Canadian Church Leaders Podcast: Recent Episodes
CCLN
Welcome to the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast, hosted by Jason Ballard. We are committed to serving church leaders and their teams by sharing conversations focused on pastoral leadership. Each episode features honest and thoughtful interviews with key voices from Canada and beyond. We want you to be inspired and encouraged as you hear the stories of hundreds of churches alongside the learnings of those who are leading today.
This week on The Pastorate, Rachel Hughes—Pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, England—joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry.
Rachel shares about:
- The experience of planting Gas Street Church, the ongoing cycle of raising and sending new leaders, and how church planting can disrupt comfort zones, keep churches mission-focused, and foster a kingdom mindset.
- Managing her roles as a church leader and a mother of five, navigating the complexities of parenting, pastoring, and fostering a local church community while also contributing to the broader church.
- Her work with The Orchard and her passion for creating spaces for women to explore their leadership potential, advocating for a church culture where men and women lead side-by-side for the sake of the Kingdom.
We’re thankful you’ve joined us on The Pastorate today, bless you as you listen.
Bio | Rachel is the co-founder and co-lead pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, where she and her husband, Tim, have served their community since 2015. She also co-founded The Orchard, a ministry devoted to seeing women set free, raised up, and released to answer God’s call on their lives. Rachel is passionate about inspiring young women in leadership and helping them be emboldened by the Holy Spirit to stand firm in the truths of God’s Word, unaffected by cultural values that may seek to divert or deplete them. Tim and Rachel have five beautiful children, joyfully balancing their ministry with family life.
We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.
Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins soon!
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Guest Notes
- Gas Street Church
- The Orchard
Show Notes
- Website
- Blog and Episode Write Up
- Youtube
- Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
This week in the inaugural episode of The Pastorate, Adam Browett – Pastor of Calvary Temple in Winnipeg, Manitoba – joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry.
Adam shares about:
- What Adam’s been learning recently, as a naturally gifted speaker, about continuing to develop his craft of preaching,
- Adam’s journey discerning transition–taking on the role of lead pastor for a historic church and how he’s guided his family in the midst of the move,
- and Leading an inner city church to embrace and celebrate the neighbourhood they find themselves in
We’re praying that today you would be strengthened to live more fully into the work that God has for you in the place and context of your own neighbourhood.
Bio | Adam has been in full-time ministry since 2005, serving churches across Western Canada, including BC, Alberta, and Manitoba. He’s passionate about reaching challenging areas where Christians often hesitate to go and encourages others to do the same. In February 2024, Adam, his wife Shandy, and their four children moved to Winnipeg, following God’s leading. He now serves as the Lead Pastor at Calvary Temple, a historic PAOC church with a diverse community representing different generations, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Visit the Coram Deo Foundation website to learn more about the Joseph Chung Scholarship and to apply. Applications are open from October 21st–October 27th.
Show Notes
Guest
- Calvary Temple
The Pastorate
- Website
- Blog and Episode Write Up
- Youtube
- Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Since its inception over four years ago, the Canadian Church Leaders Network (CCLN) has served thousands of pastors through its podcast, monthly newsletter, cohort-based programs, and pastors retreats and gatherings.
This week, Jason Ballard, host of the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast and Executive Director of CCLN sits down with Chris Price to discuss the future of CCLN and the adoption of a new name for both the organization and the podcast: The Pastorate.
Jason reflects on:
- The rationale behind the naming of The Pastorate and the organization’s renewed focus on serving pastors,
- The current state of Canadian church leadership,
- How The Pastorate is serving to strengthen Canadian pastors through content, cohorts, and gatherings.
As CCLN becomes The Pastorate, we invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.
Show Notes
- Website
- Blog and Episode Write Up
- Youtube
- Share a Canadian Church Story
We've got a special episode for all of you this week. The CCLN Team is working hard on a special project that will be officially announced with the October 7th episode on the podcast, but we didn't want to leave you high and dry this week.
In 2022, we had Keith Taylor speak to a group of Pastors as part of our first cohort based program, The Church Leaders Incubator. Out of the many amazing speakers that the cohort was able to learn from, this was a session that captures our desire for creating opportunities to grow in competency with hearts full of love for Jesus and love for people. Don't let the topic dissuade you, this episode is worth your time.
Jason will also take a moment to share some insight into what is coming up for our team here at CCLN.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
The work of renewal in a church is slow, costly, and long-term. It requires pastors who consistently say, “I can’t do this alone,” and who return to the feet of Jesus, the One making all things new.
This week, Father James Mallon, Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in beautiful Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, joins us on the podcast to share his heart for evangelism and his passion for parish renewal.
Father James reflects on:
- His journey back to local church ministry after a season in parachurch and diocesan roles
- Re-experiencing the cost of renewal in a parish setting
- Tending to the inevitable wounds of pastoral ministry
- The Holy Spirit as both the gathering and sending force of the Church
We hope you find joy and comfort in knowing that pastoral ministry is a shared journey, as brothers and sisters across Canada collectively pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Bio | Father James Mallon is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and founder of the Divine Renovation Ministry.
The message of Divine Renovation has resonated in the hearts of tens of thousands of pastors and lay leaders throughout the world. It has inspired and motivated them to act and seek help in transforming their own faith community. To answer their needs, the Divine Renovation Ministry was created. Fr James continues to serve the Divine Renovation Ministry with a portion of his time.
Born in Scotland, Father James and his family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1982. After studying at Christ the King Seminary in British Columbia and St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, Father James was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1997.
He currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition to his ministry, Father James loves soccer, movies, photography, dogs, everything Apple and good Single Malt Scotch.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Guest:
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
- Divine Renovation
- Divine Renovation Book
- Thriving Faith
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
As pastors we want to run the race well and finish more in love with Jesus and with His church than when we started. Pastors that have been both fruitful and faithful set a beautiful example for what longevity in ministry can look like.
This week, Dan Cochrane, Pastor of CrossRoads Church in Red Deer, Alberta, joins us on the podcast to share insights from over 45 years of experience as a Pastor. With 27 of those years being spent at CrossRoads Church alone.
Dan shares about:
- His story and the path he took to discovering his call to the Pastorate
- His experience inheriting a legacy of faithfulness
- Managing church growth and learning to grow alongside the church he is pastoring
- The gift it is to be able to preach the Living Word of God
Today we’re praying that you would hear the invitation to joy and delight in the Holy Spirit as you hear the passion and energy Dan carries for the Church in Canada.
Bio | Dan Cochrane has been the Senior Pastor of CrossRoads Church since July 1, 1997. Prior to CrossRoads, he pastored in North Vancouver for 18 years. He has been married to his wife, Ginny, since June 1977 and they have three adult children: Rick (Jenn), Christina, and Ryan (Janine). Their lives have also been blessed with six grandchildren. The vision of CrossRoads Church is: “To give everyone in Central Alberta an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and by following Him together, impact the world with compassion and hope.” Dan is passionate about theology and studying scriptures. His focus is to teach the Bible and to lead the church forward in accomplishing the vision God has given. He also delights in developing young leaders and watching them grow.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- CrossRoads Church
Get Connected!
- Gatherings
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
What does community look like when it’s rooted in love and grounded in the realities of life? How do we grab hold of a vision for biblical unity within our congregations and learn to live in the tensions that come with knowing and loving others well?
This week, Rich Villodas, author of The Deeply Formed Life and Pastor of New Life Fellowship, joins us on the podcast for a second time to share insights from his wealth of experience and out of his heart to care well for other pastors.
Rich shares about:
- The realities of biblical unity, what it looks and feels like in a dynamic congregation
- Dealing with expectations that are placed on Pastors, by others and by themselves
- His new book, The Narrow Path, and how the Sermon on the Mount offers a reframing of what it means to follow Jesus in our time
We hope by listening to this conversation you experience a fresh invitation to the counter-cultural way of Jesus and that His love and grace cover you and keep you today.
Bio | Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading widely, preaching and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. He's been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. Rich is the author of three books: The Deeply Formed Life, Good and Beautiful and Kind, and The Narrow Path.
Every dollar given in the month of August will be matched up to $25000. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to The Way College for supporting this episode. If you are interested in exploring whether The Way College might be a good fit for you, visit thewaycollege.ca
Applications are still open for the Fall. Apply by August 24th, to have your enrolment fee waived.
Show Notes:
- Website
- New Life Fellowship
- The Narrow Path
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
The church growth movement of the 20th-century has left a lasting impact on our perception of the Church today. What can we learn from its successes and shortcomings, and how can we move forward in the context of our post-everything society?
This week, Daniel Im from Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton joins us on the podcast for a second time
Daniel shares about:
- His experience pastoring in the midst of deep loss
- Reflections on the transition into the Lead Pastor role of Beulah Alliance Church, a church with a 103 year history
- The value of surrounding yourself with people who can sharpen you and challenge you while you are in leadership
- His new book, The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World
We hope this conversation encourages and equips you as you serve those in your church and in your community.
Bio | Daniel Im is a pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. He is the Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, Alberta. His latest book is The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World (NavPress 2024). He has also written No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry (B&H Books 2017), Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply (2nd Ed) (B&H Academic, 2016), and You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love (B&H Books 2020).
He has an M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary, and has served and pastored in church plants and multisite churches ranging from 100 people to 50,000 people in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, Edmonton, and Nashville.
His podcasts have been downloaded over 3 million times, and he currently co-hosts the IMbetween Podcast with his wife, Christina, where they help you discover the tools to build a marriage and family you love. Together, they serve as speakers for FamilyLife Canada’s Weekend Getaway Marriage Conference. Daniel also serves as a Bible teacher for 100 Huntley Street, Canada’s longest running daily television show.
He has been married to his wife, Christina, since 2006 and they have three children. For more information, visit danielim.com and follow him on social media @danielsangi.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- The Discipleship Opportunity
- Daniel Im's Website
- Beulah Alliance Church
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Every leader faces moments when vision dims and passion wavers. How do we sustain a vision for long term leadership and be able to lead with joy in our hearts and conviction in our steps?
This week, Shaila Visser from Alpha joins us on the podcast for a second time to share insights from her extensive leadership experience.
Shaila shares about:
- Sustaining vision for longevity in ministry
- The importance of asking the Holy Spirit to spark passion for personal evangelism
- New research Alpha has done in partnership with flourishing congregations on the perception and practices of evangelism in Canada today
We hope this conversation fills you with hope and encouragement that you are part of a work that God is doing across our nation in our time.
Bio | Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016), and currently holds a position on the Board of the Damascus Road Foundation.
Shaila has a heart for people coming to know Jesus and is passionate about helping the local church flourish. She is a gifted communicator who is known for her strategic leadership as well as her ability to bring people together.
Shaila loves hiking, beaches, next generation leaders, her big anglo-Indian family, and achieving new goals- whether that be fitness, books, or learning. Shaila lives in Vancouver BC with her husband, Ryan Visser, a Vancouver Police Officer, and their four-legged family members, Talon and Benny.
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Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- Alpha Canada
- Study from Angus Reid Institute and Cardus
- Youth Alpha
Get Connected!
- Gatherings
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
What is unique about your church that you bring to the broader body of Christ? And, what from the broader body of Christ can you draw from and be strengthened by?
Chrishan Jeyaratnam joined us this week from Hillsong East Coast where he and his wife Danielle serve as Lead Pastors. Chrishan shared with us about his family’s move from Perth to New York during the pandemic, and what it has been like to serve the church alongside his kids.
Arriving in New York during a time of great cultural tension & loss, there’s a lot of wisdom to be found in the stories Chrishan shares about leading people through grief, reckoning with distrust, and seeking transformation as a community.
It’s a conversation that leads us to reflect on the unique charism of our churches in our cities, and how we are mutually strengthened as we grow in friendship with other church traditions.
Bio | Chrishan and his wife Danielle have served at Hillsong Church for many years, most recently as the Lead Pastors at Hillsong East Coast USA where they have been pastoring for the past 3 years. Before moving to New York with their four daughters, Chrishan and Danielle previously pastored at Hillsong Church Perth in Australia. As a family, they are committed to loving God and people, and to and living the adventure that it is to build His Church.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Guest:
- Hillsong East Coast
CCLN:
- Darrell Johnson’s Genesis Course
- Darrell Johnson's Genesis Preaching Notes
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
How can the people of God inhabit our cities - in workplaces, commutes & classrooms in a way that’s coloured by the hope of God’s kingdom breaking in?
This week Tyler Staton and Pete Hughes join us on the podcast in a conversation that was originally a part of one of our Emerging Leaders Lab cohort sessions.
Tyler and Pete share about:
- Finding Rhythms of Personal & Corporate Prayer
- Creating a Culture of Contending Through Storytelling
- Seeing God’s Redemptive Vision for Your City
We were inspired by their ability to see redemption in their local communities and hope you will share their passion for your own city.
Bio | Pete Hughes is the Senior Pastor of KXC, an Anglican church in the heart of London. Pete and his wife Bee planted the church in 2010, establishing a community with the simple vision to recklessly give themselves away to God, each other, and the people of King's Cross and beyond.
Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, and the National Director of 24-7 Prayer USA. He is passionate about pursuing prayer—communion and conversation with God—while living deeply, poetically, wildly, and freely in the honest and gritty realities of day-to-day life. Tyler believes that justice is kinship, stories are a gift, and prayer is an invitation.
Tyler is also the author of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools and Searching for Enough: The High-Wire Walk Between Doubt and Faith, and the host of the Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools Podcast. He lives in Portland with his wife Kirsten, and their sons Hank, Simon, and Amos.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- 24/7 Prayer
- KXC
- Bridgetown
- Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
38 years into ministry, Helen Burns speaks of the Church with love in her voice and delight in the work God is doing among His people today.
Joining us on the podcast for a second time, Helen is a voice of encouragement as she reflects on what she has learned along the way. From planting Relate Church with her husband John in 1986, to the process of succession as their daughter Angela and her husband Rod stepped into the lead pastor role in 2018 - the significance of mentorship and intergenerational relationships underpin our conversation.
Helen reflects back on past ministry with humility, letting us into moments where she felt the heart was right but the emphasis was off. Helen humbly models what it looks like to stay soft to the way God is pruning and growing His people, leading us into deeper purity as we walk with Him.
As we consider the need for spaces of belonging, we hope you’ll find inspiration for how you can set the table for pastors to gather in your community, making room for God to break through the isolation many experience in ministry.
Helen Burns is a passionate lover of Jesus and committed to building His Church. She and her husband John pioneered Relate Church, a thriving family church in the Vancouver area, in 1986 where they served as lead pastors for 35 years. Today, they continue to teach and serve there while travelling and speaking internationally. Helen shares with depth and insight on marriage, family and relationships, and is the author of several books.
John and Helen have been married for over 50 years and they have three awesome daughters and she is the blessed Oma of eight grandchildren.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- Relate Church
- The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson
- CCLN Emerging Leaders Lab
- CCLN Pastors Retreat
- Barna Statistics
- See, Hear, Love Youtube/Podcast
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Letting Jesus shepherd us into renewed courage and contentment when our vision for success has been broken is a wrestle many of us are familiar with.
It's a path that our guest this week, Evan Allnutt, has walked at different moments in his vocational journey. Through changing careers from teaching to ministry, taking on a Lead Pastor role at a new church, and navigating the changing cultural dynamics in the last 4 years, surrender and re-surrender to Christ’s leading has been a red thread through it all. In moments where he felt like a failure, Evan shared how God stirred fresh hope in him as he situated himself within the rich legacy of the 87-year-old church he pastors, and the global Church as he heard stories of revival in his denomination, and witnessed the Church full of vibrancy and life in London, U.K.
For the pastor who feels discouraged or alone, this episode is drenched in Kingdom imagination & vulnerability. We hope that it emboldens you to press into where God has called you, as you look left and right and see who is running the race alongside you.
Bio | Evan and his wife Kendal, along with their three children Izzy, Hardy, and Nola, have been proud residents of the Comox Valley since 2015. After dedicating five years as Youth Pastor and one year as Associate Pastor at Coastline Church in Victoria, Evan sensed a divine calling to assume the Lead Pastor role at Northgate. For the past 7 years, Evan has joyfully served this community, overseeing its growth from a single service in one city to three services across two cities.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- Northgate Church
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
John Mark Comer joins us again for a conversation on why people in our congregations are gravitating towards spiritual formation right now, and how we can pastor people beyond conversion into deeper healing and sanctification in their walk with Christ.
Jason and John Mark talk through what it’s like to pastor today, and how the cultural hostility pastors navigate can purify our motivations and remind us that Christ is our reward. Thinking about practices for pastoral longevity, John Mark shares the need for balanced rest and activation and how to cultivate deep, brutally honest friendships.
This episode encourages us to think deeply about the role of confession in the Pastorate, how we can shepherd people in different stages of discipleship, and the desire people in the Church have for deeper communion with God.
Bio | John Mark Comer, once the founding pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, dedicated two decades to integrating discipleship to Jesus into the post-Christian West. In 2021, he pivoted to developing spiritual formation resources for global church communities through Practicing the Way. Now residing in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, he crafts new practices, courses, and podcasts while serving as a teacher at Vintage Church LA. A New York Times bestselling author, Comer's notable works include "Practicing the Way" and "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry."
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- Practicing The Way
- Books by John Mark
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Mark Buchanan sits down with us again to explore everything from how storytelling forms us to our addiction to control. He articulates how narratives help us navigate the truths of life and our identity, emphasizing the significance of weaving hope-filled, gospel-rooted stories into the fabric of our cultural imagination.
Throughout our conversation, Mark draws from the life of David to think about leaning on character over gifting and the temptation of success. Mark offers a candid look into what spiritual practices have deepened his love for Jesus, and what he has been learning about the importance of deep friendships in this season of his life.
This episode is an invitation to reevaluate our leadership in ministry, challenging us to lead in a manner that not only fosters integrity but cultivates a deeper love for Jesus.
Bio | Mark is an author, Associate Professor of Theology at Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta, and former pastor. His books include “God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul” and the ever-popular “The Rest of God.” In 2021 Mark and his wife Cheryl started New Story Community, a ministry that seeks to walk alongside Indigenous Women who need space for healing. The program focuses on academic and biblical study, skill development, and personal goal-setting. The heart is to join God in His work of writing a story of hope, redemption and healing in the lives of His people.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- New Story Community
- Mark Buchanan Website
- Ambrose University
- The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
- God Walk by Mark Buchanan
- Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
How do we contextualize our churches to the neighbourhoods God has called us to? And how do you keep your heart healthy when people leave your church?
In today’s episode with Tammy Giffen, lead pastor of Groundswell Church in Truro, Nova Scotia, we explore these questions and more from her journey in ministry. Tammy became a Christian through Alpha as an adult and later moved into vocational ministry, eventually planting Groundswell in 2018. It’s a story of leading in ministry for the long haul, compelled by uncovering the beauty of Jesus for herself, and in the lives of the community she pastors.
Bio | Tammy Giffen is the lead pastor of Groundswell, a multi-site church in Central Nova Scotia. Groundswell is a church plant that launched in September of 2018 with a vision to be a church un-churched people love to attend. She came to know Jesus as an adult when she was invited to attend Alpha. Since then she has been passionate about breaking down barriers to church and helping people meet Jesus. Tammy is married to Peter and has three children; Taylor, Wesley, and Mya.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- Groundswell Church
- One Conference
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In this episode, Jason sits down with the pioneer of the Alpha Course and former Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, Nicky Gumbel. Nicky shares about his journey of transitioning leadership at HTB after nearly two decades in the senior role, emphasizing the importance of healthy succession and not taking changes made by new leaders personally. Their church, HTB, is helping to train pastors in England through a new initiative called the Caleb and Peter streams. Their vision is to see tens of thousands of pastors equipped, coming from less educated and affluent backgrounds, or who have retired from previous careers and are in the later seasons of life. Later in the conversation, Nicky shares a profound vision for the future of the Church: that the bible would be translated and the gospel shared to 99.6% of the world by the 17th of April, 2033. Nicky's joy for evangelism and seeing as many people as possible come to know and follow Jesus is a beautiful gift to the global church. We hope this conversation stirs your imagination for what God can do in your own context as you seek to spread the good news of Jesus with others.
Bio | Nicky Gumbel is the former vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London. Together with his wife Pippa, they pioneered Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith run by all the major Christian denominations in 169 countries. Nicky has written several best-selling books including Questions of Life, The Jesus Lifestyle, Searching Issues and A Life Worth Living. He is the author of the free Bible reading app Bible in One Year.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- The Leadership Conference is a unique opportunity for leaders to be equipped in their leadership through conversations, world-class content, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Register for LC24 on the 6th-7th May at the Royal Albert Hall in London here.
- Holy Trinity Brompton
- Alpha
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In this episode, Jason had a conversation with Jerry L. Sittser, a retired professor of theology from Whitworth University, renowned for his expertise in Christian spirituality and history. In this conversation, Jerry shares the relevance of early Christian practices in today's world and highlights the importance of the church embracing a new catechumen. He unpacks the challenges and opportunities for the church posed by a post-Christendom world, advocating for a deeper, more resilient approach to faith. Jerry also shares personal reflections on grief and loss not as something to avoid, but learning to carry it redemptively. His dedication to bridging academia and the church infuses our dialogue with hope and understanding, inviting us to explore what it means to follow Jesus in our time.
Bio | Jerry has been a professor emeritus of theology and senior fellow at Whitworth University, specializing in the History of Christianity, Christian Spirituality, and Religion in American Public Life. He is now retired and spends much of his time with his 11 grandchildren. He has written nine books, among them are A Grace Disguised, The Will of God as a Way of Life, Water from a Deep Well, and his most recent book, Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian “Third Way” Changed the World.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- A Grace Disguised Revised and Expanded: How the Soul Grows through Loss
- Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian "Third Way" Changed the World
- Water From a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Change and the process of pruning are essential yet challenging aspects of personal growth and church life. Jonathan Smith understands this reality deeply, having navigated 30 years of church ministry and leadership. In this engaging conversation with Jason, Jonathan candidly shares his transformative journey, from the bold endeavor of planting a church at the young age of 23 to the nuanced task of guiding an established congregation toward embracing the next generation. Jonathan's entrepreneurial spirit, seasoned wisdom, and unwavering passion for the thriving of the church in Canada shine through as he reflects on his experiences. Through his insights, we invite you to glean from this conversation on how to navigate change well, foster healthy growth, and the importance of listening to those older and further along in the faith journey.
Bio | Jonathan has over 30 years of leadership and pastoral experience - leading churches in Halifax, Montreal and Toronto. He has been a church planter, Lead Pastor and thought leader in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Jonathan is married to Shelly and has three young children. His ministry has been marked by innovative strategies and an emphasis on team development and change management.
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Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- One Church
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Discipleship lies at the heart of the Christian journey, yet it often becomes compartmentalized within separate ministries or aspects of the Christian faith. Jeff Vanderstelt, with years of experience leading others in the way of Jesus and equipping the broader church through his writings, is now dedicated to mentoring pastors and leaders in gospel fluency and missional living. In this insightful discussion, Jason and Jeff delve into the significance of maintaining an open-handed approach to those entrusted to pastors' care, navigating critical voices, and the profound impact of Dallas Willard's last unanswered question. Jeff candidly shares his personal leadership journey within a fractured church, reflecting on how God's intervention brought healing to his own brokenness amid numerous challenges. We hope this conversation encourages you and we invite you to share any thoughts or reflections on how it may have impacted you with us.
Bio | As the Executive Director of Saturate and founding leader of the Soma Family of Churches, Jeff Vanderstelt gets to spend his days doing what he loves – mentoring leaders and equipping the Church in the gospel and missional living. Additionally, Jeff is on the leadership team of Saturate the Sound, a local church collective focused on gospel saturation in the Puget Sound. Jeff has authored Saturate, Gospel Fluency, and Making Space.
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Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- One Eighty: A Return to Disciple Making
- Saturate
- Soma Churches
- Youth Pastors Summit | East: DISCOUNT CODE: Register today with CYPS20OFF for a total of $50 off the regular registration rate.
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
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In this episode, Jason had the privilege of sitting down and having a conversation with his very first pastors—Angel and Durwin Gray, who played a crucial role in shaping his pastoral imagination during his formative years. Angel and Durwin have been serving as pastors at Hillside Church for 25 years, and they generously shared with us the joys, challenges, and insights they have gained throughout their journey. They delve into the profound meaning of being called to a specific place and community, navigating feelings of doubt and imposter syndrome, and embracing parenting as the primary avenue of discipleship amid the demands of ministry. Angel and Durwin emanate joy, care, sincerity, and reflect the hope of Christ for the world. Enjoy this insightful conversation, and if it sparks any thoughts about the individuals or experiences that shaped your pastoral imagination, feel free to share them in the comments or send us a message at contact@ccln.ca.
Bio | Durwin and Angel were university sweethearts and have been married now for 31 years. They have two young adult sons, Caleb and Noah, and they help make the Gray household a little on the loud side. The Gray’s are a pretty tight-knit family who tend to love films, road trips, and the band Coldplay. Thirty plus years ago, Angel and Durwin got involved in church planting, and helped plant the church Durwin now pastors, called Hillside Community Church in Coquitlam. Angel runs her own accounting business and has a passion for mentoring, teaching, and prayer.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Hillside Church
- Youth Pastors Summit | East: DISCOUNT CODE: Register today with CYPS20OFF for a total of $50 off the regular registration rate.
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
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This past year we gathered for a one day conference with pastors and leaders from across North America, collaborating with our friends at Practicing The Way. Together, we engaged in meaningful discussions on spiritual formation within the context of the local church. This full day gathering consisted of teaching and dialogue from John Mark Comer, Ken Shigematsu, Tyler Staton, and Elita Friesen. Elita closed the conference with a beautiful message on abiding in Christ, sharing that as we lead people to a deepening relationship with God we ourselves would abide deeply in Jesus. We hope this message gives you hope and a renewed vision to abide in Jesus as we move into 2024.
Bio | Elita Friesen is a writer and Bible teacher and has served in various ministry capacities for the last 10 years. She currently serves on the teaching and pastoral team at The Way Church, a church with locations in both Vancouver and North Vancouver. Elita feels uniquely called to encourage this generation not only toward biblical literacy, but also toward a deep love of Jesus through the study of Scripture. She is the author of several books including The Whole Church. Elita and her husband, Ryan, live in the lower mainland of BC with their four children.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Emerging Leaders Lab
- Pastors Retreat
- Youth Pastors Summit | East: DISCOUNT CODE: Register today with CYPS20OFF for a total of $50 off the regular registration rate.
- The Resilient Pastor, Glenn Packiam
Get Connected!
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In this episode, Jason and Darren Herbold, President of The Alliance Canada, mine Darren’s eclectic ministry background which includes time in pastoral ministry, the business world and in the missionary field. Darren lets us into his own journey of wanting to be an active, not reluctant, follower of Jesus and all the places that posture took him. Throughout the conversation, Darren emphasizes his most formative learnings, sharing themes like listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the speed of love, what a cultivated curiosity toward others can impact & more. The conversation concludes with Darren’s reflection on the importance of faithfulness in each ministry season: whether unfair, uneventful or full of God’s leading. We hope you enjoy this insightful conversation.
Bio | Darren has served The Alliance Canada for over 15 years. Darren served as pastoral staff for seven years at Beulah Alliance. In 2014, Darren, and his wife, Naomi, were sent as international workers to Thailand where they served for over eight years. In 2015, Darren and Naomi were appointed as Team Leaders, and then in 2019, as Regional Developers, providing leadership and oversight to the region. Darren Herbold also served on the Board of Directors for the past four years. Darren also has significant experience in the area of entrepreneurial business, founding and directing an international charitable organization, For Freedom International, focused on anti-trafficking, community development, and Gospel multiplication efforts in southeast Asia. In July 2022, The Alliance Canada appointed Rev. Darren Herbold to serve as President of The Alliance Canada.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- The Alliance Canada
- For Freedom International
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Today, church planter and worship leader Evan Whickman joins us from Park Hill Church in sunny San Diego. In this conversation, Jason and Evan explore various themes, starting with Evan's personal journey of deconstructing and reconstructing his faith in Jesus, and the environments that helped him along the way. Together, they also unpack the concept of "Compassionate and Courageous Orthodoxy," and in it, the delicate balance of standing firm on core Christian truths while creating environments for open and honest conversations. Evan shares profound insights on engaging in meaningful dialogue with those who hold different perspectives, while both tackling challenging questions and maintaining a genuine curiosity toward those in the conversation. Throughout the interview, Evan exudes faith and courage while staying grounded in the complexities of pastoring in this moment. We hope you enjoy our conversation with him.
Bio | Evan Wickham is a worship leader, songwriter, speaker, and lead pastor of Park Hill Church in San Diego, CA, which he co-founded in 2017 with Sandy, his wife of 23 years (and their five kids). In addition to teaching and curating worship experiences in various communities, he has released four albums of worship songs in order to resource the broader body of Christ. He holds an MDiv from Western Seminary in Portland, OR and helped launch Searock Sessions, a cohort and growing community for hundreds of leaders seeking renewal in the Western church.
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Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- Park Hill Church
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Darrell Johnson, our record holder for “most interviews on the podcast” joins us to speak into the evolving landscape of pastoral ministry. Join Jason and Darrell as they explore themes like the art of preaching, going the distance in ministry and marriage, and to close, Darrell’s thoughts on the ancient ten commandments’ continued relevance in a modern world. Throughout the entire conversation, there is one thread that continually emerges as vital: the pastor's job is to guide people toward abiding in Jesus. We hope this conversation serves you to that important end.
Bio | Darrell Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as Scholar-in-Residence for The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network. He and his wife Sharon have been married 46 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving nine active grandchildren!
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- “That You May Live: How the 10 Commandments Lead to Human Freedom”
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- Blog & Episode write-up
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For this 30-minute episode, we're stepping away from our usual podcast format to dive deep into a topic that we know many pastors feel stuck or uncomfortable in – the art of communicating about giving and generosity to a church. Our friends at Generis are passionate about helping pastors nurture a culture of biblical generosity and stewardship in your churches. Join Jon Wright from Generis, and Executive Pastor Jordan Michalski from Soul Sanctuary, as they provide insights to guide and lighten your load as you foster a healthy culture of giving in your community.
Bio | Jon has worked as an entrepreneur, founding and leading a product development company for 15 years, and served eight years as Executive Pastor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. He and his wife, Julie, also led a Missionary Training Center in Germany for several years. As an Executive pastor, Jon was a client of Generis. He found the process so effective and beneficial that he joined their team. He has 30 years of experience in innovation and execution in multiple settings; corporate, non-profit, church, and global missions. Jon brings an entrepreneurial mindset to church culture and strategic planning. He is passionate about healthy teams, ministry effectiveness, next-generation leadership development, and resourcing it all through generosity.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- FREE Resource: Best Year-End Giving Ever | Strategies for abundant year-end giving and growing generosity in the new year.
- Reach out to Jon personally at jon.wright@generis.com
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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- Subscribe on YouTube
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- Share a Canadian Church Story
No matter where you fall on your church's organizational chart, we believe that this conversation with Ebonie around thoughtful discipleship in the youth space will serve you. In their time together, Ebonie and Jason explore how the church can play a vital role in nurturing a Jesus-centered joy among young people. They also touch on topics like contextual spiritual formation for the next-generation and adopting a “whole church” vision for youth discipleship within a community. Ebonie also courageously shares her deeply moving and inspirational journey of discovering Jesus. We hope you enjoy the conversation with the joy-exuding Ebonie Davis.
Bio | Ebonie Davis is a founding member of the Arbor Research Group and an expert in qualitative research and program evaluation. She is a graduate of the DeVos Urban Leadership Institute, where she focused on Urban Youth Ministry, and holds a Master’s degree in Student Leadership from Huntington University. Ebonie is an international conference speaker and co-author of the book Disrupting Teens with Joy: Helping Teens Discover Jesus-Focused Gritty Faith, as well as a contributor on other books, Bibles, articles, and research related to youth ministry. She has served as Associate Pastor of Youth at Trinity Baptist Church in Waldorf, MD for more than 15 years. She and her husband, Clay, live in the DC area, and they have two adult children.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- Arbor Research Group
- Disrupting Teens with Joy: Helping Youth Discover Jesus-Focused Gritty Faith
- Ebonie Davis LinkedIn
- Canadian Youth Pastors Summit
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In this episode, we deviate from our typical format of interviewing a pastor, to host a conversation with Pieter Valk from Equip on how the Church can live into loving and serving the LGBT+ community. Through conversations with pastors across Canada and beyond, we know that this topic holds a lot of questions and tensions for the pastor. To speak to that, we invited Chris Price, Teaching Pastor at The Way Church, to wade with Pieter into not just the theology of sexuality, marriage and singleness, but also how pastors can bridge the gap that often exists between the Church and this community. In the conversation they discuss Pieter’s personal story of enduring same-sex attraction, why he landed outside the revisionist sexual ethic, what he wished pastors said to him growing up & much more. We hope this conversation serves to fuel your empathy and consideration for what it might look like for the Church to love a community that’s dear to the Lord’s heart.
Bio | Pieter Valk is the director of EQUIP, a Nashville-based consulting ministry that partners with churches to become places where LGBT+ people can belong and thrive according to an orthodox Christian sexual ethic. Pieter graduated from Vanderbilt University with Highest Honors in Chemistry in 2013. After graduating, Pieter studied at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for a year with a focus on Lay Leadership and Culture-making. As a fellow of the Boston Fellows Program, he worked as a ministry development intern and completed a 26-week Pastoral Counseling course on relational and sexual brokenness. In 2016 Pieter graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, with his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- Equip: Website
- Equip: Instagram
- Nashville Family of Brothers
- Pieter Valk: Instagram
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
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- Share a Canadian Church Story
In this episode, join Jason Ballard as he interviews Jason Matta, the senior pastor of Hope Church Toronto West. This dynamic community, rooted in the gospel, unwavering in proclaiming the Word, and deeply reliant on prayer, has been serving the people of Toronto since 2012. In this episode, we explore Jason's story, stopping to discuss themes like navigating the temptation to give up in ministry, the importance of relying on prayer, and the significance of not sacrificing one's family life for the sake of the church. Canada is blessed with many pastors who embody passion, boldness, and humility in their service to their communities, and Jason is no exception. We hope this conversation encourages and spurs you on where the Lord has you.
Bio | Pastor Jason grew up in a Christian home, and devoted his life to Christ at an early age. The Lord continued to guide Jason’s life to pursue ministry, which resulted in a seminary degree. It was through God’s direction that Jason was connected to Hope Bible Church in Oakville (formerly Harvest Bible Chapel Oakville) and eventually joined their staff in 2012. After much prayer, twenty-two faithful core members planted Hope Church Toronto West in 2013 under Pastor Jason’s servant leadership. Pastor Jason is passionate about the glory of God, the mission of God, the Word of God, and humble dependence upon God in prayer. Jason and his wife, Aileen, have three wonderful children: Josiah, Abigail, and Silas.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- Hope Church West Toronto
- Great Commission Collective
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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- Subscribe on YouTube
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- Share a Canadian Church Story
It's not everyday that we have an Archbishop on the podcast... In this conversation, Jason and Archbishop Michael Miller dive into the story of how he ended up in such a prominent position in the Catholic Church, and the insights he's gleaned on church leadership along the way. Archbishop Miller generously shares his experiences overseeing seventy diverse parishes and navigating different challenges, including criticism. He also offers profound insights into the process of nurturing future priests and shared valuable resources on prayer, silence, and solitude from sages within the Catholic tradition. We hope that this episode encourages you in your own journey of following and leading with Jesus.
Bio | Archbishop Miller is the chief shepherd of over 70 parishes in Vancouver with 400,000 baptized Catholics and has been a prominent figure in the city's religious community since 2007. Originally from Ottawa, he has a rich background in ministry and academia, studying and teaching theology in Rome, the United States, and Mexico. Archbishop Miller holds a theology doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and seven honorary doctorates.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Show Notes:
- Archdiocese of Vancouver
- Proclaim
- Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis De Sales
- Prayer, Hans Urs von Balthasar
- Encounters With Silence, Karl Rahner
- Interior Freedom, Jacques Philippe
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
One of the most requested topics for the podcast has been preaching. Here it finally is… a long-awaited conversation on preaching featuring a friend of the podcast – pastor, preacher, and author Chris Price. After delving into Chris' captivating journey to faith, Jason and Chris devote the majority of their discussion to the art of preaching. Specifically, they focus on five insights Chris has gleaned from his years of preaching to the people of Vancouver. Whether preaching is your weekly duty or not, we hope this conversation can offer guidance on what to bear in mind when communicating the Gospel and the truth of Scripture.
Bio | Chris has been a pastor for over 15 years and currently serves as a pastor at The Way Church in Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of 'Radical Hope: Resurrection Hope in a Hurting World' and 'Suffering With God', ‘A Response to Questions on Sexuality’, and co-author of ‘The Whole Church: Women, Leadership, the Church, and Why It All Matters’. He is married to Diandra and has two kids, Kaden, and Mila.
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Partners:
For more information on Chosen, email churches@worldvision.ca or Text CHOSEN to 807-787-4625
Show Notes:
- Searock Cohort
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
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- Share a Canadian Church Story
St. Paul’s Bloor Street, the largest Anglican Church in Toronto, carries a 180-year-old history of ministry to one of Canada’s greatest cities. Leading this diverse and expanding community is Bishop Jenny Andison. Join Jason and Jenny as they delve into her eclectic story – a life of ministry that covers the world, including places such as Tokyo, London, and Pakistan. They also explore topics like evangelism, church revitalization, and what Jenny describes as cultivating “the monastery within.” We hope this conversation with the brilliant and humble Jenny Andison encourages you as you seek to serve Jesus and His Church.
Bio | Bishop Jenny Andison is the former area bishop of York-Credit Valley in the Diocese of Toronto and became Rector of St. Paul’s Bloor Street in 2021. Bishop Jenny was born in England and has lived in Pakistan, India, Singapore, and Japan. She earned an Honours BA from Queen’s University in 1994 and received her Master of Divinity from the University of Toronto (Wycliffe College) in 1997. In 2017, Wycliffe College honored the bishop with a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa). She lives in Toronto with her lawyer husband Tim, and they have three daughters.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course.
Show Notes:
- St. Paul’s Bloor Street
- Alpha
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
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- Share a Canadian Church Story
For this episode, we are welcoming Jonny Hughes, an English pastor and a close friend of Jason's. He joined us on the podcast all the way from Nottingham, England.
Jonny's journey as a pastor began in London and Southern California, where he served in various churches for nearly a decade. In 2016, along with his wife, Amy, Jonny made the significant move to Nottingham to establish Trinity Church. The name "Trinity Church" holds deep historical meaning, not only because it originated from Holy Trinity Brompton in London but also as a tribute to the longstanding legacy of Holy Trinity Church, which faithfully served Nottingham for over a century.
During our conversation, Jason and Jonny take a trip down memory lane, discussing the pivotal moments and attitudes that paved the way for the founding and flourishing of Trinity Church. The discussion centers on the crucial role of prayer in the entire establishment process.
We truly admire Jonny's humility and openness throughout the conversation as he reflects on his personal ministry journey and the various heartfelt motivations that drove him to embrace the calling of shepherding people. We are confident that you will appreciate and be inspired by the insights he shares.
Bio | Jonny Hughes is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Church Nottingham, a vibrant Church of England congregation that he and his wife, Amy, founded seven years ago. Over the past 15 years, Jonny has devoted his time to various roles in church leadership, serving communities in Nottingham, London, and previously, California.
Outside of his pastoral duties, Jonny cherishes moments with his family, which includes his wife, Amy, and their four children. Additionally, Jonny indulges in his passion for golf, a sport he's truly addicted to, and proudly cheers for his favorite team, Manchester City.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- Trinity Church Nottingham
- Holy Trinity Brompton
- Alpha
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In a span of just a few decades, Montreal underwent a remarkable transformation, shedding its once-revered title of "city of a hundred steeples" to become one of Canada's most secularized urban centers. Today only 0.7% of Montreal's population identifies as evangelical Christians. Nevertheless, amidst this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal and David Pothier and his team at La Chapelle are no exception. In this conversation, David shares his own journey of faith, the challenges and triumphs of pastoring in Montreal, the historical decline of religious affiliation, and the approach behind La Chapelle's growth over the decade. Join us for the second episode of this mini-series where we are highlighting the ways God is moving in Montreal.
Bio | David Pothier is the lead pastor of La Chapelle, a French speaking church planted in the heart of Montreal in 2013. La Chapelle is multiplying churches with a vision to plant several churches in Montreal, Quebec, and French speaking European countries in the upcoming years. He is the proud husband of Karine and father of four children.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- La Chapelle
- Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In just a few decades, Montreal has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from the once-revered "city of a hundred steeples" to becoming one of Canada's most secularized urban centres. As a result, the percentage of Montreal's population identifying as evangelical Christians stands today at a mere 0.7%. However, despite this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal. Pastor Patti Miller, leading the 107 year old community of Evangel Church, stands as a shining example of this reality. Join us for this special two-episode series that focuses on two churches in Montreal and the pastors who lead them, beginning with the one and only Patti Miller.
Bio | Patti is a pastor, blogger, urban-dweller, sometimes-runner, who laughs at her own jokes. Loves her spiky-haired husband Jeff, and visits Ukraine any chance she gets. Most of all, she's a follower of Jesus, loved by God.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Partners:
Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity.
Read World Vision's Open Generation Report to reach, love and serve the Next Generation in the most well-informed way.
Show Notes:
- Evangel Church
- The Art of Neighbouring by Jay Pathak
- Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by DA Carson
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In 2020, John Lamos sat down next to his wife Jessie after a long day at the church, and she expressed with great fatigue and honesty: “John, if this is what ministry is like, I can’t keep doing this.” John was leading on reserves at the time — he knew it and so did his family. He was lonely, restless and well into a trajectory towards complete burnout. He’d be the first to tell you his own discipleship was lacking and he couldn’t even find himself in his own vision of what it meant to be a pastor. The picture was a pastor at the end of himself, and his family following right behind him. But today, John, Jessie and their three kids are more alive in Jesus and His call than ever before... What happened in-between? We'll let John tell you.
Bio | John Lamos is the Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Church on Grand Manan, a small island off the coast of New Brunswick. He is married to Jessie and has three kids, Adaline, Olive, and Samuel.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Every dollar given to CCLN will be matched until July 19th.
Partners:
Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- Darrell Johnson: Resources to Lead You to Jesus
- An Interview with Tyler Staton on the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
What might it look like for us to match the complexity of our time with courageous and creative responses for discipleship? Join pastor and thought leader Mark Sayers as he seeks to answer this question amongst many others in this long-form conversation for pastors. In this interview, Mark marries a thoughtful dissection of felt, current issues around discipleship with ancient Christian responses such as perseverance, prayer, and radical dependency on God. With the backdrop of these “renewal spot fires” occurring around the world, Mark engages the challenges and questions leading in the church today with a message of hope, grounded in God’s inbreaking Kingdom. We know this is a long one… but we hope in a single listen or a few that you’ll ultimately be moved through this episode to continue seeking renewal and deeper discipleship where the Lord has you.
This past April, we gathered around 100 pastors from across Canada for an online gathering titled Discipleship in Our Complex Age. This conversation with Mark is from that rich time together. You can stay tuned to more events like this one by subscribing to our mailing list below.
Bio | Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Strange Days and Reappearing Church. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Rebuilders Podcast
- Red Church
- Strange Days, Life in the Spirit in a Time of Terrorism, Populist Politics, and Cult
- Reappearing Church, The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Into a revolving door of senior pastors, Ken Shigematsu arrived to lead a struggling community in Vancouver, BC by the name of Tenth Church in 1996. After over two decades, Ken is still at the helm, having led Tenth to become one of the largest and most diverse city centre churches in Canada. But you’ll notice, Ken doesn’t exude an ambitious, pioneering spirit that you might attach to a story like that. He’s more of a soft-spoken, thoughtful contemplative who is seeking to see the Kingdom come in and through his life. In this conversation, Jason and Ken chat largely about themes from his new book Now I Become Myself - touching on emotions that can be destructive for pastors like envy and shame. We hope this conversation gives you a vision for how Jesus wants to meet you in and beyond those very feelings.
Bio | Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-centre churches in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo. Ken is the author of the award-winning bestsellers ‘God in My Everything’ and ‘Survival Guide for the Soul.’ Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Now I Become Myself: How Deep Grace Heals Our Shame and Restores Our True Self
- Tenth Church
- Arrow Leadership
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
“You will love the guns out of their hands.” These are the words that Jonathan Tremaine Thomas sensed the Lord say to him in his junior year after he led a violent drug dealer to Jesus on the curb of a McDonalds in North Carolina. Since that moment, Jonathan Tremaine has given his life to seeing the Church bring transformation, justice and reconciliation in places of unrest and pain. As the founder of Civil Righteousness, Jonathan Tremaine is a leading voice on how Christians can bring justice in the way of Jesus. In this conversation between Jonathan Tremaine and Jason, hear them discuss the profound origins of Civil Righteousness, how to put the gospel into action amidst unrest, where the world’s understanding and God’s understanding of justice vary & more. We hope this conversation with Jonathan Tremaine gives you vision for how the gospel can remedy and bring hope where there is incredible pain.
Bio | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In 2003, after earning a B.S. Communications at East Carolina University and pursuing an M.A. in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; he was commissioned as a full-time missionary to the most violent neighborhoods in Nashville, TN. He gained a voice nationally due to his peacemaking efforts during the 2014 civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri; which led to the founding of CivilRighteousness, Inc. and a national reconciliation movement. He then moved to Ferguson where he currently resides with his family directing prayer fueled evangelism, community transformation, and racial reconciliation initiatives.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity.
Show Notes:
- Holy Ground
- Civil Righteousness
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Albert Chu has spent decades leading in the same community, in the same area, with the same mission – creating room for people to discover and grow as disciples of Jesus. With his pastoral experience planting and leading a multisite community, alongside his missional passion as the current Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership, Albert offers thoughtful wisdom for forming churches that reflect and captivate the place they’re in. In this conversation, Jason and Albert talk about the Tapestry Church growing from a living room gathering to what it is today, how expanding a church’s reach can produce both grief and increased opportunities for discipleship, how a second chance to keep leading shaped Albert as a disciple and pastor & more. We hope this interview with Albert reminds you of God’s desire to take care of His Church & Its leaders.
Bio | Albert has been the Lead Pastor of the Tapestry Church - a multi-campus church in the Lower Mainland - for nearly two decades. He is also the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership which strives to equip leaders for God’s mission in this corner of the world affectionately called Cascadia (PNW). Albert is married to Frieda and is blessed with two lovely daughters. They love to travel, cycle, cook, and wander with their backpacks within the 117,900 acres of bliss called Mt. Baker Wilderness.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- Tapestry Church
- Centre for Missional Leadership
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
When Jason, Chris and Jeremy set out to plant the Way Church in 2020, they found in the Vancouver Church many allies – one of them being Brett Landry. With Brett’s own history of planting in one of Canada’s most secularized cities and his desire to see more life-giving churches join its neighbourhoods, Brett offered deep wisdom and encouragement. For this conversation, instead of informally gathering in a coffee shop or church office, Chris, Jason and Brett sit down for a recorded conversation to tell the beautiful story of Christ City Church, how Brett came to know Jesus, how he has navigated the inevitable tumultuous stretches that come in pastoral ministry & more. We hope this conversation with Brett Landry serves to encourage you.
Bio | Bretty Landry is the pastor of Christ City Church in Vancouver, BC – a network of neighbourhood churches currently serving South Vancouver, East Vancouver and Kitsilano. Brett has been married to his wife Alison for almost 2 decades, and they have three teenage daughters – Tasia, Mireya, and Jasmine.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Deepen your faith and increase your impact in ministry by enrolling at Tyndale University.
Show Notes:
- Christ City Church
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Studies have shown that a pastor typically stays at one church for an average of 4 years. For Dr. Henry Schorr however, that is far from the case. With 43 years of pastoring under his belt at Centre Street Church alone, Henry sets an incredible example of both faithfulness and fruitfulness in the pastorate. In today’s episode, Jason and Henry talk about the fascinating story of Centre Street Church, the Kingdom values that led to the church’s explosive growth in the 1980s, the wisdom Henry would offer to young pastors, the integration of family and mission & more. We hope your imagination is captured by Henry’s faithful example and his reflections on over 40 years of pastoring.
Bio | Dr. Henry Schorr is the lead pastor of Centre Street Church, an influential, resourcing church in Calgary, Alberta that has been serving Calgary and beyond since 1958. Henry has been lead pastor of Centre Street Church for 43 years, with 37 of those years spent as the lead pastor. Under Henry’s leadership, Centre Street Church has had a profound impact on the National & Global Church.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.
Show Notes:
- Centre Street Church
- New Canadian Friendship Centre
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Have you ever wondered if anyone reads those New Testaments that you can sometimes find in hotel bedside tables? Well, that is exactly how Jess DiSabatino’s parents came to know Jesus… and her life was never the same. In today’s episode, Jason and Jess move stage by stage through Jess’ story of her family coming to Christ, how she ended up in the pastorate and how Journey Church, the church she leads today, came to be. It’s a story that starts with an unplanned, late night reading of the Book of Acts, and ends with a pastor seeking for God’s Kingdom to come in Northwest Calgary. We hope that it inspires you.
Bio | Jessica DiSabatino is a renowned communicator in both business environments and the Church. Following the death of her younger brother, Jess and her dad founded MySafeWork, a philanthropic initiative to bring justice to workplaces in Canada and around the world. For this ground-breaking work, Jess received the Governor General’s award in 2016. In tandem with her foundation work, Jess has pastored in various churches for over twenty years and currently serves as lead pastor of Journey Church in Calgary, AB. When Jess is not playing with her husband and four kids, or her Goldendoodle, Nacho, she is busy resurrecting her 1980s rap career.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion.
Show Notes:
- Journey Church
- My Safe Work
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Right alongside the name Billy Graham when it comes to discussions on evangelism, is the name Luis Palau. Luis was a passionate evangelist who preached in over 80 different countries, and saw millions of people come to know Jesus before his death in March of 2021. Carrying forward the spirit of Luis’ ministry is his son Kevin Palau. Kevin, who now runs the Luis Palau Association, is an incredible leader who has helped form profound gospel movements in secular cities; movements that in certain instances engaged over 200 churches and 32,000 people in over 300 service projects. Join Kevin and Jason as they discuss how Luis finished his life, the postures that contribute to gospel movements, working with municipalities for the sake of a city & countless stories of Jesus using the “yes” of people to bring His Kingdom to earth. We hope this episode encourages you and gives you vision for the impact that’s possible in your community.
Bio | Kevin Palau is President and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. Under his leadership, LPA has united tens of thousands of churches in hundreds of cities to love and serve their communities and clearly share the Good News of Jesus. Kevin also helps lead TogetherPDX, a sustainable, united movement of churches in Portland, Oregon. His book, Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel describes the ongoing impact of the movement. Kevin lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his wife, Michelle, and enjoys serving on the boards of Alpha USA, Christians Against Poverty, and Transforming the Bay with Christ.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion.
Show Notes:
- Luis Palau Association
- TogetherPDX
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Over decades in the church, Ross has seen pastors pass the preaching test, and even the pastoral test, but seen less pass the character test than one would want. Today Ross is giving much of his time seeking to understand how pastors can cultivate holiness in the busyness of ministry and be a part of the 15% who finish well in the pastorate. Join Ross, Jason and guest interviewer Chris Price as they discuss how Ross was formed pastorally through personal depression, a grid for making ethical decisions, the significance of beholding Christ & more. We hope this episode encourages you to look to Jesus and be transformed into His character.
Bio | Ross Hastings, a Zimbabwean Scot, holds PhDs in organometallic chemistry and theology. His teaching interests include Trinitarian theology, pastoral theology, theology and spirituality of mission, ethics, and the interface between science and theology. Ross's most recent work is Theological Ethics: The Church's Integrity in Contemporary Context. Ross lost his first wife Sharon to cancer in 2008 after 27 years of marriage. In 2011 he married Tammy Carrillo, who also lost her husband to cancer in 2008. Together they have five children. He enjoys sport—especially rugby, cricket, soccer, tennis, squash and flyfishing—as well as a wide variety of music.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Pastoral Ethics by Ross Hastings
- Echoes of Coinherence by Ross Hastings
- Regent College
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In October, we welcomed 100+ youth pastors representing over 8,000 students to Vancouver, BC for our very first Canadian Youth Pastor Summit. 3 days with some of Canada’s best youth pastors, all gathering for the sake of the next generation. These are some of our favorite moments from our time together.
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
- Youth ministry experts Lisette Fraser, Sid Koop and Jason Ballard.
- Youth Pastor Jarin Oda from Bridgetown Church.
- Pastor and preacher Chris Price.
- And other youth pastors we interviewed live, in the moment from across Canada.
Join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at CCLN as they walk through the final day of the gathering, uncovering themes like partnering with parents, leading vulnerably in front of students, emerging gender identities, the beauty of serving youth long-term, best practices for spiritual formation & more.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Youth Worker Community
- The Coalition: Youth Ministry Leadership
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In October, we welcomed 100+ youth pastors representing over 8,000 students to Vancouver, BC for our very first Canadian Youth Pastor Summit. 3 days with some of Canada’s best youth pastors, all gathering for the sake of the next generation. These are some of our favorite moments from our time together.
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
- Youth ministry experts Lisette Fraser, Sid Koop and Jason Ballard.
- Bible researcher, Hakeem Bradley from the Bible Project.
- Long-time pastor and preacher Darrell Johnson.
- And other youth pastors we interviewed live, in the moment from across Canada.
Join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at CCLN as they walk through this gathering, uncovering themes like key youth audiences to focus on, what Generation Z cares about most, deepening Bible engagement in our youth ministries, the challenges youth pastors are experiencing & what Jesus is inviting them into today. We hope this episode equips and encourages you to do effective, Spirit empowered youth ministry in this time.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Youth Worker Community
- The Coalition: Youth Ministry Leadership
- Bible Project
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Though the major cities in Canada seem to have a sort of gravitational pull to them, there is a deep need for smaller towns in our country to see church planting, multiplication and revitalization. Canada needs more pastors like Nathan Weselake who have a big Kingdom vision for the smaller places in our nation. Join Nathan and Jason as they discuss the key prayers that are transforming Nathan’s church, how his heart beats most for indigenous reconciliation, what it means for a church to exist for a place & more. And one last thing – with a heart to minister to remote fly-in communities in Manitoba, Nathan might be the only pastor with a plane who you would gladly support… We hope this episode inspires you to see God’s Kingdom come where He has you today.
Bio | Nathan is married to Tamara, and they have four children. Nathan is Lead Pastor of Prairie Alliance Church in Portage La Prairie, providing overarching leadership over their sites. Nathan is passionate about helping PAC live out four key prayers and pursuing reconciliation with local Indigenous communities. You can usually find him riding bikes, deep-diving into sports fantasy leagues, and eating food that has been sitting in the fridge for far too long.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion.
Show Notes:
- Prairie Alliance Church
- Upside Down Kingdom by Nathan Weselake
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
With Jesus’ words living deep in her heart, Joyce Rees is known as someone who calls the Church and Her leaders to the main things. To sit down with Joyce is to inevitably talk about loving the poor, becoming a servant, contemplating a day where we will stand before the Lord. Join Joyce and Jason as they discuss those themes as well as the impact Joyce’s ministry had on Jason as a teenager, why we cannot simply copy and paste another leader’s methods or style, how pursuing God’s call often comes with resistance & more. We hope this episode inspires you to faithfully serve where the Lord has you today.
Bio | Joyce Rees has pastored for thirty years. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker for diverse parts of the Church as an exceptional communicator, known especially for her teaching on justice. Joyce was the founding director of Jacob's Well, an intentional Christian community in Vancouver's downtown eastside – the poorest postal code in Canada. During her decade living and working there she also planted the Strathcona Vineyard Church. Since 2014 she has served as co-lead pastor of Epic Vineyard Church in Calgary, and also works bi-vocationally for Vineyard Canada as their Resource Coordinator since 2019. Joyce loves adventuring with her husband and two sons, as well as complex cooking, reading pretty much everything, and many diverse artistic pursuits.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada.
Show Notes:
- Epic Vineyard Church
- Jacob’s Well
- Stephen’s Society
- A Burning in my Bones by Winn Collier
- Hemorrhaging Faith Study
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
We have had quite a few conversations with Darrell Johnson now, and it still feels like we are just scratching the surface of what the Lord has taught him in his 50+ years of ministry. For this special episode, we interviewed Darrell live and online in front of pastors from across Canada, using the questions they submitted. In this conversation, Darrell and Jason discuss the definition of a pastor, how to serve churches while prioritizing family, teaching a biblically illiterate church, what Darrell prays for pastors & more. We hope this episode serves you as you in turn serve those the Lord has entrusted to you.
Bio | Darrell W. Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as a pastor at The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network. He and his wife Sharon have been married over 50 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren!
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Show Notes:
- Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in The Bible by Timothy S. Laniak
- Texts on Shepherding: Ezekiel 34, Psalm 23
- Darrell’s Website
- The Darrell Johnson Podcast
- Follow Darrell on Instagram
- Darrell’s YouTube Channel
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
After almost 100 episodes, Mike happens to be the first pastor/body-builder that has graced the podcast … and he did not disappoint. With almost 20 years at the same church (North Pointe Community Church), and a story marked with unimaginable suffering, Mike is an incredible example of faithfulness and perseverance. In this conversation, Mike and Jason discuss the 100+ year history of North Pointe, the importance of building vibrant churches in rural communities, how to effect change while working with teams of people, as well as Mike’s tragic story of loss and how it’s impacted his life and pastoral vocation. We hope you are inspired through this episode with Mike Voll.
Bio | Mike lives with his wife Melissa, and children Aubri and Zane in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the Lead Pastor at North Pointe Community Church and an Adjunct Faculty member at Vanguard College in Edmonton, where he teaches the Intermediate Pastoral Practicum class. Michael’s passion in life is to communicate for change in everyday living through sharing his story and creative teaching of Bible principles. He is a speaker, teacher and writer on issues of faith, leadership and family. In his downtime Michael likes to be the tickle monster to his kids, read spy novels, lift weights and grill up a mean rib eye steak.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- North Pointe Community Church
- Sideswiped: Three Keys to a Fresh Start after Suffering a Broken Heart
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
While most teenagers her age were dreaming about years of travelling or schooling after graduation, young Katia Adams was dreaming about planting a church. With parents and grandparents that played a vital role in the inception of the Iranian Church, Katia was dead set on building upon the foundation of faith laid by her family. Katia’s story can be traced from Iran, to England, all the way to the heart of Boston in the USA today where she pastors a community called the Table Boston. In this interview, hear her and Jason discuss this unique story, and how it has profoundly shaped the way Katia views the church and pastoral leadership today.
Bio | Katia is Senior Pastor of The Table Boston Church and Director of Frequentsee. Katia teaches on theological courses, church conferences and leadership events internationally. In addition to being a preacher, pastor, she is also a medical doctor, wife to Julian, mother to two busy children and the author of Equal.
Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. To get in touch with them, email our friend Jon at jon.wright@generis.com
Show Notes:
- The Table Boston
- Frequentsee
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far.
In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 2 of what we found.
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far.
In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 2 of what we found.
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far.
In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 1 of what we found.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far.
In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 1 of what we found.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Here's a quick update on an upcoming episode we're excited to release, and a bit about what this fall will look like on the podcast. Take a listen.
There aren’t many who can say that in the wake of their life there is a 24/7 prayer movement that has impacted half the nations on earth - but Pete Greig can. And though Pete’s resume has marked the world, he sits down with Jason in a self-effacing way, calling pastors with conviction and sensitivity towards a life walking out the way of Jesus. In this conversation, Pete and Jason discuss the bewildering origin of the 24/7 prayer movement, how Kingdom work needs to be tethered to the local church, how pastors can rise to meet the moment we’re in & more. We hope you are inspired by this episode with Pete Greig.
Bio | Pete is a best-selling author, pastor and bewildered instigator of the 24-7 Prayer movement which has reached more than half the nations on earth. He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, England, an Ambassador for the NGO Tearfund, and teaches at St Mellitus Theological College in London. For 7 years Pete served with the senior leadership team at HTB and Alpha International. Pete’s publications include ‘Red Moon Rising‘, ‘God on Mute‘, ‘The Prayer Course’, and ‘Dirty Glory’. He loves art galleries, live music and knocking down walls.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- 24/7 Prayer
- Prayer Course
- Unanswered Prayer Course
- The Vision
- Red Moon Rising
- God On Mute
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
We want 1000 more pastors like Sunder Krishnan in Canada. Sunder represents a faithful demographic of church leaders who have finished well in ministry, now taking up the mantle of mentoring the next generation of pastors in our nation with visible delight and joy. With over 35 years of pastoral ministry in his rearview, Sunder has a lot to say. Through this conversation, we know you will be drawn to consider your postures as you lead, the life you’re living before your church and what it might mean for you to be found faithful. We hope you enjoy this episode with Sunder Krishnan.
Bio | Sunder was born in India and grew up in the capital city of New Delhi. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology and received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked with Atomic Energy of Canada. He became a pastor in 1980, retiring in 2016. Sunder and his wife, Shyamala, have been married since 1971. They have two grown children, Vijay and Sheila, and six grandchildren.
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Show Notes:
- Darrell Johnson's Preaching Course
- Youth For Christ
- Power to Change
- Sunder's Books
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Jason has a great conversation with Joshua Butler, pastor of Redemption Tempe in Arizona. They discuss Josh's story of coming to faith, entering ministry, and working at a church in Portland doing mission and outreach in their city. Josh also shares some of his learnings from working with college students and twenty somethings about how to navigate hard questions, listen well, and share the gospel in a compelling manner.
Bio | Joshua currently serves as lead pastor of Redemption Tempe, a thriving church near Arizona State University, one of the largest colleges in the country. Prior to 2018, he served as an outreach pastor for fifteen years in Portland (OR) at Imago Dei Community.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- Josh Butler Website & Books
- Redemption Tempe
Apply for the 2023 Church Leaders Incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
Jason and Simon Ponsonby sit down for a conversation following CCLN's Incubator Program's time in Oxford. When there, Simon gave a historic tour of their neighbourhood and its spiritual history to our cohort of Canadian Pastors.
Bio | A fourth generation preacher, Simon Ponsonby came to personal faith in his late teens. He worked as a butcher, then became an evangelist and church planter, before preparing for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, where he gained his BA & MLitt in Theology. He is an international author, speaker and theologian, now based at St Aldates, Oxford, UK where he is Pastor of Theology. He has written several books on practical theology and doctrine. Simon is married to Tiffany, and they have two grown sons.
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Show Notes:
- St. Aldates Church
- Amazed By Jesus Book
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow on Instagram
- Share a Canadian Church Story
In today’s episode, we share some highlights from our time in England with our Church Leaders Incubator. This cohort of 17 young, senior leaders in Canada got to connect with pastors and church teams over a 5 day trip as part of their 2 year journey in the program. Hear some of their reflections from the sessions and how it impacted them at a personal level.
To learn more about the Church Leaders Incubator or to apply for our January 2023 Intake, head to ccln.ca/incubator
Get Connected!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
- Subscribe on YouTube
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For our next episode, we will be releasing audio from our sessions in England with different church leaders there. It's on it's way! Thanks for your patience - we promise it'll be worth the wait!
Mark Sayers joined an online session with our Church Leaders Incubator back in the Fall where he explored a variety of topics on pastoral leadership and prophetically spoke into where he believes the Spirit is moving the church in the coming years.
Bio | Mark Sayers is a cultural commentator, writer, and speaker. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books, including Disappearing Church, Facing Leviathan, and Reappearing Church. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is also one of the hosts of the Rebuilders podcast. Mark lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy.
Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here.
Register for our Preaching Seminar with Darrell Johnson on June 3rd here.
Show Notes:
- Mark Sayers: Non Anxious Presence Book
- Red Church
- Intercessor - Rees Howells
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In today’s episode, we bring you into a conversation Jason hosted for our Church Leaders Incubator with Darren Rouanzoin. Amongst our group of young, senior leaders, Jason and Darren wade into conversations on what a Spirit filled church looks like, the need for personal holiness as pastors, and how to build a covenantal community.
Bio | Darren Rouanzoin lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Alex and their two boys, Ezra and Amos. Darren is the founding pastor of Garden Church, a community in the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the US. He is passionate about leading people to know and experience the extravagant generosity of God and the abundant life Jesus brings here and now.
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
Show Notes:
- Garden Church
- Darren’s Website
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- Website
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Gordon Smith joins Jason to dive into topics like calling, ecclesiology, secularism, and having hope for the next season as pastors and leaders.
Bio | Gordon T. Smith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Institutional Intelligence, Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, and Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal.
Show Notes:
- Gordon Smith website
- Ambrose University
- Gordon Smith’s books
- Parker Palmer - The Courage to Teach
- Alec Hill - Just Business
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Glenn Packiam was last on the podcast in mid 2020 with Jason, so we were excited to have him back on and to hear about his latest book, The Resilient Pastor. Partnering with Barna, Glenn dives into research on the state of pastors and churches and what it will take to lead your church in a rapidly changing world.
Bio | Glenn Packiam (Doctor of Theology and Ministry, Durham University) is associate senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and lead pastor of one of its eight congregations, New Life Downtown. A Senior Fellow at Barna Group, a visiting fellow at St. John’s College at Durham University, and an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary, Glenn is the author of several books, including The Resilient Pastor, Blessed Broken Given, and Worship and the World to Come.
He is also an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America, speaks regularly at conferences, and has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows. Glenn and his wife, Holly, live in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with their four children.
Show Notes:
- The Resilient Pastor - Glenn Packiam's book
- New Life Church
- Glenn’s Website
- Soul Sanctuary Church Story
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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One of the most influential voices in western evangelicalism in recent history has been pastor Eugene Peterson. Known especially for his paraphrase of the Bible, “The Message”, his writings, preaching, and pastoral life have touched the lives of millions. In today's episode, Jason sits down with Winn Collier, who recently released the authorized biography of Eugene called “A Burning in My Bones”.
Bio | In addition to A Burning in My Bones, Winn Collier has authored four books (Restless Faith, Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of François Fénelon, Holy Curiosity, and Love Big, Be Well) and contributed to numerous other volumes. He has written for multiple periodicals including Christianity Today, Christian Century, Relevant, and the Washington Post.
A pastor for twenty-five years, Winn was the founding pastor of All Souls Charlottesville in Virginia. He now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, where he focused on the intersection of religion and literary fiction. Winn and his wife, Miska, a spiritual director, live in Holland, Michigan, with their two sons.
Show Notes:
- Working the Angles - Eugene Petersen
- Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination
- A Burning In My Bones - Eugene Peterson
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Jason is joined by Phil Kniesel this week, Lead Pastor at Hope City Church in Edmonton. In the conversation, they reflect on Phil’s succession journey from leading a young adults ministry to transitioning into the lead pastor role over a six year timespan.
Bio | Phil is the Lead Pastor of Hope City Church in Edmonton, a multi campus church with campuses throughout the city. He is their primary communicator and brings vision to their staff and direction.
Show Notes:
- Hope City Church Website
- Hope City Church Instagram
- Phil's Instagram
Mark Sayers Audio Download
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 79 | Father Matthew is the Parish Priest at Holy Apostles Orthodox Mission, Chilliwack, B.C. He helps people to unite themselves to God through life in the Body of Christ, participation in the Holy Mysteries, and through encountering Jesus Christ - in the Scriptures and in all of life. He is also the Regional Director, BC & Yukon, Canadian Bible Society - He helps people in B.C. in Yukon to hear God speak through the Bible.
Show Notes:
- Holy Apostles Chillawack
- Instagram - @fathermatthewfrancis
- Canadian Bible Society
Mark Sayers Audio Download
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 78 | After leading New Life Fellowship Church for 26 years, Pete Scazzero co-founded Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a groundbreaking ministry that moves the church forward by slowing the church down in order to multiply deeply changed leaders and disciples.
Show Notes:
- Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Book
- Emotionally Healthy Website
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 77 | Milissa is the Lead Pastor at Redwood Park Church in Thunder Bay, ON. She is passionate about preaching God's Word, seeing men & women grow into the people God made them to be, and embracing the Church's call to engage in God's ministry of reconciliation.
Milissa is a graduate of The University of British Columbia, Arrow Leadership, and finishing her studies at Tyndale Seminary. She loves spending time with her husband, Jay, and two daughters. In her free time, you will find Milissa painting, reading, trail running, skiing, swimming in lakes, or cycling.
Show Notes:
- Redwood Park Church
- Book: Winn Collier - A Burning in My Bones
- Twitter: @milissa_ewing
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
- Join our Mailing List!
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Episode 76 | Brandon is passionate about seeing individuals transformed and empowered by the love of God. He met his wife Emma in 2008 and, after several years of long distance dating, chose to attend Redeemer University College together. In 2012 they got married and finished their undergraduate degrees in 2014. They have pastored Slate Church for seven years now and continue to feel desperate in their pursuit to see and walk alongside people as they come alive in Christ and experience His grace. They call Waterloo home and enjoy life with their three kids, Kenzington, Claire and Theo.
Show Notes:
- Slate Church Website
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- Website
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Episode 75 | Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. Previously, he served as co-founder and Lead Pastor of Oaks Church Brooklyn. His passion is a community that is unexplainable apart from the love and power of God. Tyler is also the author of Searching for Enough and is currently working on a second book, this one on the topic of prayer.
Show Notes:
- Praying with the Church - Scot McKnight
- Searching For Enough - Tyler Staton
- Tyler Staton's Website
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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As we finish off 2021, we wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the conversations we have had this past year that encouraged us in ministry, shifted our thinking, and brought us back to a deeper abiding in Christ.
To give to our Year End Match Campaign, click here.
For links to all the episodes featured, you can find them here.
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Episode 73 | Alan Hirsch and Jason connect in this week’s episode to explore mission, church leadership, and the five-fold gifts in Ephesians 4. Jason starts by asking Alan how he would even define the role he has in the church, as a speaker, writer, but also movement starter, how does he see himself? Alan jokes that he isn’t always sure, but that he feels called to start movements and speak into how the Church can better lean into its mission and stay outward oriented in it’s functions.
About Sid Koop
Alan Hirsch is the founder of 100 Movements, Forge Mission Training Network, and Future Travelers, and 5QCollective. All these organizations focus on pioneering leadership development and training and consulting on the church as a missional movement.
Known for his innovative approach to mission, Alan is widely considered to be a thought-leader in his field and has worked with churches and organization across the world, but mainly in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Hirsch is the author of numerous award winning books including The Forgotten Ways, The Shaping of Things to Come, ReJesus and The Faith of Leap, Untamed, Right Here, Right Now, On the Verge, and The Permanent Revolution. His experience includes leading a local church movement among the marginalized, developing training systems for innovative missional leadership, and heading up the mission and revitalization work of his denomination.
Alan is co-founder of the M.A. in Missional Church Movements at Wheaton College (Illinois). He is also adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary, George Fox Seminary, Asbury Seminary, among others, and he lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe, and the United States. He is series editor for IVP's Forge line, Baker Books' Shapevine series.
Show Notes:
- 5Q Book
- 360 APEST Assessment
- Starfish and the Spirit book
- Reframation book
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 72 | In their conversation, Jason and Sid Koop dive into all things youth ministry, exploring the current state of youth in our churches and how churches are best reaching young people. They talk about the role of the youth pastor and how it can act as both a development role for a future position, but also as committed calling for long term service. Sid highlighted that one of the greatest ways pastors can approach youth pastor roles, is to see it as being centered on equipping and developing volunteers. Whether young and energetic, or more seasoned and less “cool”, great youth pastors develop great volunteers who can invest in the lives of young people.
About Sid Koop
From camp speaker to local youth pastor to youth ministry professor, Sid Koop draws from a deep well of experience over a couple decades. He is the Executive Director of Youth Worker Community where he and his team are dedicated to filling in the gaps for youth workers by equipping, empowering, and supporting youth workers to help the next generation know Jesus.
Sid has a Masters in Youth and Family Ministries and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry in Emerging Generations at Gordon-Conwell Seminary.
Show Notes:
- Truth Matters
- Arrow Leadership
- Youth Worker Community
Join The Network!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 71 | Rich Villodas and Jason dive deep in this week’s episode to explore the interior world of leaders, the wrestle of celebrity, and to hear the story of Rich coming to faith and becoming a pastor. Jason asks Rich about a recent talk he gave at a Q Ideas conference where he outlined the difference between celebrity and celebrity-ism. He sees celebrity as a state often imposed by others or manifested out of simple notoriety; Jesus was a celebrity in many ways! Celebrity-ism, however, is a state of the soul and is rooted in entitlement. Rich warns us as Christian leaders to be wary of systems and cultures that can create celebrity-ism in us and the need for close accountability and accessibility to our people – no matter the size of church.
Show Notes:
- Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 70 | Jason is joined by Francis Chan in this week’s episode to discuss his latest book, Until Unity, and what God has been stirring in him most recently. One of the things most on his heart these days is the importance of Communion. He unpacks with Jason where his deepening conviction has come from for there to be a return to Communion as a central part of our gatherings. About | Francis Chan has been a pastor for over thirty years. He is a New York Times–bestselling author of several books, including Crazy Love, Letters to the Church, and Until Unity. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married nearly thirty years and co-authored You and Me Forever. Currently, Francis is in Northern California teaching and discipling the next generation of pastors and leaders.
Show Notes:
- World Vision's: Connected Generation Report
- Until Unity Book
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 69 | Jason is joined by Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada in this week’s episode to discuss their time together at Alpha, what she is learning about evangelism, and how she has learned to invest in young leaders.
About | Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016), and currently holds positions on the Board of the Damascus Road Foundation and on the Board of Regent College-an International Graduate School in Vancouver.
Show Notes:
- World Vision's: Connected Generation Report
- Shaila's Website
- Alpha Canada
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- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Bonus Episode | Danielle shares passionately with Jason in this week’s episode about how the church can step into our cultural moment with humility and courage. It’s not easy to be a church leader right now. Increasingly, people view the church as detrimental to society and harmful to individuals. As pastors, we can respond with defensiveness and aggression, or we can take a path of reflection and refinement to see how God might want to shape us.
About | Danielle Strickland’s aggressive compassion has served people firsthand in countries all over the world. From establishing justice departments and church plants, to launching global anti-trafficking initiatives, to creating new initiatives to mobilize people towards transformational spiritual life. Danielle trains, advocates, and inspires people to live differently through initiatives like: Amplify Peace, Brave Global, Infinitum, and Women’s Speaker Collective.
Show Notes:
- World Vision's: Connected Generation Report
- IMBY Homes
- World Vision Chosen Initiative
- Danielle Strickland's website
Join The Network!
- Blog & Episode write-up
- Website
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Episode 68 | David Kinnaman from Barna and Mark Sayers of Red Church to explore what some of the latest data and church trends might mean for the future of the church and pastoring. Barna in 2019 and 2021 did a significant research project called the Connected Generation where they interviewed 18-35 year olds on areas of church engagement, mental health, and global concerns. In this episode, they specifically explore the Canadian data and what it might reveal about the shifting trends in young christians and non christians. Something Mark emphasizes is that although many of the trends can seem discouraging, we have seen them coming; the pandemic just acted as a portal to jump us ahead faster. For example, many of the people who have left the church during the pandemic were already considering it anyways. So where does that leave us? Well, both David and Mark have hope. What remains is a faithful remnant who have chosen to stay and who are hungrier than ever for the things of God.
About | David Kinnaman is the author of the bestselling books Faith For Exiles, Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with more than two million individuals and overseen thousands of U.S. and global research studies. He lives in California with his three children. Mark Sayers is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Strange Days and Reappearing Church. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy.
Links from the show:
- Connected Generation Report
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 67 | Kara Powell is a veteran of researching young people and bringing practical ministry ideas to pastors and leaders in churches. Jason sat down with Kara to hear some of the latest research being released in her new book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager.
They begin by highlighting why this all matters and what is at stake when we talk about discipling kids and youth in our communities. Kara highlights both the ways churches can impact the lives of young people positively, but also how young people can help transform churches. Going off research from past projects as well, Kara shares about what churches reaching young people are doing well and how pastors of kids and youth ministries are best discipling their people to follow Jesus.
Jason also explores with Kara the ways parents are the primary way of discipling young people and what it means for pastors to partner with them. They talk about ideas and tactics that have been effective at encouraging parents and building relational trust with parents that pastors can look to implement.
About | Dr. Kara E. Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. The mission of FYI is to equip diverse leaders and parents so faithful young people can change our world. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch”, Kara completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary with a focus on Pastoral Role Expectations in 2000, an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994, and a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University in 1991. In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She is the author or co-author of 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager (releasing August 2021), Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, 18 Plus, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode67
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 66 | In this week’s episode, Jason had the opportunity to connect with Keith Taylor in the final week of his 30-year tenure at Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton. In their conversation, Keith reflects back on 42 years of ministry and the ways he saw God move in different ways, in different seasons. He also shares about the unique history of Beulah, born out of a missionary-style movement to Western Canada in the early 1900s, and speaks to young pastors about what can help them serve faithfully for decades to come.
As Keith finished his time as the Lead Pastor of Beulah, it was also the beginning of a new era of leadership for the church. Almost five years ago, the journey began as the elders board and Keith started to look towards what would be next and how they might begin preparing for the search and evaluation process.
Looking ahead, Keith says he isn’t done just yet! Although his time at Beulah is over, he is excited by the ways God might lead him to new assignments and ways to serve others still. He plans to spend time with younger pastors and to invest in the next generation of leaders who face a challenging Canadian landscape ahead. He has great faith though, knowing that if pastors continue to rely on God’s power, He will ultimately continue to build His Church across our country.
About | Keith Taylor served for 30 years as Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, recently passing on that role in Spring of 2021. Previously, Keith was lead pastor for 11 years at the Alliance Church in Vernon, BC. He is a passionate preacher, leader, and champion of people and enjoys continuing to be a part of Beulah after his retirement. He has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Jacquie, for 45 years. They have three married children and 6 awesome grandkids. Keith has served on the Ambrose University Board, Alpha Canada Board and numerous other denominational boards. He also has a passion for motorcycles and sailing.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode66
Website | www.ccln.ca
Bonus Episode | This week we feature a special bonus conversation between Jason and the Executive Director of International Justice Mission Canada, Anu George Canjanathoppil. Throughout the interview, she shares her own story and upbringing that led her to pursue a role advocating for justice. She also speaks to the work of IJM, their vision for a slave-free future, and how pastors might partner with them to join the fight. Anu is a gifted and passionate leader who God has uniquely positioned to work towards to abolition of slavery. About | Anu George Canjanathoppil became the Executive Director of International Justice Mission (IJM) Canada in September, 2019. Anu has 9 years of leadership experience with IJM. In Delhi, India, she served as the Director of Operations and the Director of National Interventions, and in Chennai, India, she served as the Director of Legal. During her time with IJM, Anu worked extensively to impact the justice system by collaborating with state and local governments in India. Anu oversaw the training of more than 17,000 police, government officials, and NGOs on the rescue and rehabilitation of individuals trapped in slavery and bringing criminals to justice. As a result of Anu’s leadership, 8,500 individuals have been rescued from forced labour slavery.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/anu-george-canjanathoppil Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 65 | Aaron White, a local ministry leader in the Vancouver area with positions at 24-7 Prayer Canada, Westminster Theological Centre, and Jacob’s Well. He shares about choosing to live in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and how although many people see the area as dangerous or rundown, he finds great beauty and community within it. He talks about how many people can come to the area, hoping to share Jesus with those on the streets, but are often surprised to learn that Jesus is already there.
Jason picks up on that theme, asking about what it means for churches and Christians to not come in with a prideful spirit, but to still find ways to effectively minister to the needs of their city. Aaron encourages him that if the church is the church in its own neighbourhood, that actually blesses the wider society. Not every church needs to be in the same area or trying to serve the same people, but through the fabric of the local church in a city, all kinds of needs can be met. When talking about serving the poor and working to bring compassion and justice to our cities, Aaron insists that prayer must be the first step. It’s through ministering to Jesus in prayer that we learn to care for and minister to those He loves.
About | Aaron White is the National Director of 24-7 Prayer Canada. He has been a pastor, missioner, justice worker and prayer instigator in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver for the past 16 years, where he lives with his wife and four children in a community home. He is the co-author of Revolution and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Kingdom of God; co-creator of The Creative Way Down discipleship resource; and author of the upcoming book Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode65
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 64 | Ho-Ming Tsui of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church in Toronto, Ontario joins Jason for his second conversation on the podcast. Between this interview and the previous one with Ho-Ming, multiple anti-racism movements have arisen and resonated with millions across the globe. In particular, the Stop Asian Hate movement triggered by the Atlanta shootings in March, have acutely affected Ho-Ming and the Chinese community that he pastors.
Ho-Ming with great honesty processes the many tensions he felt as he considered how to thoughtfully respond to this movement. Thousands of pastors worldwide felt the pressure to release some sort of statement or response in the wake of the shootings. Ho-Ming shares how he wanted to provide more than a statement for his congregation, but a space for them to reflect, grieve and pray together. He describes the incredible fruit of that decision.
About | Ho-Ming is the Lead Pastor of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church, a multi-generational, multi-lingual church just outside of Toronto. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, and went onto graduate studies at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Ho-Ming speaks frequently at conferences in Toronto and has traveled to Asia, Europe and Africa to teach as well. He is an avid guitarist and loves all things sci-fi. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie, they have three children.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode64
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 63 | Jon Thompson joins Jason this week for a unique conversation about calling in pastoral ministry. Based on a talk from a 2018 church leaders gathering, Jon shares what he believes is the foundation for long term, effective church leadership. Jon’s own journey led him to question what biblical calling looked like. Experiencing a sense of supernatural leading and divine intervention in his twenties, he came to believe pastors without that “moment” might not be called. However, after stepping back to evaluate the scriptures, he came to see four biblical models for calling that he called: 1) “I have no choice”, 2) gift-based, 3) family-based, and 4) community affirmed. Based on biblical figures, Jon shares with Jason how most pastors experience one or a combination of these before or in their early years of ministry. Jason presses Jon on common objections or hesitations people might raise from seeing the idea of calling misused in church circles historically.
About | Jon Thompson serves as the Senior Pastor at Sanctus Church (formerly C4 Church), just outside of Toronto, Canada. He has been on staff for more than 20 years. Sanctus is a regional church with a community of over 3,000 people that gather in multiple locations in the Greater Toronto area. Under Jon’s leadership, Sanctus is characterized by dynamic Biblical teaching, vibrant community groups, compelling media and powerful times in worship. Jon has a Masters of Theological Studies from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto and a Doctorate of Missiology from Fuller Seminary, California. Jon is husband to his wife Joanna and Father to three kids - Hannah, Emma and Noah.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode63
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 62 | Kevin Myers, Founding Pastor of 12 Stone Church in Georgia, is interviewed this week by Brent Ingersoll of Kings Church in Atlantic Canada. As a veteran leader of one of the largest churches in America, Kevin has an acute understanding of the challenges of senior leadership and the many seasons a leader might walk through. The two of them discuss themes such as what precedes renewals, what we can learn today from the prophet Elijah and how the Church needs to return back to the ABC's of ministry in the Kingdom.
About | Kevin Myers has been married for nearly forty years and has four children and two grandchildren. Kevin is the senior pastor of 12Stone Church, one of the largest churches in the United States. A gifted communicator, influential leader, and strategic thinker, Kevin planted the church in 1987 and has grown it to eight campuses. Kevin mentors pastors and church planters, speaks at churches and businesses around the country, and serves on the General Board of the Wesleyan Church as well as the Wesleyan Investment Foundation (WIF), a nonprofit corporation that assists churches with capital needs.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode62
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 61 | Vijay Krishnan, Pastor of The Well Church in Toronto, joins Jason this week for a discussion on what the church might look like coming out of the pandemic, his personal ministry journey, and the development challenges pastors are facing these days.
Vijay’s journey into ministry was not a straight path, but instead included multiple years working in marketing for a large food retail brand before stepping into the lead pastor role of the church plant he was a part of. The tension he experienced of loving and giving his all to the church plant, but then heading to work on Mondays struggling to find motivation, eventually pushed him to make the change. The church had struggled a bit since inception, however Vijay felt a strong sense of calling to stay and build into the community.
About
Vijay Krishnan is the Lead Pastor of The Well, one church with 3 congregations in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Vijay began his career working in the Toronto business community for 10 years doing CPG and Retail marketing. During that time, he helped launch The Well and in 2009 transitioned into the Lead Pastor role. Vijay is passionate about seeing the unchurched, de-churched and post-everything people of the GTA come to know and love Jesus. Vijay, his wife Jenn and their three boys are thrilled to be in ministry in the local church. Vijay’s other passions include playing sports with his kids, listening to loud music, reading crime novels and snowboarding the mountain-less terrain of Ontario.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode61
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 60 | John Mark Comer joins Jason for the second time on our podcast to share his reflections and learnings from this past year and what his future looks like as he transitions out of his pastoral role at Bridgetown.
They start off reviewing the ways this past year has caused trauma, hurt, fatigue and division in the church and what the pastoral task is in the midst of this. In the last few years, John Mark highlights how he has felt a distinct shift in people’s expectations of him and the increased criticisms pastors are receiving. No longer is enough nuance, a relaxed presentation, and deep cultural analysis and study enough to avoid attacks being hurled at teachers and churches. In light of this, pastors need a deeper conviction than ever on what Jesus has called them to, not just what people want from them; John Mark sees this as primarily centering around a sort of spiritual director and shepherd for people.
Jason asks what the role is of the church amidst these cultural conversations. John Mark unpacks the idea of the church as an alternative society, not meant to shape all of culture itself, but rather to give an alternative culture where people experience the kingdom of heaven on earth. Part of this calling for pastors to form these communities is to suffer on behalf of their people, or as John Mark defines it, pastoring is vicarious suffering. To do this, our inner peace must be based on the truth’s of Jesus and not our outer surroundings.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode60
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 59 | John and Helen Burns joined Jason to share about their life, ministry, and the wisdom they have learned as spouses and parents after 35 years in ministry together. Anne Miranda, Women’s Pastor at Village Church, also joined the conversation as she was impacted in special ways by their ministry years ago. She shared the story of coming back to church as a teenager and experiencing healing one night as John preached at Victory Christian Centre (later renamed to Relate Church).
John and Helen talk about their time at Relate Church as lead pastors and their recent transition to become the founding and teaching pastors as they turned the reins over to new leadership. Throughout their 35 years at Relate, they have learned the importance of fighting bitterness and journeying with the right people around you. One of their unique giftings as a couple has been to connect with and care for younger people, no matter what the age gap is. John muses that he is basically a teenager, but in all seriousness, loves to learn from and empower young people to find their giftings in the local church.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode59
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 58 | Jason had the privilege of sitting down on this week’s episode with Pastor Drew Hyun who oversees a family of churches called Hope Church NYC. Drew is a kind and committed leader to the mission of God and shares vulnerably about his life, faith, and leadership with us.
Drew worked at New Life Church under Pete Scazzero for many years before eventually realizing the need to resign to pursue what God was beginning to form in his heart. The transition was difficult though as not everyone understood why he would leave when he and Rich Villodas were in line to step in after Pete. He shared about these moments of reflection and how he came to realize his only reasons for staying were really about ego and fear. If he left this well-known church, he would be a nobody. If he quit, he would be left without a job in one of the most expensive global cities. Neither of these he realized, were a good reason for staying though, so he left and began to pursue what God might have next.
Jason ends the conversation by talking about unity and what it takes in their format and in general for pastors and churches to experience it. Drew says it’s really about releasing control and having humility as it might mean laying down personal preferences or even allowing people you invest in to go do their own thing without becoming bitter. Hope Church NYC is an exciting example of a church working to connect and serve their city.
We hope you are encouraged by this conversation with Drew Hyun.
“We need anything to get us to die to our own egos, getting us to be more willing to build a great city rather than build a great church.” -Drew Hyun
This episode was made possible by Compassion Canada. Learn about how you can partner with them in their mission to release children from poverty at ccln.ca/compassion.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode58
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 57 | This week, Jason connects with Charles Price, Pastor-at-Large with The Peoples Church in Toronto. They talk about Charles’ decades of ministry experience and leadership and what some of his lessons and convictions are after all those years.
Charles became a Christian through a Billy Graham film as a child and quickly moved towards pursuing a calling into ministry. He shared about having opportunities to preach at small churches around England and how thankful he was for the hundreds of opportunities he had before eventually deciding to step into pastoral ministry. It was not always a clear or direct path forward though. Charles at a young age had many options he considered, from churches and evangelistic organizations to camps and bible schools, the decisions were not easy.
Jason asks about preaching as well, what convictions he has about it and how young communicators can find their voice. Charles talks about the importance of leaving people dependent on God when you preach and how to think about individuals, not crowds in order to personalize the message. His stories are filled with joy and humour as he reflects on how he tried to share the gospel in different and unique ways with varying degrees of success.
They wrap up by looking at the current landscape of evangelism and how it has changed so much in recent years. Charles encourages us to not be discouraged, but to remember how the church thrives in places with limitations. He also reminds young pastors of the need to keep their tanks full so you can give from what you have, not from empty.
We hope this conversation With Charles encourages you as you think about longevity and legacy in your ministry work.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode57
Website | www.ccln.ca
Episode 56 | Moving to Canada with twelve young adults to plant a church, while not having your Visa secured, takes faith. That is the beginning of Ben & Emma Narayanan’s story of moving to North Vancouver from Australia to begin what would become Avant Life Church. In this week’s conversation with Jason, they share about the journey over the last 4 years and how they have seen God’s goodness through it all.
Pastors Ben and Emma Narayanan are the Lead Pastors of Avant Life Church. As leaders, both Ps Ben and Ps Emma are passionate about sharing the message of Christ through boldness, innovation and creativity. After hearing the clear call from God, they moved to North Vancouver Canada with their three amazing children Levi, Alice and Eden from Canberra, Australia to pioneer Avant Life Church. Their hearts for people, leadership development and community engagement has helped establish Avant Life Church as a thriving, relevant and transformational Christ-centred community.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode56
Website | www.ccln.ca
Have you or someone you know ever started having doubts about the faith you grew up with? Or left a church over changing theological views? Or gone through a season of challenging beliefs held by the faith community you joined? Doubt and Deconstruction seem to be synonymous with most young adult faith journeys in Canada, but we have to ask if this is beneficial or harmful?
This week’s guest, A.J. Swoboda, has tackled those questions for over a decade as he pastored and taught at seminary in Portland Oregon. He has his own story, along with the experience of watching hundreds of twenty-something wrestle with the faith they were handed as kids or chose to join in their later teens. In his new book, “After Doubt”, he looks at how doubt and deconstruction are natural parts of life and belief systems, and how they can actually strengthen and purify our christian discipleship. He also acknowledges however, the dark and dangerous sides of the journey that cause many to leave their churches and faith communities.
Jason unpacks with him what this all looks like and what it means for pastoring and leading people in the way of Jesus. They talk about the reasons so many young adults get hit with a wave of questions, concerns and doubts and how their prior church experience and discipleship can perpetuate that problem.
Dr. A.J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and World Christianity at Bushnell University. As well, he leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos) and the forthcoming After Doubt. He is the co-host of the In Faith and Doubt podcast. He is married to Quinn and is the proud father of Elliot. They live and work in Eugene, Oregon.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode55
Website | www.ccln.ca
Today’s episode is from a webinar hosted by Worship Central Canada. Brooke Ligertwood of Hillsong Worship sat down with Darrell Johnson to continue the conversations they have been having on worship and theology. Covering an assortment of topics, they share with each other what they have seen and are learning about worship in our modern churches.
Some of the topics they dive into are around the essentials of worship and what we do not want to lose in the future, along with some of the things they are okay to see fade out (mullets?!). They look at what has changed this past year for both congregations and their worship leaders as many churches have had to move online or have very limited gatherings. Darrell talks about what it means to live in both the seen and unseen when it comes to worship and the importance of remembering we are joining into an already ongoing worship service. Brooke also expresses what she has learned about calling and how we can confuse a calling to lead others into worship with the methods or image of what that can be.
They transition partway through into some Q&R from the webinar’s audience, which you can catch on both the podcast and video on the Worship Central Canada YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy this conversation and find it helpful as you consider the heart of worship in your place and time.
Worship Central Canada: www.worshipcentral.ca
Darrell Johnson: www.darrelljohnson.ca
Sam Picken joined Jason for this week’s episode to share about planting C3 Church Toronto with his wife, Jess, and to talk about all things ministry and discipleship. Sam is originally from Australia, but moved to Canada in 2008 and joined the team at C3 Calgary, helping with their Saskatoon location as well. Their conversation includes Sam's vision for serving the city during COVID-19 and his reflections on foundational values and practices he wants to grow in to be able to pastor for the long haul.
Sam and his wife Jess are the Lead Pastors of C3 Church Toronto, Canada. They relocated from Australia in 2008 to follow God's call to ministry in Canada, and in 2012 planted C3 Toronto. C3 Toronto's main purpose as a church is to connect people to God. The church is known for its strong community and outward focus on mission through 'Love Toronto'. Sam and Jess reside in the west end of Toronto with their three kids. They lead their church with a strong emphasis on discipleship and developing leaders, and nothing is a higher priority to Sam than seeing souls won for Christ.
This episode was sponsored by Compassion Canada. Learn more about the work of Compassion at ccln.ca/compassion.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode54
Website | www.ccln.ca
Father Justin Huang grew up in Richmond, British Columbia, the third of three brothers. Though not raised Catholic, he started going to Mass when he was 13. After a powerful experience of God’s love through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, he felt called to the Holy priesthood at the age of 16. He is the appointed pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, Vancouver.
Matt Menzel is the Lead Pastor of Westside Church in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. He and his wife Melissa are passionate about calling and equipping Jesus' people to 'Make Him Known' through the ordinary, Spirit-empowered rhythms of following Jesus in everyday life. They're thrilled and beyond blessed to be part of what Jesus' Spirit is doing in the city.
In their conversation, they discuss the reality of not seeing eye to eye on everything and the challenges of working alongside those in the church you disagree with, especially theologically. However, they express their unity in Christ and friendship that makes for meaningful and thoughtful discussion where they can learn from each other every time they connect.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode53
Website | www.ccln.ca
Jono Zantingh is a Canadian Pastor, Church Planter and Worship Leader. He has been married to Nicole for 20 years. Together, they have 3 children; Julia, Riley and Kaleb. In 2018, Jono & Nicole moved to Edmonton, AB from Winnipeg, MB to plant Evolve Church in South Edmonton with their ARC Canada Family. In 2020, Jono began serving as a coach to other church planters in Canada through the ARC. He is passionate about the local church and seeing others grow in their surrender of learning to trust and follow Jesus.
The emotions, he shares, of both being excited about the journey, but also grieving the past were challenging to navigate. He says that it was important to feel both, allowing themselves to be sad about leaving friends, family, and their church and also excited for the vision God had given them for Evolve Church.
The call to plant was discerned over a few years where both Jono and his wife, Nicole, sensed God’s leading to a new place. Edmonton was somewhat of a surprise, but they soon had a heart for the city and settled with their family into their new home. Jono talks about how important it has been for them to be intentional with the neighbours, setting up Facebook groups, hosting fires, and embodying a spirit of hospitality. The challenge for many pastors is that they can invest all their energy into hospitality and community with their church, but then be left without the capacity to be good neighbours. Jono has found the importance of not falling into that trap, but keeping that margin to live on mission with neighbours.Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode52
Website | www.ccln.ca
Darren Rouanzoin from Garden Church in Long Beach, California joins Jason this week on the podcast. They begin by Darren sharing his journey of growing up and not believing in the gifts of the Spirit until visiting a church where the supernatural seemed natural; atheists accepted Jesus, the sick were healed, and prophecy was spoken. He resolved to experience this in his own life and to build a church that would be empowered by the Spirit. This led him and his wife to begin a church community of small groups that eventually turned into services, serving their city, loving the poor, and raising up staff.
What sets Garden Church apart is that it’s not a church born from a vision just for a church, but from a vision for the city. Darren’s heart is that in a diverse, economically unequal city like Long Beach, they could serve and disciple both the CEO and the single mom, which doesn’t always fit in certain models or strategies of the church.
Darren unpacks the importance of mentors in his life and gives advice on how others can foster those relationships. He also explains that what you build in you is what you build around you and how that should prioritize our spiritual formation as pastors so we can see churches of resiliency, humility, and Spirit empowerment. This is especially important because the temptation for leaders today can be to focus on platform and influence, which aren’t always bad, but can lead to us becoming disembodied influencers instead of incarnational followers doing life with our community.
They end by Darren telling Jason about the digital desert God led him to in 2019, a time of hiding and getting off social media. He encourages us to consider ways we might enter into this journey for intimacy with Jesus and to protect us from the pressure of culture. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Darren Rouanzoin.
This episode was brought to you by International Justice Mission. Learn more at www.ijm.ca/cclp.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode51
Website | www.ccln.ca
For this episode, Jason is joined by Anne Miranda, Pastor of Women’s Ministries at Village Church Canada. In this conversation, Anne shares vulnerably about past trauma and the influence of her childhood on her work life and eventual journey into church ministry. She also gives insights on what has helped her lead great teams and to empower and release people, especially young adults, into serving roles. Jason and her take the time to explore how important it is for the church to be a safe place for conversations and how investing in young people wrestling with doubts is often a long game requiring perseverance.
Anne is a first-generation Canadian, born to Lebanese parents who Immigrated when she was young. As the eldest child, success and achievement in school and activities were essential, which led her to pursue multiple degrees and be extensively involved in social justice organizations as a youth.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode50
Website | www.ccln.ca
Father Simon is a priest at Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a member of Companions of the Cross.
He started at St. Benedict in 2015 as they were experiencing parish renewal and moving their congregation from “maintenance to mission”. With that came a changing of leadership skills required for Father Simon as their team grew to include other priests and deacons who he was now leading and supporting. The moments of sitting with someone, praying, visiting them in the hospital, and anointing with oil are close to his heart, though he has also appreciated the focus he can now have as a leader of leaders to invest in those who can in turn multiply his efforts. He references Tim Keller’s “Leadership and Church Size Dynamics” article where it breaks down how different sizes of congregations require different leadership styles and bring new challenges.
Another dynamic Father Simon has learned over the years is the importance of relationships and friendships with others to find companionship and avoid loneliness. He lives in a house with four other church clergy currently and shares about the joy of doing life together with different rhythms of prayer, meals, and support. Without this, he is not sure he would still be in ministry.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode49
Website | www.ccln.ca
Pastors Damian & Julie Bassett are passionate followers of Jesus and have committed their lives to helping build His Church. Together they are the Lead Pastors of Hillsong Canada. With a heart that extends toward all people, they desire to lead others to a genuine relationship with Jesus, empowering them to realize their full potential in Christ. They are proud parents of three beautiful daughters, ages 17, 14 and 10, and have been married for 20 years.
Julie and Damian join Jason for Episode 48 to talk about their journey of moving to Canada, planting a church in Toronto, becoming a part of Hillsong, and their learnings along the way. Julie shares about them growing as leaders and learning they don’t have to be great at everything. They were both worship leaders before planting and never expected to be communicators or managers of budgets. The beautiful part of that though is that it teaches us to rely on God and others and to learn to be comfortable with the way God has made us.
Jason asks what it’s like to be married and pastoring together. Their major focus, especially throughout this past year, has been the importance of intentionality and communicating outside of just work. Both Damian and Julie love Canada and hope that on the other side of this pandemic we are more reliant on God, connected to His word, and unified as the Church. Their story of perseverance, sacrifice, faithfulness, and leading together will hopefully be one that connects with and encourages you.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode48
Website | www.ccln.ca
In this episode, Miles Toulmin, Executive Director of Alpha Asia Pacific and Vicar of Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang (HTBB), sits down with Jason for an insightful and rich discussion on church planting and leadership.
His church is a plant of Holy Trinity Brompton, where he served under Nicky Gumbel for seven years. He shares with Jason the differences of moving to Kuala Lumpur and leading in a predominately Muslim nation. The church started like many, as thirty people in a home, but grew to now meet on top of a mall in the center of the city. Miles’ heart for the church is to truly be a resourcing centre for the city, which he explains often means giving away your best leaders and sacrificially serving others.
Jason also asks Miles about dealing with the weight of responsibility as a leader, what he looks for in young leaders, and how to be content in the season you are in as a leader. Miles shares his thoughts on the joy and peace we can find as we take the right heart postures in regards to these areas.
We hope you’re encouraged to trust God in greater ways from this conversation with Miles Toulmin.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode47
Website | www.ccln.ca
For this episode, Mark Clark of Village Church takes a seat in the hosting chair to share a conversation with Guy Mason. Guy is the founding and senior pastor of City on a Hill. What began as a small group Bible study in a corner of Australia has since become a movement of seven churches in four different cities all united around one mission “to know Jesus and make Jesus known.”
After sharing the story of City on a Hill, Mark asks Guy asks - How do you lead leaders? Due to the unique nature of the City on a Hill movement, Guy is a trustworthy voice to learn from in the area of stewarding the leaders around you. Guy shares about the importance of looking beyond yourself, and constantly speaking out what you see in those around you. “We need to do the hard work of identifying the gifts of our people” says Guy. Quoting Jesus, Guy explains that it is always more blessed to give than receive, and that is true of leadership as well. The best leaders do not set themselves up to flourish and fly, but others. They give.
Both Mark and Guy go on to lean into the theme of encouragement - that every leader should freely give it, and humbly receive it. Tall Poppy Syndrome is rampant in the Canadian Church, and the leader today is acutely in need of not criticism born of comparison, but gospel-centred, uplifting words.
Mark and Guy close by addressing the ever-important tension of where the pastor finds their identity. When the headwind is strong, and the emailed criticism is stacking up, the righteousness of Christ is the most secure garment for the church leader to wear.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode46
Website | www.ccln.ca
Recently, Shaila Visser of Alpha Canada hosted a conversation for church leaders with the experienced panel of Dr. Charles Price, Dr. Darrell Johnson and Dr. Laurel Buckingham. The goal? To encourage pastors who are experiencing the unique pressure of this season to pause and not give up on the calling God has given them.
Here’s a quick introduction to the panel: Charles is a passionate evangelist who has spoken in over 70 countries around the world. He is the former lead pastor of Peoples Church Toronto and was the host of the Television show “Living Truth.” Darrell has pastored in the Philippines, the U.S. and Canada. He is a brilliant preacher that has been on the faculty of Regent & Carey College and has written many books. Laurel pastored Moncton Wesleyan Church for 44 years between 1969 and 2013. Today he is the CEO of Buckingham Leadership Institute.
Together these three have over 156 years of ministry experience.
Shaila asks each of the panelists questions like - how would you encourage your younger self if you wanted to quit? What can leaders do to be sustained by the Spirit to serve well? What do you suggest that leaders do with all the demands they’re being asked to manage? The responses from Charles, Darrell and Laurel are hopeful, wise and full of helpful reflection. Themes like abiding, revisiting your why, rediscovering the basics, and choosing patience are all discussed amongst many others.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode45
Website | www.ccln.ca
In this episode, Mark Buchanan joins Jason for a profoundly helpful conversation on pastoral ministry. Today Mark is helping shape the thinking and perspectives of tomorrow’s church leaders at Ambrose University in Calgary.
Though at this moment many look to Mark as a guide in Christian mysticism and thought, Mark starts by sharing that the first 20 some-odd years of his life were spent with no knowledge of the Christian God. He explains how Scripture was the one gateway to him coming to Christ, and that it left him trembling in awe and wonder. Incredibly enough, Mark does not seem to have lost that wonder, and so Jason asks him how to keep those embers aflame.
The conversation's topics include: what needs to be foundational for young leaders to be faithful, how grief shaped a pastoral heart in Mark and how difficult it can be to pursue your convictions when you will inevitably fail to get it right. Through years of pastoring in the church, teaching on pastoral ministry in the classroom, and walking trails with various church leaders each week, Mark proves to be a wellspring of gentle wisdom and insight to pastors of all ages today.
On Tuesday, February 9th, Compassion is inviting Canadian pastors to an hour with Compassion International’s President and CEO, Jimmy Melado, to hear about how COVID has affected the global church and how Compassion is working hard to stand with local churches around the world.
If you’re curious about what Compassion is about and what it could look like for your church to partner with them, you can learn more and register for the hour with Jimmy Melado at ccln.ca/compassion.
In this episode, Mike Pilavachi, co-senior pastor of Soul Survivor Watford, joins Jason to talk about his ministry journey and to provide insights on what great church leadership can look like.
Over the years, dozens of significant leaders have come out of Soul Survivor, a clear result of Mike’s intentional posture to invest in unproven leaders. He tells Jason about the cost that often comes to give young people opportunities and to release your leaders into new ministries. Although it’s not easy, Mike believes it’s the way of Jesus — taking unqualified people, spending significant time sharing your life with them, and then entrusting them with a mission.
Jason asks about the role senior leaders have in reaching the next generation, which Mike insists must be embraced not just by some young intern or volunteer pastor, but by the whole church, including the senior leaders.
Mike ends off by encouraging leaders to seek the gift of perseverance. That in the midst of the challenges faced in leadership, it is worth it for the joy of doing life with others and serving the Bride. In closing, he beautifully prays over leaders and asks God to strengthen all of us.
We hope you are encouraged as you listen to this conversation with Mike Pilavachi.
Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode43
Website | www.ccln.ca
In this episode, Jason sits down to talk with Phil Cann, Pastor of Pemberton Community Church and co-creator of the video series “Quest.”
Jason and Phil begin by reflecting on the history of Quest, a resource Phil made alongside other pastors in the 90s and 2000s to help students explore questions of the Christian faith. Jason shares about how he discovered it at a youth group, loved it, and began running it in his high school. Later on, Jason shares how Quest became the inspiration for the Youth Alpha FIlm series that has now reached over 1.2 million students.
Quest came out of Phil’s own journey of faith, where he grew up in the UK and began to follow Christ in his early twenties. A defining moment came at a summer campfire one night, realizing he had to lay down control if he was to follow God’s leading in his life. This led him to preach the Bible and eventually move to Canada where he has aimed to make the Bible accessible and powerful to youth all over the country.
He reflects on the diversity of Canada, as an immigrant himself, and how unique it is to lead in the melting pot that is this nation. From the West Coast to the Maritimes, rural communities to big cities, the culture of Canada and our Church is like no other country. The need to learn from each other and contextualize is critical to be unified and to build God’s Kingdom, not our own empires.
Phil concludes with Jason by sharing his heart that pastors would smell like their sheep. That they would be relationally intertwined with their communities and deeply rooted in the place God has led them to minister. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Phil Cann.
Bio
Phil Cann is the transitional pastor of Pemberton Community Church in British Columbia. He moved to Canada from the UK over 20 years ago and has spent time across the whole country preaching to youth groups and churches about Jesus and the Bible. He loves God, his wife, and his family. Phil’s passionate about trying to make a 4000-year-old Eastern book make sense in our modern-day world.
In this episode Jason dialogues with Tim Mackie, the co-creator of the popular BibleProject Series.
Their conversation dives into one of Mackie’s favourite all-time topics — the scriptures. Mackie unpacks his prior hang-ups about the Bible, ranging from textual variants in manuscripts, the violent, off-putting nature of many of the sacred stories, and the sometimes strange, unsettling, hard-to-understand God portrayed therein.
Scripture is not a tidy, prepackaged encyclopedia of answers freshly stamped with divine approval. According to Mackie, our sacred texts are more of a venue for wrestling with God. Like Jacob in Genesis, we are invited to tangle with our Creator in hopes of leaving the encounter — perhaps with a limp in our step — but also with a burning love in our hearts that renames us and makes us new by constantly pointing us towards the person of Jesus.
www.ccln.ca
Darrell Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation.
He is currently serving as Scholar-in-Residence for The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network, and still serves Regent College part-time as Teaching Fellow.
He and his wife Sharon have been married 49 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren!
At CCLN we’ve navigated this strange year alongside all of you and our prayer has been that these leadership conversations would be a source of encouragement and hope for you in your unique ministry context. Season 2 has featured conversations about navigating COVID as church leaders but, more than that, each interview has featured leaders and innovators with profound insights around ministry and leadership in a post-Christian culture.
