The Sowers Podcast

Matt Naismith
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Sowers. features stories and best practices from Canadian church planters and leaders who are influencing kingdom movement and impacting their communities. With a whimsical thoughtful approach and format, episodes and conversations are easy to follow with tangible action steps at each episode’s conclusion. Insights gained can be used as teaching and inspiration for ministry whether personal or church specific.  Hosted by Matt Naismith, The Sowers. podcast desires to help and inspire every listener to become a sower in the places where they live, work, learn and play.  Matt was a church planter and local pastor, before transitioning to a catalyst and strategist role for a church planting network. 

  1. 16h ago

    126 - Apologetics Canada's Troy Lydiate on Race, Adoption, and Being a Faithful Witness l The Sowers Podcast

    Troy Lydiate — Creative Director at Apologetics Canada, host of The AC Podcast, and recording artist under the name Scribe Music — joins the Sowers Podcast, Episode 126, for a conversation that moves from personal testimony to cultural apologetics.Troy shares his story of being adopted from Jamaica into a Canadian pastor's home in Saskatchewan, wrestling with identity as one of few Black kids in his community, and the strange soccer injury that stopped his athletic career and pointed him toward ministry. From there, the conversation turns to race and adoption, what "Black culture" actually means across a diverse global diaspora, how churches can build genuine (not tokenized) diversity in leadership, and why the church's greatest witness in a "non-committal" culture is consistency over time. Troy closes with a challenge to the Canadian church: a call back to reverence, holiness, and beholding God.Learn more about Apologetics Canada: https://apologeticscanada.com/Follow Troy / Scribe Music: https://www.instagram.com/prairieboytroy/Subscribe to the Sowers Podcast for more conversations on faith, culture, and the gospel.#ApologeticsCanada #SowersPodcast #ChristianPodcast #Adoption #Identity #Apologetics #discipleship GUEST BIOTroy Lydiate is a multifaceted artist, speaker, and Creative Director at Apologetics Canada, where he also serves as host of "The AC Podcast." As a graduate of Providence University with a Bachelor's Degree focused on Social Sciences, Troy has spent much of his professional career working with youth and young adults. Operating under the artistic moniker Scribe Music, Troy has unveiled four studio albums, skillfully utilizing his music as a conduit to convey the gospel message. His music production has garnered him nominations at the GMA (Covenant Awards), complemented by widespread recognition through blog features and regular airplay on Canadian Christian radio.Beyond his artistic endeavours, Troy is a devoted husband to Jasmine and a doting father to two young children. He has dedicated himself to the growth and vitality of the local church, actively engaging in discipleship, worship team, and church leadership. Embracing a mission to catalyze both cultural and global transformation, Troy's approach is firmly anchored in love, releasing hope by loving God and loving people.

    126 - Apologetics Canada's Troy Lydiate on Race, Adoption, and Being a Faithful Witness l The Sowers Podcast

  2. Sep 22

    125 - How One Songwriter Turned the Bible Into Music: Joshua Leventhal on Tapiseri Volume 1

    Joshua Leventhal is back on The Sowers (Episode 125) for a track-by-track walk through of his new album, Tapiseri: Volume I — the first installment of a 25-song, three-volume concept record retelling the story of Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. Four years in the making, Tapiseri: Volume I moves from Creation through the wilderness wanderings, and in this conversation Josh unpacks the theological and musical choices behind songs like "Blessed," "Union," "Cursed," "Vagabond," "Cover," "Covenant," "Birthright," "Liberty," and "Tribes."Josh talks about writing music as an act of discipleship, why he resists tying a neat bow on hard biblical stories, how a Tolkien-inspired image shaped the song "Blessed," why "Cursed" abruptly shifts key, and how the free companion ebook can help individuals and groups engage Scripture more deeply.BIO Joshua Leventhal is an American-born, Canadian-raised, JUNO-nominated and two-time GMA Covenant Award-winning recording artist based just outside Vancouver, British Columbia. His 2022 debut full-length, ALL YE LEPERS, explored the goodness of Christ across the full range of human experience. That same vision now finds fuller expression in Tapiseri, a multi-volume biblical concept record tracing the grand narrative of Scripture. Tapiseri: Volume I spans Creation through the Hebrew exile and the giving of the Law. He is married to fellow creative and acclaimed abstract painter Kaitlyn Rose Leventhal.🎧 Listen to Tapiseri: Volume I on all streaming platforms 📖 Get the free companion ebook at https://www.joshualeventhal.com/.

