Shifting Culture

There are cracks in the foundation. We have assumed that church and discipleship should look a certain way to produce more numbers, but through the last several years, we’ve seen we may have missed the mark. In this episode, Daniel Im discusses discipleship in a post-modern world where truth is seen as subjective rather than objective. He proposes a discipleship framework that focuses on interested Christians and interested non-Christians rather than just reaching one group or the other. He encourages churches to empower all disciples to make disciples rather than relying only on formal church leadership. We talk equipping believers to gather, grow, give, and go together through community rather than just gathering for teaching. So join us as we dive into the opportunity we have for discipleship in a post-everything world.

Daniel Im is a pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. He is the lead pastor of Beulah Alliance Church and the author of No Silver Bullets, Planning Missional Churches, and You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta with his wife Christina and their three children. For more information, visit danielim.com and connect with him on social media @danielsangi. Daniel's newest book is The Discipleship Opportunity.

Daniel's Book:
The Discipleship Opportunity

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You know what it’s like. There is a stirring inside. A whisper that tells you which direction to head in. I’ve heard it. I’ve followed it and amazing things have happened. Someone else that has trusted the whisper is Kathy Izard. In this conversation, we focus on listening to and trusting God's whispers to follow one's life path and calling. Kathy shares her personal journey of hearing God's call to address homelessness in her community through founding a housing program. She discusses how communities can come together through a "housing first" approach to help the homeless population. Kathy emphasizes surrendering to God's plan and trusting that he will work through you, despite feelings of being unqualified or unexpected difficulties. So listen for your own whispers from God and have faith to follow where it leads. Join us as we learn to trust the whisper.

Kathy Izard is an award-winning author, a national speaker and retreat leader, and an advocate for housing and mental health services in Charlotte, North Carolina. She co-led the citywide effort to build Moore Place, Charlotte's first permanent, supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, and was instrumental in establishing HopeWay, Charlotte's first residential mental health treatment center. She wrote about her efforts in her memoir The Hundred Story Home, which received a 2017 Christopher Award for inspirational nonfiction.

Kathy's Book:
Trust the Whisper

Kathy's Recommendation:
The Amen Effect

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In this episode, Sarah E. Westfall shares about belonging, identity, and community. Sarah shares her personal journey of finding belonging through vulnerability and authentic connection rather than external performance. We discuss how to cultivate belonging through contemplative practices, empathy, humility, and asking open-ended questions. We also address the challenges of loneliness and isolation, and offer tips for overcoming feelings of not belonging through small acts of connection and relationship building within existing communities. So join us as we find a path to belonging.

Sarah E. Westfall is a writer, speaker, and host of the Human Together podcast. Her previous work includes serving as director of community for online writing groups and as a student development professional on college campuses. She is the author of The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate. Sarah lives in Indiana with her husband, Ben, and four sons.

Sarah's Book:
The Way of Belonging

Sarah's Recommendation:
How to Walk Into a Room by Emily P. Freeman
Listen to my episode with Emily about the book

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Uncertainty and destabilization comes at a moment’s notice. When faced with uncertain times, what do we turn to? W. David O. Taylor turned towards writing prayers in the form of collects when the world shut down March 15th, 2020. In this conversation, David explores various spiritual disciplines and practices for deepening one's prayer life and connection to God, especially during times of uncertainty. He shares how writing ancient-style prayers called "collects" brought him comfort during the pandemic, and discusses the importance of community, creativity, and ordering desires through prayer. Our conversation offers insights into cultivating spirituality through different artistic mediums, architectural spaces, and focusing on God's faithfulness rather than becoming overwhelmed by life's challenges. Join us as we discover prayer through the collect and root ourselves in our connection with God.

W. David O. Taylor is Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of several books, including "Prayers for the Pilgrimage" (IVP, 2024), "A Body of Praise" (Baker Academic, 2023), "Open and Unafraid" (Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins, 2020), and "Glimpses of the New Creation" (Eerdmans, 2019). He has also written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, Religion News Service, Theology Today, and Christianity Today, among others. An Anglican priest, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. In 2016 he produced a short film on the psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his children and artist wife, Phaedra, with whom he has produced three sets of illustrated prayer cards.

