The Hacka Podcast

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What happens when your season changes and ministry looks different than you expected?

Jessica DiGiovanni joins me on The Hacka Podcast for an encouraging conversation about Apostolic worship, music ministry, surrender, and trusting God through changing seasons. A singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and former Indiana Bible College instructor, Jessica shares lessons from developing worship leaders, leading congregations in worship, and navigating motherhood with four children.

We talk about letting go of what holds us back, overcoming the pressure to be perfect, and using our gifts to develop others. Jessica also shares how stepping away from teaching opened unexpected opportunities to continue serving God while raising her family.

How can churches use social media to reach more people, grow their online presence, and turn digital engagement into real-world ministry?

In this episode, we are joined by Madison Anderson, Creative Director at Calvary Tabernacle and Indiana Bible College in Indianapolis, to discuss church social media strategy, digital evangelism, creative leadership, and the importance of consistency in growing an online audience.

Over the last five years, Madison has helped transform Calvary Tabernacle's digital presence, growing its Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts to more than 100,000 followers each.

But the secret to that growth isn't necessarily viral videos or following the latest trends. It's having a clear strategy, understanding your audience, and consistently sharing content that connects with people.

Madison shares how Calvary went from having no Instagram presence to reaching thousands of people every week, why social media has become one of their most effective evangelism tools, and how churches of any size can improve their digital outreach.

We also discuss the challenges of building and leading creative teams, giving constructive feedback, creating content that reaches people outside Apostolic circles, and knowing when viral content might actually hurt your ministry.

Finally, Madison shares about her transition into a new leadership role as Director of Strategy and Integration and offers encouragement to those who feel called to serve God through creativity and technology.

Extended show notes

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Connect with Calvary Tabernacle: https://calvarytabindy.com/

Learn more about Indiana Bible College: https://www.indianabible.college/

Calvary career opportunities: https://calvarytabindy.com/careers

Subscribe to The Hacka Podcast for conversations on Apostolic Pentecostal ministry, church leadership, theology, and personal growth.

Can a miracle be genuine while the doctrine behind the ministry is wrong?In this clip, Bishop Ric Gonzalez discusses the importance of spiritual discernment, miracles, signs and wonders, and biblical truth. He explains why Christians must be careful not to assume that every supernatural experience or apparent move of God automatically validates the person or ministry through which it occurs.Drawing from Matthew 7, Bro Gonzalez reminds us that miracles alone do not save people. While God honours His Word, the gifts of the Spirit must always point people toward Jesus Christ and a genuine relationship with Him.We also explore the danger of connecting miraculous experiences to false doctrine, the importance of discerning what is truly from the Holy Spirit, and why the foundation of biblical truth matters more than the supernatural experience itself.

What does “the Word became flesh” in John 1:14 actually mean? In this clip, Dr Talmadge French examines John 1:1, John 1:14, the Oneness of God, the identity of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and the incarnation to explain why he believes Jesus is the one God revealed in human form.Dr French begins with the Old Testament declaration that God is one and asks an important question: If God was ultimately going to be revealed as three persons, why is that distinction not clearly presented in the Old Testament?From there, he turns to the Gospel of John. He discusses the meaning of the “Word” in John 1 and explains why he understands “the Word became flesh” not as a second divine person becoming human, but as God Himself taking humanity upon Himself.Dr French also discusses John 5:18, Hebrews 2:14 and the biblical meaning of the incarnation.

What does excellence in church production actually look like? Is it about better sound, better cameras, better lighting and more expensive gear, or is there something deeper behind great church production?

In this episode, I sit down with Vito Di Giovanni of DiGiovanni Technologies and Benjamin Cashen of Cashen Creative for a conversation about church production, worship ministry, leadership, sound, video, media teams, mentorship and pursuing excellence in ministry.

Vito and Ben have worked in production environments ranging from local churches to major conferences and arenas. But when we start talking about excellence, the conversation quickly moves beyond equipment.

We discuss the difference between excellence and perfectionism, why production leaders need to develop people instead of simply filling positions, and how creating a culture of mentorship can strengthen your team and prevent everything from depending on one person.

Vito and Ben also explain why your sound engineers, camera operators, lighting teams, ProPresenter operators and media volunteers shouldn't think of themselves simply as technicians—they are part of the worship team.

One of the biggest ideas from this conversation is simple: before production is about technology, it is about people, worship and ministry.

Extended show notes - https://hacka.org/2026/10/05/234-vito-digiovanni-benjamin-cashen/

What does it take to stay faithful in ministry for decades, and continue reaching new people in a rapidly changing world?