    125 - How One Songwriter Turned the Bible Into Music: Joshua Leventhal on Tapiseri Volume 1

  3. Sep 15

    124 - The Pastor Behind Kyla's Story: BJ Chursinoff on Grace, Truth, and the Cost of Real Love

    BJ Chursinoff is the pastor of Gospel City Church in Port Coquitlam, where he has served in ministry for over a decade. Alongside his wife Jess, BJ walked closely with Kyla Gillespie (formerly Brycen) through her journey out of gender transition and into full surrender to Jesus — a story shared in Kyla's own book and in a previous episode of this podcast. In this conversation, BJ shares: + His own journey to faith and a decade of walking away before God called him back +How a Saturday-night recovery ministry called God Rock became Gospel City Church +The night Jess first approached Brycen (now Kyla) at a worship service + Why "everyone is broken" makes recovery ministry uniquely honest + The moment Kyla shared her story — and why BJ and Jess responded, "We love you even more" + Why they asked Kyla for grace in the relationship, and what that cost them + Holding the traditional sexual ethic without wavering, while never pushing Kyla away + The invitation to live in their home during Kyla's detransition + What it means to walk in both grace and truth like Jesus did BJ is passionate about the clear and faithful teaching of God's Word and longs to see people transformed by the grace of God. He loves Jesus, His Church, His Word, and the lost, and is committed to helping others grow in a deeper, more authentic walk with Christ. He is married to his wife Jessica, and together they have a daughter, Sydney. Links: Gospel City Church: http://gospelcity.ca/ "Transformed" by Kyla Gillespie: https://www.amazon.ca/TransFormed-Journey-Confusion-Reassignment-Detransitioning/dp/B0FCL13CD7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RMB2RGDCMCGW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5JDi_aQXnLEQtzuMoi8PynJ58BYoMe1lVwmizmQhwF4.g-H52-FqRKnu7KEqkPbT9ougvPrzPzdq9WQ4ybxh-bc&dib_tag=se&keywords=transformed+kyla+gillespie&qid=1788534926&sprefix=transformed+kyla+gillespi%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1 Episode #118 with Kyla Gillespie on The Sowers: youtube.com/watch?v=ZrqxDwczqDU&source_ve_path=NzY3NTg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fjoin.thesowerspod.ca%2F🔔 Subscribe for more conversations that help you share and follow Jesus in the places you live, work, learn, and play.#Christianity #GenderDysphoria #Detransition #Grace #Discipleship #Pastoring #GospelCityChurch

    124 - The Pastor Behind Kyla's Story: BJ Chursinoff on Grace, Truth, and the Cost of Real Love

  4. Sep 8

    123 - From Cybersecurity to Kaleo AI: Aidan Britnell on Building Tech for the Great Commission

    At just 24 years old, Aidan Britnell left a career in cybersecurity to build technology that serves the local church. In this episode of The Sowers Podcast, Aidan shares his testimony of growing up in the church and rediscovering the weight of the gospel at Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario — and how that love for the local church led him to found Kaleo AI, a live translation app that delivers church services in nearly 200 languages in real time.Matt and Aidan dig into what AI actually is, how Aidan trained a custom model on theological and biblical vocabulary to serve churches well, and the ethics every believer should be thinking through: the upside of AI freeing up time for ministry and Bible translation in unreached languages, and the downside of young people turning to AI for the deep questions they're afraid to bring to a pastor. They also talk about stewarding time in a world engineered to steal our attention, discernment in community, and a few other tools Aidan's building — including Within, an app for scripture memory, and Clearway Core, a church operations tool.BIOAidan Britnell is a Canadian technologist and entrepreneur who is passionate about accelerating the mission of the Church through technology. He is the founder of Kaleo AI, a translation platform helping hundreds of churches around the world reach people with the message of Jesus. He also writes Church Tech Insider, serving church staff with practical strategies to leverage tech and AI in their ministry. Aidan and his wife Rachel are members of Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario.Links: Kaleo AI: https://withkaleo.com/Within App: https://withinapp.io/Clearway Core: https://core.clearway.co/Hope Bible Church: https://hopeoakville.ca/

    123 - From Cybersecurity to Kaleo AI: Aidan Britnell on Building Tech for the Great Commission

  5. Jul 14

    #122 – From Church Growth to City Transformation: Jeremy Putz on Kingdom Collaboration in Edmonton

    What if churches in your city stopped competing and started collaborating?In this episode, Matt talks with Jeremy Putz, Lead Pastor of Central Baptist Church and one of the leaders behind Reach Edmonton, a growing movement helping churches work together to plant more churches across the city.Jeremy shares the surprising story behind Reach Edmonton, practical lessons for building trust among diverse church leaders, and why he believes every church—large or small—has a role to play in church multiplication.This conversation is packed with insight for pastors, church planters, ministry leaders, and anyone passionate about seeing the gospel take root in their city.About Jeremy PutzJeremy Putz is the Lead Pastor of Central Baptist Church, a growing multisite church in the Edmonton region, where he is passionate about helping people follow Jesus together and developing healthy leaders and churches. He also helps lead Reach Edmonton, a collaborative movement focused on catalyzing new church plants across the city. In this season, Jeremy is helping guide Central's expansion into McDougall, a historic downtown church building that is becoming home to a new congregation and a renewed centre for ministry in the heart of Edmonton.To learn more about Jeremy and Central Baptist Church, please visit https://www.followingtogether.com/.Checkout Neil Powell and John James' book, "Together For The City" here: https://www.amazon.ca/Together-City-Neil-Powell/dp/0830841539Subscribe for conversations with church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders helping sow gospel seeds across Canada and beyond.#ChurchPlanting #ChurchLeadership #Pastors #ReachEdmonton #ChurchMultiplication #TheSowersPodcast #GospelMovement #leadership