David's Book:
Prayers for the Pilgrimage

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Anxiety is rampant. It’s everywhere. Does the way we worship enhance our collective anxiety? In this episode, Michael Jordan and I have a conversation exploring how Christian worship practices can both help and hinder people experiencing anxiety and mental health struggles. Michael discusses the history of evangelical worship traditions and how they have sometimes relied on heightening anxiety to bring people to repentance. However, Jesus modeled a different approach of meeting and accepting people in the midst of their struggles. We talk how liturgy, music, and use of technology in worship can help people relate their inner experiences to God's bigger salvation story. Practical steps like talking to mental health professionals and auditing current practices to be more inclusive of those with anxiety are offered as suggestions. How can churches intentionally support mental health through worship in a way that looks more like Jesus' compassionate example? Join us as we explore the intersection of worship and anxiety. 

Rev. Dr. Michael Jordan (PhD, Drew University) is an ordained Wesleyan pastor with twenty years of ministry experience in From 2002-2009, he was the pastor of Exton Community Baptist Church in Exton, PA, and has also served on the pastoral staff of his current church, Houghton Wesleyan. Over the summer, he is the staff chaplain at Camp-of-the-Woods, a Christian camp in the Adirondack Mountains. 

Mike’s wife Jill is a mathematician who also teaches at Houghton; they live just off campus and together are raising their five children: Grace, Jack, Lucy, Gabriel, and Anne. In his spare time, Mike enjoys singing, crossword puzzles and distance running and is a rabid fan of Philadelphia professional and college sports.

Michael's Book:
Worship in an Age of Anxiety

Michael's Recommendation:
What Are Christians For? by Jake Meader
Women, Work & Calling by Joana Meyer

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There is a homelessness crisis in the United States. And yes, we have a conversation around the context of the U.S. currently, but there are a lot of helpful points that will help in different contexts around the world. In this episode, Robert Marbut provides helpful context about homelessness in the United States, discusses the underlying issues that often lead to homelessness like untreated mental illness and substance abuse. He emphasizes the importance of a holistic, trauma-informed approach that addresses these root causes through treatment and not just giving out housing vouchers. Collaboration between different organizations like churches, non-profits, and the government was highlighted as key. Practical steps communities can take include prevention programs, transitional housing with wraparound services, and bringing all stakeholders together with a shared vision of helping people recover and rejoin the community. So join us as we tackle the homelessness crisis.

Dr. Robert G. Marbut Jr. has worked on issues of homelessness for more than three decades, including being the Founding President and CEO of Haven for Hope and serving as the White House’s “Federal Homelessness Czar.” Dr. Marbut has consulted on issues of homelessness with more communities and organizations than anyone else in the United States and has also worked in three different US Presidential Administrations. He is an Executive Producer of both the No Address movie, starring Ashanti, Billy Baldwin, Xander Berkeley, and Beverly D’Angelo, as well as the Americans with No Address documentary. 

Dr. Marbut currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute.

Where you can find information about all the No Address initiatives:
No Address

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We live in turbulent times. I know we have all felt the shaking in the past many years. Division, Death, Disconnection wreak havoc. There are ways that we cope that don’t bring life and joy only more sorrow and pain. But there are ways that make us more fully alive. There are practices that enable a life of flourishing and may just save our civilization. And that’s what Elizabeth Oldfield does in the conversation. She talks about the importance of relationships and connection in living a fully alive life. We walk through how early life experiences led her to question what a good life entails, and she came to see relationships as central. She talks about challenges like consumerism that discourage connection, and practices like community living that can help cultivate generosity and care for others. We share that listening across differences and protecting vulnerable groups are keys to building a more just and compassionate society. So join us as we discover ways that make us more fully alive.

