The Pastorate Podcast (The Pastorate)
Explore every episode of The Pastorate Podcast
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 10 Aug 2020 | Brad Lomenick on Leadership That Asks for Help, Dreams Big and Leads With Hope Instead of Cynicism | 00:59:36 | |
Brad is the former President of Catalyst and leadership consultant. Brad is a speaker, the founder of BLINC, and the author of The Catalyst Leader and H3 Leadership. He writes about leadership, the next generation, creativity, innovation, social media, teamwork, and personal growth. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode20 | |||
| 07 Oct 2024 | Introducing The Pastorate: Jason Ballard on the Future of the Canadian Church Leaders Network | 00:37:13 | |
Since its inception over four years ago, the Canadian Church Leaders Network (CCLN) has served thousands of pastors through its podcast, monthly newsletter, cohort-based programs, and pastors retreats and gatherings. This week, Jason Ballard, host of the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast and Executive Director of CCLN sits down with Chris Price to discuss the future of CCLN and the adoption of a new name for both the organization and the podcast: The Pastorate. Jason reflects on:
As CCLN becomes The Pastorate, we invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Show Notes | |||
| 27 Nov 2023 | Darrell Johnson on Carving out a New Understanding of Pastoring, Trusting the Power of God’s Word, & How the Ten Commandments Speak to Our Cultural Moment | 00:49:19 | |
Darrell Johnson, our record holder for “most interviews on the podcast” joins us to speak into the evolving landscape of pastoral ministry. Join Jason and Darrell as they explore themes like the art of preaching, going the distance in ministry and marriage, and to close, Darrell’s thoughts on the ancient ten commandments’ continued relevance in a modern world. Throughout the entire conversation, there is one thread that continually emerges as vital: the pastor's job is to guide people toward abiding in Jesus. We hope this conversation serves you to that important end. Bio | Darrell Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as Scholar-in-Residence for The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network. He and his wife Sharon have been married 46 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving nine active grandchildren! Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision. Show Notes: Get Connected!
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| 05 Apr 2020 | Carey Nieuwhof on Leading During COVID-19: The Challenges We Are Facing and the Opportunities We Might Be Missing | 00:50:07 | |
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Carey Nieuwhof, especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when seasoned ministry voices like his are so needed. Carey is the founding pastor of Connexus Church and has been serving in ministry for over 25 years. He is the author of several books, including his latest Didn’t See it Coming. He writes one of today’s most widely read church leadership blogs at www.CareyNieuwhof.com and hosts the top-rated Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast where he interviews some of today’s best leaders. | |||
| 02 Nov 2020 | Matt Tapley on When Ambition Becomes a Problem, Loyalty in Secondary Roles, and How to Know When to Jump Ship | 00:58:15 | |
Matt Tapley has been a part of the Senior Leadership at Lakemount Worship Centre since 2003, and the Lead Pastor since 2008. He serves the Church by developing leaders in a culture of dependence on the Spirit with full devotion to the unchanging Word of God. Matt is an insightful preacher, gifted worship leader and a valuable contributor to various leadership environments. Matt’s commitment to the Manifest Presence of God and the healing gifts of the Holy Spirit are a catalyst for stirring renewed hunger for God. www.ccln.ca/season2 | |||
| 21 Aug 2023 | Bishop Jenny Andison on Stewarding a Church with 180 Years of History, Her Passion for Evangelism & Cultivating the Monastery Within | 01:02:31 | |
St. Paul’s Bloor Street, the largest Anglican Church in Toronto, carries a 180-year-old history of ministry to one of Canada’s greatest cities. Leading this diverse and expanding community is Bishop Jenny Andison. Join Jason and Jenny as they delve into her eclectic story – a life of ministry that covers the world, including places such as Tokyo, London, and Pakistan. They also explore topics like evangelism, church revitalization, and what Jenny describes as cultivating “the monastery within.” We hope this conversation with the brilliant and humble Jenny Andison encourages you as you seek to serve Jesus and His Church. Bio | Bishop Jenny Andison is the former area bishop of York-Credit Valley in the Diocese of Toronto and became Rector of St. Paul’s Bloor Street in 2021. Bishop Jenny was born in England and has lived in Pakistan, India, Singapore, and Japan. She earned an Honours BA from Queen’s University in 1994 and received her Master of Divinity from the University of Toronto (Wycliffe College) in 1997. In 2017, Wycliffe College honored the bishop with a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa). She lives in Toronto with her lawyer husband Tim, and they have three daughters. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 26 Feb 2024 | Jerry L. Sittser On the Early Church “Third Way”, Re-introducing a Christian Imagination, and Navigating Grief through a Redemptive Lens | 01:12:46 | |
How the Early Church Can Shape Our Faith Today Every pastor and church leader is navigating the challenge of making disciples in an increasingly post-Christian world. How can we learn from the early church’s resilience and faithfulness? In this episode, Jerry Sittser, professor emeritus at Whitworth University and author of Resilient Faith, joins Jason Ballard to explore the lessons of early Christianity. Jerry unpacks how the first Christians navigated a pagan culture, why discipleship—not cultural Christianity—defines true faith, and how the church can embrace a deeper, more resilient approach to following Jesus. He also shares deeply personal reflections on grief and loss, not as something to avoid, but as something to carry redemptively. Jerry shares about:
We hope this conversation encourages you as you lead and disciple others in this ever-changing world. Biography Jerry Sittser is a professor emeritus of theology and senior fellow at Whitworth University, specializing in Christian spirituality, church history, and religion in public life. He has written nine books, including A Grace Disguised, The Will of God as a Way of Life, and Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian “Third Way” Changed the World. Now retired, he spends much of his time investing in young pastors and enjoying time with his 11 grandchildren. Partners We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 20 Apr 2020 | Josh Kelsey on Church Planting, COVID-19 and Building Community in New York City | 00:53:04 | |
Josh along with his wife Georgie are the Lead Pastors of C3 NYC in New York, where they are raising their two sons. C3 NYC started as a Dinner Party in 2013 and has since grown into many locations, including two cities. Josh’s passion is to communicate the transforming message of God’s grace, raising up and releasing a generation of leaders, reformers and pioneers who love Jesus, believe in His church and reflect His glory wherever they are. http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode3 | |||
| 22 Jun 2020 | Ben Karuhije: From a Rwandan Refugee to a Canadian Church Planter | 00:54:30 | |
Ben Karuhije is the pastor of Cities Church, a local church with a Canada wide mission to plant one hundred churches, in one hundred cities. After a series of direction-defining encounters with Jesus in his late teens, he left university and gave himself wholly to reaching as many people as possible with the reality of Who Jesus is and the life-changing potential of His power and love. He is married to his beautiful wife Sarah, and they live in Brandon, Manitoba. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode13 | |||
| 30 Oct 2023 | Ebonie Davis on Nurturing Gritty Faith, Four Spiritual Practices for the Next-Generation & Being a Student of Those You Lead | 01:00:06 | |
No matter where you fall on your church's organizational chart, we believe that this conversation with Ebonie around thoughtful discipleship in the youth space will serve you. In their time together, Ebonie and Jason explore how the church can play a vital role in nurturing a Jesus-centered joy among young people. They also touch on topics like contextual spiritual formation for the next-generation and adopting a “whole church” vision for youth discipleship within a community. Ebonie also courageously shares her deeply moving and inspirational journey of discovering Jesus. We hope you enjoy the conversation with the joy-exuding Ebonie Davis. Bio | Ebonie Davis is a founding member of the Arbor Research Group and an expert in qualitative research and program evaluation. She is a graduate of the DeVos Urban Leadership Institute, where she focused on Urban Youth Ministry, and holds a Master’s degree in Student Leadership from Huntington University. Ebonie is an international conference speaker and co-author of the book Disrupting Teens with Joy: Helping Teens Discover Jesus-Focused Gritty Faith, as well as a contributor on other books, Bibles, articles, and research related to youth ministry. She has served as Associate Pastor of Youth at Trinity Baptist Church in Waldorf, MD for more than 15 years. She and her husband, Clay, live in the DC area, and they have two adult children. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | Katia Adams on Dreaming to Church Plant as a Teenager, Pastoring With Legacy in Mind & What the Persecuted Church Can Teach Us | 00:48:17 | |
