Our Urban Voices

Dr. Alfonse Javed

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CHRISTIANITY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Our Urban Voices

Deep conversations with diverse voices about urban ministry and Christian narratives. In "Our Urban Voices with Dr. Alfonse Javed," we will cover everything from churches and church planting efforts, missions and missions organization, evangelism and unreached people groups, emerging movements and initiatives, justice, current events related to faith and the persecuted church, to author interviews and reviews.

JUL 1

#130. Don't Export Your God-Given Mission to Others

Pastor Joshua Hayden has recently authored Remissioning Church, A Field Guide to Bringing a Congregation Back to Life, where he talks about transforming a church from the inside out to bring a new missional presence that brings life and flourishing to the neighborhood. Book: Remissioning Church WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Why the tried and true strategies for church growth not working so well anymoreCreative Destruction, Exegeting the Culture or Neighborhood, and Traditioned InnovationPatterns and Stages that a Church Might Experience in Remissioning ABOUT THE GUEST: Josh Hayden is the co-founder and co-president of `Iwa Collaborative, which helps leaders fly high and live low as they lead through change processes in their community. He runs remissioning trainings through `Iwa Collaborative across various denominational, non-denominational, and global networks. Josh Hayden is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia. For over 20 years he has worked and led in nonprofit organizations, church plants, and established churches. He has a doctorate in leadership and organizational change from Duke Divinity School and is the author of Remissioning Church and Sacred Hope. He serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits. He and his family live near Richmond, Virginia. RELATED LINKS:Iwa CollaborativeFirst Baptist Ashland VA TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:01:51 - Book: Remissioning Church 02:11 - Don't export your God-given mission to others 02:48 - Why the tried and true strategies for church growth not working so well anymore 02:54 - ...what most churches are doing have not produced healthy disciples that produce the fruit of the Spirit 03:28 - ...churches don't look much different from any other group 04:30 - ...we have lost the missional impulse to know our neighbors 06:40 - Major sections of the book: Creative Destruction, Exegeting the Culture or Neighborhood, and Traditioned Innovation 06:59 - ...Creative Destruction 08:36 - ...connected to Jesus (Matthew 16 : 24-25 - take up our cross and foloow Jesus) 10:49 - Exegeting the Church and Neighborhood 11:55 - ...creating a plan for how to live on mission creatively with God 14:20 - Traditioned Innovation 15:18 - ...we have to translate the past into what's next 18:55 - Patterns and Stages that a Church Might Experience in Remissioning 19:04 - Free download: www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A1055-Graphic-Image-Download.pdf 19:14 - ...remissioning change cycle 19:34 - ...do we have a mission worth dying for? 19:48 - ...working through pain, disillusionment and being unnerved 20:40 - ...then comes a moment of repent or resist 22:24 - ...do we have a mission worth living for? 27:24 - ...take the necessary time in the wilderness 31:11 - Common Concerns in Remissioning a Church 32:04 - Leading Through Remissioning 36:21 - Favorite Tools 36:25 - ...exegeting the neighborhood 37:13 - ...the work of remembering 39:07 - Remissioning is worth it 39:54 - Getting in Touch with Pastor Joshua Hayden - iwacollaborative.com DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com

