Next Town Podcast

Bivocational ministry is not a lesser calling, and your workplace may be one of your greatest mission fields.

In this episode, Wayne Wyatt and Josh Youngblood, share their experiences of planting and pastoring churches while working outside the church. They discuss choosing the right career, caring for family, creating healthy rhythms, preventing burnout, and remaining flexible when life does not follow the schedule.

You will also hear how secular employment can provide financial stability, valuable leadership skills, and meaningful connections within the community. Your job is not separate from your calling. God may have placed you in the marketplace to connect you with the very people He has called you to reach.

You can be bivocational, fully devoted, and thriving.

Jason and Darlene McLaughlin, who lead recovery ministry efforts for North American Missions, join hosts Scott Armstrong and Darren Sistrunk for an honest conversation about healing from addiction and the "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" that touch every life. They share their own journeys: Jason's rock-bottom moment in a hotel room in Edmonton and Darlene's path through addiction and a childhood confession booth encounter that led her back to God.

They will unpack what it takes to build a healthy recovery ministry: treating it as an ongoing ministry rather than a curriculum, the strategic roots of the 12 Steps, and why vulnerability (reframed as courage and faith) matters for leaders and congregants alike.

It's a raw, hope-filled episode about what it means to move beyond sobriety into real recovery, and an invitation for churches to become places where people can be healed and whole.

Learn more at northamericamissions.faith or recoveryministries.faith.

What does it actually look like to empower a team and not just delegate tasks? Hosts Daniel Bernard and Joumeel McLaurine sit down with Pastor Josh Carson of Calvary Tabernacle in Indianapolis for an honest conversation about leading with trust, killing artificial harmony, and building systems that scale. 

Pastor Carson shares why he leaves the room on big decisions, how his core values were written by his team rather than pulled from a book, and why he plans his preaching calendar a year out. Practical, tangible, and useful at any size: including seventy-five.

For many people in rural America, finding an Apostolic church can mean driving hours to find truth. In this special Next Town Podcast episode, Mark Brown shares his burden to reduce the distance it takes for people to encounter the gospel.

Called to South Dakota as a Bible college graduate, Mark recounts the challenges of isolation, bi-vocational ministry, slow growth, and seven years of labor before seeing his first breakthrough. Through perseverance, prayer, and unwavering faith, that first church plant has grown into a thriving network of churches. Along the way, God opened doors for miraculous, debt-free church buildings and continued church planting across the region. New leaders are being developed, equipped, and launched into ministry.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that God often does His greatest work in overlooked places through leaders who are willing to simply say "yes."

In this episode, host Joumeel McLaurine sits down with experienced church planters Nathaniel Burmeister, Travis Worthington, and Devin Akers for an honest conversation about church planting and technology.

From AI and social media to systems, communication, and digital outreach, this discussion explores how modern tools can support the mission of reaching people and planting healthy Apostolic churches.

The conversation is practical, thoughtful, and grounded in real ministry experience. The goal is to steward technology wisely while staying focused on people, purpose, and Pentecostal identity.

Whether you are planting a church, leading a ministry team, or simply trying to navigate the rapidly changing digital world, this episode offers insight, perspective, and a few laughs along the way.

What actually helps a church grow; and what quietly slows it down?

In this episode, Anthony Harper and Jay Jones get real about the systems, structure, and culture behind healthy growth. Not hype. Not guesswork. The kind of things that actually help a church move forward without burning people out or losing its mission.

They talk through:

• The difference between fast growth and healthy growth
• The hidden things that quietly stall momentum
• How the right systems make ministry smoother, not heavier
• Why culture matters more than most leaders think

If you’ve ever felt like things are growing but also getting harder, this conversation will hit home.

Rev. Art Wilson is the founding pastor of The International Church of Metro Detroit and a leader with a truly global ministry. In this episode, Pastor Wilson shares his journey of church planting, building a multicultural congregation, and how God opened unexpected doors, leading to ministry at the United Nations.

This conversation explores the burden to reach people from every nation and culture, the power of vision, and what becomes possible when the church steps beyond its walls. 

This episode, hosted by Scott Armstrong, Joumeel Mclaurine, and Devin Akers, will challenge you to think bigger and reach farther.

Drawing from the Book of Acts and real-life stories from Detroit to Washington, D.C., this episode reframes church planting as the work of the whole church, not just individuals. The panel explores biblical precedent, partnership models, and the dangers of isolation, while addressing common fears around control, recruitment, and trust.

Hosts Darron Sistrunk and Joumeel McLaurine sit down with Jerry West (Pastor of Freedom Church and Metro Missionary to Washington, D.C.), Tim Richmond (Metro Detroit District Superintendent and Metro Missionary), and Scott Sistrunk (Director of North American Missions) to discuss church planting partnerships. 

Join the conversation as Scott Sistrunk and Jerry West unpack the mission, vision, and impact of the Metro Missions program, clearing up misconceptions and sharing firsthand stories of transformation. From the earlier days of Metro missionaries in Detroit, to a more recent church plant in Washington, D.C.; this conversation highlights how missionaries can be sent and supported to metro areas by the whole church.

Scott Armstrong and Darron Sistrunk host this inspiring discussion on the needs, opportunities, and the future of ministry in North America’s metro cities.

Join hosts Kenneth Stewart and Devin Akers as they explore the realities of bi-vocational ministry with guests Nathaniel Burmeister and Travis Worthington. Hear inspiring stories of church planting, practical tips for balancing ministry, work, and family, and strategies to avoid burnout. Discover how boundaries, energy management, and passion can help pastors thrive while serving in multiple roles.