    #122 – From Church Growth to City Transformation: Jeremy Putz on Kingdom Collaboration in Edmonton

  6. Jun 23

    #121- Experiencing God in Everyday Life: Mike Blackaby on Faithfulness, Valleys & Harvest Seasons

    What does it really look like to follow Jesus when life feels ordinary, slow, or even fruitless?In this episode of The Sowers Podcast, we sit down with Mike Blackaby—church planter, author, and pastor—to talk about:+ Growing up in a multi-generational ministry family+ Overcoming doubt and discovering a personal faith in Christ+ Church planting in secular Victoria, BC+ Why faithfulness matters more than quick results+ The danger of constantly chasing “mountaintop” experiences+ How to experience God in the rhythms of everyday lifeMike shares powerful wisdom from his pastoral journey and insights from his book "Experiencing God in Everyday Life"—a companion to the classic "Experiencing God" that helps believers move from spiritual highs to sustainable spiritual growth.🔥 Key takeaway: Don’t quit before the harvest. God is at work—even when you can’t see it.Guest Bio:Mike Blackaby serves as a church planter in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, where he lives with his wife, Sarah, and their four children. He holds a PhD in Worldview and Apologetics from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books and Bible studies including God, Heroes, and Everyday Dragons, Experiencing God in Everyday Life and Straight to the Heart: Communicating the Gospel in an Emotionally Driven Culture.To learn more about Mike blackaby and Canvas Church: Oak Bay, please visit: https://www.canvasoakbay.ca/To order a copy of "Experiencing God in Everyday Life," pleaser visit: https://www.amazon.ca/Experiencing-God-Everyday-Life-Access/dp/B0FPXJLJX8👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on evangelism, church planting, and discipleship.

    #121- Experiencing God in Everyday Life: Mike Blackaby on Faithfulness, Valleys & Harvest Seasons

  7. Jun 16

    #120 - The Student Leadership Collective: Avalon Reimer on the Grade 10 Students Across Canada Sharing Jesus in Their High Schools

    Is God moving among high school students in Canada?In this powerful conversation, Avalon Reimer shares how Grade 10 students across the country are courageously sharing Jesus in their schools, running Alpha groups, gathering friends to explore faith, and creating spaces for others to encounter the Holy Spirit.Avalon Reimer, otherwise known as “Lonny” by students, serves at Alpha Canada as the SLC Experience and Hospitality Coordinator. Based in Calgary, Alberta, she works closely with Grade 10 students and their local churches to create formative experiences through the Student Leadership Collective, equipping them in evangelism and leadership where God has already placed them. She is passionate about seeing high school students recognize that they play an integral role in the church and society today.In this episode of The Sowers Podcast, Avalon shares:+ Her own faith journey during COVID + The importance of discipleship and mentorship + How students are leading Alpha in schools + Stories of youth encountering Jesus across Canada + Why Gen Z may be more spiritually open than we think + How adults can encourage the next generationThis episode is full of hope, courage, and practical encouragement for parents, pastors, youth workers, and anyone passionate about evangelism and discipleship.To learn more about Avalon Reimer and Alpha's Student Leadership Collective, please visit https://alphacanada.org/studentleadershipcollective/. 👇 Let us know in the comments: What encouraged you most from Avalon’s story?

    #120 - The Student Leadership Collective: Avalon Reimer on the Grade 10 Students Across Canada Sharing Jesus in Their High Schools

  8. Jun 9

    #119 - From Georgia to Nanaimo: Cam & Christa Moore on Saying Yes When God Calls l The Sowers Pod

    Cam and Christa Moore didn’t have a launch team, a big budget, or a perfect plan. What they had was a clear call from God—and the courage to say yes. In this episode, they share their journey from the Bible Belt to Nanaimo, British Columbia—one of the most irreligious cities in Canada—and what it looks like to plant a church from scratch through simple faithfulness. From prayer walking neighborhoods to starting conversations with strangers and opening their home to anyone who walks through the door, the Moores are discovering that obedience isn’t glamorous—but it’s powerful. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to follow God into the unknown, this conversation will both challenge and inspire you.

    #119 - From Georgia to Nanaimo: Cam & Christa Moore on Saying Yes When God Calls l The Sowers Pod
See All (126)

About

The Sowers. features stories and best practices from Canadian church planters and leaders who are influencing kingdom movement and impacting their communities. With a whimsical thoughtful approach and format, episodes and conversations are easy to follow with tangible action steps at each episode’s conclusion. Insights gained can be used as teaching and inspiration for ministry whether personal or church specific.  Hosted by Matt Naismith, The Sowers. podcast desires to help and inspire every listener to become a sower in the places where they live, work, learn and play.  Matt was a church planter and local pastor, before transitioning to a catalyst and strategist role for a church planting network. 

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Naismith
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Matt Naismith
  • Show Website
    The Sowers Podcast

You Might Also Like