43 min
JUN 17

#129. Stop Trying to Revitalize Your Church-- Do This Instead

Josh has recently authored Remissioning Church, A Field Guide to Bringing a Congregation Back to Life, where he talks about transforming a church from the inside out to bring a new missional presence that brings life and flourishing to the neighborhood. Book: Remissioning Church WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:How and why congregations might be dyingRemissioning vs RevitalizingInside-out transformation ABOUT THE GUEST: Josh Hayden is the co-founder and co-president of `Iwa Collaborative, which helps leaders fly high and live low as they lead through change processes in their community. He runs remissioning trainings through `Iwa Collaborative across various denominational, non-denominational, and global networks. Josh Hayden is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia. For over 20 years he has worked and led in nonprofit organizations, church plants, and established churches. He has a doctorate in leadership and organizational change from Duke Divinity School and is the author of Remissioning Church and Sacred Hope. He serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits. He and his family live near Richmond, Virginia. RELATED LINKS:Iwa CollaborativeFirst Baptist Ashland VA TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:39 - Introducing Pastor Josh Hayden 04:49 - How and why congregations might be dying 05:21 - ...churches in survival mode 05:38 - ...counting, not reflecting Jesus 05:59 - ...want people to lead, but rarely invite or train up leaders 06:33 - ...afraid of conflict, stuck in tradition 07:02 - How Josh's journey influenced the writing of the book 08:39 - Established Church vs Church Plant 10:10 - Exploring the book title: Remissioning Church 10:59 - ...Remissioning vs Revitalizing 14:01 - ...Remissioning was not a word that people were using regularly 15:44 - ...Is it RE-missioning or re-MISSION-ing? 18:29 - How does church leadership assess if the church should be remissioned? 18:45 - ...awareness of where the church is in the life cycle 19:02 - ...spiritual health of the church 19:10 - ...counting vs measuring 19:19 - ...honest evaluation 21:12 - How does the church leadership manage feelings in assessing a church? 23:40 - ...helping people navigate loss and change 24:52 - ...embrace conflict 26:02 - What does a healthy church look like? 26:04 - ...clear sense of how to make disciples who are good for the community 26:47 - ...common life with the community 26:53 - ...see change as God inviting us into a life-death-resurrection journey 27:20 - ...disciple people inside the church so not to export the mission of God to others 29:51 - What is the goal of remissioning a church? 32:08 - What needs to happen for inside-out tranforamtion to take place? 32:36 - ...people disclipling someone 33:35 - ...learn to live on mission with God 34:07 - ...live with more purpose and intention 34:42 - How and why is discipleship the mission of the chuch? 35:14 - ...a lot of pastors haven't been discipled 35:42 - ...not clear on what a mature disciple looks like 36:51 - ...church-hopping is the result of not having a clear discipleship process 40:02 - If your church disappeared, would the community notice? DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous...

46 min
JUN 3

#128. Affection Isn't Weakness: How the Gospel Redefines Masculinity

Dr. Octavio Esqueda, full Professor of Christian Higher Education and Director of the Ph.D. and Ed.D. Programs in Educational Studies at the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, shares on how the gospel redefines masculinity. Dr Esqueda's Website Dr Esqueda's Website (Spanish) Dr Esqueda's Books Dr Esqueda on X.com WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Mother's Day vs Father's Day in ChurchesImportant Messages to HighlightCharacter, not Competency ABOUT THE GUEST: Octavio Javier Esqueda is a full Professor of Christian Higher Education and Director of the Ph.D. and Ed.D. Programs in Educational Studies at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He was born and raised in Guadalajara, México. He graduated with honors with a Licenciatura in Latin American Literature from the University of Guadalajara and two additional diplomas, one in Religion and Society and the second in Journalism. He graduated with honors from Dallas Theological Seminary and completed his Ph.D. in Higher Education at the University of North Texas. He and his wife, Angélica, have two children, Darío and Salma. Dr. Esqueda has several publications on theological education and Christian higher education, practical theology, and literature. Teaching is his passion, and he has had the opportunity to teach in several countries on different academic levels. He is an avid soccer fan. TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:37 - Introducing Dr. Octavio Esqueda 03:19 - Differences in Mother's Day and Father's Day Observances in Churches 06:07 - How Churches Can Improve in This Area 06:42 - ...elevate Father's Day like Mother's Day 06:47 - ...two important messages that need to be highlighted 07:06 - ......the mothers' affirmation come from being - her love is unconditional 07:16 - ......when the fathers' affirmation comes from doing - it's never enough 07:49 - ......many fathers believe that their role is to provide, so they are never with their family 08:01 - ...but as Christians, our value is in who we are 08:47 - ...A key aspect of adult motivation is feeling competent 09:26 - ...but no one teaches us how to be a parent 10:00 - ...emphasizing the value of who we are gives us the desire to do without fearing failure 10:42 - Character, not Competency 11:30 - ...instead of pulling in the cultural norms, bring the gospel out 12:34 - A Common Problem in Evangelicalism 12:51 - ...we forget that the whole message is about grace 13:14 - ...God loves us unconditionally not only at salvation, but for our whole lives 14:19 - Unique Challenges Faced by Men of Color 14:48 - ...expression of love and affection are not affirmed 14:59 - ...or to imitate a model that was absent 15:07 - ...tell parents how to live a Christian life 16:43 - ...need to know how and be trained 17:10 - ..cultural expectations for men 19:48 - God's Love in the Story of the Prodigal Son 21:23 - Breaking the Cycle Starts with Us 23:19 - Contacting Dr Octavio Esqueda: amazon.com | x.com/OctavioEsqueda | LinkedIn DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com