While most teenagers her age were dreaming about years of travelling or schooling after graduation, young Katia Adams was dreaming about planting a church. With parents and grandparents that played a vital role in the inception of the Iranian Church, Katia was dead set on building upon the foundation of faith laid by her family. Katia’s story can be traced from Iran, to England, all the way to the heart of Boston in the USA today where she pastors a community called the Table Boston. In this interview, hear her and Jason discuss this unique story, and how it has profoundly shaped the way Katia views the church and pastoral leadership today. Bio | Katia is Senior Pastor of The Table Boston Church and Director of Frequentsee. Katia teaches on theological courses, church conferences and leadership events internationally. In addition to being a preacher, pastor, she is also a medical doctor, wife to Julian, mother to two busy children and the author of Equal. Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. To get in touch with them, email our friend Jon at jon.wright@generis.com Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 30 Nov 2020 | Tammy Giffen: Her Story of Finding Jesus Through Alpha, the Value of Partnering With Other Churches & Encouragement for Female Leaders | 00:49:49 | |
Tammy Giffen is the lead pastor of Groundswell, a multi-site church in Central Nova Scotia. Groundswell is a church plant that launched in September of 2018 with a vision to be a church unchurched people love to attend. She came to know Jesus as an adult when she was invited to attend Alpha. Since then she has been passionate about breaking down barriers to church and helping people meet Jesus. Tammy is married to Peter and has three children; Taylor, Wesley, and Mya. ccln.ca/season2 ccln.ca/compassion | |||
| 22 Nov 2021 | Sid Koop on Passing Faith to the Next Generation, the Power of Mentors, and How Lead Pastors Can Champion Their Youth Teams | 01:10:11 | |
Episode 72 | In their conversation, Jason and Sid Koop dive into all things youth ministry, exploring the current state of youth in our churches and how churches are best reaching young people. They talk about the role of the youth pastor and how it can act as both a development role for a future position, but also as committed calling for long term service. Sid highlighted that one of the greatest ways pastors can approach youth pastor roles, is to see it as being centered on equipping and developing volunteers. Whether young and energetic, or more seasoned and less “cool”, great youth pastors develop great volunteers who can invest in the lives of young people. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. About Sid Koop From camp speaker to local youth pastor to youth ministry professor, Sid Koop draws from a deep well of experience over a couple decades. He is the Executive Director of Youth Worker Community where he and his team are dedicated to filling in the gaps for youth workers by equipping, empowering, and supporting youth workers to help the next generation know Jesus. Sid has a Masters in Youth and Family Ministries and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry in Emerging Generations at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 14 Dec 2023 | Darren Herbold on Embracing Holy Inconvenience, Why Ministry Friendships Are Key & Choosing Faithfulness in All Seasons | 01:06:31 | |
In this episode, Jason and Darren Herbold, President of The Alliance Canada, mine Darren’s eclectic ministry background which includes time in pastoral ministry, the business world and in the missionary field. Darren lets us into his own journey of wanting to be an active, not reluctant, follower of Jesus and all the places that posture took him. Throughout the conversation, Darren emphasizes his most formative learnings, sharing themes like listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the speed of love, what a cultivated curiosity toward others can impact & more. The conversation concludes with Darren’s reflection on the importance of faithfulness in each ministry season: whether unfair, uneventful or full of God’s leading. We hope you enjoy this insightful conversation. Bio | Darren has served The Alliance Canada for over 15 years. Darren served as pastoral staff for seven years at Beulah Alliance. In 2014, Darren, and his wife, Naomi, were sent as international workers to Thailand where they served for over eight years. In 2015, Darren and Naomi were appointed as Team Leaders, and then in 2019, as Regional Developers, providing leadership and oversight to the region. Darren Herbold also served on the Board of Directors for the past four years. Darren also has significant experience in the area of entrepreneurial business, founding and directing an international charitable organization, For Freedom International, focused on anti-trafficking, community development, and Gospel multiplication efforts in southeast Asia. In July 2022, The Alliance Canada appointed Rev. Darren Herbold to serve as President of The Alliance Canada. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Show Notes: Get Connected!
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| 16 May 2023 | Ken Shigematsu on Seeking to Bless Those We Envy, Practicing Confession as a Pastor & How We Can Survive Shame | 00:49:41 | |
Into a revolving door of senior pastors, Ken Shigematsu arrived to lead a struggling community in Vancouver, BC by the name of Tenth Church in 1996. After over two decades, Ken is still at the helm, having led Tenth to become one of the largest and most diverse city centre churches in Canada. But you’ll notice, Ken doesn’t exude an ambitious, pioneering spirit that you might attach to a story like that. He’s more of a soft-spoken, thoughtful contemplative who is seeking to see the Kingdom come in and through his life. In this conversation, Jason and Ken chat largely about themes from his new book Now I Become Myself - touching on emotions that can be destructive for pastors like envy and shame. We hope this conversation gives you a vision for how Jesus wants to meet you in and beyond those very feelings. Bio | Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-centre churches in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo. Ken is the author of the award-winning bestsellers ‘God in My Everything’ and ‘Survival Guide for the Soul.’ Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 27 Jan 2025 | Megan Fate Marshman on Preaching with Integrity, Practical Prayer Rhythms, and Cultivating Hope in Longing | 01:06:00 | |
Preaching with authenticity is no easy task, but for Megan, authenticity is the only gear she knows. The question remains—how do we craft honest sermons and let the message impact our own lives first? Megan is a pastor, speaker, and author joining us from Lakewood, California. She serves as the teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois and leads a women’s Bible study at Arbor Road Church in Long Beach, California. Whether preaching, leading, or writing her latest book, Megan brings a refreshing honesty that resonates deeply and inspires many. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about: - How joy, longing, and sorrow intertwine to deepen hope and trust in God - Two practical prayer rhythms Megan has developed to foster intimacy with Jesus - What it looks like to preach with integrity while wrestling with the reality of mixed motives - The heart behind her new book, Relaxed Megan is known for sharing with energy, joy, and sincerity—so we hope this conversation encourages you today. Biography Megan is determined to use her life to spread hope, share truth, and celebrate others. She is finishing her Doctorate of Ministry as she serves as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and the Director of Women’s Ministries at Hume Lake Christian Camps. She also shepherds women at Arbor Road Church in Long Beach, California. She invests her time in people, writing books and Bible studies, and exploring all over the globe, teaching and sharing the love of Jesus. She released the book and study guide Relaxed and Beautiful Word Bible study: John, authored the book and Bible study Meant for Good, SelfLess, and co-wrote the book 7 Family Ministry Essentials with Dr. Michelle Anthony. But what we love most about Megan is the way that she sees others. She has a keen ability to notice the people around her and to ask the kinds of questions that help her see them even more clearly. Megan lives in Lakewood, California with her two boys, Foster and Jedidiah. Sponsors We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins soon! Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Guest Notes - Website Show Notes - Website - Youtube | |||
| 17 Oct 2023 | Pieter Valk on the Historical Christian Sex Ethic, Demystifying Vocational Singleness & How Pastors Can Serve the LGBT+ Community | 01:09:27 | |
In this episode, we deviate from our typical format of interviewing a pastor, to host a conversation with Pieter Valk from Equip on how the Church can live into loving and serving the LGBT+ community. Through conversations with pastors across Canada and beyond, we know that this topic holds a lot of questions and tensions for the pastor. To speak to that, we invited Chris Price, Teaching Pastor at The Way Church, to wade with Pieter into not just the theology of sexuality, marriage and singleness, but also how pastors can bridge the gap that often exists between the Church and this community. In the conversation they discuss Pieter’s personal story of enduring same-sex attraction, why he landed outside the revisionist sexual ethic, what he wished pastors said to him growing up & much more. We hope this conversation serves to fuel your empathy and consideration for what it might look like for the Church to love a community that’s dear to the Lord’s heart. Bio | Pieter Valk is the director of EQUIP, a Nashville-based consulting ministry that partners with churches to become places where LGBT+ people can belong and thrive according to an orthodox Christian sexual ethic. Pieter graduated from Vanderbilt University with Highest Honors in Chemistry in 2013. After graduating, Pieter studied at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for a year with a focus on Lay Leadership and Culture-making. As a fellow of the Boston Fellows Program, he worked as a ministry development intern and completed a 26-week Pastoral Counseling course on relational and sexual brokenness. In 2016 Pieter graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, with his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Show Notes: Get Connected!
