Pivot Podcast

Many churches struggle with creating meaningful church community service initiatives that authentically connect with neighbors. In this episode, Nancy Dyson from St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Cloud, Minnesota shares how a simple cup of coffee led to "Laundry Love" - a thriving ministry serving 80-100 people monthly at a local laundromat. Nancy reveals how showing up consistently, listening deeply, and allowing ministry to emerge organically transformed both her congregation and their community relationships.

Discover a refreshing approach to church community service that prioritizes presence over programs and relationships over results. Nancy offers practical wisdom for congregations wanting to move beyond their walls: start with no agenda, embrace the "beautifully messy" nature of neighborhood engagement, and remain open to how the Holy Spirit might surprise you. Whether your church is large or small, rural or urban, this conversation offers inspiration and practical steps for connecting with neighbors in meaningful ways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Laundry Love: https://laundrylove.org/

For more about the four pivots churches need to make in the 21st century, visit https://faithlead.org/.

Subscribe to the Pivot Podcast for more conversations with church leaders experimenting with faithful innovation in a changing world.

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YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/s0E9M22sf5o

What if our instinct to manage and control church life is actually holding us back from authentic community building? In this episode of the Pivot Podcast, Steve Aisthorpe, author of "Rewilding the Church," shares how the ecological concept of rewilding offers fresh insights for church renewal. Drawing from his research on changing patterns of Christian community and his years of experience in ministry, Steve explains how letting go of over-management and embracing spiritual discernment can transform congregational life.

Through practical examples and compelling metaphors, Steve demonstrates how church community building can emerge organically when we focus less on fixing problems and more on discerning God's activity. He offers guidance for leaders wanting to shift from institutional problem-solving to spiritual listening, shares stories of churches embracing this approach, and discusses his current work establishing a retreat center on an ancient Celtic Christian site in Scotland. This conversation provides both inspiration and practical steps for leaders ready to embrace a more natural, Spirit-led approach to church development.

Resources Mentioned:

• “Rewilding the Church” by Steve Aisthorpe
• “The Invisible Church” by Steve Aisthorpe
• “Images of Church in the New Testament” by Paul Minear
• Kilmalieu Retreat Center

Is your church struggling to connect with neighbors beyond your walls? In this episode, Rev. Canon Dave Male, Co-Director of Vision and Strategy for the Church of England, shares how churches can move from program-driven outreach to relationship-based ministry. Through his extensive work with fresh expressions of church, Dave reveals why some of the most effective new forms of ministry are also the simplest – often starting with nothing more than a meal and conversation. Learn how one burned-out church planter discovered a simpler, more sustainable approach that grew to 30 groups in three years.

Dave offers practical insights on empowering lay leaders, balancing traditional and innovative approaches, and starting new gatherings that cost virtually nothing. He shares specific examples of churches successfully reaching their neighbors through simple, reproducible methods, and provides two key questions every church can use to discern their next steps. Plus, discover why the future of neighborhood ministry might look more like a dinner table than a church program.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• FREE Webinar: "Beyond the Walls: Simple Pathways to Meeting Neighbors with the Gospel" with Dave Male on February 25th
• How to Start New Christian Communities content upgrade
• Book: "How to Pioneer (Even if You Haven’t a Clue)" by Dave Male
• Book: "Accelerate" by John Kotter

Watch this episode on YouTube.

What if everything you think you know about how to evangelize is about to change? In this provocative episode, Dr. Harvey Kwiyani, a Malawian missiologist and director of the Center for Global Witness and Human Migration, shares how African Christians are successfully reaching secular Western societies in ways that traditional Western churches haven't. Drawing from his experience across Africa, Europe, and North America, Dr. Kwiyani reveals why young people in the UK now associate Christianity more with African and Asian believers than with traditional Western churches, and how African approaches to prayer and spiritual transformation are bringing new life to Western Christianity.

From his childhood village where David Livingstone established the first British mission station in Central Africa, to his current work helping release the missional potential of African Christians in the West, Dr. Kwiyani offers fresh insights into what evangelism can look like in a post-colonial world. He challenges us to move beyond outdated patterns of mission while sharing inspiring stories of how African churches are growing rapidly in the midst of secular society. For clergy uncomfortable with evangelism's colonial past but sensing there must be a better way forward, this conversation offers hope and practical wisdom for the future of the church.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• “Decolonizing Mission” by Harvey Kwiyani. Pre-order now.
• Church Mission Society
• Centre for Global Witness and Human Migration

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Most preachers spend hours on sermon preparation - studying scripture, crafting illustrations, and polishing delivery. But research shows there's a crucial step that's often missing: creating intentional spaces to hear what our congregations are actually receiving from our preaching. In this episode, Dr. Dee Stokes and Rev. Dr. Adam White share insights from their groundbreaking "And How Will They Hear?" initiative at Luther Seminary, revealing how systematic listening transforms both preaching and congregational engagement.

Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they've discovered that the most compelling sermons aren't necessarily the most polished - they're the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon's impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God's agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.