26 min
MAY 20

#127. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: The Theology Behind True Transformation

Pastor Drew Hyun explains how the Christian faith provides a lens through which we can understand the beautiful and disappointing world we live in, while offering the kind of promising hope we long for. Book: Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful Hope Church NYC Website Drew Hyun Website WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Three Types of Books About ChristianityTension that Many Believers ExperienceThree Deep Practices ABOUT THE GUEST: Drew Hyun is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Hope Church NYC, a diverse church with three locations in New York City. Drew is also the Executive Director of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, an organization that aims to transform church culture through the multiplication of deeply changed pastors and leaders. He regularly speaks at churches, conferences and college campuses throughout the United States and abroad. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Fuller Theological Seminary (DMin). Drew loves cities, ESPN, and naps, and finds it a restful Sabbath when all three come together. He resides in New York City with his wife Christina and their son David and daughter Avery. Drew is the author of Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief, and Grace Reflect the Christian Story, available at Amazon, Churchsource, or Barnes and Noble. RELATED LINKS:Hope Church NYC WebsiteDrew Hyun WebsiteEmotionally Healthy Discipleship Website TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:38 - Introducing Drew Hyun 03:10 - Drew's Journey to Urban Ministry in NYC 04:43 - Calling to NYC and Church Planting 05:38 - Motivation for Writing Book: Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful 06:03 - ...Three Types of Books About Christianity 07:16 - ...Explain the Christian Faith in Three Simple Memorable Words 08:12 - ...The Christian faith gives a compelling picture of why both beauty, disappointment, and hope exist 08:33 - ...Practices of gratitude, grief, and grace so Christians can live a resilient, flourishing life 08:53 - ...Written for various audiences 12:34 - Influence of Drew's Father's Call to Ministry 12:59 - ...Drew is a Christian despite growing up in church 13:30 - ...Finding Jesus to be true and compelling 14:05 - ...Reconciliation with his father 14:37 - Two kinds of grief 18:07 - Tension that Many Believers Experience 19:54 - ...the story of the Christian faith starts with a good God creating a beautiful world 22:24 - ...posture to take from a beautiful world is gratitude 22:36 - ...but we struggle with gratitude and being alert the goodness of God 23:25 - ...but the world is also incredibly disappointing 25:49 - Creation - Fall - Redemption - Restoration 26:48 - Three Deep Practices: Gratitude, Grief, Grace 27:19 - ...invitation to live...