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| 15 Apr 2021 | BONUS: A Conversation on Worship & Theology with Brooke Ligertwood & Darrell Johnson | 01:06:06 | |
Today’s episode is from a webinar hosted by Worship Central Canada. Brooke Ligertwood of Hillsong Worship sat down with Darrell Johnson to continue the conversations they have been having on worship and theology. Covering an assortment of topics, they share with each other what they have seen and are learning about worship in our modern churches. Some of the topics they dive into are around the essentials of worship and what we do not want to lose in the future, along with some of the things they are okay to see fade out (mullets?!). They look at what has changed this past year for both congregations and their worship leaders as many churches have had to move online or have very limited gatherings. Darrell talks about what it means to live in both the seen and unseen when it comes to worship and the importance of remembering we are joining into an already ongoing worship service. Brooke also expresses what she has learned about calling and how we can confuse a calling to lead others into worship with the methods or image of what that can be. They transition partway through into some Q&R from the webinar’s audience, which you can catch on both the podcast and video on the Worship Central Canada YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy this conversation and find it helpful as you consider the heart of worship in your place and time. | |||
| 19 Dec 2022 | Special Episode: The Best from the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit West (Part 1) | 01:05:17 | |
In October, we welcomed 100+ youth pastors representing over 8,000 students to Vancouver, BC for our very first Canadian Youth Pastor Summit. 3 days with some of Canada’s best youth pastors, all gathering for the sake of the next generation. These are some of our favorite moments from our time together. In this episode, you’ll hear from:
Join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at CCLN as they walk through this gathering, uncovering themes like key youth audiences to focus on, what Generation Z cares about most, deepening Bible engagement in our youth ministries, the challenges youth pastors are experiencing & what Jesus is inviting them into today. We hope this episode equips and encourages you to do effective, Spirit empowered youth ministry in this time. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 24 Feb 2025 | Claude Lainey on Ministry in Rural Canada, The Church’s Call to Raise Up the Next Generation of Church Leaders, and How Listening Prayer Inspires Courageous Leadership | 00:47:52 | |
Pastoring in rural Canada comes with unique challenges and opportunities—navigating leadership transitions, bilingual ministry, and the call to raise up the next generation of leaders. That’s why we need pastors who commit to remaining faithful over decades, seeking God’s guidance through seasons of change. In this episode we’re joined by Claude Lainey, lead pastor of Gospel Mission Church in Winkler, Manitoba, to hear his story of moving from Northern Ontario to Manitoba and the lessons he’s learned along the way. In this conversation, Claude shares:
For those leading in small towns or large cities alike, this episode offers wisdom, encouragement, and a reminder to stay faithful to God’s calling—no matter where He leads. Biography Claude Lainey has been the lead pastor of Gospel Mission Church in Winkler, Manitoba, since 2005. Originally from Northern Ontario, he grew up in French Canadian communities before moving to the Pembina Valley, where he quickly grew to love the people and the region. With a passion for discipleship and spiritual renewal, Claude is dedicated to helping others experience God in a real and personal way. His wife, Micheline, serves alongside him as the Pastor of Grow Kids Ministry, and together they are committed to equipping the church and investing in the next generation. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake is happening now! Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Guest Notes Show Notes Youtube | |||
| 20 Dec 2021 | Best of 2021 | 00:50:14 | |
As we finish off 2021, we wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the conversations we have had this past year that encouraged us in ministry, shifted our thinking, and brought us back to a deeper abiding in Christ. For links to all the episodes featured, you can find them here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! | |||
| 07 Sep 2020 | Glenn Packiam on Drawing From Different Church Expressions & Becoming Brokers of Hope in the World | 00:55:13 | |
Glenn is the Associate Senior Pastor of New Life Church, and Lead Pastor of New Life Downtown, which is one of seven New Life congregations in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has earned a Doctorate of Theology and Ministry from Durham University (UK) and is a visiting Fellow at St. John's College at Durham. He is the author of 6 books, including "Blessed Broken Given" and "Worship and the World to Come" as well as the worship songwriter of 65+ songs including "Your Name" (co-written with Paul Baloche). www.ccln.ca/season2/episode25 | |||
| 26 Apr 2021 | Ben & Emma Narayanan on Planting During Personal Loss, The Four H’s of Their Culture, and Extending Honour When Gifted a Building | 01:05:39 | |
Episode 56 | Moving to Canada with twelve young adults to plant a church, while not having your Visa secured, takes faith. That is the beginning of Ben & Emma Narayanan’s story of moving to North Vancouver from Australia to begin what would become Avant Life Church. In this week’s conversation with Jason, they share about the journey over the last 4 years and how they have seen God’s goodness through it all. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode56 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 23 Aug 2021 | Aaron White on the Common Pitfalls in Efforts to Serve the Poor, Why Prayer Must Come Before Acts of Justice & the Power of Partnerships | 00:59:37 | |
Episode 65 | Aaron White, a local ministry leader in the Vancouver area with positions at 24-7 Prayer Canada, Westminster Theological Centre, and Jacob’s Well. He shares about choosing to live in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and how although many people see the area as dangerous or rundown, he finds great beauty and community within it. He talks about how many people can come to the area, hoping to share Jesus with those on the streets, but are often surprised to learn that Jesus is already there. Jason picks up on that theme, asking about what it means for churches and Christians to not come in with a prideful spirit, but to still find ways to effectively minister to the needs of their city. Aaron encourages him that if the church is the church in its own neighbourhood, that actually blesses the wider society. Not every church needs to be in the same area or trying to serve the same people, but through the fabric of the local church in a city, all kinds of needs can be met. When talking about serving the poor and working to bring compassion and justice to our cities, Aaron insists that prayer must be the first step. It’s through ministering to Jesus in prayer that we learn to care for and minister to those He loves. About | Aaron White is the National Director of 24-7 Prayer Canada. He has been a pastor, missioner, justice worker and prayer instigator in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver for the past 16 years, where he lives with his wife and four children in a community home. He is the co-author of Revolution and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Kingdom of God; co-creator of The Creative Way Down discipleship resource; and author of the upcoming book Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode65 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 07 Feb 2022 | Milissa Ewing on Discovering Her Call to Preach, Discerning Big Decisions With Your Family, and Stepping Into Indigenous Reconciliation as a Church. | 00:54:09 | |
Episode 77 | Milissa is the Lead Pastor at Redwood Park Church in Thunder Bay, ON. She is passionate about preaching God's Word, seeing men & women grow into the people God made them to be, and embracing the Church's call to engage in God's ministry of reconciliation. Milissa is a graduate of The University of British Columbia, Arrow Leadership, and finishing her studies at Tyndale Seminary. She loves spending time with her husband, Jay, and two daughters. In her free time, you will find Milissa painting, reading, trail running, skiing, swimming in lakes, or cycling. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 30 Jan 2023 | Ross Hastings on How to Make Ethical Decisions, the Starting Place for Personal Transformation & Participation in the Life of God | 01:00:23 | |
Over decades in the church, Ross has seen pastors pass the preaching test, and even the pastoral test, but seen less pass the character test than one would want. Today Ross is giving much of his time seeking to understand how pastors can cultivate holiness in the busyness of ministry and be a part of the 15% who finish well in the pastorate. Join Ross, Jason and guest interviewer Chris Price as they discuss how Ross was formed pastorally through personal depression, a grid for making ethical decisions, the significance of beholding Christ & more. We hope this episode encourages you to look to Jesus and be transformed into His character. Bio | Ross Hastings, a Zimbabwean Scot, holds PhDs in organometallic chemistry and theology. His teaching interests include Trinitarian theology, pastoral theology, theology and spirituality of mission, ethics, and the interface between science and theology. Ross's most recent work is Theological Ethics: The Church's Integrity in Contemporary Context. Ross lost his first wife Sharon to cancer in 2008 after 27 years of marriage. In 2011 he married Tammy Carrillo, who also lost her husband to cancer in 2008. Together they have five children. He enjoys sport—especially rugby, cricket, soccer, tennis, squash and flyfishing—as well as a wide variety of music. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 21 Mar 2022 | Phil Kniesel on His 6 Year Succession Journey, Evangelism That Comes From the Heart, and Empowering the Next Generation of Pastors | 00:50:47 | |