ELIZABETH OLDFIELD hosts The Sacred podcast and is the former director and now senior fellow of the think tank Theos. She appears across the media, including BBC Radio and television, UnHerd, the Financial Times, and beyond. Oldfield is also a contributing editor at Comment magazine, chair of Larger Us, and a coach and consultant working with purpose-driven individuals and organizations. She lives in an intentional community in South London with her husband and children. Her book FULLY ALIVE: TENDING TO THE SOUL IN TURBULENT TIMES is out now.

Elizabeth's Book:
Fully Alive

Elizabeth's Recommendations:
Black Ops
The Origins of Totalitarianism

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In this episode, Brenda Salter McNeil discusses the long-term work required for Christians to repair broken systems and heal communities. Brenda shares about her journey into racial reconciliation work and how she came to see reconciliation and reparations as two sides of the same coin. We talk about the importance of listening to understand issues of those most affected, getting proximate to communities through relationships, and organizing diverse coalitions to identify shared concerns rather than coming with outside solutions. Brenda emphasizes staying committed to this work through practices like lament as well as self-care to prevent burnout. Our hope is for the church to reimagine what it means to follow Jesus by embodying his call to justice, flourishing for all people, and representing the kingdom vision of every tribe and nation together as God's people on earth. Join us as we discover how to repair broken systems and mend communities.

Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil is a dynamic speaker, teacher, author and reconciliation leader! She is a trailblazer, who is thoroughly loving and rigorously prophetic. Her mission is to inspire and empower emerging Christian leaders to be practitioners of reconciliation in their various spheres of influence. As an Associate Professor of Reconciliation Studies in the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Salter McNeil directs the Reconciliation Studies program that prepares students to engage the culture around them as Christian reconcilers. Brenda’s latest book is Empowered to Repair.

Brenda's Book:
Empowered to Repair

Brenda's Recommendation:
Prophetic Lament by Soong Chan Rah

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Grief catches us all. One of the things I’m learning about the culture that I’m from is that we don’t grieve well. We don’t know how to do it. In this conversation, Steve Carter shares about his experience grieving after leaving his job at Willow Creek Community Church. He talks about the process of grieving he went through, including dealing with unforgiveness, reorienting his identity, and learning to forgive. He discusses the importance of community and walking through grief with hope. He also shares about helping his son process what happened and the importance of holding space for others in their grief journey. So join us as we learn to grieve, breathe, and receive.

Steve Carter is the best selling author of The Thing Beneath The Thing, host of the Craft and Character podcast, a coach to communicators who are looking to find their unique voice or take their next step of growth in speaking and teaches regularly at churches, conferences, and various businesses around the country. His latest book Grieve, Breathe, Receive helps guide people on their unique grief journey. He is the former lead teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and currently serves as a teaching pastor at Forest City Church. He lives outside Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and two kids.

Steve's Book:
Grieve, Breathe, Receive

Steve's Recommendations:
The Hidden Peace
I Shouldn't Feel This Way

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I love to enter the woods find a path and walk with Jesus. It’s a place of life and connection for me. And I know it is for Lore as well. Lore Wilbert spent time reflecting on the forest floor for her latest book The Understory.  In this conversation, Lore and I talk about finding identity and community through change and loss.Laurie talks about learning from nature by observing decay and emergence on the forest floor, seeing death as part of life's cycle. In times of loss, Lore encourages us to feel emotions fully and trust that God is still at work, like nutrients from fallen trees nourishing new growth and that moving forward through change requires accepting the "new normal" and focusing on being present each day rather than clinging to the past. So join us as we find rootedness and resilience from the forest floor.

Lore Ferguson Wilbert is an award winning writer, thinker, learner, and author of the books, The Understory, A Curious Faith and Handle With Care. She has written for She Reads Truth, Christianity Today, and more, as well as her own site, lorewilbert.com. She has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and Leadership and loves to think and write about the intersection of human formation and the gritty stuff of earth. You can find Lore on Instagram @lorewilbert or on her kayak in the Adirondacks. She lives with her husband Nate in upstate New York and their pups, Harper and Rilke. She really has read all the books on her shelves.

Lore's Book:
The Understory

Lore's Recommendations:
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
We Were the Lucky Ones

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