Faithly Podcast

Join Rev. Adam Durso on today’s episode of the Faithly Podcast as he sits down with Reverend Vandalyn Kennedy—leadership strategist, youth ministry leader, and author of ‘First Things First’—as they dive into calling and leadership within ministry, as well as the formation required to serve the next generation well.

Vandalyn shares her journey from a strong church upbringing through personal challenges to becoming a globally influential voice in youth leadership. Along the way, she reflects on how a renewed and authentic relationship with God reshaped both her life and her ministry, grounding everything she now teaches in real spiritual transformation.

Together, Rev. Adam and Vandalyn explore what it truly takes to develop effective leaders today, highlighting the need for both spiritual depth and practical strategy. They candidly acknowledge the gaps in traditional ministry training and the growing challenges facing younger generations, pointing to the reasons that leaders need to be equipped to meet people where they are without compromising the truth. Drawing from the heart of her new book, ‘First Things First’, Vandalyn emphasizes the importance of spiritual discipline and inner healing to achieve healthy rhythms, reminding leaders that sustainable ministry flows from a life rightly ordered before God.

Website: https://www.vandalynkennedy.com/about-vandalyn-kennedy

(00:00) Creating Space for the Next Generation to Lead
(01:24) From Church Roots to Personal Transformation
(03:28) Discovering Purpose Through Leadership and Service
(05:10) Strategy and Spirituality Working Together
(08:00) Preparation Over Performance in Ministry
(10:30) Reaching Young People Through New Methods
(13:00) Community, Isolation, and Mental Health Challenges
(17:00) Meeting People Where They Are Beyond Church Walls
(20:30) Empowering Emerging Leaders Instead of Limiting Them
(25:00) Sustaining Leadership Through Spiritual Health and Boundaries

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In this episode of the Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee is joined by Chris Larson, President and CEO of Ligonier Ministries, for a thought-provoking discussion on the findings of the 2025 State of Theology report and what it reveals about the beliefs shaping today’s church.

Drawing from the survey’s results, Chris explains how many American evangelicals are wrestling with confusion around foundational doctrines—including sin, salvation, the Trinity, and even the uniqueness of Christ. While the data reveals surprising contradictions in what many believers say they believe, Chris helps unpack the cultural forces contributing to this trend, from growing pluralism to widespread biblical illiteracy.

Together, Alicia and Chris explore why theology matters for every believer, not just pastors or scholars, and how our understanding of God inevitably shapes every aspect of how we engage the world around us. Despite the challenges the report highlights, their conversation ultimately points toward hope, extending encouragement to churches and believers to lean into clearer biblical teaching and authentic Christian community—trusting that God continues to build His church through the faithful proclamation of His Word. 

Website: http://www.ligonier.org

(00:00) Introducing the State of Theology Survey
(01:20) Chris Larson’s Journey into Theology and Ministry
(06:30) The Mission of Ligonier Ministries
(10:50) Why Everyone Is a Theologian
(14:00) What the Survey Reveals About Evangelical Beliefs
(17:30) Confusion About Sin and the Need for the Gospel
(19:40) Misunderstanding the Holy Spirit and the Trinity
(21:30) The Rise of Universalism and Cultural Pluralism
(25:00) The Importance of the Local Church and Discipleship
(31:10) Confidence in God’s Faithfulness to Build His Church

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Today on the Faithly podcast, host Alicia Lee sits down with Jurie Kriel—leader of NXT Move, executive team member at Shoreline Church, Lausanne Movement contributor, and author of Hitting the Ball You Cannot See—for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, cultural change, and the future of the Church.

Drawing from ministry experience spanning apartheid South Africa to church planting in downtown Austin, Jurie unpacks the core metaphor behind his book: just as elite athletes learn to anticipate a pitch they cannot see, church leaders today must learn to anticipate cultural shifts rather than simply react to them. From declining institutional trust to digital acceleration and rising loneliness, he outlines the forces reshaping faith in the next generation.

