Shifting Culture Joshua Johnson

There are cracks in the foundation. We have assumed that church and discipleship should look a certain way to produce more numbers, but through the last several years, we’ve seen we may have missed the mark. In this episode, Daniel Im discusses discipleship in a post-modern world where truth is seen as subjective rather than objective. He proposes a discipleship framework that focuses on interested Christians and interested non-Christians rather than just reaching one group or the other. He e...

You know what it’s like. There is a stirring inside. A whisper that tells you which direction to head in. I’ve heard it. I’ve followed it and amazing things have happened. Someone else that has trusted the whisper is Kathy Izard. In this conversation, we focus on listening to and trusting God's whispers to follow one's life path and calling. Kathy shares her personal journey of hearing God's call to address homelessness in her community through founding a housing program. She discusses how co...

In this episode, Sarah E. Westfall shares about belonging, identity, and community. Sarah shares her personal journey of finding belonging through vulnerability and authentic connection rather than external performance. We discuss how to cultivate belonging through contemplative practices, empathy, humility, and asking open-ended questions. We also address the challenges of loneliness and isolation, and offer tips for overcoming feelings of not belonging through small acts of connection and r...

Uncertainty and destabilization comes at a moment’s notice. When faced with uncertain times, what do we turn to? W. David O. Taylor turned towards writing prayers in the form of collects when the world shut down March 15th, 2020. In this conversation, David explores various spiritual disciplines and practices for deepening one's prayer life and connection to God, especially during times of uncertainty. He shares how writing ancient-style prayers called "collects" brought him comfort during th...

Anxiety is rampant. It’s everywhere. Does the way we worship enhance our collective anxiety? In this episode, Michael Jordan and I have a conversation exploring how Christian worship practices can both help and hinder people experiencing anxiety and mental health struggles. Michael discusses the history of evangelical worship traditions and how they have sometimes relied on heightening anxiety to bring people to repentance. However, Jesus modeled a different approach of meeting and accepting ...

There is a homelessness crisis in the United States. And yes, we have a conversation around the context of the U.S. currently, but there are a lot of helpful points that will help in different contexts around the world. In this episode, Robert Marbut provides helpful context about homelessness in the United States, discusses the underlying issues that often lead to homelessness like untreated mental illness and substance abuse. He emphasizes the importance of a holistic, trauma-informed appro...