Exponential NEXT Podcast

In a post-Christian, post-modern, post-truth society where Jesus followers aren’t often well regarded, modern evangelism approaches are eroding and increasingly ineffective. Christians often talk more than we listen, confront when we should converse, and demand that people believe before they belong. We need a compelling way to share our faith that combines the timeless practices of Jesus with timely perspectives about our post-everything era.

Author and Executive Director of Alpha US Craig Springer believes that reaching non-Christians is possible, but only if we are willing to shift our perspectives, abandon ineffective methodologies, and consider the unique cultural moment in which we are living. In How to Revive Evangelism, he shares the often-overlooked evangelistic approaches of Jesus himself and demonstrates how returning to these fundamentals are key to reviving evangelism in the 21st century. Incorporating groundbreaking and often startling data, Springer offers Christians seven shifts in how to share their faith with friends and family members, neighbors and coworkers which create greater potential for life change.

Join authors Alan Hirsch, Rob Wegner, and Lance Ford, along with expert practitioners Linda Bergquist and Keri Ladouceur as they discuss the new book The Starfish and the Spirit. Together, they’ll discuss three characteristics of starfish organizations: The light-load leader Organic systems Self-management

Join authors Alan Hirsch, Rob Wegner, and Lance Ford, along with expert practitioners Linda Bergquist and Keri Ladouceur as they discuss the new book The Starfish and the Spirit.

Together, they’ll discuss three characteristics of starfish organizations:

The light-load leader

Organic systems

Self-management

This season has been demotivating and exhausting. Depression, anxiety and discontentment are said to be at all-time highs for church leaders. So, we “get” where you are. Nevertheless, opposition always carries seeds of opportunity. Perhaps the most strategic opportunity resulting from COVID requires that we pause and reflect deeply on our current ministry and personal … On Leadership Episode 4 – Overcoming Unhealthy Tensions Read More »

This season has been demotivating and exhausting. Depression, anxiety and discontentment are said to be at all-time highs for church leaders. So, we “get” where you are. Nevertheless, opposition always carries seeds of opportunity.

Perhaps the most strategic opportunity resulting from COVID requires that we pause and reflect deeply on our current ministry and personal scorecards. Do our priorities reflect the heart of God? In what ways have our scorecards become more “me-centered” than “Jesus-centered”?

In this episode, Larry Walkemeyer and Todd Wilson will seek to help you recognize unhealthy factors that are shaping your personal scorecard.

From Dorothy Day’s Catholic mission in the Great Depression to the emergent church movement in the early 2000’s, the mission of the church in a community has been an interesting conversation. This has often taken the form of ‘community outreach’ and been a luxury by-line of a church budget. Sometimes these various church programs can … Future Characteristics of the Church Episode 6 – A Different Future Read More »

From Dorothy Day’s Catholic mission in the Great Depression to the emergent church movement in the early 2000’s, the mission of the church in a community has been an interesting conversation.

This has often taken the form of ‘community outreach’ and been a luxury by-line of a church budget. Sometimes these various church programs can feel emotionally distanced and transactional, occurring mainly around the holidays. While still usually helpful (although occasionally unhelpful) they may lack the incarnational mission of the long journey with others that Jesus demonstrated.

In other communities, the church programs may be incarnational and integral to the underserved. In those places the church or non-profit can feel overwhelmed, underfunded, unseen and uncelebrated.

In the very near future, we believe church planters and church leaders need to have a paradigm change for the narrowness of going to underserved communities, to something bigger. What if the churches in a community saw the people ‘in’ the church and ‘out’ in the community as the same? What if we saw the value of everyone equally and move congruently to meet needs? What if we saw our church plant, not as an end, but a means? What if we saw the community not just as people to reach, but people to learn from?

While at first blush this might seem like an overwhelming and insurmountable task, we believe that is exactly the level of vision we are called to. And that feeling that it is too much need to meet is the first step to joining other faith communities as overlapping Gospel movements.

The future of city strategy may look like a parish model. Imagine if churches networked together to care for their community, specializing in the needs they address. Rather than competing, they share resources of people, money, and time, working together to bring the kingdom and tangible change to the lives of those who live there.

The inner and outer lives of Gen Z are complex. The world today is complicated. The way young people form bonds and make meaning is changing. Join Daniel Yang and Peyton Jones as they interview Josh Packard of Springtide Research Institute on new data about the religious lives of the Church’s next generation.

The inner and outer lives of Gen Z are complex. The world today is complicated. The way young people form bonds and make meaning is changing. Join Daniel Yang and Peyton Jones as they interview Josh Packard of Springtide Research Institute on new data about the religious lives of the Church’s next generation.

In this episode, Ralph and Myron will interview church planting leaders Drew Hyun and Janet McMahon on 5 Paradigm Shifts for Multiplication. Together, they’ll discuss how to release others for multiplication, shifting your operating system, the importance of creating opportunities for ever disciple to become a missionary, and more.