How Change Happens

How Change Happens
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Explores the stories, principles, and real-life moments that spark transformation in individuals, communities, and nations. Each episode dives into conversations with leaders, missionaries, and everyday people who are living out the gospel in bold and practical ways. The podcast highlights how obedience, compassion, and intentional action create lasting impact, showing that change isn’t accidental — it’s the result of faith meeting movement.

  1. 16h ago

    The 2,000-Year-Old Problem We Are Finally Solving With AI and Technology | Dustin Willis | EP 028

    Imagine opening a Bible to find your favorite verse, only to see that every single page is blank. For millions of people around the world, this isn't an exercise—it’s their reality. Dustin Willis from the Seed Company joins John-Mark to discuss the "interesting intersection" of ancient scripture and modern technology. From the visceral moment he held a "blank" Bible to the technical hurdles of translating 1,000+ remaining languages, Dustin explains why Bible translation is the silent engine behind all global change and why we are currently living in the most pivotal moment in human history. In This Episode: ▫️The "Blank Bible" Reality: There are still over 1,000 language groups that have zero access to Scripture. This isn't just a lack of a book; it’s a lack of the foundational wisdom, stories, and revelation that drive personal and cultural transformation. ▫️The Foundation of All Change: While social justice and humanitarian aid are vital, Dustin argues that the Bible is the "very foundation" of how change happens. Without the internal transformation provided by the Word, external changes are often temporary. ▫️The Acceleration of Technology: We are no longer in the "slow era" of translation. Using modern technology and strategic influence, we are the first generation in history that actually has the tools to ensure every person on earth has access to the Bible in their own heart language. ▫️Moving Past the "Glazed Look": Bible translation is often viewed as a dry, academic exercise (Greek and Hebrew linguistics). Dustin reframes it as a high-stakes rescue mission—the ultimate act of reconnection and redemption for humanity. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Seed Company on Instagram: www.instagram.com/theseedcompany/ 🔔 Seed Company Website: www.seedcompany.com 🔔 Pray For Zero Website: www.prayforzero.com 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org

    The 2,000-Year-Old Problem We Are Finally Solving With AI and Technology | Dustin Willis | EP 028

  2. Aug 12

    Kicked Out of a Pancake House to Planting Churches in India | Brian Williams | EP 027

    At 19, Brian William got baptized in an old-school Pentecostal church, felt the Holy Spirit, and woke up with the appetite for his old life simply gone. What followed was a wild, unscripted decade: leading most of his college basketball team to faith, preaching on tables (and getting thrown out of an IHOP), attending a Mandarin-speaking Chinese church that taught him what family and discipleship actually look like, and eventually helping plant a church in India that now supports around 30 pastors. Brian, a pastor and missions leader, makes the case that the Black church's underrepresentation on the foreign mission field, roughly 1%, isn't about resistance but about exposure and opportunity. He unpacks his "neighborhoods and nations" framework, why a single mom raising kids in the gospel carries the same value as a missionary in a restricted nation, and why he thinks the future of the church looks less like the megachurch and more like Acts 2. In This Episode: ▫️Conversion preceded technique. Brian's evangelism flowed from a single overwhelming encounter at 19, not training — his teammates were won by a visible change in his life before any words. ▫️Exposure, not resistance, explains the gap. He argues the ~1% Black presence in foreign missions is a problem of opportunity and exposure, not any inherent reluctance — and that platforms and messaging can change it quickly. ▫️Representation opened the door. A book cover he mistook for a Black man being baptized (K.P. Yohannan's story from India) is what got him to read — a concrete example of why representation in missions media matters. ▫️"Neighborhoods and nations" — no hierarchy of calling. A mother discipling her kids, a single person, an entrepreneur, and a cross-cultural missionary all carry assignments of equal value; the whole point is refusing to rank them. ▫️Family and proximity disciple better than content. A Chinese church's shared meals taught him that formation is incarnational — books, podcasts, and sermons help, but life-on-life is the real thing. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Brian Williams on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianmwilliams_/ 🔥Follow YWAM Columbus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ywamcolumbus/ 🔥Follow Hope City Global on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopecityglobal/ 🔔 YWAM Columbus Website: www.ywamcolumbus.org 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org

    Kicked Out of a Pancake House to Planting Churches in India | Brian Williams | EP 027

  3. Jul 29

    Total Collapse Was Actually A God Setup For A 1000% Explosion In Impact | Brian Barcelona | EP 025