Resources Mentioned:

• “Sermon-Proof” blog post by Walter Brueggemann: https://churchanew.org/brueggemann/sermon-proof

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/K06Vk2ykOMM.

What does it truly mean to be a missional church in post-Christian America? Bryan Halferty, lead pastor of Anchor Church in Tacoma, Washington, discovered that it starts with a fundamental shift - from trying to fix problems to listening for where God is already at work. Through his unlikely combination of skateboarding and church planting, Bryan shares how embracing "failing forward" opened new paths for mission in one of America's most secular regions. From their innovative approach of being both "harbor" and "base" to their commitment to integrate justice and mercy into every ministry area, Anchor Church offers fresh insights for church leaders seeking to join God's mission in their communities.

In this episode, Bryan unpacks how Anchor grew from a single church plant to three distinct congregations in six years, each contextualized to its neighborhood while maintaining unity in mission. He explains why they recently paused church planting to deepen their missional impact, and shares practical strategies for weaving justice and mercy into church DNA. Whether you're planting a church, revitalizing a congregation, or seeking fresh vision for ministry, this conversation offers both encouragement and practical wisdom for moving from "fixing mode" to Spirit-led mission.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Anchor Church: https://anchortacoma.org/central
• Bryan’s website: https://www.bryanhalferty.com/ 
• Bryan's book, Terrible Beauty.
• Video: What learning looks like (clean): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QSocgE3yFY 

As we approach both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day 2025, many church leaders are wrestling with how to offer hope while addressing the deep divisions in our communities. In this timely conversation, Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson, Senior Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church and author of "Holding Up Your Corner," returns to the Pivot Podcast to explore how Dr. King's vision of beloved community can shape our path forward through these challenging times.

Drawing on both pastoral experience and scholarly insight, Dr. Johnson offers practical wisdom for maintaining prophetic witness while avoiding partisan entanglement, creating brave spaces for difficult conversations, and connecting personal spiritual formation with social transformation. Rather than seeking quick fixes, he challenges church leaders to ground their justice work in deep spiritual practices and to reclaim the radical hospitality modeled in their own faith traditions. This episode provides essential guidance for leaders seeking to foster healing and courage in an anxious time.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• “Holding Up Your Corner” by F. Willis Johnson
• Letter from Birmingham Jail
• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Watch the video version on YouTube at https://youtu.be/9v2Oan-Xids.

Struggling with how to write a sermon that connects with your congregation while maintaining your own spiritual well-being? Rev. Dr. Lisa Cressman, founder of Backstory Preaching, reveals a transformative approach that moves beyond traditional sermon preparation methods. From her middle-of-the-night divine inspiration that launched Backstory Preaching to serving preachers worldwide, Lisa shares how combining spiritual direction with preaching craft can revolutionize your sermon writing process.

Learn practical steps for how to write a sermon that flows from your own spiritual formation, bringing authenticity and depth to your preaching. Lisa explains why "preaching is your life; your life is preaching" and offers insights for creating sermons that resonate with real-life experiences. Whether you're an experienced preacher or just learning how to write your first sermon, this conversation provides fresh perspectives on crafting messages that transform both preacher and congregation.

Learn more about Lisa and her work at backstorypreaching.com

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJruG-5Dj5Y

The landscape of ministry education is undergoing dramatic change. Traditional seminary enrollment is declining, fewer churches can afford full-time pastors, and leaders are questioning how to adapt. But in this insightful conversation with Luther Seminary President the Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke, we discover how these challenges are opening up exciting new possibilities for forming Christian leaders. From reaching 8 million people through digital platforms to reimagining formation through communities of practice, Dr. Steinke shares how theological education is evolving to meet the needs of today's church.

Using vivid metaphors like "water skiing and scuba diving," Dr. Steinke explores how ministry education can serve both those who need an introduction to faith and those diving deep into theological study. She challenges us to move beyond quick fixes to listen deeply for where God is leading, while sharing concrete examples of how Luther Seminary is embracing both traditional and innovative approaches to forming leaders for Christian communities. This conversation offers hope and practical insights for anyone interested in the future of ministry education and leadership formation.

Resources Mentioned:

• A History of Luther Seminary: 1869 to 2019 by Mark Granquist (Fortress Press, 2019)
• https://faithlead.org/
• https://www.workingpreacher.org/
• https://enterthebible.org/
• https://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/

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YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/ZB4_gHVciX4.

"Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down!"

This cry from Isaiah 64 expresses humanity's deep longing for hope. In this special Advent reflection, Professor Rolf Jacobson of Luther Seminary takes us on an unexpected journey from an 18th-century Hasidic tale to the prophet Isaiah's fierce prayer, revealing how true hope comes not from our own efforts, but from God's faithful promises.

Through engaging storytelling and biblical insight, Rolf shows us that hope isn't about what we deserve or create within ourselves—it's about recognizing God's Spirit already at work in our neighborhoods, bringing about God's preferred future. His message offers a fresh perspective on Advent hope that speaks directly to our current moment.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Vo5BNwFUqJc.