Kingdom Culture Conversations

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

As we approach the month of May, a momentous shift is about to take place for students moving from high school and towards college and career.  Students will graduate from high school and, for many, from the direct oversight of Dad and Mom on a daily basis as they head to university, the military, trade school, or a job.

So, how can we know that Christian high school students will remain engaged within the spiritual disciplines that will keep them walking a healthy course in pursuit of Christ.

We can't.

But, what we can do is work to be certain that students are involved, and truly invested, in a youth ministry -- from middle school, high school, and college -- that will incite a true love of discipleship in their lives.

Today, we spend time talking with two student ministries pastors from Palmcroft Church -- George Brown, the pastor of College and Assimilation, and Jacob Van Gysel, the pastor of High School ministry -- as they discuss moving young people away from entertainment in youth ministry and towards genuine, heartfelt engagement.

The Rooted article that serves as the jumping off point for our conversation, "Don't Entertain Teenagers, Disciple Them", can be found here.

To learn about Palmcroft Church, please follow this link.

To learn specifically about Palmcroft High School Ministry, click here.

To find out about Palmcroft College Ministry, please click on this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Today's Kingdom Culture Conversation is a tad longer than the norm.  It also follows a completely different format than what listeners may have come to expect.  This episode captures a completely candid conversation between Rev. Sandi Anthony and a stellar group of 8th graders as they talk through, of all things, aliens, UFO's, the concept of "disclosure", and the possibility that some unidentified aerial phenomena may be diabolical in nature.

Rev. Sandi Anthony is a Phoenix-area minister who co-pastors in two East Valley churches.  Her knowledge of God's word is deep and vested with a strong seminary education.

She is also, interestingly enough, a field investigator for the Phoenix, Arizona chapter of MUFON, the "Mutual UFO Network".  In fact, she has been honored twice by the organization as "field investigator of the year".

What happens today is fascinating!

To learn more about Phoenix MUFON, please follow this link.

To check out the book that the students within the Northwest Christian Middle School Book Club are referencing, "Out of the Silent Planet" by C.S. Lewis, please click here.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

On Friday, April 10th, 2026, Northwest Christian releases it's 14th student movie:  "We Were Friends".  And, with fourteen movies under our belt, you may suspect that this cinematic contribution is more of the same...

Not so.

As we will hear today during a thought-provoking conversation with Red Five Media's Chris Zimmerman, "We Were Friends" is completely different than any of the school films that have come before it.  Just twenty minutes in length, featuring only two actresses, and shot within a single location, viewers will find this movie to be both a raw and unflinching look at forgiveness and unforgiveness.

Today, we hear what inspired this film and the impact that it may have in the lives of viewers -- high school students in particular!

"We Were Friends" debuts on NCS-Plus.com and NorthwestChristianFilms.com at 4:00pm on Friday, April 10th, 2026.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

In April of 1953, during a sermon in which he confronted the base distinctions between Communism and Christianity, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We must admit that we as Christians have often lagged behind at this point. Slavery could not have existed in America for more than two hundred and fifty years if the Church had not sanctioned it. Segregation and discrimination could not exist in America today without the sanction of the Church. I am ashamed and appalled at the fact that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in Christian America. How tardy we have been! The Church has to often been an institution serving to crystalize the patterns of the status quo."

Is the criticism fair?

Or, as he goes on to say, are there underlying appeals within Communism that, although subtle, are having a profound impact on culture and the Church?

To wrestle with those questions, today we are joined by Joy Watson whose school, in the International Academy of St. Petersburg, resides within the residue of a form of Russian communism that fell in 1991 but whose presence is still felt.

Are we, as Americans who have just elected a socialist mayor in our nation's largest city, in danger of falling prey?

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Each year, the Northwest Christian School Board enjoys a session with the entire Northwest Christian secondary Bible team.  The open-ended conversation includes highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses, and a focus on whether or not the program is truly impacting students and helping them to develop a Biblical worldview.

Following the January 2026 version of the conversation, we recognized that we wanted to take it further and, in the spirit of transparency and authenticity, open it up for all to hear and participate.  As a result, over the next several weeks and months, Kingdom Culture Conversations is going to take the time to walk through these conversations with each of the school's secondary Bible teachers.

