Wednesday, May 13, 2026 Does a man need a church? Brad Edwards thinks so and last year wrote a book called The Reasons for Church, earning Christianity Today's Book of the Year 2025 award, which is no small accomplishment for a first-time author. Brad is the Lead Pastor at The Table Church, a small Presbyterian church plant in Lafayette, Colorado, where Rob Stout interviewed Brad live on location. Welcome to The Next Stage, a podcast that helps men live lives of purpose born from identity as God's image-bearers. Whether you are at the gym, on a flight, driving to an appointment, or just chilling out, this podcast is a resource to help men get to the next level. Welcome to The Next Stage. Resources mentioned in this episode The Bible: https://www.biblegateway.com/. Brad Edwards is Lead Pastor at The Table Church in Lafeyette, Colorado. https://tablechurch.com/our-team. The Reason for Church. https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Church-Matters-Division-Individualism/dp/0310166675/ref=sr_1_1?crid=110HJMSFQKYI8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3vH9zluIO3i33E-8uShjqzcYsuEXu5NUu03r2QCM3GdyNUsMhJC6BNd7HoBRGxWv.wvBXXi_nJgh_BmpRTSruFRrZYfW5GVbreBsFvzVbNX8&dib_tag=se&keywords=brad+edwards+the+reason+for+church&qid=1776668159&sprefix=brad+edwards%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1. About Brad Edwards Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 3. Brad Edwards Brad Edwards was an atheist until a personal crisis forced a reckoning during his sophomore year at Truman State University in 2003. Brad says, "After a year-long depression and having my pride and hypocrisy dismantled, God showed me just how intellectually credible and existentially satisfying the Gospel truly is." Today, Brad serves as Lead Pastor at The Table Church, a small Presbyterian (PCA) church plant in Lafayette, Colorado, located in the northern suburbs of Denver. In 2025, Brad published his debut book, The Reason For Church (Zondervan), which earned Christianity Today's Book of the Year 2025 award, and the Gospel Coalition's First Time Author Award. Brad's interests include editorial and blog writing for The Gospel Coalition and Mere Orthodoxy as well as podcasting at PostEverything. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/brad-edwards/ https://mereorthodoxy.com/author/brad-edwards https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/posteverything/id1676174977 Brad holds a Bachelor's degree from Truman State University and a Masters in Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary. Brad and his wife, Hannah, are blessed with two young boys. About The Table Church The Table Church is a young Presbyterian (PCA) church plant in Lafayette, Colorado focusing on the gospel of Jesus Christ and five governing values in the north Denver area: Imago Dei, Truth with Love, the Gospel, Hospitality, and Shalom. Its ministry's mission is summed up in Enjoying God, Loving Courageously, and Cultivating Beauty. Learn more at https://tablechurch.com/aboutus. https://www.instagram.com/thetablechurch/ https://www.facebook.com/thetablepca/ About Sherpa Unlimited and The Next Stage Podcast for Men The Next Stage Podcast for Men is a bi-weekly show hosted by Rob Stout, Founder and President of Sherpa Unlimited, a Denver-based coaching ministry to men and pastors. Since 2024, The Next Stage has produced over 50 bi-weekly episodes confronting some of the most daunting challenges facing men trying to live well as husbands, fathers, and marketplace leaders. Rob Stout interviews both the eminent subject matter experts of today as well as the in-the-trenches laborers helping a generation of men rediscover their purpose, born of identity as men made in God's image, and shaping this world for good. The Next Stage Podcast Platforms YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SherpaUnlimited Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-stage-podcast-by-sherpa5280/id1726070899 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0pFp6LQfxC9NNZKeZqPtRW?flow_ctx=6d430aa6-a08c-449d-8ad0-95e0568468ee%3A1739839212 The Next Stage Podcast Social Media SherpaUnlimed.com: www.SherpaUnlimited.com/podcasts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherpaUnlimited LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sherpa-5280 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherpa_unlimited/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SherpaUnlimited/ About Rob Stout, Host Rob holds a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and a master's degree from Denver Seminary where he specialized in leadership and organizational transformation. A Certified Life Coach from Life Coach Institute, Rob has served for over 30 years in leadership, teaching, and coaching roles in numerous business and non-profit organizations with a focus on helping men navigate some of life's most hazardous and critical areas. He is the author of Getting Even: Countering Life's Hard Knocks. Rob and Nicole have been married since 1994 and live in Erie, Colorado. They have three grown daughters and one grandchild. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-stout-77ab90b. About Christopher Mann, Producer Christopher Mann leads ReSermon Thought Leader Marketing and serves as Producer for The Next Stage. Contact Chris for all production, planning, and marketing matters at (260) 255-4484 or Chris.Mann@ReSermon.com.
