Ministry Deep Dive

What role does the church play in our world today? Why do people think that they can have Jesus but not the church? It's like saying, "I don't want wet, but I want water." The two go together!

Our world is rootless-and we need to put down roots, fighting being gyrovagues, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and learning what it means to truly be in a community together.

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Is it wrong to be part of a church that is homogenous when the community around you is diverse? Are we so focused on growth that we have forgotten how to make disciples? Have we messed up God's mission? Listen in and find out!

Check out Scott's books and learn more about Wheaton Graduate School.

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Are we in the end times? We have so much going on around us to make our heads spin: political turmoil, fake news, gender dysphoria, rampant sexual immorality, unprecedented narcissism, wars, racism, economic upheaval, etc. Are we in the end times? Join Travis as he delves deep into Acts 2 to find out!

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Travis welcomes special guest, Jayson Georges, author of the 3D Gospel and Ministering in Honor-Shame cultures. He is the guru of Honor-Shame, creating the Honor-Shame network and a host of other resources to help you discern your culture and how you can minister in it. He is super passionate about reaching peoples from various backgrounds as well as about hospitality and Christians opening up their doors to others. Join Travis & Jayson as they talk about all things culture, honor-shame stuff, and what it means to be hospitable in our modern-day world. It was a pretty incredible conversation.

Check out Jayson's book, 3D Gospel, and his website on HonorShame. Along with several of his other books.

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So many people read the book of Acts and are not quite sure what to do with it. Travis takes us through Acts 2:1-13, showing us that God gives us a front-row seat to the birth of the church-a mosaic of people from all different backgrounds, united together by God's Spirit. When we see what God was doing in Acts 2:1-13, we see God's plan for the nations and that racism has no place in God's kingdom.

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Join Travis & Todd M. Johnson as they discuss the browning of Christianity in the world and how we can join God in what He is doing as the nations are shifting. Travis and Todd talk about Global Christianity, corruption in the church, the browning of our faith, the need for accountability, and how what God is doing in the world affects every single one of us, no matter where we are! Also, check out Todd's author page at Amazon and his work at the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. It's heavy stuff, but worth it! And, one cool note, out of all of the people Travis has conversed with, Todd has the most expensive book, and that is because of all of the research that fills it! Check it out here!

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The Hoover Dam, the Ascension, prayer, prophecies, apostles, and Jesus' ascending into the sky. They have a lot more in common than you might think!

What did Jesus say right before His ascension? And what does that mean for us? Join Travis as he explores what Jesus' words mean for us today, and how God desires us to learn, love, and live together as God's people until Jesus returns. There's a lot of stuff we don't know, that are mysteries of God, but there's so much more that we do know and that's what we need to act on. What does God have for you? How does He want you to participate in His kingdom? Listen in and find out how!

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Have you ever seen a living and breathing human that is the equivalent of Google? ESPN used to run a show called "Stump the Schwab." The Schwab was this guy who loved sports. So much so that he knew all of the stats throughout history on almost any sport. Todd Johnson is the Global Christian equivalent. If he were to have his own show, we might call it, "Trip up the Todd." He knows the stats and what is going on...everywhere...no joke. He wrote the book on it. Seriously. Check it out. He also has an idea of where we are headed.

How do you describe Todd? I could cite the Center of which he is the co-director, the incredible staff there, his degrees, books, where he teaches, all of the articles that he has written, but what you really need to know is-he really cares about what God is doing around the world. And not only does he care about what God is doing, but he has also dedicated his life to know what is going on around the world. Whenever we want to know about something, we google it to find an expert. Todd is the expert.

Join Travis as he talks with Dr. Todd M. Johnson about what God is doing in the world today and why that matters to us. They also talk about lutefisk (google that if you are curious -- and if you are daring, find a friend who makes it ;-), cross-country skiing, corruption in the church, and find out where God is moving as they discuss what God is doing around the world and what it has to do with us.

If you want to know more. Check out all of the action-packed info at the Center for the Study of Global Christianity.

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There are startups that change how we live-Ford, Apple, Google, Amazon, but one startup that we don't think about is one that began over 2,000 years ago-the church!

Let's go back and see what made the church start and why we need it. If Covid has taught us anything, we need one another. It is more than a social group and it was created for much more than get together's. It is for our spiritual health, based upon Jesus' resurrection. Listen in as Travis walks through Acts 1:1-5 and shows us the church at its very beginning. And then he reveals another startup that wants to work with God's startup to change the world. And be sure to listen in for a new opportunity coming up!

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Join Travis as he has a deep conversation with Keith Draper.

Rev. Keith Draper and his wife Barbara have served the Lord in the Chicagoland area for over 30 years now. He began his work in the far west suburbs of Chicago as a campus minister at Wheaton College and College of DuPage. Through his ongoing missionary work, he became involved in mentoring and coaching church planters across Chicagoland, leading to dozens of new congregations and engaging in missions with close to 50 people groups. Ultimately, he became the lead overseer for over 250 churches across Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties before taking early retirement from denominational work in 2013.  

He has continued to follow his missionary calling with great passion, developing a partnership model called 5 Acts of Kindness. This model brings churches together to address global urban needs while planning events for global urban leaders. His non-profit work in cities has helped bring investment to at-risk populations, outreach to people groups with little exposure to Christianity, organic mission extension from local to global settings, assessment and coaching to young ministers, and successful transition for churches in changing communities.  

In 2015, as the refugee crisis began heating up from conflicts across the globe, Keith sensed a calling to serve the broader body of Christ with World Relief to help local congregations stand with the vulnerable being resettled here. By addressing real needs with refugee populations and partnering with churches he has seen a growing movement of churches among diverse peoples. That work has now expanded to other immigrant communities with the same eye toward further Kingdom growth.  

Presently, he serves on the leadership team of World Relief as the Church & Volunteer Engagement Director, leading a team of 8 people in this work. He and his wife Barbara have 9 children and, in addition, have taken in 12 at-risk children over the past several years. They currently live in the East Washington Street Historic District of West Chicago. 

They talk about sushi, church planting, connections, steps of faith, the nations in our neighborhoods, and opening our hearts to what God has for us.

Learn more about World Relief.

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