36 min
MAY 6

#126. Becoming All Things to All People in Order to Save Some

Carl Jamal dedicated his life to serving underserved communities, equipping churches, and empowering individuals through faith-based outreach. Our conversation today will center around effective urban ministry—how churches can serve inner-city communities with dignity, navigate challenges, and build lasting relationships. We’ll also explore Carl’s unique approach to ministry through hip-hop, prison rehabilitation, and youth outreach. Carl Jamal's Website Book Link: Urban Missionary Survival Guide WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:People, Not ProjectsDo's and Don'ts of Urban MinistryRole of Urban Missionaries in the Church ABOUT THE GUEST: Carl Jamal is a dedicated community leader and music educator who has overcome significant personal challenges to empower others. Finding refuge in music during a difficult youth, Carl relocated to Atlanta over ten years ago and committed himself to community outreach and charitable work, earning recognition as a respected leader and volunteer. His passion for hip hop fuels his impactful work in prison rehabilitation and youth outreach programs, where he teaches music production and fosters self-expression. Through his resilience and dedication, Carl shares his wisdom and skills, empowering marginalized communities and inspiring positive change. Born and raised in Baltimore, Carl Jamal faced many challenges in their youth as their mother struggled with addiction and father was absent. Despite these obstacles, Carl Jamal found hope and inspiration in music, channeling their faith and creativity into a pathway toward a brighter future. After relocating to Atlanta over ten years ago, Carl Jamal dedicated his life to community outreach and charitable work, becoming a respected local leader and volunteer throughout the nation. His passion for hip hop music inspired his life's work in prison rehabilitation, and Youth outreach where he teaches prisoners and at-risk teens the art and technical know-how of music production, writing, and engineering. Carl Jamal’s unique approach to hip hop education helped him pioneer a new way to reach and connect with local youths. His workshops and events encourage youth to unleash their creativity through hip hop as a means of self-expression and empowerment. Despite the many setbacks and obstacles Carl Jamal encountered in their young life, they persevered with grace, skill, and ingenuity. Now Carl Jamal shares his wisdom, his love of hip hop, and life skills with others, continuing his journey of empowerment and positivity in the world. RELATED LINKS:Carl Jamal's WebsiteBook Link: Urban Missionary Survival Guide TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:38 - Introducing Carl Jamal Rumsey 02:38 - How has Carl Jamal's childhood experiences shaped him? 03:14 - ...visited Atlanta and saw church community and Christ 04:59 - ...full-time in urban ministry 05:44 - ...Maverick City Music Initiative 06:24 - ...dedicated life to be a voice for the voiceless 06:42 - Importance of Principle: People, Not Projects (Book) 06:59 - ...church may treat people as a project or a program 08:24 - Top 10 of Do's and Don'ts of Urban Ministry 11:31 - ...why are you serving in urban ministry? 11:53 - Importance of Serving with Dignity 12:11 - ...Where is your heart? 12:42 - Role of Urban Missionaries in the Church 12:57...

26 min
APR 22

#125. Is Traditional Preaching Failing? How to Reach a Post-Christian Culture

Dr. Mark Glanville shared thoughts from his new book, Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Neighborhoods and how preaching can adapt to the complexities of faith in our time—especially where traditional assumptions about faith and Scripture no longer hold and where people are seeking relational leadership. Dr Mark Glanville's Website Book Info: Preaching in a New Key WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Key Shifts in PreachingAddressing Difficult Bible VersesDrawing from Diverse Traditions and Listening to Diverse Voices ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr Mark Glanville works as the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at St. Andrews Hall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is an Old Testament scholar and has written five books, including Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul and Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Neighborhoods. Mark’s vocational goal is to research, teach, write, speak, and play music to nourish Christian leaders to creatively reimagine what the church can be and do in post-Christian societies, with the Bible in our hands. Mark is also a professional jazz pianist, active on the Vancouver jazz scene. Mark’s podcast is Blue Note Theology, which he hosts from the grand piano. RELATED LINKS:Regent CollegeDr Mark Glanville's Podcast TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:01:06 - Mark's Background and Family 01:48 - Key Shifts in Preaching 02:21 - ...trauma-informed preaching 05:08 - ...holistic health 14:29 - Addressing DIfficult Biblical Passages 15:08 - ...people come with beautiful values about justice 16:17 - ...show the beauty of the Biblical text 17:11 - ...be patient with the Biblical text 24:33 - Drawing from Diverse Traditions and Listening to Diverse Voices 25:47 - ...requires an intercultural lens 26:17 - ...recontextualize Scripture to people 28:46 - ...diverse voices in the pulpit 28:56 - One Key Piece of Advice 30:18 - Nourish the Community 34:26 - Getting in Touch with Mark and Finding His Books DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com