Jason is joined by Phil Kniesel this week, Lead Pastor at Hope City Church in Edmonton. In the conversation, they reflect on Phil’s succession journey from leading a young adults ministry to transitioning into the lead pastor role over a six year timespan. Bio | Phil is the Lead Pastor of Hope City Church in Edmonton, a multi campus church with campuses throughout the city. He is their primary communicator and brings vision to their staff and direction. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 01 Mar 2021 | Damian & Julie Bassett on Planting Hillsong Canada, What it Means to Lead Together & Their Priority of Building Friendships With Other Pastors | 00:38:20 | |
Pastors Damian & Julie Bassett are passionate followers of Jesus and have committed their lives to helping build His Church. Together they are the Lead Pastors of Hillsong Canada. With a heart that extends toward all people, they desire to lead others to a genuine relationship with Jesus, empowering them to realize their full potential in Christ. They are proud parents of three beautiful daughters, ages 17, 14 and 10, and have been married for 20 years. Julie and Damian join Jason for Episode 48 to talk about their journey of moving to Canada, planting a church in Toronto, becoming a part of Hillsong, and their learnings along the way. Julie shares about them growing as leaders and learning they don’t have to be great at everything. They were both worship leaders before planting and never expected to be communicators or managers of budgets. The beautiful part of that though is that it teaches us to rely on God and others and to learn to be comfortable with the way God has made us. Jason asks what it’s like to be married and pastoring together. Their major focus, especially throughout this past year, has been the importance of intentionality and communicating outside of just work. Both Damian and Julie love Canada and hope that on the other side of this pandemic we are more reliant on God, connected to His word, and unified as the Church. Their story of perseverance, sacrifice, faithfulness, and leading together will hopefully be one that connects with and encourages you. Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode48 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 12 Apr 2021 | Sam Picken on Developing Invitational Disciples, Serving Toronto Creatively, and the Foundations for Faithfulness | 00:46:06 | |
Sam Picken joined Jason for this week’s episode to share about planting C3 Church Toronto with his wife, Jess, and to talk about all things ministry and discipleship. Sam is originally from Australia, but moved to Canada in 2008 and joined the team at C3 Calgary, helping with their Saskatoon location as well. Their conversation includes Sam's vision for serving the city during COVID-19 and his reflections on foundational values and practices he wants to grow in to be able to pastor for the long haul. Sam and his wife Jess are the Lead Pastors of C3 Church Toronto, Canada. They relocated from Australia in 2008 to follow God's call to ministry in Canada, and in 2012 planted C3 Toronto. C3 Toronto's main purpose as a church is to connect people to God. The church is known for its strong community and outward focus on mission through 'Love Toronto'. Sam and Jess reside in the west end of Toronto with their three kids. They lead their church with a strong emphasis on discipleship and developing leaders, and nothing is a higher priority to Sam than seeing souls won for Christ. This episode was sponsored by Compassion Canada. Learn more about the work of Compassion at ccln.ca/compassion. Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode54 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 06 Sep 2021 | Keith Taylor on 42 Years of Pastoral Ministry: How He Finished Well, Kept His Heart Tender, and Experienced God’s Missional Imagination. | 00:48:03 | |
Episode 66 | In this week’s episode, Jason had the opportunity to connect with Keith Taylor in the final week of his 30-year tenure at Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton. In their conversation, Keith reflects back on 42 years of ministry and the ways he saw God move in different ways, in different seasons. He also shares about the unique history of Beulah, born out of a missionary-style movement to Western Canada in the early 1900s, and speaks to young pastors about what can help them serve faithfully for decades to come. As Keith finished his time as the Lead Pastor of Beulah, it was also the beginning of a new era of leadership for the church. Almost five years ago, the journey began as the elders board and Keith started to look towards what would be next and how they might begin preparing for the search and evaluation process. Looking ahead, Keith says he isn’t done just yet! Although his time at Beulah is over, he is excited by the ways God might lead him to new assignments and ways to serve others still. He plans to spend time with younger pastors and to invest in the next generation of leaders who face a challenging Canadian landscape ahead. He has great faith though, knowing that if pastors continue to rely on God’s power, He will ultimately continue to build His Church across our country. About | Keith Taylor served for 30 years as Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, recently passing on that role in Spring of 2021. Previously, Keith was lead pastor for 11 years at the Alliance Church in Vernon, BC. He is a passionate preacher, leader, and champion of people and enjoys continuing to be a part of Beulah after his retirement. He has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Jacquie, for 45 years. They have three married children and 6 awesome grandkids. Keith has served on the Ambrose University Board, Alpha Canada Board and numerous other denominational boards. He also has a passion for motorcycles and sailing. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode66 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 04 Sep 2023 | Chris Price on Preaching: Being a Prophet to Culture, Adopting the Right Kind of Relevancy & Moving Beyond Information Transfer to Encounter | 01:17:52 | |
One of the most requested topics for the podcast has been preaching. Here it finally is… a long-awaited conversation on preaching featuring a friend of the podcast – pastor, preacher, and author Chris Price. After delving into Chris' captivating journey to faith, Jason and Chris devote the majority of their discussion to the art of preaching. Specifically, they focus on five insights Chris has gleaned from his years of preaching to the people of Vancouver. Whether preaching is your weekly duty or not, we hope this conversation can offer guidance on what to bear in mind when communicating the Gospel and the truth of Scripture. Bio | Chris has been a pastor for over 15 years and currently serves as a pastor at The Way Church in Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of 'Radical Hope: Resurrection Hope in a Hurting World' and 'Suffering With God', ‘A Response to Questions on Sexuality’, and co-author of ‘The Whole Church: Women, Leadership, the Church, and Why It All Matters’. He is married to Diandra and has two kids, Kaden, and Mila. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: For more information on Chosen, email churches@worldvision.ca or Text CHOSEN to 807-787-4625 Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 16 May 2022 | Incubator Sessions: Darren Rouanzoin on Preparing for What’s Next by Disrupting Comforts, Identifying Compromise & Consecrating Oneself | 00:57:57 | |
In today’s episode, we bring you into a conversation Jason hosted for our Church Leaders Incubator with Darren Rouanzoin. Amongst our group of young, senior leaders, Jason and Darren wade into conversations on what a Spirit filled church looks like, the need for personal holiness as pastors, and how to build a covenantal community. Bio | Darren Rouanzoin lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Alex and their two boys, Ezra and Amos. Darren is the founding pastor of Garden Church, a community in the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the US. He is passionate about leading people to know and experience the extravagant generosity of God and the abundant life Jesus brings here and now. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 18 Jan 2021 | Phil Cann on What We Can Learn From Rural Churches, Pastoring Not Just Managing & Building the Kingdom Instead of an Empire | 00:49:58 | |
In this episode, Jason sits down to talk with Phil Cann, Pastor of Pemberton Community Church and co-creator of the video series “Quest.” Jason and Phil begin by reflecting on the history of Quest, a resource Phil made alongside other pastors in the 90s and 2000s to help students explore questions of the Christian faith. Jason shares about how he discovered it at a youth group, loved it, and began running it in his high school. Later on, Jason shares how Quest became the inspiration for the Youth Alpha FIlm series that has now reached over 1.2 million students. Quest came out of Phil’s own journey of faith, where he grew up in the UK and began to follow Christ in his early twenties. A defining moment came at a summer campfire one night, realizing he had to lay down control if he was to follow God’s leading in his life. This led him to preach the Bible and eventually move to Canada where he has aimed to make the Bible accessible and powerful to youth all over the country. He reflects on the diversity of Canada, as an immigrant himself, and how unique it is to lead in the melting pot that is this nation. From the West Coast to the Maritimes, rural communities to big cities, the culture of Canada and our Church is like no other country. The need to learn from each other and contextualize is critical to be unified and to build God’s Kingdom, not our own empires. Bio Phil Cann is the transitional pastor of Pemberton Community Church in British Columbia. He moved to Canada from the UK over 20 years ago and has spent time across the whole country preaching to youth groups and churches about Jesus and the Bible. He loves God, his wife, and his family. Phil’s passionate about trying to make a 4000-year-old Eastern book make sense in our modern-day world. | |||
| 07 Nov 2022 | Special Episode: Darrell Johnson on the Pastor as Shepherd, Dealing With Hurt in Ministry & What Has and Has Not Changed for Pastors | 01:05:49 | |