    Brian Barcelona spent an entire decade—from 2009 to 2019—grinding to get "Jesus Clubs" into 100 high schools. Then, in early 2020, the world shut down and everything he built vanished in a matter of days. But what looked like a total collapse was actually a setup for a 1,000% explosion in impact. In this episode, Brian reveals the "savage" reality of pioneering in Los Angeles, why he had to stop being the "hero" of the story, and the exact strategy that took his movement from 100 campuses to over 1,000. This is a masterclass in resilience, the digital shift of Gen Z, and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is become invisible.In This Episode:▫️The Power of Decentralization: Brian shares how the 2020 lockdowns forced him to move from a "professional-led" model to a "student-led" model. By giving the keys to the students themselves, the movement grew more in two years than it had in the previous ten. ▫️The "Stage to the Seats" Shift: A major takeaway is the necessity of shifting the focus from the person on the platform to the people in the crowd. Brian argues that true impact happens when you empower others to be the missionaries to their own environments. ▫️Gen Z's Spiritual Hunger: Despite the narrative of a "secular generation," Brian provides evidence of a massive increase in spiritual curiosity among Gen Z, noting their desire for authenticity over production and their willingness to take radical risks for what they believe. ▫️The Heart Posture of a Leader: Brian emphasizes that the "right attitude" for a leader today is one of mentorship and humility—being willing to "waste time" on the one person in front of you rather than only looking for the largest possible audience. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Brian Barcelona on Instagram: www.instagram.com/brianbarcelona/ 🔥Follow Jesus Clubs on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejesusclubs/ 🔔 Jesus Clubs Website: www.thejesusclubs.com 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org

    Total Collapse Was Actually A God Setup For A 1000% Explosion In Impact | Brian Barcelona | EP 025

  4. Jul 8

    God Told Me To Stop Trying for My Own Kids | Katrina Eskow | EP 022

    After years of struggling with infertility and the pain of miscarriage, Katrina and her husband went to a stadium event in Orlando looking for a spark—but they weren't expecting a life-altering command. In this raw conversation, Katrina reveals the moment she heard an audible voice tell her to stop worrying about her own children and say "yes" to the ones who didn't have a home. What followed was a 4.5-year "warfare" against a system that judged them for their faith and pressured them to "drink the Kool-Aid". This is a story about the grit required to stay on your knees when the breakthrough feels impossible and the incredible "full circle" moment when a legal adoption was finalized on a national holiday. In This Episode: ▫️The Anchor of Written Revelation: Katrina emphasizes the vital importance of writing down exactly what God spoke at the beginning of a journey so that you have a "record" to combat the enemy's whispers and second-guessing during the long years of waiting. ▫️Standing Ground in a Broken System: She highlights the need for believers to maintain their integrity and "new light" when entering institutional systems, even when faced with pressure to "drink the Kool-Aid" or stop questioning questionable practices. ▫️Scripture as Spiritual Warfare: During the height of the 4.5-year battle, Katrina used specific passages—specifically Psalm 37—not just for comfort, but as a declaration of God’s character and a shield against the intense spiritual principalities she encountered. ▫️The Weight of "Simple Obedience": The interview underscores that one moment of "yes" can fundamentally shift the trajectory of a child's life, moving them from a cycle of brokenness into a stable, loving family. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend 🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔔 CarePortal Website - www.careportal.org 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org SyncID - MB01ZBIKG8M9LUM

    God Told Me To Stop Trying for My Own Kids | Katrina Eskow | EP 022

  5. Jul 1

    The Truth About Why Less Than 2% Of American Missionaries Are Black | Yasmin Pierce | EP 021

    Yasmin Pierce explores the "blueprint" for how real change happens within a community. Using the story of the Circuit Riders and the birth of Black Voices, she explains how creating space for radical honesty led to a God-encounter that transformed their entire staff. This conversation moves beyond political talking points and explores how to empower a generation to be proud of their identity "in a Jesus way" rather than through the lens of modern secular theories. In This Episode: ▫️Moving Beyond Politics: Why young people are hungry for more than political talking points, seeking instead a kingdom-based identity rooted in the Sermon on the Mount. ▫️The Power of Shared Pain: How leaning into the discomfort of racial shakings in 2020 led to a culture of repentance and authentic healing within their community. ▫️Identity vs. Platform: The importance of making a movement a "platform for Jesus" rather than just a showcase for a specific demographic. ▫️The "13-Year Overnight Success": Why staying in the "mix" and being faithful in small assignments for over a decade is the only way to be ready when God moves. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend 🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Yasmin Pierce on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yasmin.isabellpierce/ 🔔 Purchase the Black Voices Manual - https://a.co/d/0iRCWoGR 🔔 Follow Circuit Riders on Instagram - www.instagram.com/circuitriders/ 🔔 Follow Black Voices on Instagram - www.instagram.com/blackvoicesmvmt/ 🔔 Follow Brian Williams on Instagram - www.instagram.com/brianmwilliams_/ 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org

    The Truth About Why Less Than 2% Of American Missionaries Are Black | Yasmin Pierce | EP 021

  6. Jun 22

    God Doesn't Care About Your Vision—He Cares About You | Banning Liebscher | EP 020