Yet, this is not a message of alarm, but a call to courageous hope. Jurie challenges leaders to hold tightly to the unchanging gospel while creatively reimagining how it’s embodied in today’s world. Moving from “rows” to “circles,” and from preservation and siloed thinking to experimentation and collaboration, he offers a vision for faithful innovation that begins locally—trusting that God has not lost a generation yet.

Website: https://www.juriekriel.com/

(00:00) Fail Quickly and Try Something New
(05:04) The Vision Behind NXT Move and Global Collaboration
(10:00) Hitting the Ball You Cannot See
(15:56) The Collapse of Trust and the Need for Authentic Faith
(24:24) Harder Faith Over Easier Religion
(34:20) Facing Fear and Learning to Innovate Locally
(43:10) Collaboration Unity and Hope for the Next Generation

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What does Gen Z really want from faith and from the Church? In this episode of the Faithly Podcast, Augustine Mendoza of Oral Roberts University joins Alicia Lee for a timely conversation to explore how this rising generation is navigating identity and discipleship in a digitally saturated world.

As both an ORU alum and Senior Director of Spiritual Life & Student Experience, Augustine brings a rare full-circle perspective having wrestled through his own questions of faith and now walking alongside students doing the same. Tune in as Alicia and Augustine unpack the tension shaping Gen Z: deeply spiritual and equally as skeptical, hungry for authentic encounters with God while wary of performative Christianity and institutional inconsistency. Augustine challenges leaders to look past stereotypes and instead recognize the boldness and honesty of this generation as signs of untamed calling that require discipleship rather than dismissal.

From social media’s global influence to the local church’s opportunity for relational leadership, today’s conversation offers a hopeful reframing, that the Church doesn’t just need to reach Gen Z, it needs Gen Z’s involvement along with their hunger for authentic community, which may be exactly what re-centers the Church on Christ-like formation.

Website: https://oru.edu/

(00:00) Authentic Worship Over Gimmicks
(05:30) From a 10-Year Plan to Purpose-Driven Flexibility
(13:09) Spiritually Hungry but Needing Biblical Depth
(21:00) Turnoffs for Gen Z in Church & Leadership
(34:27) Worship & Spiritual Practices That Resonate with Gen Z
(39:50) What Gen Z Wants in a Local Church
(44:21) The Church Needs Gen Z

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What happens when the dream you built your life around suddenly dissolves? In this episode of The Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee sits down with Kelsey O’Connor as she shares her journey from Division I athlete to nationally recognized speaker after a career-ending concussion changed everything.

When injury forced her into months of recovery—stripping away her ability to compete, study, and even function as she once had—Kelsey was confronted with a deeper question: who am I without my performance? In that season of stillness, she discovered a life-changing truth: her worth was not rooted in achievement, but in being loved by God. That revelation reshaped how she saw herself and ultimately led to her 2023 commencement speech at NC State which went viral, reaching over 70 million viewers across 27 countries and launching a new calling centered on identity and resilience.

In this powerful conversation, Kelsey shares practical insight on handling rejection and navigating criticism, exploring the freedom that comes from grounding your identity in Christ rather than in your accomplishments.

Website: https://kelseyoconnor.com/

(00:00) When Achievement Becomes Identity
(11:00) Losing Who I Thought I Was
(16:40) Faith in the Stillness of Recovery
(19:55) The Speech That Went Viral
(26:00) Rejection, Closed Doors, and God’s Timing
(30:50) Handling Criticism and Guarding Your Heart
(35:00) Separating Who You Are from What You Do

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In this episode of the Faithly Podcast, Pastor Adam Durso sits down with longtime friend Pastor Dan Underhill for a heartfelt conversation about spiritual obedience, leadership under pressure, and the kind of friendships that breathe life into your soul.

Pastor Dan opens up about the years-long journey that led to the launch of Cornerstone Church ATX, sharing how a word from God demanded not just action, but patience and submission. Together, Pastor Adam and Pastor Dan reflect on what gets revealed in seasons of pressure and why honoring leadership is a test of our own character, before diving into what it means to build a church marked by depth, diversity, and discipleship. Pastor Dan also unpacks the heart behind his Passion and Pursuit message—an invitation to live with integrity, to love God wholeheartedly and walk in real spiritual power.