38 min
APR 8

#124. The Future of Preaching: 5 Ways to Keep Sermons Relevant Today

Dr. Mark Glanville shared thoughts from his new book, Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Neighborhoods and how preaching can adapt to the complexities of faith in our time—especially where traditional assumptions about faith and Scripture no longer hold and where people are seeking relational leadership. Dr Mark Glanville's Website Book Info: Preaching in a New Key WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:People Relate to Scripture Differently Today than 50 Years AgoRecontextualization in the CultureShifts in Faith and How People Relate to Scripture ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr Mark Glanville works as the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at St. Andrews Hall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is an Old Testament scholar and has written five books, including Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul and Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Neighborhoods. Mark’s vocational goal is to research, teach, write, speak, and play music to nourish Christian leaders to creatively reimagine what the church can be and do in post-Christian societies, with the Bible in our hands. Mark is also a professional jazz pianist, active on the Vancouver jazz scene. Mark’s podcast is Blue Note Theology, which he hosts from the grand piano. RELATED LINKS:Regent CollegeDr Mark Glanville's Podcast TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:38 - Introducing Mark Glanville 03:19 - Mark's Background and Family 04:00 - Mark's New Book: Preaching in a New Key 04:57 - People Relate to Scripture Differently Today than 50 Years Ago 05:34 - Expository Preaching Has Never Been More Important 05:55 - The deeper into post-Christian context, people crave to know Christian teaching 06:48 - Questions for Context and Clarity 07:18 - ... 1. post-Christian culture 11:11 - ... 2. Recontextualization in the Culture 16:05 - An Illustration from Music 21:42 - Shifts in Faith and How People Relate to Scripture 21:57 - ...people used to come to church with Bibles under their arms, 22:04 - ...but now they come with questions on their minds 22:48 - ...the key might be reversing the direction of flow in preaching 23:40 - ...showing the beauty of Jesus in Scripture 23:42 - ...winning people to Jesus, AND to Scripture itself 28:11 - Contacting Mark and Finding His Books DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com

32 min
MAR 25

#123. "I Didn't Feel Judged"

Aimee Huber is the Executive Director of First Choice Women's Resource Centers in New Jersey. She has dedicated over three decades to supporting women and men facing unplanned pregnancies, providing them with counseling, medical services, and practical support. Aimee Huber's Website WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:How Pregnancy Resource Centers support men & womenHow church can support Pregnancy Resource CentersHow to talk to someone facing an unplanned pregnancy ABOUT THE GUEST: A pastor's daughter, Aimee Huber serves as the Executive Director of First Choice Women's Resource Centers. First Choice's mission is to protect the unborn by empowering women. Since 1990, she has had the privilege of seeing God grow their ministry in New Jersey from one to five locations, all with medical services. She holds a B.A. from Rutgers University and lives in Central NJ with her husband and two teenage children. TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:38 - Introducing Aimee Huber 03:48 - Inspiration for involvement at First Choice for 33 years 05:35 - The Mission of First Choice and Services Offered 05:44 - ...protect the unborn by empowering women 05:51 - ......prevention 06:04 - ......intervention 06:17 - ......restoration 06:40 - .........walking with the hurt 08:05 - .........trauma 09:37 - How Pregnancy Resources Centers Fit Into the Larger Picture of Urban Ministry 09:46 - ...extension of the local church 10:32 - Unique Challenges When Faced with an Unplanned Pregnancy in an Urban Setting 10:55 - ...SOS: S - scared, O - overwhelming pressures, S - strengths 12:01 - ...Overwhelming pressures are magnified 12:10 - ......single-parent homes 12:21 - ......younger siblings 12:33 - ......housing 12:42 - ......desire to break generational patterns 13:21 - Story of a Client Whose Life Was Transformed by First Choice's work 14:53 - How Can Churches and Urban Ministries Support Pregnancy Resource Centers 15:07 - ...identify and connect with a local pregnancy center 15:35 - ......share in church services 15:50 - ......contribute financially 16:04 - ......volunteer at a pregnancy center 16:12 - ......employment 17:24 - ...hesitancy to speak about pregnancy and abortion 17:48 - ......present in a caring and compassionate way 20:00 - What Would You Tell Someone Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy? 21:35 - ...Speaking Truth in Love and Honesty without Judgment 21:39 - ...The model is Jesus 22:12 - ...4.9 out of 5.0 stars on Google Reviews 22:22 - ...the most frequent comment is, "I didn't feel judged" 24:20 - Email Aimee at aimee@1stChoice.org DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com

28 min

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

Deep conversations with diverse voices about urban ministry and Christian narratives. In "Our Urban Voices with Dr. Alfonse Javed," we will cover everything from churches and church planting efforts, missions and missions organization, evangelism and unreached people groups, emerging movements and initiatives, justice, current events related to faith and the persecuted church, to author interviews and reviews.

Creator

Dr. Alfonse Javed
Years Active

2021 - 2025
Episodes

129
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2024, Our Urban Voices
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Our Urban Voices