One thing John Jay Wilson has witnessed during his years in proximity to both political and religious organizations is that ministry in both contexts is much the same - you work alongside people, all who have lives and hurts and joys of their own, and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to have an impact on some of their lives.

When Danette Ray presided over a funeral twenty years ago, she had no idea it would leave to a church plant - and 1,000 more funerals. Today, Danette is on the forefront of a Kingdom movement on the streets of Philadelphia. 

Mike Jarrell of Crew Collective joins us for a discussion about what he has seen in pioneering new ways to live out the Kingdom and express faith in Christ with others.

What arose from our conversation was a practice that sparks transformation in people's lives: the practice of friendship. In our current epidemic of loneliness, this is a lifeline for those we lead.

Today, we welcomed back featured leader and fellow Next Waver Eric Hoke for a brilliant conversation around pastoral transitions, co-vocational life, and spiritual+emotional maturity.

Central to this conversation is Eric's experience in helping pastors transition into the marketplace through his work with I Help Pastors Get Jobs, which he founded and currently leads. Over his tenure as a youth pastor, executive pastor, lead pastor, marketplace professional, and entrepreneur, Eric has learned a thing or two about how people are wired - which has led him to develop a framework for understanding what kind of work people are wired for.

Many of us find ourselves in one of two camps with regard to today's housing crisis: the "housing first" camp, which believes that if housing can just be provided, the greatest hurdle is behind us; the other camp claims that if we can address the issues causing homelessness first, then homelessness will resolve itself.

Myron Bernard presented to us a third way: Community First. Myron is the Senior Director of Community Engagement with the Tacoma Rescue Mission. A large part of his role is addressing the current crisis in Tacoma, and in this episode we learn a great deal more about addressing the plight of the unhoused across the globe.

Mark is exceptional at many things, three of which are evident in this conversation: being generous, writing books, and giving credit to others. He talks a lot about those things in this meetup, and you'll find yourself taking furious notes as Mark shares so many beautiful gold nuggets of wisdom with us. 

Joined by Alan Hirsch, the Next Wave Community explores the future of the Church.

When is it time to transition? And other learnings from Eric Hoke

People are increasingly lonely. Church doesn't have to be.