Brian Stiller. The man who has arguable accomplished a lot in his lifetime, yet remains so rooted in his relationship with God, friends and family, and pursues great depth in global partnerships. In this 2 hour episode, we explore two different parts - the first hour is all about Brian's life, leadership, and faith, and the second hour we dive into global partnerships and his organizational experience. There's a lot to chew on here!

This episode is in conjunction with Hope Story. Check out hopestory.ca

This episode is a collide of this podcast (a side hobby of mine) with my professional life (working at Hope Story). Meet Tim Brown, the Execute Director of Hope Story. In this episode we talk about his journey to becoming the ED of Hope Story, but more specifically, his journey of being called to serve the poor in some capacity. We also discuss staff culture, how opportunities are at the edge of chaos, the importance of partnerships, and who Hope Story even is as an organization. Plus we do a rapid question series where Tim shares some great stories! 

If you want to learn more about Hope Story, check out hopestory.ca

(And if you take up our invitation to have coffee with us, you can also contact us via the website or my social media)

Meet four friends who all share a love of poetry! On this episode, we talk about writing poetry, what inspires the writing, how it impacts their faith, the significance the practice of writing and sharing poetry has in building community, and so much more. We end off the episode giving you a chance to be a fly on the wall in a poetry club meeting. 

Enjoy!

On this episode, I chat with John Schuurman who shares about how he has come to learn and know about our city (Hamilton, ON), what that means for how he follows Jesus, and what it's like participating in stories of redemption that take a long time. 

Nine years ago, Phil and Merilee moved their family to Chad to work with MAF. Rather than only staying for a few years, or leaving when things got incredibly challenging, they have intentionally chosen to stay - and in the staying, they've experienced the transformation that comes with "long obedience in the same direction". In this episode, you'll hear the backstory of how they got to the point of saying "yes" to going to Chad, what has kept them going in the hard circumstances, how staying has impacted their faith, and what they're excited about for the next season. It's a profoundly rich conversation!

Note: there are some funky audio issues (not sure what happened), but use your mental strength to focus more on what they're sharing than the static :) I know, not ideal, but we're working with what we got.

This episode is all about leadership - different styles of leadership, as well as approaching leadership in a variety of cultural contexts. Gabi is wise, thoughtful, and a Barnabas leader (as she calls herself). Tune in to glean from all that Gabi shares! 

Romel came to Canada with his family two years ago as refugees. His story is one you don't want to miss as he talks about what life was like in Syria, the process of coming to Canada, and what the last two years has been like adjusting. 

The irony is not lost on us that we're talking about obscurity on a podcast, but it's a topic Matt has done lots of digging into, and I thought it was worthwhile to have him share more.

We talk about the invitation into obscurity, the backwardness of it in todays culture, the inner transformation that comes from being hidden, the courage it takes to actually enter into this, the importance of checking our motivations, and he also shares a plethora of Biblical examples to back up his thinking (well, they actually are the forefront of his thinking).

As with all episodes, may you feel inspired, encouraged, and/or challenged to life a more courageous life.

Welcome to 2022 - let's talk about prejudice!

I'm thrilled Moses was willing to sit down with me to chat - I'm convinced he was the right man for this conversation. He has a breadth of experience, but more than that, he's thoughtful, seeks wisdom, and is actively engaged in the work of truth-telling. He collides past events with present realities and future hopes to paint an incredible picture of the importance of confronting the prejudice within our own hearts and at a societal level.

We have this conversation in a local coffee shop, so you'll definitely hear some background noises - but just imagine you're sitting there with us. (And if you're in London, be sure to check out Asmara Coffee House).

Josh Black is BACK! To end of the 2021 year, we're finish off with 3 friends chatting about fun things that are important to us. We talk all about the importance of hobbies, rest, and so many other things...hence "and other things". Maybe this episode will inspire a new hobby to try out next year.