We have had quite a few conversations with Darrell Johnson now, and it still feels like we are just scratching the surface of what the Lord has taught him in his 50+ years of ministry. For this special episode, we interviewed Darrell live and online in front of pastors from across Canada, using the questions they submitted. In this conversation, Darrell and Jason discuss the definition of a pastor, how to serve churches while prioritizing family, teaching a biblically illiterate church, what Darrell prays for pastors & more. We hope this episode serves you as you in turn serve those the Lord has entrusted to you. Bio | Darrell W. Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as a pastor at The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network. He and his wife Sharon have been married over 50 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren! Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 24 Aug 2020 | Ho-Ming Tsui on Learning to Speak the Language of Love in a Multi-Generational, Multi-Lingual Church | 00:52:04 | |
Ho-Ming is the Lead Pastor of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church, a multi-generational, multi-lingual church just outside of Toronto. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, and went onto graduate studies at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Ho-Ming speaks frequently at conferences in Toronto and has traveled to Asia, Europe and Africa to teach as well. He is an avid guitarist and loves all things sci-fi. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie, they have three children. | |||
| 14 Jun 2021 | John Mark Comer on the Role of a Pastor Amidst Today’s Expectations, the Church as an Alternative Society, and Cultivating Peace Despite Circumstances | 01:09:02 | |
Episode 60 | John Mark Comer joins Jason for the second time on our podcast to share his reflections and learnings from this past year and what his future looks like as he transitions out of his pastoral role at Bridgetown. They start off reviewing the ways this past year has caused trauma, hurt, fatigue and division in the church and what the pastoral task is in the midst of this. In the last few years, John Mark highlights how he has felt a distinct shift in people’s expectations of him and the increased criticisms pastors are receiving. No longer is enough nuance, a relaxed presentation, and deep cultural analysis and study enough to avoid attacks being hurled at teachers and churches. In light of this, pastors need a deeper conviction than ever on what Jesus has called them to, not just what people want from them; John Mark sees this as primarily centering around a sort of spiritual director and shepherd for people. Jason asks what the role is of the church amidst these cultural conversations. John Mark unpacks the idea of the church as an alternative society, not meant to shape all of culture itself, but rather to give an alternative culture where people experience the kingdom of heaven on earth. Part of this calling for pastors to form these communities is to suffer on behalf of their people, or as John Mark defines it, pastoring is vicarious suffering. To do this, our inner peace must be based on the truth’s of Jesus and not our outer surroundings. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode60 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 22 Feb 2021 | Miles Toulmin on Planting a Resourcing Church in Malaysia, How He Spots Young Leaders & Cultivating Contentment in God Given Assignments | 00:51:06 | |
In this episode, Miles Toulmin, Executive Director of Alpha Asia Pacific and Vicar of Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang (HTBB), sits down with Jason for an insightful and rich discussion on church planting and leadership. His church is a plant of Holy Trinity Brompton, where he served under Nicky Gumbel for seven years. He shares with Jason the differences of moving to Kuala Lumpur and leading in a predominately Muslim nation. The church started like many, as thirty people in a home, but grew to now meet on top of a mall in the center of the city. Miles’ heart for the church is to truly be a resourcing centre for the city, which he explains often means giving away your best leaders and sacrificially serving others. Jason also asks Miles about dealing with the weight of responsibility as a leader, what he looks for in young leaders, and how to be content in the season you are in as a leader. Miles shares his thoughts on the joy and peace we can find as we take the right heart postures in regards to these areas. We hope you’re encouraged to trust God in greater ways from this conversation with Miles Toulmin. Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode47 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 07 Apr 2025 | Canadian Pastors Joe Jung, Ben Carbone, and Jaz Ghag Share Their Stories | 00:42:33 | |
In this special episode of The Pastorate Podcast, we’re doing something a little different. Rather than one long-form conversation, you'll hear stories from three Canadian lead pastors. Representing the suburbs of BC, the heart of Quebec, and a small coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, these pastors—Joe Jung, Ben Carbone, and Jaz Ghag—open up about calling, family, leadership, and the unique challenges of ministry in their contexts. Each story offers encouragement for pastors navigating their own ministry in a Canadian context. This episode serves as a reminder that you’re not alone in this work. God is moving across Canada and here is a glimpse into what he is doing. In this episode:
Guest Notes
Show Notes
Join the Conversation If today’s episode encouraged you, send it to a fellow pastor or ministry leader. And don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Want to share your story or connect with our team? Reach out here. | |||
| 28 Jun 2021 | Vijay Krishnan on Interior Work In An Exterior World, Questioning What We Accelerate, and Innovation with Intention | 00:57:25 | |
Episode 61 | Vijay Krishnan, Pastor of The Well Church in Toronto, joins Jason this week for a discussion on what the church might look like coming out of the pandemic, his personal ministry journey, and the development challenges pastors are facing these days. Vijay’s journey into ministry was not a straight path, but instead included multiple years working in marketing for a large food retail brand before stepping into the lead pastor role of the church plant he was a part of. The tension he experienced of loving and giving his all to the church plant, but then heading to work on Mondays struggling to find motivation, eventually pushed him to make the change. The church had struggled a bit since inception, however Vijay felt a strong sense of calling to stay and build into the community. About Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode61 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 01 Jun 2020 | John Mark Comer on Dealing With Your Shadow Side, Relinquishing Control and Leading a Church in Spiritual Formation | 01:10:47 | |
John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children, Jude, Moses, and Sunday. He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church. As for education, John Mark holds a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of Garden City, Loveology, God Has a Name and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode10 | |||
| 22 Jul 2021 | Kevin Myers on the Decline Before Revivals, Going Back to the Basics & Lessons For Today From the Prophet Elijah | 01:08:04 | |
Episode 62 | Kevin Myers, Founding Pastor of 12 Stone Church in Georgia, is interviewed this week by Brent Ingersoll of Kings Church in Atlantic Canada. As a veteran leader of one of the largest churches in America, Kevin has an acute understanding of the challenges of senior leadership and the many seasons a leader might walk through. The two of them discuss themes such as what precedes renewals, what we can learn today from the prophet Elijah and how the Church needs to return back to the ABC's of ministry in the Kingdom. About | Kevin Myers has been married for nearly forty years and has four children and two grandchildren. Kevin is the senior pastor of 12Stone Church, one of the largest churches in the United States. A gifted communicator, influential leader, and strategic thinker, Kevin planted the church in 1987 and has grown it to eight campuses. Kevin mentors pastors and church planters, speaks at churches and businesses around the country, and serves on the General Board of the Wesleyan Church as well as the Wesleyan Investment Foundation (WIF), a nonprofit corporation that assists churches with capital needs. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode62 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 22 Jul 2024 | Daniel Im on Pastoring In Times of Deep Loss, Becoming the Pastor of a 100+ Year Old Church, and The Four Types of People In Your Church | 00:48:54 | |
The church growth movement of the 20th-century has left a lasting impact on our perception of the Church today. What can we learn from its successes and shortcomings, and how can we move forward in the context of our post-everything society? This week, Daniel Im from Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton joins us on the podcast for a second time Daniel shares about:
We hope this conversation encourages and equips you as you serve those in your church and in your community. Bio | Daniel Im is a pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. He is the Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, Alberta. His latest book is The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World (NavPress 2024). He has also written No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry (B&H Books 2017), Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply (2nd Ed) (B&H Academic, 2016), and You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love (B&H Books 2020). He has an M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary, and has served and pastored in church plants and multisite churches ranging from 100 people to 50,000 people in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, Edmonton, and Nashville. His podcasts have been downloaded over 3 million times, and he currently co-hosts the IMbetween Podcast with his wife, Christina, where they help you discover the tools to build a marriage and family you love. Together, they serve as speakers for FamilyLife Canada’s Weekend Getaway Marriage Conference. Daniel also serves as a Bible teacher for 100 Huntley Street, Canada’s longest running daily television show. He has been married to his wife, Christina, since 2006 and they have three children. For more information, visit danielim.com and follow him on social media @danielsangi. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Show Notes: Get Connected!
