With Easter just around the corner, Ecclesia Podcast host Bob Hyatt and Jim the Intern talk about the unique pressures of pastoring during the different holiday seasons. 

We're also joined by special guest Adam Wood.

Adam Wood is the Lead Pastor of The Neighborhood Church in Garland, TX - a church that is following Jesus together and hoping to live up to its name. Adam also serves as the Director of an ecumenical Christian Community Center in this same socially and ethnically diverse neighborhood. Born and raised in the Dallas area, Adam is passionate about the Dallas Mavericks, his wife, and two daughters (but not in that order).

A special episode to kick off Season 3!

Our new Podcast Intern/Co-host Jim Pace joins us as we talk about

And...

There's also a plug for our online Church Pnating Cohort- Genesis. You can find more at HTTP://ecclesianet.org/genesis2021

What's going to change for churches and leaders in this next season? 

We talked to Shaar.work creator Matt Lombardi.

Matt Lombardi has spent over a decade serving the local church is a variety of roles. He is the founder of Shaar, a new platform that allows churches to connect with freelance ministry talent. His passion is to help churches and ministry organizations work smarter. Matt currently lives in central Washington with his wife, Courtney, and their two children. Matt holds a BA in Religious Studies from Florida State University and a MA in Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Audio- 

Chasing the City

Atlantic Man

The Heist - 

Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Kris Beckert is a scientist turned pastor. She currently serves as the pastor of innovation and multiplication at Salem Fields Community Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Kris is ordained in the Church of the Nazarene and has an MDiv from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. Besides making disciples and creating a vision of a church that's real and relevant, she also works with Fresh Expressions US and runs everything from 5Ks to ultramarathons.

Audio Licenses

The heist - Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Chasing The City - Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sweet taste of you - Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Isolation - Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com

License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Todd Hiestand is one of the Godfathers of the Ecclesia Network. He was the pastor of Ecclesia Church The Well, outside of Philadelphia for 14 years before handing it off and moving to Portland, OR- Well, technically, Clackamas, OR. He and his wife Melanie parent four boys, six goats, three dogs, two chickens (update: the chickens have been eaten by coyotes) and he serves as an elder and on the teaching team at Theophilus Church in Portland. Todd currently helps nonprofits navigate storytelling, fundraising and technology at 343 Consulting.

We talk about the origins of the Ecclesia Network, Todd’s church planting journey, the difficulties of bi-vocational ministry, the impact of stepping away and life after pastoring.

Without a doubt, one of the best conversations we've had on the podcast!

Shane Blackshear is the host of the popular and influential podcast, Seminary Dropout.

He's also on the pastoral team at Austin Mustard Seed, as well as being a former church planter. 

We talk to him about Austin, podcasting and his best and worst guests! Join us!

Shane's Website: http//shaneblackshear.com

Shane will ALSO be doing a FREE Missio Alliance webinar for those interested in starting their own!

Robbie and Kristal Poff together lead worship at Ecclesia church NLCF at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. Kristal has been a part of the NLCF equipping team since 2008, and Robbie since 2011.

Together, they not only lead worship, but help guide the church as a whole, teach and disciple others, and do their best to put up with Jim Pace,.

I got a chance to talk to them recently about ministry to millennials and Gen Z, how worship has changed over the past decade or so, and so much more. We even get into the "Sloppy Wet Kiss Controversy"! 

I hope you enjoy this.

Dave Fitch spoke at the Ecclesia National Gathering in 2014- here he is speaking about moving beyond hierarchies in "Beyond Egalitarianism."

Doug Moister serves as the lead pastor at the Renew Community, in Lansdale PA. He leads the Elder team, the House Church Shepherds, casts vision, shepherds people, and cultivates a culture of kingdom risks. Besides his pastoral and preaching duties with Renew, Doug considers himself a life long learner and a church history nerd. He’s a coach in the community, and an enthusiastic fly fisherman.Doug is finishing up his Doctoral program at Portland Seminary, and doing his doctoral thesis on Zombies- how could we not talk about that???