In this episode of Deeper Still, Suanne Camfield interviews Pete Stearns, the lead pastor of St. Mark's Community Church in Burlington, NC. Pete opens the episode by sharing an unexpected way his church got involved with relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, what he's discovered about the joys and challenges of becoming a lead pastor and how he's learned to preach without notes.

Suanne & Pete spend the second half of the conversation exploring the concept of sin, reframing its focus from behavior management to understanding it as a sickness form which there is only one cure. Pete emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit, defining the process of sanctification, as the Spirit transforms our hearts and cultivates our character, as well as the need for consistency and community as we find our way.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction and Context Setting

02:37 Hurricane Relief Efforts and Community Response

09:00 Transitioning to a New Community and Family Life

13:31 Surprises of Lead Pastorship

18:03 Preaching Without Notes: The Process

22:57 The Theology of Sin: A New Perspective

28:18 Redefining Sin and Its Implications

33:23 The Journey to Freedom from Sin

38:16 Understanding the Role of the Holy Spirit

43:57 Sanctification: A Process of Growth

49:20 The Importance of Bearing Fruit in Community

In this episode, Danielle Schaeffer shares her journey as a parent of a disabled son, how that journey changed her perspective on the world they inhabit together and how her advocacy for the disability community led her to serve in the local church. Danielle also helps educate listeners on proper language surrounding disability as well as how the church can & should lead the way in creating welcoming spaces for all God's people.

Danielle currently serves as the Director of Disability Ministry at Christ Church, a non-denominational church in the suburbs of Chicago, and is pursuing her Masters of Divinity degree from Fuller Seminary.

Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and bestselling author of more than 40 books, discusses the lasting the impact of The Case for Christ, the importance of never giving up on people far from God and how his approach to apologetics and evangelism have changed over time as God as shaped his own soul. You won't want to miss the story of his emotional interview with Charles Templeton, a former evangelist who turned agnostic, or why he decided to write 'Is God Real?' Lee also addresses how to answer questions about pain and suffering not only with reason & logic but with empathy and love.

In this episode, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, award-winning author and seminary professor, discusses the importance of practicing a lived theology, the power of counter-cultural narratives, the role of the church in addressing individual and systemic sin, the significance of lament and how cancel culture actually reveals an insecurity in our identity as followers of Christ.

Suanne and Dr. Rah also spend some significant time highlighting the changing demographics of the American church and how that current reality calls us to rethink our practices and love our neighbor in deeper and evolving ways.

In this episode, Nancy Ortberg discusses her passion for leadership and the journey of discovering our calling. She emphasizes the importance of feedback and the cultivation of character and heart as we embrace our limitations. She explores the connection between leadership and spiritual formation, emphasizing the need to be deeply rooted in one's identity in Christ. She also emphasizes the need to find God in the gaps of our stories as we embrace lament and vulnerability.

Suanne interviews Jennifer Johnson Jordan, former professional beach volleyball player, Olympian and current head women's beach coach at UCLA. They discuss Jenny's journey as an athlete, her experience as an Olympian and her transition into coaching. Jenny's shares how her faith influences her coaching style and the importance of caring for the whole person. They also spend some time discussing the pressures and challenges faced by young athletes and their parents, as well as the responsibility coaches have at all levels to build up -- and not tear down-- the athletes under their care.

Jenny also shares her thoughts on the evolving landscape of women's sports and the importance of supporting and promoting female athletes. She reflects on the humility and impact of her father, Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson, and the lessons she has learned from him. Finally, she discusses her own journey as a head coach and the deeper reliance on God and trust in His plans that it has required.

Ever wonder if your everyday, ordinary life actually matters? If long obedience in the same direction really does pay off? If showing up for worship or for people who are suffering -- even when you don't feel like it or know exactly what to say or do--is the right thing?

Drew Dyck joins the podcast to discuss his book Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything. In this episode, Drew and Suanne cover everything from Drew's midlife crisis to the spiritual idea of plodding to how faithfulness in the small things is often more important than pursuing even our biggest dreams. Drew also shares why it's important to show up in person, how to set boundaries and extend grace when being present isn't possible, and gives listeners a special encouragement to put the screens away and pay attention to the people God has put in their paths.

Learn more about Drew and all of his books at drewdyck.com

So let’s be honest. Doing a podcast about something as politically charged and divisive as critical race theory feels a bit risky. But it’s also the reason conversations like this one with Ed Uszynski, author of Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need to Know and Why It Matters, are so important. As people who are doing our best to follow Jesus in a complex world, we need safe spaces to explore and understand complicated ideas without having them hijacked by media pundits or 30-second sound bites.

When I first prepped for this episode, my idea was to do a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of CRT (which, btw, Ed spends 7 chapters unpacking in the book. I learned a TON about it’s origins, what it does and doesn’t mean and why it matters to the church), but as with any podcast, conversations have a way of taking on a life of their own. While Ed and I do talk about critical race theory, what we spend more time talking about is some of the broader questions it causes us to consider like our country’s racial history, systemic v. individual racism, our own defensiveness in conversations about race, cross cultural competency, ethnic indifference and the importance of listening and learning from those who are different from us.

Ed has been a trusted friend and voice in my life for more than 20 years. You’ll hear that in the podcast, but you’ll also hear how God has been weaving together his own story in a way that has uniquely prepared him for such a time as this. No matter where you find yourself in your own journey, I hope you’ll listen in as we continue to learn and grow together.

Jon Jorgenson, Creative & Teaching Pastor at Soul City Church in Chicago, discusses how his love for theater and performing converged with his faith to spark a calling that changed the direction of his life. Jon shares about his decision to step away from Broadway and follow God's leading into ministry, despite uncertainty and fear. With more than 20 million views on Youtube and 24,000 followers on Instagram, Jon also discusses the tension of having a platform as a believer, the importance of being present with people and how aligning one's public and private life is a mark of character as God's witnesses in this world.

Be sure to listen all the way to the end when Jon offers a word of both encouragement & challenge to young people as they seek to follow Jesus in a complex world.

Pastor & Author Tracey Bianchi joins the podcast today to talk about Lent, liturgy and why being intentional about Holy Week matters. She also shares vulnerably about how her husband's unexpected health crisis turned her world upside down, what it has taught her -- and is continue to teaching her-- about the messiness of life, letting go of control and living in the hope of Easter Sunday.

Tracey Bianchi has served in the local church for twenty years. She’s led as pastor in Student Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Worship Arts, Adult Ministry and as a regular preacher at Christ Church, located in the western suburbs of Chicago. She is the author of four books and Bible studies on faith-based parenting and formation for women. In 2013, her work was noted by Christianity Today a “One of Fifty Christian Women Leaders to Watch.” Tracey also serves at several Christian institutions of higher education. She’s on the Board of Trustees at Denver Seminary and teaches courses in preaching, worship, and practical ministry at a Chicago area seminary. She earned her BA in History and Political Science from the University of Iowa; her Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary; and is about to earn her doctorate at Duke Divinity School.