Today's Conversation

In Today’s Conversation hosted by NAE President Walter Kim, Lanre describes how the life and ministry of Christ offers a foundation for humanitarian work and helps sustain energy and vision in the most difficult places.

Walter and Lanre also discuss:

• What considerations aid organizations make when going into conflict zones;
• How humanitarian groups practically collaborate in moments of crisis;
• What particular challenges arise when providing aid in places with political strife; and
• How Christians can be praying for people affected by crises around the world.

In Today’s Conversation hosted by NAE President Walter Kim, Ryan Burge, assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, shares his research on the rise and fall of institutions in America. Together they also explore what leaders can do to usher in institutional renewal, particularly through faithful Christian presence and serving the least of these.

Walter & Ryan also discuss:

• When institutional mistrust and cynicism began to take root;
• How humility, transparency and communication combat cynical attitudes;
• What guidance the Bible offers in this moment; and
• How churches and other institutions can labor toward renewal.

In this episode of Today’s Conversation, D.A. Horton, theologian, professor, pastor, author and hip hop artist, discusses the topics of culture making and ethnic conciliation — the idea that Jesus’ finished work has not only reconciled us to God but also from all ethnicities into one family.

Host Walter Kim, NAE President, and Damon also discuss: 

• Balancing individual rights and a collectivist perspective as the Church;
• Embodying ethnic conciliation through rhythms of evangelicalism and discipleship;
• How to affirm truths found in culture without compromising the message of Christ; and
• How local churches take, reflect and examine their own culture. 

After a 30 year career in business consulting, Ted now leads Renovaré as its president. In Today’s Conversation, he talks with Walter Kim, NAE president, about spiritual formation and how to be people who are truly transformed by God. They discuss what it means to develop the mindset of Christ.

Ted also shares:

• How to cultivate an authentic approach to spiritual disciplines without falling into legalism;
• Why creating more space for “depth” in churches is an antidote to society’s frenetic pace;
• What role community plays in spiritual disciplines and formation; and
• What lessons he’s learning through life and leadership.

In Today’s Conversation, Felicia Wu Song, a cultural sociologist of media and digital technologies, talks with NAE President Walter Kim to answer this question and discuss technological impacts on the human experience.

They also review:

• The potential of technology to isolate us from genuine human connection;
• How digital connectivity is not just a challenge for younger generations;
• How our digital habits are discipling us away from the kingdom of God; and
• The importance of setting boundaries when it comes to technology.

Visit this episode’s website NAE.org/wusongpodcast

In Today’s Conversation with NAE President Walter Kim, Heather Rice-Minus, incoming president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, shares stories of transformed lives inside and outside prison walls, and discusses the importance of efforts to redeem broken systems.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Chuck Colson started Prison Fellowship in 1976;
• What challenges exist in the criminal justice system today;
• How God can use institutions for renewal and restoration; and
• What brings Heather hope for those impacted by incarceration.

Tune in as we engage in a captivating conversation that sheds light on the power of redemption and the pursuit of justice. Don't miss this insightful and thought-provoking episode.

Visit this episode’s website NAE.org/riceminuspodcast/

In this episode of Today’s Conversation, we’ve joined with The Mission Matters podcast to bring you special guest, Michael Oh, the global executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement. NAE President Walter Kim co-hosts the conversation with Ted Esler, president of MissioNexus, and Matthew Ellison, president of sixteen:fifteen. Together they share how God is moving around the world, particularly through the global missions movement.

You’ll hear them discuss:

• What the difference is between global missions and the globalization of missions;
• How the demonstration of the gospel interacts with the proclamation of the gospel;
• The unique aspects of the upcoming Lausanne Congress in Seoul; and
• What brings them hope for the next decade of the global Church.

Visit this episode’s website NAE.org/ohpodcast/

NAE President Walter Kim and Dr. Curt Thompson go back to the very beginning and discuss how we see this embodied and relational reality, as well as the effects of trauma and shame, in the first four chapters of Genesis.

They also explore:

• How Western thinking has influenced our understanding of spirituality;
• Why being receptive to love is more difficult than loving others;
• How we can create spaces for others to experience beauty and goodness; and
• What practices or outlooks can help us care for our soul.