In this episode, we are joined by Kent Elliott, pastor of Faith Tabernacle in Manchester, Connecticut, and founder of FaithWorks. Kent has served at the same church for 34 years, including 26 years as senior pastor, and shares lessons from decades of Apostolic ministry, church growth, leadership, evangelism and perseverance.

We talk about Kent’s calling to ministry at 16, the importance of staying when ministry gets difficult, the disciplines that have sustained him, and the remarkable growth Faith Tabernacle has experienced in recent years.

Kent also shares practical advice for pastors leading churches that feel stuck or stagnant. We discuss creating a church culture that genuinely expects guests, preparing for growth before it happens, involving new believers and understanding the pastor’s role in shaping church culture.

Finally, we dive into digital evangelism and the story behind FaithWorks and Faith Funnels. Kent explains how churches can use digital marketing, social media advertising and intentional follow-up to reach people they might never encounter through traditional outreach.

Kent’s challenge is simple: the message never changes, but methods do.

Extended show notes -

Dr. Talmadge French joins The Hacka Podcast for an in-depth conversation about Oneness Pentecostal theology, the identity of Jesus Christ, biblical Greek, church history, Jesus Name baptism, and the worldwide growth of the Apostolic movement.

Dr. French is an Apostolic pastor, author, biblical languages scholar, and theologian who has spent decades studying Greek, Hebrew, New Testament theology, and the history of Oneness Pentecostalism. But his story began in Trinitarian Pentecostalism.

In this episode, he shares the journey that eventually convinced him to be baptized in the name of Jesus—and why his years of academic study have only strengthened his Apostolic convictions.We discuss what Dr. French believes is the strongest biblical case for the Oneness of God, how he understands John 1:1, what Greek can reveal that English translations sometimes obscure, and his perspective on the historical development of Trinitarian theology.

Dr. French also shares fascinating findings from decades of researching the global Oneness movement. His original research identified hundreds of Jesus Name organizations and an estimated 15–20 million believers. Today, his ongoing research estimates that number could be around 40 million worldwide.

We also discuss the need for greater unity among Oneness Pentecostals and hear the remarkable story of a Tibetan monk who embraced Acts 2:38 and went on to baptize thousands.

Whether you're an Apostolic Pentecostal, pastor, Bible student, ministry leader, or simply interested in the biblical and historical discussion surrounding the Oneness of God and the Trinity, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Extended show notes - https://hacka.org/2026/09/10/232-dr-talmadge-french-from-trinitarian-preacher-to-oneness-scholar/

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Oneness Teaching Session: Oregon District - https://youtu.be/ghAhnJgpuXY?si=Ruq2pSA7yFAoLXFx

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Books - https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/french-talmadge/

How do you raise kids who actually love God, love church, and develop a faith of their own?In this clip from The Hacka Podcast, Dr Tom Trimble shares practical Christian parenting advice from his experience raising three children while serving in ministry. We talk about raising Christian kids, balancing ministry and family, making church enjoyable, putting phones away, creating meaningful family memories, and teaching children how to hear the voice of God for themselves.Rather than simply creating rules for his children, Dr Trimble wanted to help them develop spiritual discernment and learn to listen to the Holy Ghost as they navigated life.📖 Dr Trimble is the pastor of Restoration Church in St. Charles, Missouri, and author of Digital Dominion.

What do you do when God says “no” to your prayer? In this clip from The Hacka Podcast, Ryan Neer shares powerful biblical wisdom about answered prayer, discerning the will of God, God’s timing, spiritual growth, ministry calling, and learning to trust God when the answer isn’t what you expected.

Ryan explains that God answers prayer with yes, no, or not right now—and sometimes the “no” you receive today is simply an “underdeveloped now.” How we respond when God closes a door can determine whether we’re prepared when He eventually opens it.

We also explore why Christians can remain stuck in seasons God has already ended, the difference between correction and rejection, and what Joseph’s story teaches us about spiritual gifts. Joseph had the gift early, but God had to mature how he used it. Our gifts aren't given for our own validation or elevation—they're given so we can serve and bless others.

If you’re praying for direction, waiting on God, navigating a closed door, or trying to understand His will for your life, this conversation with Ryan Neer will encourage you to trust the process.

In this powerful clip , Bishop Ric Gonzalez shares his remarkable testimony of growing up in gangs, dealing drugs, and having two contracts on his life before a single church service changed everything.Bro Gonzalez recounts the moment he walked into an Apostolic church, responded to God's presence, received the Holy Spirit, and discovered that Jesus had a completely different plan for his life. He also shares the unforgettable prayer that marked the beginning of his journey:"If You'll give me one shot, I'll serve You."This is a testimony of God's mercy, transforming power, and the life-changing reality of a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ.