Essential Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
New Life Church
Weekly conversations about important issues facing the local church today. Hosted by Pastors Brady Boyd and Andrew Arndt of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. More information can be found at TheEssential.Church
In this episode, Andrew sits down with pastors Brady Boyd and Daniel Grothe to discuss the exciting launch of the New Life Network of Churches.
In this episode, Andrew sits down with Gary Abbot and Laurel Schumacher of Vital Church Ministries to talk about how churches can successfully navigate crisis. Find out more about Vital Church at discuss how churches can successfully navigate crisesvitalchurchministry.org
Andrew is joined by special guest Sam Jolman on this episode. Sam is a professional therapist with over twenty years of experience. He specializes in men's issues and sexual trauma recovery. Sam provides both context for the new book he is releasing, as well as how his own story of sexuality — both the beauty and the baggage that come along with it (03:22). Sam and Andrew go on to discuss the nuances of discerning beauty and lust, what it means to be moved by others without it becoming deviant, along with directing the thanks of such beauty to the One who has formed it (17:32). The remainder of the episode focuses in on the shame that so frequently haunts men and their sexuality (24:25). Guest: Sam Jolman Host: Andrew Arndt Links:Sam’s new book, The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality — https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Talk-You-Never-Got/dp/1400243904/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-HuPuGNuuyOim-KdjXsTn-dvfZHG7bCIyqOpFUojisI.C-A-R_e5Ll8ddqzCCV44vsFzRPyEZFLkr_JECkA3_HE&qid=1718931908&sr=8-2
In this episode, Andrew and Jordan Lewis sit down to talk with author and pastor Mandy Smith about her new book Amateur Saints and how God uses us in and through our weaknesses.
In this episode, Brady and Andrew sit down to talk about Brady's newest book "Life-Minded," and the challenge of unity.
On this episodes hosts Andrew Arndt and Daniel Grothe have a conversation with Jared Patrick Boyd, a pastor, spiritual director, and founding director of the Order of the Common Life. In this conversation, the trio dive into Jared’s complex origin story of church and the Christian ‘story.,’ as well as the topic of Christian deconstruction — and how a study of theology and contemplative prayer brought him back to a deeper need for the love of God.
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Daniel Grothe
Guest: Jared Patrick Boyd (see below for info on Jared’s upcoming book)
BOOK: Finding Freedom in Constraint
BOOK INFO: https://www.ivpress.com/finding-freedom-in-constraint
PRESS KIT: https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Press-Kits/A0431-press.pdf
EXCERPT: https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A0431-excerpt.pdf
- Visit his website at jaredpatrickboyd.com.
- Follow him on X (Twitter): @BoydJared
- Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaredpatrickboyd/
On this brief episode of Essential Church, Andrew and Rory sit down with Brit Windel a pastor and church planter from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Brit shares the story of Daybreak Church, a church that is ‘making much of Jesus’ and serving the city. Brit’s story is one of faithfulness, longevity and serving.
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Rory Green
Guests: Brit Windel
Producer: Briggs Boyd
On this week’s episode Andrew and Daniel are joined by Ken Tanner, Pastor of Church of the Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Ken takes the time to wade through his own story of life and maturity, as well as the complexities of living a life devoted to ministry(2:30). Much of Ken’s life and ministry is wrapped up in the great journey he took through traditional charismatic church, into the great traditions of the church across history (17:09). The episode wraps with ken sharing three words of prophetic encouragement for the American Church(36:33).
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Daniel Grothe
Guests: Ken Tanner
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Greg is a former university president and pastor, and Andrew and Daniel start a conversation around how to sustain longevity in ministry (01:18). The trio lean into a discussion around Sabbath and work, and the reciprocal relationship they hold for pastoral faithfulness (11:05). The pod wraps up with an emphasis on the pastoral relationships we need to carry (29:00.
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Daniel Grothe
Guests: Greg Waybright
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Andrew and Geoff Holsclaw sit down to discuss how the field of neuroscience and spiritual formation intersect in the life of faith (3:43). Andrew and Geoff go on to discuss how these new fields of combined study can actually help people who are beginning to wrestle with, or even deconstruct their faith (12:45). A rabbit trail about attachment theory and how it potentially relates to our experience of God, round out the episode (30:10).
Host: Andrew Arndt
Guests: Geoff Holsclaw
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Andrew Arndt and Daniel Grothe are joined by a New Life congregation member and author Bri Stensrud to talk about the complexities and challenges of what it looks like to “meet the strangers at our gates.” (01:35) The trio discuss how this issue moves far beyond simply a social or political issue, Bri helps guide a discussion around immigration and caring for the foreigner and its biblical roots. (10:54). The last stretch of this episode includes both the practical and the personal ways we can all get involved in this conversation. (29:45)
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Daniel Grothe
Guests: Bri Stensrud
Producer: Briggs Boyd
For pastors/churches:
Evangelical Immigration Table
World Relief
For laypeople:
Women of Welcome
Books:
Start with Welcome
The Bible and Borders
Welcoming the Stranger
Find Bri: Instagram
Andrew and special guest, Derek Vreeland have a detailed discussion around Derek’s new book Centering Jesus: How the Lamb of God Transforms Our Communities, Ethics, and Spiritual Lives. One of the core values of Essential Church is that Jesus is at the center, and this is exactly what Derek’s book reveals — from the book of Revelation, the COVID pandemic, and the power of unity (02:22). At the crux of Derek’s book is the metaphor of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the multitude of ways that metaphor is fleshed out through Jesus’ life (15:34). This conversation lands by discussing how prayer is the ultimate act of seeing Jesus at the center of all things (24:22).
Host: Andrew Arndt
Guests: Derek Vreeland
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Derek Vreeland’s books — https://derekvreeland.com/books/ (https://derekvreeland.com/books/)
Andrew and Brady take the time n this episode to sit down with author Dr. Russell Moore to discuss his book Losing Our Religion, An Alter Call for Evangelical America. Russell shares the history that created a need for such a book, but also the weight of utilizing his prophetic voice in a time of need (3:36). Dr. Moore goes on to share a few key ideas and principles around how to better discern and live wisely when dealing with the great social challenges of our day (15:53). The trio then round out the conversation contemplating the moral fiber of future leaders as well as pondering what needs to happen in America for true revival to take place (24:06).
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Brady Boyd
Guests: Dr. Russell Moore
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Losing Our Religion, An Alter Call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore — https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Our-Religion-Evangelical-America-ebook/dp/B0BPWRF4C5/ref=sr_1_1crid=3I076VEZFKVJK&keywords=losing+our+religion%2C+an+altar+call+for+evangelical+america&qid=1696973367&sprefix=losing+our+religion%2C+an+alter+call+for+evangelical+america%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1
On this episode of the Essential Church podcast Andrew Arndt is joined by Pastor Daniel Grothe for a conversation with special guest Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt. The trio ask the all-important question about the nature of prayer (00:50). Andrew then guides the interview towards a breakdown of the Lord’s Prayer and raises the question: is Jesus teaching us to pray backwards (8:00)? Our hosts and guest spend the remainder of the episode having a truly honest and vulnerable discussion around the struggles and tensions of prayer — the distractions, the theological stumbling blocks, and more (18:40)!
Host: Andrew Arndt
Co-Host: Daniel Grothe
Guests: Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt
Producer: Briggs Boyd
Essential Church’s Andrew Arndt is joined by Rory Green, Associate Lead Pastor at New Life East to talk all things preaching and teaching ahead of the Essential Church Learning Community on September 19th. (9:49) The duo goes on to discuss the “Five key elements of successful preaching” — Preparation, Presence, Authority, Content, and Creativity. (20:05) Along with conversations around preaching as “show-and-tell”, (29:15) how to move from writing a sermon, to mind mapping one, (43:26) as well as an announcement of a brand new podcast called Preaching Lab.
Host: Andrew Arndt
Guests: Rory Green
Producer: Briggs Boyd
In this episode we sit down with pastor and author Tommy Brown to talk about his new book The Ache for Meaningand how the temptations of Christ reveal who we are and what we are seeking.
In this episode we sit down to talk with Katelyn Beaty about her book Celebrities for Jesus—on the perils of celebrity in the evangelical world and what we can do to counteract it.
In this episode we sit down with writer and teacher Marilyn McEntyre to talk with her about why our speech is so important and how sanctified speech and sanctified lives are connected. Check out her book Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies.
In this episode we sit down with Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt to talk with him about his book The Love That is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith.
In this episode we chat with Greg Stier, the founder and CEO of Dare to Share, which equips youth leaders and students in relational evangelism. We chat with him about best practices for doing just that.
In this episode we chat with Greg Stier, the founder and CEO of Dare to Share, which equips youth leaders and students in relational evangelism. We chat with him about best practices for doing just that.
In this conversation we sit down with Sean Morgan, founder of The Ascent Leader, to talk with him about some shifts he’s seeing in the landscape of church leadership over the last few years.
In this conversation we sit down with Sean Morgan, founder of The Ascent Leader, to talk with him about some shifts he’s seeing in the landscape of church leadership over the last few years.
In this episode we sit down with pastor and author Chase Replogle to talk about his book The Five Masculine Instincts.
In this episode we pick up our conversation with Dr. Chris Green on discerning Christ in the Old Testament. This is part 2 of 2.
In this episode we pick up our conversation with Dr. Chris Green on discerning Christ in the Old Testament. This is part 2 of 2.
In this episode we sit down with our friend Dr. Chris Green to talk with him about what it means (and how!) to discern Christ in the Old Testament. This is part 1 of 2. Be sure to catch part 2 next week!
In this episode we sit down with our friend Dr. Chris Green to talk with him about what it means (and how!) to discern Christ in the Old Testament. This is part 1 of 2. Be sure to catch part 2 next week!
In this episode Daniel and Andrew sit down to talk about Andrew’s recently released Streams in the Wasteland: Finding Spiritual Renewal with the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Grab your copy on Amazon!
In this episode we celebrate Pastor Brady and Pam’s 15 year anniversary at New Life Church by reflecting on some keys to finishing well.
In this episode we take you to a conversation New Life Midtown’s Jayde Duncan and New Life Friday Night’s Jordan Victoria Lewis recently had with our ministry staff on the challenge of cultivating unity in the church in a culture that is very often divided over issues of race. This conversation is based in part on a chapter in Glenn Packiam’s new book The Resilient Pastor.
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Kyle Strobel to talk about the nature of power via his book (co-authored with Jamin Goggin), The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb?
In this episode we sit down with one of the most prolific authors of the last hundred years, Philip Yancey, to talk with him about his new memoir Where the Light Fell.
In this episode Glenn and Andrew sit down with Dr. Michelle Anthony to talk about the why, what, and how of developing good study habits.
In this episode we pick up the conversation on attracting strong and capable leaders by talking about just what we mean by “strong and capable”.
In this episode we sit down to talk about the kind of environment that allows leaders to flourish.
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Chris Green to talk about how Jesus reveals himself to us through the arts. This conversation is an engagement with Chris’s book All Things Beautiful.
In this episode we sit down with the president of Integrus Leadership, Lyle Wells, to talk about “empire vs. kingdom” leadership and what it takes to remain resilient as leaders in a challenging environment. You can learn more about Integrus at www.integrus.org and by following @leadwithlyle and @integrusleadership.
In this episode Sarah Jackson sits down with Glenn and Holly Packiam to talk about having intentional rhythms as a family. (Watch for the book Glenn and Holly are writing on this subject—releases next year!)
In this episode Glenn sits down with Sarah Jackson and Holly Packiam to talk about Pete and Geri Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Discipleship curriculum and how it can help churches lead people on a path towards spiritual and emotional maturity.
In this episode pick up our conversation with Dr. Gregg Okesson to talk with his book A Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to a Complex World and what it looks like for local churches to witness to the reign of Jesus Christ in all of life.
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Gregg Okesson to talk with his book A Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to a Complex World and what it looks like for local churches to witness to the reign of Jesus Christ in all of life. This is the first of two episodes.
In this episode we pick up our conversation with Dr. Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer to discuss their book A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing.
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer to discuss their book A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. This is a two part episode.
In this interview we sit down with Daniel Grothe and talk about his new book The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age.
In this episode we sit down to talk about how leaders should think about responding to local and global crises when they arise, and about how they care for their own souls in crisis.
In this episode we wrestle with the question, “What is salvation?” and what that means for our efforts to be “outward facing” in our ministries. (Much of the content of this podcast came from Session 1 of our recent Essential Church Learning Community. You can learn more about and register for our next Learning Community at theessential.church.)
In this episode (part two of two) we sit down with Glenn Packiam to talk with him about his forthcoming book The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your Church in a Rapidly Changing World.
In this episode (part one of two) we sit down with Glenn Packiam to talk with him about his forthcoming book The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your Church in a Rapidly Changing World.
In this episode we sit down to chat with the newest member of the New Life Worship staff, Grammy-winning artist Dee Wilson.
In this episode we sit down with pastor and author Tara Beth Leach to talk about her book Radiant Church: Restoring the Credibility of our Witness and what the church can do to recover a kingdom ethos.
In this episode (the second of two) we conclude our conversation with theologian and New Testament scholar Lucy Peppiatt about her book Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts in which she unpacks why and how the biblical texts traditionally used to support the subordination of women to men might not be saying what we think they’re saying.
In this episode (part one of two) we sit down with theologian and New Testament scholar Lucy Peppiatt to talk about her book Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts in which she unpacks why and how the biblical texts traditionally used to support the subordination of women to men might not be saying what we think they’re saying.
In this episode we sit down to talk about some of the ins and outs of intentionally developing preachers and teachers in our congregations.
In this episode we sit down with Winn Collier, Director of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary and to talk with him about the release of his book, A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene Peterson.
In this episode we sit down to talk about some of the marks of genuine Spirit-inspired preaching.
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Chris Green to talk about his book, Sanctifying Interpretation, and how God uses the ‘troubling texts’ of Scripture to make us holy.
In this episode we feature a conversation we had at our recent Essential Church Learning Community on “the places of encounter” in our worship gatherings.
In this episode we take you to a conversation between Pastor Brady and Pastor Jon Egan at our recent Essential Church Learning Community on the relationship between the senior pastor and the worship leader.
In this episode we sit down with pastor and author Rich Villodas to discuss his book, The Deeply Formed Life.
In this episode, we sit down with Steve Cuss to talk about his book Managing Leadership Anxiety and how leaders can become not only more self-aware but also wise about managing both their own anxiety and that of others. You can learn more about Steve and his work at capablelife.me.
In this episode we sit down to talk about the events that transpired in our nation’s capitol on January 6th, what those events are telling us, and how the church needs to respond to it.
In this episode we sit down with Pastor Brady to talk with him about his newest book Extravagant: Discovering a Life of Dangerous Generosity. Grab your copy over at Amazon today!
In this episode we sit down with our good friend Dr. Derwin Gray to talk with him about his new book, The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True Happiness.
In this episode we sit down with New Testament scholar Dr. Ben Witherington to talk about church leadership during turbulent times.
In this episode we sit down with a new addition to our staff, Aaron Keyes, to talk about the mission of his organization 10,000 Fathers and how to raise up worship leaders as genuine pastors in our churches. You can find out more about 10,000 Fathers at worship.school.
In this conversation, we sit down to talk about the issue of church discipline, what it is, and why it is so important.
I have children who are now 19 and 21… I can’t imagine what kind of human beings they would now be without rules and safeguards, without discipline…
When I was a young pastor, we had to subject a man to church discipline… when we came back to church the next Sunday, there was a palpable shift in the air… we had regained the ethos of our community…
Let’s not be surprised: if we start treating people like customers, they are going to start acting like customers… we have a sacred responsibility to make sure that the atmosphere inside our congregations is as healthy as we can make it…
Two of the lenses we can use to think about church discipline are: is it threatening the unity of the church, and is it threatening the witness of the church?
Everything is highly relational and gentle, as the Holy Spirit is with us… we’re not talking about coming in with an iron fist, but about loving one another enough to keep people from going off the cliff…
Jesus doesn’t say “get behind me Satan” because he hates Peter but because he loves Peter… this is part of the ministry of Jesus…
To be holy is to be healthy, so if we’re not concerned with holiness, we’re not concerned with health… church discipline needs to be a ministry of healing…
What we want is our congregation to take ownership of this… this is the Matthew 18 model… it’s not until “step 3” that the church gets involved…
I want 98% of the correction in the church to happen within relationships where trust has been forged… the elders are called in when grassroots correction doesn’t work…
No matter what size of church you have, there is a core group that is helping you lead… your core is like the engine of your car: if your engine is broke, your car is useless…
I believe the reason that most church leaders don’t get involved in church discipline is that they know that the first person to be judged will be them… so they ignore the topic altogether…
In this episode we sit down to talk about Andrew Arndt’s new book All Flame: Entering into the Life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Available on Amazon HERE!)
In this episode we sit down to discuss the state of the church seven months into Covid 19.
In this episode, we share a conversation we recently had at New Life Church on race, racism, and our hope for unity.
In this episode, Andrew, Glenn, Jason, and Daniel chat about what they've learned over the years from NT Wright. Be sure to catch Part 1 of Glenn's conversation wherever you listen, or watch on YouTube and Facebook.
In this episode we sit down with world-renowned New Testament scholar N.T. Wright to talk about his new book "God and the Pandemic" as well as the way Gospel addresses racism.
In this, the final episode of Season 6, we sit down to talk about how to know when the time and circumstances are right to plant a church. (Note: this episode was recorded before COVID-19.)
In this episode we talk about the challenge of pastoring in an election year. (Note: this episode was recorded before Covid-19 hit, which is why there is no reference to it.)
In this episode we sit down for the second of a two part interview with best-selling writer and historian Tom Holland talking about his breathtaking book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. This is part 2 of 2.
In this episode we sit down with best-selling writer and historian Tom Holland to talk about his breathtaking book 'Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World'. This is part 1 of 2.
In this episode we sit down with Pastor Daniel Grothe to talk with him about his book, Chasing Wisdom.
In this episode we sit down to talk about how Covid-19 has impacted us as well as some best practices we're learning as we navigate this.
In this podcast we sit down with New Testament scholar Matthew Bates to talk about what he means by 'gospel allegiance'.
In this episode we sit down with Jon Egan and Micah Massey to talk about the agony, ecstasy, and discipline of songwriting.
In this episode we sit down to conclude our conversation on Andrew's article '10 Hopes and Prayers for the next 10 years.'
In this episode we sit down to talk about an article written by Andrew on 10 hopes and prayers for the next 10 years.
In this episode, we revisit a previous conversation to talk about the 'what' and 'why' behind the launch of our Essential Church Learning Community.
In this episode we sit down with the founder and director of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, Dr. Preston Sprinkle, to talk about what it looks like to really love our LGBTQ neighbors.
In this episode, with John MacArthur?s controversial comments regarding Beth Moore in the air, we sit down to talk through some of the key texts for thinking about a theology of women in leadership.
In this episode we sit down to talk about how senior leaders can create a culture of ongoing leadership development - both values and methods.
In this episode we sit down to talk with author Amy Julia Becker about her book White Picket Fences: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege.
In this episode we sit down with Sarah and Jason Jackson to talk about discipleship and spiritual formation and what we can do in our churches to encourage it.
In this episode Andrew, Glenn Packiam, and Jason Jackson sit down to talk about how to tilt the culture of our churches towards evangelism, and how they've seen the Spirit use the ministry of Alpha to help.
In this episode we sit down with Tim Lucas and Warren Bird to talk about their new book Liquid Church and what they are seeing the Spirit do both on the east coast and across the country.
In this episode we sit down with Pastor Ray Johnston of Bayside Church in Sacramento to talk about church health, growth, and the kind of leadership both require.
In this episode we sit down with Sean Morgan to talk about some current trends among leaders in the North American church.
In this episode we sit down with Pastor Glenn Packiam to talk with him about his new book ?Blessed, Broken, Given.?
In this episode we continue and conclude our conversation with Pastor Brady about his new book, Remarkable.
In this episode (part 1 of 2) Andrew Arndt, Glenn Packiam, and Daniel Grothe sit down with Pastor Brady to talk about his new book Remarkable.
In this episode Glenn Packiam and Andrew Arndt sit down to talk about how to walk wisely, compassionately, and pastorally with people experiencing a crisis of faith.
In this episode we pick up our conversation on summers to talk about the purpose of pastoral sabbaticals.
In Part 1 of What Are Summers For, we talk about the personal side and the organizational side of summers and how to make the best use of them.
This is part 2 of our conversation on how the Old Testament and the New Testament relate, and how we can faithfully preach and teach the Old Testament in the Church.
In this episode Pastor Brady and Andrew sit down to talk about some "do's" and "don'ts" for pastors in the week following Easter.
In this episode (part 1 of 2) we sit down to talk about the challenge of preaching and teaching Christ in and from the Old Testament.
In this episode we sit down to talk about some of the things that make pastors want to quit the ministry, and what we can do about it.
In this UNCUT and EXTENDED episode, Pastor Brady sits down with Jimmy Mellado, the president of Compassion International, for a wide-ranging interview on his background, the sources of poverty, and the challenges of leadership.
In this episode Pastor Brady sits down with Jimmy Mellado, the president of Compassion International, for a wide-ranging interview on his background, the sources of poverty, and the challenges of leadership.
In this episode we sit down to talk about the central tasks of pastoral ministry and how to delegate and manage your time accordingly.
In this episode we sit down to talk with our dear friend and worship leader Jon Egan about his new album ?Unveil? and all that he?s seeing and learning as a worship leader and songwriter. (You can pre-order Unveil wherever good music is sold online. You?ll get one song each week till the album releases on March 29th.)
In this episode we sit down to talk about the what's and why's behind choosing guest speakers, as well as some 'good manners' for guest speakers to abide by.
In this episode we sit down about the spiritual discipline of tithing. Is it still a valid New Testament practice? What does the Scripture teach? How should we talk about it?
In this episode we sit down to talk about how the local church can responsibly and wisely enter into a robust engagement with the work of God?s Spirit around the world.
In this episode we discuss the opportunities and challenges of leading "from the middle" of an organization. How do we become catalysts for health, creativity, and even vision when we don?t occupy the so-called "first chair"?
In light of the recent abortion legislation passed in New York, we sat down to talk about what it looks like for the Church to not only preach but also work for a culture of life.
In this episode we sit down to talk about the pastor as a student. Why is it important that a pastor be an ongoing learner, and what does that look like?
In this episode we sit down to talk about what qualifies and disqualifies a person for ministry. How do you know when it's time to resign? What kinds of structure and culture do we need to have in our churches to keep them and those who lead them healthy over time?
In this episode, we sit down to talk about how to start the congregational year out on the right foot. What should we do? What should we not do? How can January poise us for what the Lord wants to do in our churches over the next 11 months?
In this episode we sit down to talk to our friend Andrew Wilson about his new book Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship to talk about the what, why, and how of blending the charismatic and sacramental expressions.
In this episode (the second of two) we sit down and finish our conversation about the multi-congregational model New Life Church has developed over the last several years. Why we did it, how it works, and what opportunities and challenges it presents.
In this episode (the first of two) we sit down to talk about the multi-congregational model New Life has developed over the last several years - why we did it, how it works, and what opportunities and challenges it presents.
In this episode, we sit down to talk about the kinds of relationships pastors need to cultivate in order to live and lead from a healthy place.
In this episode, we sit down to talk about the role of the local church in the life of the believer. In a time when many people see participation in the local church as optional, we try to answer the question, "Why Church?"
In this special episode we sit down to talk about the life and legacy of Eugene Peterson.
In this episode, we sit down to talk about the practical challenge of creating a robust sense of community in our local churches.
In this episode, we sit down to discuss eight questions leaders should ask themselves as they follow the Lord's leading through big decisions.
In this episode, we sit down to talk about the ?what? and ?why? behind the launch of our Essential Church Learning Community.
For this conversation, we sat down with Matt Brown to talk about the joy and challenge of evangelism, and how to do it the Jesus Way.
For this conversation, we sat down with nationally recognized author and speaker, Lisa Bevere to talk about life, marriage, ministry, and her latest book, "Adamant."
For this conversation, we sit down with Clayton King and discuss the leadership structure of Newspring church and the value of healthy confrontation.
For this conversation, we discuss how courageous preaching requires us to say things that are costly.
There's a difference between a church that prays and a praying church. Every church has some kind of prayer happening, [but] we are called to lead churches that have prayer at their core, at their essence.
For this conversation, we sit down with Louie Giglio and discuss the Passion movement, worship, and everything in-between.
For this conversation, we discuss the situation at Willow Creek and how this should cause us to reflect and pay attention in a deeper way.
For this conversation, we were joined by Ted Egly from the Center for Creative Leadership to talk about what leaders can do to get the best out of the teams and organizations they lead.
In this conversation, we were joined by Pete Greig to talk about the role and purpose of prayer in the local church and how we can contend for unity and revival within the Church. We were so encouraged by the stories of bridge-building that are unfolding through the 24-7 prayer movement and we hope that it blesses you.
Before His ascension, Jesus gave a Great Commission: to go and make disciples. In this essential conversation, we talk about how discipleship happens and what it looks like for us to help people become disciples of Jesus. Join in as we discuss what the long journey of discipleship unfolds in the lives of the people around us.
Ever have a week where you feel like you should just pack up your study and give up preaching altogether? It was a week like that for Pastor Daniel Grothe that sparked this conversation about The Life of the Preacher. Listen in as we talk about what we find at the core of the calling to preach the Word of God.
When Jesus told his followers to make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and all the ends of the earth, he meant that the Gospel should be brought to people where they are and in their contexts. So how do we as pastors and leaders bring the gospel to our neighbors in today's secular age? We talk about it in this week's essential conversation.
What happens when we worship? How do we select songs for congregational worship that instill hope? In this conversation, Dr. Glenn Packiam talks about what he learned as he researched the expression and experience of hope in our worship.
In this conversation, we pick up where we left off talking about the Bible. What is it, and how should it inform our lives and ministries?
A special episode just in time for Holy Week. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of the Cross of Jesus Christ. What exactly do we believe about Jesus' death and why does it matter? Listen in and enjoy this reflection as we move towards Good Friday.
In this conversation, we ask a simple and slightly funny question. What is the Bible? Perhaps one of the most taken-for-granted elements of Christian faith, we wanted to dig down and talk about what the BIble is, and what it isn't.
What can a centuries-old creed teach us about how to lead our ministries? In this conversation, we talk about how and why our church adopted the Nicene Creed and how it informs and shapes our ministry.
Spiritual Authority is a significant biblical concept that recognizes that God sends people into our lives to speak to us and guide us. In this essential conversation, we talk about the importance of spiritual authority, why people don't accept it, and how, when it is done right, it can be a beautiful gift.
Sundays come around with an alarming regularity. As we plan for our weekly worship services, the constancy of the calendar can inhibit us from stopping to focus on the lens through which we plan or what our end-goal should be. In this conversation, we talk about the factors we consider as we plan worship services that allow people to meet Jesus, to be formed into disciples, and to encounter God.
Transition is something that every church staff will experience. What matters is how those transitions take place. In this conversation, we discuss how to facilitate and enact healthy transitions.
In this conversation, we talk about what we've learned about hiring well and how to navigate firing people well, too. Maybe you're leading a church staff and facing a big decision regarding staffing, or perhaps you're curious about how a church staff might handle a staffing issue at your church. We hope that this conversation leads to greater health and trust among the staff at your church.
In this conversation, Pastors Brady Boyd, Andrew Arndt, Daniel Grothe, and Glenn Packiam (who are all members of the New Life Church teaching team, talk about finding that unique voice that each preacher (or leader) must discover.
How should pastors and churches help people position themselves to embrace generosity? In this conversation, a continuation from the previous episode, Pastors Brady Boyd and Andrew Arndt are joined by Chris Brown (Nationally Syndicated Radio Host of "Life Money Hope") to answer this question and more.
Many pastors find it difficult to talk about giving and generosity in their churches, but developing a culture of generosity is essential to Christian living. In this episode, we have a conversation about how pastors can help our churches to embrace generosity.
As we launch the second season of the Essential Church Podcast, we sat down with Kay Warren and Tommy Hilliker to talk about the Church's role in serving those facing mental illness.
In this week's podcast, we take a listen to a recent radio story that tells the story of our recent merger with Iglesia Nueva Vida, a local Spanish-speaking congregation in our city, and now the newest part of the New Life Church family.
As leaders in the local church, we inevitably encounter criticism from within our congregations and from the outside world. In this week's conversation, we talk about some ways of addressing this criticism in a Godly way, as well as some ways to protect ourselves from encountering criticism unnecessarily.
For this week's podcast, we were joined by Matthew Ayers, CEO of Dream Centers of Colorado Springs to talk about how the local church can lead the way in serving the most vulnerable people in their cities.
For this episode of the Essential Church podcast, we're joined by Pastor Rich Villodas of New Life Fellowship in Queens, NY to discuss the contemplative and charismatic traditions of the Church.
For this week's podcast, we're joined by Pastor Derwin Gray of Transformation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina for a conversation on race, diversity, and leading multiethnic churches.
We're picking up where we left off last week and continuing a conversation about the lessons learned from Pastor Brady's ten years of ministry at New Life Church. Our hope is that these lessons would resonate with and encourage you.
Pastor Brady recently celebrated ten years of leading New Life Church as the Senior Pastor. In this episode, we looked back on the past decade and talk about the lessons learned. We hope that these lessons will apply to your ministry and will help strengthen your churches.
In this episode, we're joined by two incredible leaders, Pastor Jimmy Evans and Pastor Tom Lane. Not only have they led faithfully in local churches for most of their lives, they've also played integral roles in restoring fallen leaders back to health. So we sat down with them and asked them to share their wisdom. We pray that it blesses and encourages you.
In this conversation, we're joined by Dr. Michelle Anthony to talk about how parents can take the lead in the spiritual lives of their kids.
What role should the Table have in worship services? How can we use the Essential Practice of going to The Table to point our congregations towards Jesus? Pastors Brady Boyd, Andrew Arndt and Glenn Packiam share how The Table plays an essential role in their ministries.
In the episode, Pastors Brady Boyd, Andrew Arndt, Glenn Packiam, and Daniel Grothe talk about how and why New Life Church embraced the Team Teaching mode
We sat down yesterday to have an essential conversation about the Church's role in welcoming the stranger among us and the ongoing theme of immigration that we see in scriptures.
In the episode, Pastors Brady Boyd, Andrew Arndt, Glenn Packiam, and Daniel Grothe talk about how and why New Life Church embraced the Team Teaching model.
In this conversation, we talk about what we've learned from comparing different church models.
As we follow up on a conversation we began last week, we talk about what worship is, and what its purpose is in the congregational context.
In this weeks conversation, we talked with Jon Egan and Dr. Pete Sanchez about picking and writing songs for your congregation.
Welcome to the Essential Church Podcast! The very first episodes will be released on Wednesday, September 6. In the meantime, check out the website at TheEssential.church and follow us on twitter at @EssentialChurch.