Weak Pastor

This week, we have one of our favorite guests ever - Pastor Nancy Sugikawa - back on the show to continue her story where we left off. It was a real cliffhanger when we ended Part I, so we could not wait any longer to air this second part. We just want to say: this is the stuff of k-dramas. Of course, because it’s Pastor Nancy, there is plenty of sage insight and words of grace. You do not want to miss this!

Nancy can be reached at [email protected].

One of the most common questions that we often received as children or young adults was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And it’s not surprising that this should be such a frequently-asked question given that most of us spend a huge portion of our lives “at work.” But what is the biblical view of “work,” and is the occupation we choose for ourselves our actual “calling” in the faith? How do work and faith come together? Tune in to get Peter and Suah’s takes.

We have a very very special guest this week, and yes, we realize we say this all the time, but we really really really mean it. Pastor Nancy Sugikawa brings over thirty years of pastoral ministry experience, having served the local church through seasons of leadership, discipleship, and spiritual formation. She currently serves as a Discipleship Consultant for the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, partnering with pastors and congregations to cultivate healthy, sustainable discipleship pathways and vibrant spiritual growth.

In this week’s episode, we get a glimpse into her walk and accompanying dialogue with Jesus, with a special emphasis on life as a single person throughout her first few decades. You do not want to miss this episode!

We live in a world that is inundated with the concept of success — how to achieve it, how to maintain it. We idolise those who are successful and often try to emulate them. So much of our waking thoughts revolve around this idea of succeeding, regardless of what stage of life we’re living in. But what does success actually look like in the Kingdom of God, and is success really what God calls us to? Tune in to get our takes.

Those of you who have been with us since the beginning of our podcast or have attended Metro Community Church are probably well-acquainted with our emphasis on advocating for those who are “in the margins.” Nevertheless, in light of recent circumstances, we felt it was appropriate and necessary to have another conversation about this “theology of the poor” that seems to be everywhere in Jesus’ teaching.

Please note that this episode was recorded a few weeks before airing, so any omission in discussing certain relevant more recent news events was not intentional.

We have an amazing guest this week! Brad Lomenick is a renowned leadership advisor, author, speaker, podcaster and founder of BLINC, a leadership advisory agency. He has more than two decades of experience working alongside thought-leaders, CEO’s and start up entrepreneurs.

Brad is the host of the H3 Leadership Podcast, where he weekly curates the best for high-capacity leaders to stay in the know and up to date, and interviews world class thinkers, authors, and icons.

Tune in to this week’s episode for an enriching conversation on leadership.

Brad can be found at:

https://www.h3leadership.com/

Brad’s Books can be found at all major book stores:

The Catalyst Leader: Eight Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker

H3 Leadership: Be Humble, Stay Hungry, Always Hustle

In the Western culture, we are oftentimes consumed by the need to measure growth and track progress. We track attendance, we track our grades, we track giving…but have you ever wondered, how can we responsibly and accurately track our spiritual growth? In this week’s episode, Peter and Suah discuss how they personally see spiritual growth and how they try to track their “spiritual gains.”

Welcome to another episode with an amazing interview! This week’s guest is no stranger to those who attend Metro. Pastor Kevin Butcher was a lead pastor for 35 years. He is currently the founder and executive director of Rooted Ministries, which comes alongside isolated, wounded, and discouraged pastors and their families to help them experience the deep love of God through abiding in Jesus. In this episode, we interview Kevin about a variety of topics ranging from what he’s learned over his decades of diverse ministry, what makes him so passionate about God’s love, and why shame is so insidious and toxic to one’s inner and outer life. Tune in to hear this week’s interview with Pastor Kevin Butcher!

To learn more about Rooted Ministries, please visit:

https://www.rootedpastor.co/

Pastor Kevin’s books can be found anywhere where books are sold. They include:

Free: Rescued from Shame-Based Religion, Released Into the Life-giving Love of Jesus

Choose and Choose Again: The Brave Act of Returning to God's Love.

In light of Thanksgiving week, we thought it would be fun to throw it back to the first year of our little podcast and re-run our first Thanksgiving episode from 2022. Happy Thanksgiving to all our amazing listeners. We, at Weak Pastor Podcast, are super duper thankful for you!

It’s easy to throw out a bane list of things you’re grateful for when you’re surrounded by friends and family at the Thanksgiving table, but what is really happening inside your heart on a regular day-to-day basis? What did the psalmist mean when he said “to enter His gates with Thanksgiving?” In this episode, Peter and Suah unpack what it means to have a grateful heart.

Welcome to another episode where we get the absolute pleasure and privilege of introducing an amazing guest - Pastor James Kim. James is currently serving as the Teaching Pastor at Beacon Church in Albertson, NY. He is husband to his lovely wife Carol and dad to 3 children. His journey so far has been anything but straightforward, and as we listened to his story, we found ourselves overwhelmed both by the sincerity and tenacity with which James sought God and the tender ways in which God met him. Tune in to this week’s story; you will not be disappointed.