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| 10 Jul 2023 | Montreal Spotlight | A Conversation with Patti Miller of Evangel Church | 00:55:27 | |
In just a few decades, Montreal has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from the once-revered "city of a hundred steeples" to becoming one of Canada's most secularized urban centres. As a result, the percentage of Montreal's population identifying as evangelical Christians stands today at a mere 0.7%. However, despite this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal. Pastor Patti Miller, leading the 107 year old community of Evangel Church, stands as a shining example of this reality. Join us for this special two-episode series that focuses on two churches in Montreal and the pastors who lead them, beginning with the one and only Patti Miller. Bio | Patti is a pastor, blogger, urban-dweller, sometimes-runner, who laughs at her own jokes. Loves her spiky-haired husband Jeff, and visits Ukraine any chance she gets. Most of all, she's a follower of Jesus, loved by God. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity. Read World Vision's Open Generation Report to reach, love and serve the Next Generation in the most well-informed way. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 24 Oct 2022 | Mike Voll on Revitalizing Churches in Small Towns, the Importance of Submitting to Process & His Journey Through Loss as a Young Pastor | 00:53:55 | |
After almost 100 episodes, Mike happens to be the first pastor/body-builder that has graced the podcast … and he did not disappoint. With almost 20 years at the same church (North Pointe Community Church), and a story marked with unimaginable suffering, Mike is an incredible example of faithfulness and perseverance. In this conversation, Mike and Jason discuss the 100+ year history of North Pointe, the importance of building vibrant churches in rural communities, how to effect change while working with teams of people, as well as Mike’s tragic story of loss and how it’s impacted his life and pastoral vocation. We hope you are inspired through this episode with Mike Voll. Bio | Mike lives with his wife Melissa, and children Aubri and Zane in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the Lead Pastor at North Pointe Community Church and an Adjunct Faculty member at Vanguard College in Edmonton, where he teaches the Intermediate Pastoral Practicum class. Michael’s passion in life is to communicate for change in everyday living through sharing his story and creative teaching of Bible principles. He is a speaker, teacher and writer on issues of faith, leadership and family. In his downtime Michael likes to be the tickle monster to his kids, read spy novels, lift weights and grill up a mean rib eye steak. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 04 May 2020 | Father James Mallon on Unifying the Church, Parish Renewal and Ministry in the Power of the Spirit | 00:42:20 | |
Father James Mallon is the Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Father James is also the author of the best selling book Divine Renovation: From A Maintenance To A Missional Parish, an engaging guide for parishes seeking to cultivate vibrant and dynamic faith communities centred on missionary discipleship. http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode6 | |||
| 08 Jan 2024 | Special Episode: Elita Friesen on Abiding in Jesus, The Fruitfulness of Rocky Soil, and Recognizing the Work of the Vinedresser | 00:33:37 | |
This past year we gathered for a one day conference with pastors and leaders from across North America, collaborating with our friends at Practicing The Way. Together, we engaged in meaningful discussions on spiritual formation within the context of the local church. This full day gathering consisted of teaching and dialogue from John Mark Comer, Ken Shigematsu, Tyler Staton, and Elita Friesen. Elita closed the conference with a beautiful message on abiding in Christ, sharing that as we lead people to a deepening relationship with God we ourselves would abide deeply in Jesus. We hope this message gives you hope and a renewed vision to abide in Jesus as we move into 2024. Bio | Elita Friesen is a writer and Bible teacher and has served in various ministry capacities for the last 10 years. She currently serves on the teaching and pastoral team at The Way Church, a church with locations in both Vancouver and North Vancouver. Elita feels uniquely called to encourage this generation not only toward biblical literacy, but also toward a deep love of Jesus through the study of Scripture. She is the author of several books including The Whole Church. Elita and her husband, Ryan, live in the lower mainland of BC with their four children. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 21 Jul 2020 | Tim Hughes on Leading Under Pressure, Creating Space For the Spirit and Giving Your Best Leaders Away | 00:52:31 | |
Tim is the lead pastor of St Luke’s Gas Street Birmingham, which he leads alongside his wife, Rachel. He is a worship leader and song writer known for songs such as “Here I Am to Worship”, “Happy Day”, “The Way”, and “Hope and Glory”. He also pioneered Worship Central, a movement of worship leaders and musicians with a desire to see people encounter God, be equipped as worship leaders so that the local church can be empowered. He is Dad to Phoebe, Simeon, Lois and Judah. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode17 | |||
| 11 Mar 2024 | Nicky Gumbel On His Succession at HTB, a Vision to Train 10,000 Pastors, and the Significance of April 17, 2033 | 00:59:36 | |
How do we lead well through transition and keep evangelism at the heart of our ministry? This week, Nicky Gumbel joins us to share wisdom from his journey as the pioneer of the Alpha Course and former Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London. After nearly two decades in senior leadership, Nicky opens up about transitioning leadership, empowering new leaders, and staying passionate about sharing the gospel. Nicky discusses:
We hope this conversation encourages you to lead with faith, wisdom, and generosity, embracing both change and continuity in your ministry. Biography Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith that has reached millions worldwide. He served as Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) for nearly 20 years and has written several bestselling books, including Questions of Life and The Jesus Lifestyle. He is also the creator of the Bible in One Year app, a daily scripture reading resource used by people around the world. Partners We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give toward seeding a hope-filled future for the Church. Guest Notes
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| 13 Mar 2023 | Henry Schorr on Prayer as the Starting Place, Choosing Generosity Over Ingrowth & His Reflections on 40+ Years of Pastoring | 01:10:07 | |
Studies have shown that a pastor typically stays at one church for an average of 4 years. For Dr. Henry Schorr however, that is far from the case. With 43 years of pastoring under his belt at Centre Street Church alone, Henry sets an incredible example of both faithfulness and fruitfulness in the pastorate. In today’s episode, Jason and Henry talk about the fascinating story of Centre Street Church, the Kingdom values that led to the church’s explosive growth in the 1980s, the wisdom Henry would offer to young pastors, the integration of family and mission & more. We hope your imagination is captured by Henry’s faithful example and his reflections on over 40 years of pastoring. Bio | Dr. Henry Schorr is the lead pastor of Centre Street Church, an influential, resourcing church in Calgary, Alberta that has been serving Calgary and beyond since 1958. Henry has been lead pastor of Centre Street Church for 43 years, with 37 of those years spent as the lead pastor. Under Henry’s leadership, Centre Street Church has had a profound impact on the National & Global Church. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 27 Dec 2024 | Darrell Johnson on His Morning Rhythms, Praying the Psalms, and Reflections on His Personal Health | 00:52:08 | |
As we close out 2024, we’re excited to bring you a special episode to end the year. Last year, we began a tradition of hosting a conversation with Darrell Johnson near the end of each year, and it’s quickly become a meaningful rhythm for this podcast—a chance to sit down and reflect on life and ministry. Darrell has been preaching, teaching, and pastoring for over 50 years, with a ministry journey that has taken him from the Philippines to the United States and, of course, here in Canada. He currently serves as part of the Teaching and Pastoral Team at The Way Church in Vancouver, BC, and is the author of several impactful books, including Discipleship on the Edge, Ephesians: The Wonder and Walk of Being Alive in Christ, and his latest release, That You May Live: How the 10 Commandments Lead to Human Freedom. For this conversation Jason had the opportunity to join Darrell in his study at home where Darrell spends time each morning in devotion and study. In this episode, Darrell shares about:
We’re so grateful you’ve joined us for this conversation on The Pastorate. Our prayer is that this conversation encourages and equips you as you prepare to step into 2025. Biography Darrell Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as Scholar-in-Residence for The Way Church and The Pastorate. He and his wife Sharon have been married 47 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving nine active grandchildren! Sponsors We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins in January! Guest Notes
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| 14 Sep 2020 | Larry Osborne on Leading Young Leaders & the Secret to Effectiveness | 00:54:32 | |
Larry Osborne is a pastor at North Coast Church in Vista CA. Under his leadership the church has grown from 128 to over 13,000 on a weekend. North Coast Church has been acclaimed as one of the most influential and innovative churches in America. Known for pioneering the concepts of sermon-based small groups, pastoral teaching teams, and video venues, its fingerprints are found on churches throughout the world. Larry has a passion for leadership, spiritual formation and discipleship. Larry holds both a Master of Divinity and Doctorate degree from Talbot Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Oceanside, CA. They have three married children and an increasing number of grandchildren. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode26 | |||
| 24 Mar 2025 | Reward Sibanda on How Culture Shapes Ministry, The Role of the Megachurch Today, and Fasting as a Means to Soul Rest | 00:49:22 | |
In this episode, Jason sits down with Reward Sibanda, a pastor, speaker, and writer, a leading voice on fasting and a Pastor at Saddleback Church. Reward is known for his contagious joy, his deep love for the church, and his ability to bridge cultural gaps in ministry. In this conversation, Jason and Reward explore:
No matter your context, our hope is you would be strengthened and encouraged by this conversation today. Biography Reward Sibanda is a dynamic speaker, writer, pastor at Saddleback Church, and the Senior Director of National Church Engagement at World Vision, the world's largest Christian humanitarian organization. Renowned for his unique perspective and transformative insights that challenge conventional thinking, Reward thrives on empowering and challenging people from all walks of life to transcend limitations and pursue God's best for them. His ministry inspires many, and his book, How to Fast, offers a powerful guide to rejuvenation. Reward resides in California with his wife Pam and son Silo. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Applications close on April 1st! Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 04 Jul 2022 | Simon Ponsonby on How Church History Can Fuel Us, Staying Amazed by Jesus, and Why the Fear of the Lord is Key | 01:03:02 | |