Today, we continue this journey with Brandon Southall, Northwest Christian's senior Bible teacher.  Having served within Northwest Christian for fourteen years, nearly ten of which have been with students right before they graduate, Southall has a very unique perspective.  On the one hand, he encounters our students at the end of their Northwest Christian journey and he gets to see the fruit of the school program within their lives.  On the other hand, as their last point of contact within the school, he retains that contact long after graduation.

So, from this unique perspective, what does he have to say?  What is working?  What isn't?

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Axis.org is the parenting resource you need right now.

And, if you don't have a home church, or your Phoenix-area student is not invested personally and substantially within a youth ministry, Desert View Bible is the church you need to check out right now.

With these two statements our episode's thesis, we jump into a count-down of Axis' "Top 20" most influential cultural moments and phenomena that are impacting students right now.  To take the conversation next level, Nick Fergerson, an establish youth minister with a storied and mature youth discipleship approach, is on hand to fuel the conversation:  Do we agree with the list?  Do we disagree?  Would we add to it?

For more information on Axis, please visit Axis.org.

To discover the exciting things that are happening within youth ministry at Desert View Bible, please follow this link.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Each year, the Northwest Christian School Board enjoys a session with the entire Northwest Christian secondary Bible team.  The open-ended conversation includes highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses, and a focus on whether or not the program is truly impacting students and helping them to develop a Biblical worldview.

Following the January 2026 version of the conversation, we recognized that we wanted to take it further and, in the spirit of transparency and authenticity, open it up for all to hear and participate.  As a result, over the next several weeks and months, Kingdom Culture Conversations is going to take the time to walk through these conversations with each of the school's secondary Bible teachers.

Today, we continue this journey with Tyler Collins, Northwest Christian's sophomore Bible teacher.  Having served within Northwest Christian for nearly two decades, and having overseen the Bible department for nearly half that time, Tyler is poised to offer a powerful perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of NCS Bible curriculum and spiritual formation strategies.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Each year, the Northwest Christian School Board enjoys a session with the entire Northwest Christian secondary Bible team.  The open-ended conversation includes highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses, and a focus on whether or not the program is truly impacting students and helping them to develop a Biblical worldview.

Following the January 2026 version of the conversation, we recognized that we wanted to take it further and, in the spirit of transparency and authenticity, open it up for all to hear and participate.  As a result, over the next several weeks and months, Kingdom Culture Conversations is going to take the time to walk through these conversations with each of the school's secondary Bible teachers.

Today, we continue this journey with Ethan Burson, Northwest Christian's 7th grade Bible teacher.  Ethan has served the community of Northwest Christian for just over fifteen years and, in that time, he has served as an educational aide, a science teacher, and, for the past several years, a Bible teacher.  His perspective is informed by history and the relevance that comes with being committed to young people and youth culture.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

Many school advocate for "service learning", an educational concept defined as "an educational approach that combines meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities."  But, at Northwest Christian, the bones of this concept are restructured, repurposed, and retitled "Missions Learning".

So, pragmatically, what is the difference between service learning and Northwest Christian's "Missions Learning"?

Tomorrow, March 4, is one of the 2025/2026 school year's "High School Serve Days" - a day completely dedicated to Missions Learning.  As such, we thought it would be interesting to explore this question, as well as several others, with Tyler Collins, the high school teacher/leader that drives the program forward.

What is the difference between service learning and Missions Learning?  What happens when over 500 high schoolers set out to work within the community?  Where do they go and what do they do?  And, perhaps most importantly, is it having the desire impact in the lives of students?

Missions Learning is an aspect of Northwest Christian's Pursuing His Purpose game plan and strategy.  For more information, on Pursuing His Purpose, please follow this link to an explanatory PDF or visit this page within the school's website.

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!

As a director within Missions Door, Bob Lehman has a span of ministerial impact that is VERY impressive.  As the founding pastor of two unique church plants, his commitment to the community of the local church is BEYOND impressive.

But, what spurs incredulity is that he has the passion and drive to maintain both.

Where was that passion born?  At what point did he realize that God's call on his life would be so vast and encompassing?  What steps did he take and what spiritual disciplines does he maintain so that he remains attentive to God's lead as he leads?  These questions are what drive an extremely insightful Kingdom Culture Conversation with a man that many call a "pastor's pastor".

For more information on Missions Door, please follow this link.

To discover more about Bob's home church where he both leads and learns, please click here:  SonoranChapel.com

"Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/

To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email [email protected] or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.