    We often think that once God gives us a vision, the next step is a platform. Banning Liebscher argues the opposite: the next step is actually the "root system". In this unfiltered conversation, the founder of Jesus Culture explains why God is more interested in developing your character than your calling. Banning shares the raw reality of the "Domino's Pizza" season—those years where your daily life looks nothing like the big word God gave you—and why your vision actually provides the purpose for your pain. If you feel stuck, hidden, or frustrated by a "boring" local church, this episode is a masterclass in how to stay the course until you are the size of the vision God spoke over you. In This Episode: ▫️Character Precedes Calling: God is not interested in developing your vision; He is interested in developing you, because if He released a big vision on a "small" person, it would destroy them. ▫️Vision Gives Pain Purpose: The big dreams God gives you aren't just for the future; they are intended to be the "anchor" that helps you endure the fire and the stretching seasons required for your growth. ▫️Thriving in the Mundane: A major hurdle for modern leaders is the inability to thrive in "boring" or mundane environments; true maturity is shown when you can lead a prayer meeting that nobody attends. ▫️The Mentorship "Secret": To attract high-level mentors, you must be "good soil"—which Banning defines as someone who proactively seeks out input and then immediately implements what they’ve learned. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend 🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Banning Liebschur on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebanning/ 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org SyncID - MB01ZBIKG8M9LUM

    God Doesn't Care About Your Vision—He Cares About You | Banning Liebscher | EP 020

  7. Jun 15

    "I Didn't Even Skate": Saying Yes To The Wrong Door Helped Me Find My Calling | Jake Mason | EP 019

    Jake Mason grew up watching his father run camps in their front yard, but he never expected to lead a movement himself. At just 22 years old, he found himself in a room full of exhausted leaders, raising his hand to take on a responsibility he wasn’t sure he was ready for. In this episode, Jake breaks down his unconventional journey—from building skate ramps in Hawaii (despite not being a skater) to leading "Infusion," a youth movement focused on radical transformation. We dive into the psychology of "camp highs," why the secret to finding your calling is simply walking through the doors that are already open, and the science of why music shapes identity more than words. In This Episode: ▫️Calling is a response, not a search: Jake emphasizes that instead of trying to "figure out" a calling, individuals should look for open doors and serve where there is an immediate need. ▫️Passions are a "God-given" bridge: He shares how utilizing a secular passion, like skateboarding, can create an authentic space where people can express themselves and eventually connect with the Creator. ▫️The power of removing distractions: Jake compares spiritual camps to Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, arguing that removing daily distractions allows people to focus on God with a clarity that is impossible in normal life. ▫️Worship as identity formation: He explains that music is pivotal for young people because they "attach their identity" to the anthems they hear, creating deep, "embodied" brain patterns during their most formative years. 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend 🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Jake Mason on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaketothemason/ 🔔 Follow Circuit Rider Youth on Instagram - www.instagram.com/circuitrideryouth/ 💻 Riders Youth Camp Website: www.circuitriders.com/camp 💻 Commission Camp Website: www.ffnashville.com/commissioncamp 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org SyncID - MB01ZBIKG8M9LUM

    "I Didn't Even Skate": Saying Yes To The Wrong Door Helped Me Find My Calling | Jake Mason | EP 019

  8. Jun 8

    The 20-Year-Old Who Moved To the Middle East and Never Came Back | Micah Studer | EP 018

    Micah Studer joined "How Change Happens" to discuss his two-decade journey as a missionary in some of the most challenging regions of the world. Micah opens up about the "product of his environment" that led him to leave the Northwest at 20, the unexpected turn toward refugee ministry during the Arab Spring, and the humbling moments that reshaped his entire outlook on faith. This episode is a masterclass in "lifestyle missions," where honesty, ethics, and meeting practical needs serve as the loudest testimonies of all. In This Episode: ▫️The Power of Discipleship: How a small church youth group produced 10 long-term missionaries by simply making the Great Commission a normal part of their vernacular. ▫️Witnessing Through Conduct: Why research shows that observing a believer's life is often a more powerful catalyst for conversion than seeing signs or wonders. ▫️The Shift in Philosophy: Moving from a "power of God, let's go" mindset to a discerning heart that looks for where God has already softened a "hard heart". ▫️Seeing and Meeting Needs: The radical simplicity of Micah's life motto: identifying a local need—whether it's a washing machine for a widow or starting an anti-trafficking ministry—and simply saying "yes". 📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend 🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference ⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors 🔥Follow Micah Studer on Instagram: www.instagram.com/micahstroodle/ 📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend 🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org SyncID - MB01ZBIKG8M9LUM

    The 20-Year-Old Who Moved To the Middle East and Never Came Back | Micah Studer | EP 018
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Explores the stories, principles, and real-life moments that spark transformation in individuals, communities, and nations. Each episode dives into conversations with leaders, missionaries, and everyday people who are living out the gospel in bold and practical ways. The podcast highlights how obedience, compassion, and intentional action create lasting impact, showing that change isn’t accidental — it’s the result of faith meeting movement.

Information

  • Creator
    How Change Happens
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © How Change Happens
  • Show Website
    How Change Happens

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