Jason and Simon Ponsonby sit down for a conversation following CCLN's Incubator Program's time in Oxford. When there, Simon gave a historic tour of their neighbourhood and its spiritual history to our cohort of Canadian Pastors. Bio | A fourth generation preacher, Simon Ponsonby came to personal faith in his late teens. He worked as a butcher, then became an evangelist and church planter, before preparing for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, where he gained his BA & MLitt in Theology. He is an international author, speaker and theologian, now based at St Aldates, Oxford, UK where he is Pastor of Theology. He has written several books on practical theology and doctrine. Simon is married to Tiffany, and they have two grown sons. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | Sunder Krishnan on Knowing Who You Are Not, What Pastors Must Embody to Finish Well & Living A Life Worth Watching | 01:05:58 | |
We want to see Sunder Krishnan's story repeated over and over in Canada. Sunder represents a faithful demographic of church leaders who have finished well in ministry, now taking up the mantle of mentoring the next generation of pastors in our nation with visible delight and joy. With over 35 years of pastoral ministry in his rearview, Sunder has a lot to say. Through this conversation, we know you will be drawn to consider your postures as you lead, the life you’re living before your church and what it might mean for you to be found faithful. We hope you enjoy this episode with Sunder Krishnan. Bio | Sunder was born in India and grew up in the capital city of New Delhi. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology and received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked with Atomic Energy of Canada. He became a pastor in 1980, retiring in 2016. Sunder and his wife, Shyamala, have been married since 1971. They have two grown children, Vijay and Sheila, and six grandchildren. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 29 Apr 2024 | John Mark Comer on Spiritual Formation for Today’s World, Recovery After Sundays, and Practices for Deep Friendship | 01:15:47 | |
Pastoring today comes with unique challenges: cultural hostility, personal struggles, and the tension between work and rest. How do we remain faithful to God's call and lead with humility when the road ahead feels uncertain? In this episode, John Mark Comer, founder of Practicing the Way, joins us to discuss the evolving role of pastors in today's culture. John Mark reflects on the growing interest in spiritual formation, the importance of Sabbath rhythms, and how pastors can navigate cultural hostility while being purified through it. He also shares insights on cultivating deep, vulnerable friendships and the role of confession in pastoral health. Key Takeaways
This conversation is a refreshing look at pastoral life, filled with wisdom, hope, and practical tools for long-term faithfulness in ministry. Biography John Mark Comer is the founder of Practicing the Way and has spent over two decades pastoring, teaching, and creating resources for spiritual formation. He is also a bestselling author, known for his work "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" and his deep commitment to helping people grow in their walk with Jesus. Partners We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and givetowards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 15 Dec 2020 | The Best of 2020 | 01:13:47 | |
At CCLN we’ve navigated this strange year alongside all of you and our prayer has been that these leadership conversations would be a source of encouragement and hope for you in your unique ministry context. Season 2 has featured conversations about navigating COVID as church leaders but, more than that, each interview has featured leaders and innovators with profound insights around ministry and leadership in a post-Christian culture. We hope this mash-up of season 2 highlights provides you with non-stop chills, “ah-ha” moments and a fresh injection of inspiration as you launch into 2021. ccln.ca/season 2 | |||
| 20 Sep 2021 | Kara Powell on the Questions the Next Generation Wrestles With That Every Pastor Should Consider | 00:45:50 | |
Episode 67 | Kara Powell is a veteran of researching young people and bringing practical ministry ideas to pastors and leaders in churches. Jason sat down with Kara to hear some of the latest research being released in her new book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. They begin by highlighting why this all matters and what is at stake when we talk about discipling kids and youth in our communities. Kara highlights both the ways churches can impact the lives of young people positively, but also how young people can help transform churches. Going off research from past projects as well, Kara shares about what churches reaching young people are doing well and how pastors of kids and youth ministries are best discipling their people to follow Jesus. Jason also explores with Kara the ways parents are the primary way of discipling young people and what it means for pastors to partner with them. They talk about ideas and tactics that have been effective at encouraging parents and building relational trust with parents that pastors can look to implement. About | Dr. Kara E. Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. The mission of FYI is to equip diverse leaders and parents so faithful young people can change our world. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch”, Kara completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary with a focus on Pastoral Role Expectations in 2000, an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994, and a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University in 1991. In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She is the author or co-author of 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager (releasing August 2021), Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, 18 Plus, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum. Get Connected! | |||
| 07 Mar 2022 | Father Matthew Francis on the Beauty in Church History, What It Means to Be Sent Ones, and the Joy of Pastoral Home Visits | 00:53:54 | |
Episode 79 | Father Matthew is the Parish Priest at Holy Apostles Orthodox Mission, Chilliwack, B.C. He helps people to unite themselves to God through life in the Body of Christ, participation in the Holy Mysteries, and through encountering Jesus Christ - in the Scriptures and in all of life. He is also the Regional Director, BC & Yukon, Canadian Bible Society - He helps people in B.C. in Yukon to hear God speak through the Bible. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 15 Mar 2021 | Anne Miranda: Creating Cultures for Emotional Healing, Discovering Gifting in Your Volunteers & Why She Left the Marketplace for Ministry | 01:02:45 | |
For this episode, Jason is joined by Anne Miranda, Pastor of Women’s Ministries at Village Church Canada. In this conversation, Anne shares vulnerably about past trauma and the influence of her childhood on her work life and eventual journey into church ministry. She also gives insights on what has helped her lead great teams and to empower and release people, especially young adults, into serving roles. Jason and her take the time to explore how important it is for the church to be a safe place for conversations and how investing in young people wrestling with doubts is often a long game requiring perseverance. Anne is a first-generation Canadian, born to Lebanese parents who Immigrated when she was young. As the eldest child, success and achievement in school and activities were essential, which led her to pursue multiple degrees and be extensively involved in social justice organizations as a youth. Blog | www.ccln.ca/season2/episode50 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 21 Nov 2022 | Joyce Rees on Building a Life Not Just a Ministry, Pursuing Calling Amidst Pushback & the Kingdom’s Measurement of Success | 01:01:43 | |
With Jesus’ words living deep in her heart, Joyce Rees is known as someone who calls the Church and Her leaders to the main things. To sit down with Joyce is to inevitably talk about loving the poor, becoming a servant, contemplating a day where we will stand before the Lord. Join Joyce and Jason as they discuss those themes as well as the impact Joyce’s ministry had on Jason as a teenager, why we cannot simply copy and paste another leader’s methods or style, how pursuing God’s call often comes with resistance & more. We hope this episode inspires you to faithfully serve where the Lord has you today. Bio | Joyce Rees has pastored for thirty years. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker for diverse parts of the Church as an exceptional communicator, known especially for her teaching on justice. Joyce was the founding director of Jacob's Well, an intentional Christian community in Vancouver's downtown eastside – the poorest postal code in Canada. During her decade living and working there she also planted the Strathcona Vineyard Church. Since 2014 she has served as co-lead pastor of Epic Vineyard Church in Calgary, and also works bi-vocationally for Vineyard Canada as their Resource Coordinator since 2019. Joyce loves adventuring with her husband and two sons, as well as complex cooking, reading pretty much everything, and many diverse artistic pursuits. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 10 Jan 2022 | Tyler Staton on Combatting Idolatry Through the Nazarite Vow & Becoming A Prayerful Disciple Who Cultivates A Prayerful Church | 01:01:22 | |
Episode 75 | Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. Previously, he served as co-founder and Lead Pastor of Oaks Church Brooklyn. His passion is a community that is unexplainable apart from the love and power of God. Tyler is also the author of Searching for Enough and is currently working on a second book, this one on the topic of prayer. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 06 Nov 2023 | Bonus Episode: Getting Practical with Jon Wright on Nurturing a Culture of Biblical Generosity & Year-End Giving | 00:28:52 | |
For this 30-minute episode, we're stepping away from our usual podcast format to dive deep into a topic that we know many pastors feel stuck or uncomfortable in – the art of communicating about giving and generosity to a church. Our friends at Generis are passionate about helping pastors nurture a culture of biblical generosity and stewardship in your churches. Join Jon Wright from Generis, and Executive Pastor Jordan Michalski from Soul Sanctuary, as they provide insights to guide and lighten your load as you foster a healthy culture of giving in your community. Bio | Jon has worked as an entrepreneur, founding and leading a product development company for 15 years, and served eight years as Executive Pastor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. He and his wife, Julie, also led a Missionary Training Center in Germany for several years. As an Executive pastor, Jon was a client of Generis. He found the process so effective and beneficial that he joined their team. He has 30 years of experience in innovation and execution in multiple settings; corporate, non-profit, church, and global missions. Jon brings an entrepreneurial mindset to church culture and strategic planning. He is passionate about healthy teams, ministry effectiveness, next-generation leadership development, and resourcing it all through generosity. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected!