We hope this mash-up of season 2 highlights provides you with non-stop chills, “ah-ha” moments and a fresh injection of inspiration as you launch into 2021.
ccln.ca/season 2
In this episode, Jason introduces the listener to four Canadian authors and their respective ministries and recent books.
Aaron White -Jason’s conversation with Aaron White explores his ministry on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The DTES is a neighbourhood plagued by extreme poverty, addiction, and trafficking. But that is not the primary story that Aaron hopes to tell. Overwhelming the obvious brokenness of the DTES, is the tangible presence of God, the grace of the Gospel and the beauty of image bearers who are known and loved by their Creator — friends and neighbours who are, in many ways, our best teachers about the above spiritual realities.
Andy Steiger - Andy Steiger is the director of Apologetics Canada. He has recently written a book with Zondervan titled, Reclaimed.
Jason and Andy discuss the importance and relevance of Christian apologetics, which involves providing reasons for our hope in Jesus with gentleness, respect, and cultural nuance.
Alastair Sterne -Alastair is a pastor and a church planter in Vancouver, BC. His congregation St. Peter Fireside, has been serving and loving the city for the last nine years. Their conversation dives into Sterne’s story of being called into ministry with his wife and how he ended up in the city of Vancouver.
Brett Ullman -Brett is a former high school teacher. He attends Sanctus Church in Ontario and is a well-known communicator addressing issues of mental health, pornography, sexuality, media, and parenting across Canada.
ccln.ca/season2
Tammy Giffen is the lead pastor of Groundswell, a multi-site church in Central Nova Scotia. Groundswell is a church plant that launched in September of 2018 with a vision to be a church unchurched people love to attend. She came to know Jesus as an adult when she was invited to attend Alpha. Since then she has been passionate about breaking down barriers to church and helping people meet Jesus. Tammy is married to Peter and has three children; Taylor, Wesley, and Mya.
ccln.ca/season2
ccln.ca/compassion
Father James Mallon is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and founder of the Divine Renovation Ministry. Father James is also the author of the best selling book Divine Renovation: From A Maintenance To A Missional Parish, an engaging guide for parishes seeking to cultivate vibrant and dynamic faith communities centred on missionary discipleship.
Jon Tyson is a Pastor and Church Planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States twenty years ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, and The Burden is Light and his newest book Beautiful Resistance.
www.ccln.ca/season2
Ken is Chairman Emeritus of Alpha International, which promotes Alpha – an introduction to the Christian faith attended by over 2 million people in the UK and 27 million worldwide – and is Dean of Leadership College London. Passionate about creating connections in a divided world, he is Chairman of The Reconciling Leaders Network for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Head of The Anglican Communion. He is also chairman of Worship Central, a movement promoting worship events and courses worldwide.
www.ccln.ca/season2
Al Gordon leads Hackney Church, a thriving church on a mission to bring hope to the heart of East London. He is married to Olivia, an architect, and they have three children. Al is a trustee of Alpha International and Charity: water.
www.ccln.ca/season2
Matt Tapley has been a part of the Senior Leadership at Lakemount Worship Centre since 2003, and the Lead Pastor since 2008. He serves the Church by developing leaders in a culture of dependence on the Spirit with full devotion to the unchanging Word of God. Matt is an insightful preacher, gifted worship leader and a valuable contributor to various leadership environments. Matt’s commitment to the Manifest Presence of God and the healing gifts of the Holy Spirit are a catalyst for stirring renewed hunger for God.
www.ccln.ca/season2
Michael McDonald is Director of Global Focus and Strategic Relationships for The BibleProject, a crowdfunded non-profit creative studio dedicated to communicating a single, powerful message to the world: the Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus.
Prior to joining The BibleProject his work included community empowerment projects focused on educational, micro/macro financing projects, conflict resolution, and economic development.
McDonald also leads thousands of Christian leaders on more than 200 trips around the world. He has also served on a number of boards—including Remember Nhu and Fly Fishing Collaborative—with a focus on ending child sex trafficking.
Mike lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Melissa.
www.ccln.ca/season2
www.ccln.ca/compassion
For the past 20 years Pastor Mike has been passionately serving the local church in Europe, Africa and here in North America through pastoring, itinerant preaching and missions. In 2017 alongside his wife Nancy they planted and currently lead Nova Church in Halifax, Canada.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode31
www.ccln.ca/compassion
Banning Liebscher is the founding pastor of Jesus Culture, a ministry of worship, events, and leadership development. Along with his wife, Seajay, he is also the Lead Pastor of Jesus Culture Sacramento, a church committed to seeing believers encounter God, be empowered as world changers, and engage their city as leaders. Banning is the author of four books, the latest one being, "The Three-Mile Walk: The Courage You Need to Live the Life God Wants for You.” Banning and Seajay have three children, Ellianna, Raya, and Lake.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode30
www.ccln.ca/compassion
Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo. Ken is the author of the award-winning bestsellers ‘God in My Everything’ and ‘Survival Guide for the Soul.’ Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode29
www.alphacanada.org/share2020
Pastor Miles McPherson played four years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers from 1982-1985. In his second season in the NFL and after a weekend-long drug binge, he called out to Jesus Christ, accepted Him and stopped doing drugs in one day. Miles worked as a Youth Pastor in San Diego and enrolled in Azusa Pacific University’s School of Theology receiving his Master’s of Divinity degree in 1991.
In 2000, he felt called by God to start the Rock Church in San Diego. According to Outreach Magazine, the Rock has consistently been one of the nation’s largest churches with over 20,000 people attending one of the Rock’s twenty-one Sunday services or experiencing the services through online streaming, and microsites around San Diego.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode28
www.ccln.ca/compassion
Jon Thompson serves as the Preaching and Vision Pastor at Sanctus Church in Toronto, Ontario. He has been on staff for more than 20 years. Sanctus is a regional church with a community of over 2,500 people that gather in multiple locations across Durham region. Under Jon’s leadership, Sanctus is characterized by dynamic Biblical teaching, vibrant community groups, compelling media and powerful times in worship. Jon has a Masters of Theological Studies from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto and a Doctorate of Missiology from Fuller Seminary, California. Jon is husband to his wife Joanna and Father to three kids - Hannah, Emma, and Noah.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode27
Larry Osborne is a pastor at North Coast Church in Vista CA. Under his leadership the church has grown from 128 to over 13,000 on a weekend. North Coast Church has been acclaimed as one of the most influential and innovative churches in America. Known for pioneering the concepts of sermon-based small groups, pastoral teaching teams, and video venues, its fingerprints are found on churches throughout the world. Larry has a passion for leadership, spiritual formation and discipleship. Larry holds both a Master of Divinity and Doctorate degree from Talbot Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Oceanside, CA. They have three married children and an increasing number of grandchildren.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode26
Glenn is the Associate Senior Pastor of New Life Church, and Lead Pastor of New Life Downtown, which is one of seven New Life congregations in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has earned a Doctorate of Theology and Ministry from Durham University (UK) and is a visiting Fellow at St. John's College at Durham. He is the author of 6 books, including "Blessed Broken Given" and "Worship and the World to Come" as well as the worship songwriter of 65+ songs including "Your Name" (co-written with Paul Baloche).
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode25
This episode features Q&R between Darrell Johnson and Tim Hughes around perhaps the most ignored and misunderstood book of the Bible - the book of Revelation. Darrell Johnson has been a preacher of the Gospel for over 50 years, and has written a comprehensive commentary on the book of Revelation called "Discipleship on the Edge." Tim Hughes is the lead pastor of St Luke's Gas Street Church in the UK, one of the pioneers of Worship Central and the writer behind well-known worship songs such as "Here I Am to Worship" and "The Way."
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode24
Ho-Ming is the Lead Pastor of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church, a multi-generational, multi-lingual church just outside of Toronto. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, and went onto graduate studies at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Ho-Ming speaks frequently at conferences in Toronto and has traveled to Asia, Europe and Africa to teach as well. He is an avid guitarist and loves all things sci-fi. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie, they have three children.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode23
Sidney Muisyo began his service with Compassion International in 2002 (19 years total). He has served in various roles at Compassion Kenya including communications specialist and sponsor and donor manager. Before his role as Africa regional vice president, Sidney served as the Kenya country director. Sidney is passionate about leadership development in Africa, believing that a Biblical-based approach to leadership as discipleship is fundamental to creating hope and opportunity — which are the bedrock to eradicating poverty and releasing children from it.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode22
www.ccln.ca/compassion
Allison Alley became the fourth President of Compassion Canada in October 2019 after joining the organization in 2012 to establish the Advocacy department. After spending more than a decade in leadership roles in the marketplace, God used her love for her own children to call her to be an advocate for all children, especially those living in poverty. Allison holds a Master of Arts in Global Leadership with an emphasis in International Development and Urban Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School. She and her husband, Tommy, live in London, Ontario and have two young daughters.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode21
www.ccln.ca/compassion
Brad is the former President of Catalyst and leadership consultant. Brad is a speaker, the founder of BLINC, and the author of The Catalyst Leader and H3 Leadership. He writes about leadership, the next generation, creativity, innovation, social media, teamwork, and personal growth.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode20
Alex Seeley was born and raised in Australia, and served as an Executive Pastor at a church in Melbourne for nearly 20 years. Having relocated with her family to Nashville in 2012, Alex and her husband Henry, began to open their home on Tuesday nights. By February 2014, their basement was filled to capacity and as a result The Belonging Co church was born. As Senior Pastors of the Belonging Co, Alex and Henry call Nashville home where they live with their two children, Holly and Taylor.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode19
Mark grew up in Toronto and moved to Vancouver in 2004 to attend Regent College, where he received a Master of New Testament Studies. Following over ten years of ministry, Mark, along with his wife Erin and an amazing team of people, planted Village Church in January 2010, which has now grown to a vibrant multi-site church in the Greater Vancouver Area and Calgary. He is passionate about contextualizing the gospel, teaching the Bible, seeing people transformed by Jesus, planting churches, and seeing the gospel advance across Canada. Mark resides in South Surrey with his wife and their three daughters.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode18
Tim is the lead pastor of St Luke’s Gas Street Birmingham, which he leads alongside his wife, Rachel. He is a worship leader and song writer known for songs such as “Here I Am to Worship”, “Happy Day”, “The Way”, and “Hope and Glory”. He also pioneered Worship Central, a movement of worship leaders and musicians with a desire to see people encounter God, be equipped as worship leaders so that the local church can be empowered. He is Dad to Phoebe, Simeon, Lois and Judah.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode17
Sam Collier is a speaker at Northpoint Ministries (founded by Andy Stanley) as well as the Director of City Strategy for The reThink Group (founded by Reggie Joiner). Sam is also the host and creator of “A Greater Story w/ Sam Collier” - a faith based TV, Radio and Podcast that interviews Christian Celebrities and Influencers. Through his nonprofit No Losing, Inc. he has empowered over 100k young people to have a winning mindset in life to achieve their goals by creatively making education relevant. Sam is an Atlanta native!
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode16
Over the past 13 years Kim has served as a youth pastor, director of a non-profit organization, a Bible College instructor, and is currently a Lead Pastor in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Kim's passion for the bible, her inspiring story of hope, and her desire to see lives transformed, resonates with people of all ages. If you ask her what she loves most she'll gush about her family, her passion for ministry and her love for the God who has never left her side.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode15
Daniel Im is the Senior Associate Pastor at Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, Alberta. He has served and pastored in church plants and multisite churches in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, Edmonton, and Nashville. He co-hosts the New Churches Q&A Podcast and a podcast with his wife on marriage and parenting called the IMbetween Podcast. His latest book is called You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode14
Ben Karuhije is the pastor of Cities Church, a local church with a Canada wide mission to plant one hundred churches, in one hundred cities. After a series of direction-defining encounters with Jesus in his late teens, he left university and gave himself wholly to reaching as many people as possible with the reality of Who Jesus is and the life-changing potential of His power and love. He is married to his beautiful wife Sarah, and they live in Brandon, Manitoba.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode13
Danielle is a spiritual leader, justice advocate, communicator and peace maker. Danielle trains, advocates, and inspires people to live differently through initiatives like: Amplify Peace, Brave Global, Women’s Speakers Collective, and Infinitum. Currently based in Toronto, Canada, Danielle is the proud mom of 3 boys, wife to Stephen, and as an enneagram 7, has been affectionately called the "ambassador of fun".
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode12
Pete Hughes is the founding pastor of Kings Cross Church (KXC) in London. Commissioned by the Bishop of London, Pete and Bee Hughes were sent out from St Mary’s with a small group of leaders and a simple vision: to recklessly give themselves away to God, each other and the people of King’s Cross and beyond. Check out his newly released book “All Things New.”
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode11
John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. As for education, John Mark holds a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of Garden City, Loveology, God Has a Name and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.
www.ccln.ca/season2/episode10
Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016). Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha and Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, one of the largest Church of England churches in the UK.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode9
Matt Menzel is the Lead Pastor of Westside Church in downtown Vancouver. He and his wife Melissa are passionate about calling and equipping Jesus' people to 'Make Him Known' through the ordinary, Spirit-empowered rhythms of following Jesus in everyday life. They're thrilled and beyond blessed to be part of what Jesus' Spirit is doing in the city.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode8
Jon Tyson is a Pastor and Church Planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide Australia, Jon moved to the United States over 2 decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority and The Burden is Light. Jon lives in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood of Manhattan with his wife and two children. He serves as the Lead Pastor of Church of the City New York.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode7
Father James Mallon is the Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Father James is also the author of the best selling book Divine Renovation: From A Maintenance To A Missional Parish, an engaging guide for parishes seeking to cultivate vibrant and dynamic faith communities centred on missionary discipleship.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode6
Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books and cohosts the This Cultural Moment podcast with John Mark Comer. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode5
Brent is the Senior Pastor at Kings Church, one of the fastest-growing churches in Canada, with a leading and growing presence throughout the Atlantic provinces. Brent has a passion for revival in Canada and is committed to seeing the local church bring a transforming, life-giving presence across the country. Brent lives in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, with his wife Melanie, their daughter Ava, their sons Aden and Alexander, and his dog, “(CS) Lewis.”
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode4
Josh along with his wife Georgie are the Lead Pastors of C3 NYC in New York, where they are raising their two sons. C3 NYC started as a Dinner Party in 2013 and has since grown into many locations, including two cities. Josh’s passion is to communicate the transforming message of God’s grace, raising up and releasing a generation of leaders, reformers and pioneers who love Jesus, believe in His church and reflect His glory wherever they are.
http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode3
In this interview, Darrell Johnson speaks to the COVID-19 pandemic not with tactics or approaches but instead he focuses on the intentions and motivations of Christian leaders in this time. Darrell has been preaching Jesus Christ and His gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. Darrell has also taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Regent College and Carey Theological College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is now serving as Teaching Fellow at Regent. In addition to writing a major work on preaching, The Glory of Preaching: Participating in God’s Transformation of the World many of his sermon series have been published in book form, including 57 Words that Change the World: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through the Book of Revelation
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Carey Nieuwhof, especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when seasoned ministry voices like his are so needed. Carey is the founding pastor of Connexus Church and has been serving in ministry for over 25 years. He is the author of several books, including his latest Didn’t See it Coming. He writes one of today’s most widely read church leadership blogs at www.CareyNieuwhof.com and hosts the top-rated Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast where he interviews some of today’s best leaders.
Listen to this trailer to find out the details around the re-launch of the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast.
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)
The Canadian Church Leader's Podcast is designed to help Canadian church leaders reach people. Hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, the podcast is by Canadians, for Canadians, focused on ministry in the post-modern, post-Christian nation of Canada. (But naturally, because we're Canadians, anyone can listen.)