share and converse with one another and Chris shares how this congress has shaped his thoughts around cross-cultural mission. Tune in to hear his conversation with Eric Ortlund.

Find out more about Oak Hill College

Read Chris' blog on Lausanne

Find out more about Langham Publishing

Listen to "Meet An African Pastor"

Oak Hill Visiting Lecturer Natalie Brand in conversation about a beautiful doctrine that's at the center of the gospel and church life together.

Deep Roots is a podcast produced by Oak Hill College. Join us for monthly conversations about theology and ministry.

To find out more about Oak Hill College visit: www.oakhill.ac.uk

Kristi Mair talks with Eric Ortlund and Andrew Nicholls about how we actually come to know what is true, and how that underlies much of the Christian life. The conversation explores, among other things, how facts on their own are not enough, and why knowing the person telling you counts for so much. These are compelling issues for people entrusted with a liberating truth!

Eric Ortlund and Andrew Nicholls talk with Tim Ward about sermon application and why it's crucial to think through what preaching actually is.

David Baldwin and Tim Ward are joined by Jeremy, a graduate of Oak Hill who worked for a number of years as a language consultant living among Kurdish people. There are 300,000 Kurdish people in the UK, and plenty of fascinating and useful insights come out from Jeremy's long experience and deep reflection.

Kristi Mair and Andrew Nicholls chat to Oak Hill's new Principal Revd Dr James Robson about how God has shaped his life and his longing for the best kind of theological education.