Whether you’re discerning a calling, wrestling with timing, or simply in need of encouragement for the long road of leadership, this episode serves as a reminder that God’s promises are worth the wait, and that friendship forms a vital part of the fuel that sustains us.

Website: https://ccatx.com/

(00:00) A 25 Year Friendship Built in Ministry
(04:40) How to Lead Well When You Feel Squeezed
(09:25) The Call to Plant and the Long Road of Integrity
(14:30) Planting in Faith and Watching God Provide
(17:40) Building a Church for Generations and Living with Passion and Pursuit

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Today on the Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee is joined by Kate Trammell—Senior Vice President at Prison Fellowship—to trace her journey from Virginia magistrate to national justice advocate.

Raised in the local church and trained in law, Kate shares how her frontline experience in the courtroom stirred a deeper desire to pursue justice that restores rather than simply punishes. Now leading Prison Fellowship’s advocacy, legal, and research efforts, she unpacks the realities of incarceration, sharing the ripple effects on families and churches and explaining why this work is both deeply personal and deeply spiritual.

From policy change to personal redemption, Kate offers a vision of hope rooted in Scripture and propelled through action. We invite you to tune in as we explore how earthly justice can be re-imagined in the light of the Lord’s saving grace.

Website: https://www.prisonfellowship.org

(00:00) An Ordinary Faith Shaped by Church and Community
(05:45) Confronting the Limits of Justice Behind the Glass
(10:30) What Justice That Restores Really Means
(15:45) Navigating Political Tension with a Long View of Hope
(20:10) Sustaining Faithfulness in Work, Family, and Calling

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In this episode of the Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee is joined by Joshua James, Executive Director of Likewise Worship—a ministry committed to serving worship leaders for the long haul—for a conversation about what it really takes to sustain healthy leadership in today’s church.

Josh shares the origin story of Likewise Worship, born from founder Justin Unger’s desire to develop young leaders. What began as training and coaching soon deepened into a soul care mission, as they encountered increasing stories of burnout, isolation, and leaders quietly stepping away from ministry. From personal stories to practical tools like the Worship Leader Health Check, Josh offers insight into the unique pressures worship leaders face—from platform-driven culture to the demands of bi-vocational life—and how churches can create communities where leaders are not only empowered to serve, but fully supported and deeply seen.

Website: https://www.likewiseworship.com/

(00:00) A Hunger for Belonging and Authenticity
(05:29) Scaling Without Losing the Local Church and Relationships
(11:10) How Culture Shapes Community Across Different Cities
(16:59) Defining Burnout and Why Worship Leaders Feel Stuck
(22:00) Three Marks of a Healthy Leader
(31:08) Building Trust, Offering Care, and Knowing When to Refer Out
(37:58) Supporting Bi-vocational and Volunteer Worship Leaders
(43:13) Hope for the Church

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Faithly Podcast. In this premiere episode, host Alicia Lee is joined by Pastor Steve Milazzo—Lead Pastor of Bethlehem Assembly of God and President of the Hope Day Network—to explore the powerful story behind Hope Day, a nationwide movement reshaping how churches serve their communities.

What began 15 years ago as a unified outreach in Hempstead and Uniondale has grown into a model for transformational compassion and collaboration. Pastor Steve recounts how a burden God placed on his heart as a teenager, to help people experience God’s love in tangible, practical ways, ignited a movement that has since served over 195,000 people.

Together, they walk through the evolution of Hope Day, from its roots as a single event to a decentralized network of churches hosting community-tailored outreaches across the country, outlining what makes each Hope Day so unique. Pastor Steve closes with a vision for what’s ahead, including the upcoming February 7 launch and how ministry leaders and churches can encounter new ways to connect through the Hope Day Network.

Website: https://www.hopedaynetwork.org/new/

(00:00) Obedience Before Outcomes: Trusting God with the Growth
(03:10) The First Hope Day
(07:09) What Hope Day Looks Like Today
(10:14) The Event Experience
(13:19) Growth and Expansion
(16:37) What the Network Provides
(24:51) From Despair to Hope Through Hope Day
(33:01) Discipleship, Unity, and Letting God Lead the Growth

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