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| 22 Mar 2021 | Darren Rouanzoin on Entering the Digital Desert, the Risk of Becoming a Disembodied Influencer, and Having a Vision Bigger Than Your Church | 00:56:24 | |
Darren Rouanzoin from Garden Church in Long Beach, California joins Jason this week on the podcast. They begin by Darren sharing his journey of growing up and not believing in the gifts of the Spirit until visiting a church where the supernatural seemed natural; atheists accepted Jesus, the sick were healed, and prophecy was spoken. He resolved to experience this in his own life and to build a church that would be empowered by the Spirit. This led him and his wife to begin a church community of small groups that eventually turned into services, serving their city, loving the poor, and raising up staff. What sets Garden Church apart is that it’s not a church born from a vision just for a church, but from a vision for the city. Darren’s heart is that in a diverse, economically unequal city like Long Beach, they could serve and disciple both the CEO and the single mom, which doesn’t always fit in certain models or strategies of the church. Darren unpacks the importance of mentors in his life and gives advice on how others can foster those relationships. He also explains that what you build in you is what you build around you and how that should prioritize our spiritual formation as pastors so we can see churches of resiliency, humility, and Spirit empowerment. This is especially important because the temptation for leaders today can be to focus on platform and influence, which aren’t always bad, but can lead to us becoming disembodied influencers instead of incarnational followers doing life with our community. They end by Darren telling Jason about the digital desert God led him to in 2019, a time of hiding and getting off social media. He encourages us to consider ways we might enter into this journey for intimacy with Jesus and to protect us from the pressure of culture. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Darren Rouanzoin. This episode was brought to you by International Justice Mission. Learn more at www.ijm.ca/cclp. Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 26 Oct 2020 | Michael McDonald on Authentic Evangelism, Vision for Global & Local Missions, and Playing the Supporting Role | 01:04:28 | |
Michael McDonald is Director of Global Focus and Strategic Relationships for The BibleProject, a crowdfunded non-profit creative studio dedicated to communicating a single, powerful message to the world: the Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus. Prior to joining The BibleProject his work included community empowerment projects focused on educational, micro/macro financing projects, conflict resolution, and economic development. McDonald also leads thousands of Christian leaders on more than 200 trips around the world. He has also served on a number of boards—including Remember Nhu and Fly Fishing Collaborative—with a focus on ending child sex trafficking. Mike lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Melissa. www.ccln.ca/season2 | |||
| 18 Oct 2021 | Shaila Visser on What to Consider When Revitalizing an Organization, Providing Coverage to Young Leaders, and Rediscovering Evangelism in Her Life | 00:47:50 | |
Episode 69 | Jason is joined by Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada in this week’s episode to discuss their time together at Alpha, what she is learning about evangelism, and how she has learned to invest in young leaders. About | Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016), and currently holds positions on the Board of the Damascus Road Foundation and on the Board of Regent College-an International Graduate School in Vancouver. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 26 Jul 2021 | Jon Thompson on Discovering, Embracing, and Sustaining Your Pastoral Calling | 01:17:43 | |
Episode 63 | Jon Thompson joins Jason this week for a unique conversation about calling in pastoral ministry. Based on a talk from a 2018 church leaders gathering, Jon shares what he believes is the foundation for long term, effective church leadership. Jon’s own journey led him to question what biblical calling looked like. Experiencing a sense of supernatural leading and divine intervention in his twenties, he came to believe pastors without that “moment” might not be called. However, after stepping back to evaluate the scriptures, he came to see four biblical models for calling that he called: 1) “I have no choice”, 2) gift-based, 3) family-based, and 4) community affirmed. Based on biblical figures, Jon shares with Jason how most pastors experience one or a combination of these before or in their early years of ministry. Jason presses Jon on common objections or hesitations people might raise from seeing the idea of calling misused in church circles historically. About | Jon Thompson serves as the Senior Pastor at Sanctus Church (formerly C4 Church), just outside of Toronto, Canada. He has been on staff for more than 20 years. Sanctus is a regional church with a community of over 3,000 people that gather in multiple locations in the Greater Toronto area. Under Jon’s leadership, Sanctus is characterized by dynamic Biblical teaching, vibrant community groups, compelling media and powerful times in worship. Jon has a Masters of Theological Studies from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto and a Doctorate of Missiology from Fuller Seminary, California. Jon is husband to his wife Joanna and Father to three kids - Hannah, Emma and Noah. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode63 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 26 Sep 2022 | Special Episode: Searching for Faithful Pastors (Part 2) | 00:28:47 | |
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful. Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far. In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 2 of what we found. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! | |||
| 13 May 2024 | Evan Allnutt on Recapturing Courage & Releasing Your Vision For God’s Call | 00:53:25 | |
Every leader faces seasons of struggle and discouragement. How do we stay faithful to God’s call while navigating personal challenges and leading with perseverance? In this episode, Evan Allnutt, Lead Pastor of Northgate Church, joins us to share his journey through career transitions, church leadership, and the importance of surrendering to God's vision. Evan reflects on overcoming moments of discouragement and the role of community in sustaining long-term ministry. Key Takeaways:
This conversation is filled with hope, practical insights, and encouragement for pastors and leaders navigating challenging seasons. Biography Evan Allnutt is the Lead Pastor of Northgate Church in the Comox Valley, where he has led through significant growth and challenges. Originally transitioning from teaching to ministry, Evan has served faithfully in the church for over seven years, alongside his wife Kendal and their three children. Partners We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and givetowards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 08 Jun 2020 | Pete Hughes on Preaching to Racial Injustice, Leading Through Pain and the Restoration of Society as a Whole | 00:51:32 | |
Pete Hughes is the founding pastor of Kings Cross Church (KXC) in London. Commissioned by the Bishop of London, Pete and Bee Hughes were sent out from St Mary’s with a small group of leaders and a simple vision: to recklessly give themselves away to God, each other and the people of King’s Cross and beyond. Check out his newly released book “All Things New.” www.ccln.ca/season2/episode11 | |||
| 02 May 2022 | Gordon Smith on How Individuals, Churches, and Pastors Can Discover Their Calling & Find Hope in Exile | 00:47:02 | |
Gordon Smith joins Jason to dive into topics like calling, ecclesiology, secularism, and having hope for the next season as pastors and leaders. Bio | Gordon T. Smith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Institutional Intelligence, Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, and Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 24 Jun 2024 | Chrishan Jeyaratnam from Hillsong East Coast on Leading Through Grief & Transformation | 00:53:11 | |
Seasons of transition and uncertainty can test a leader’s resilience and calling. How do we guide a church through grief, rebuild trust, and embrace transformation with integrity? In this episode, Chrishan Jeyaratnam, Lead Pastor of Hillsong East Coast, joins Jason Ballard to share his journey of pastoring through deep change. He reflects on leading a church in the aftermath of crisis, navigating distrust in leadership, and the personal and communal transformation necessary for renewal. Chrishan also unpacks the unique identity of a local church and how drawing from the broader body of Christ can bring strength and restoration. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear about:
Biography Chrishan and his wife Danielle have served at Hillsong Church for many years, most recently as the Lead Pastors at Hillsong East Coast USA where they have been pastoring for the past 3 years. Before moving to New York with their four daughters, Chrishan and Danielle previously pastored at Hillsong Church Perth in Australia. As a family, they are committed to loving God and people, and to and living the adventure that it is to build His Church. Sponsors We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and givetowards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 29 May 2023 | Special Episode: Mark Sayers On Discipleship as Perseverance, Giving God Your Reputation & Recalibrating the Church’s View of Revival | 01:20:44 | |
What might it look like for us to match the complexity of our time with courageous and creative responses for discipleship? Join pastor and thought leader Mark Sayers as he seeks to answer this question amongst many others in this long-form conversation for pastors. In this interview, Mark marries a thoughtful dissection of felt, current issues around discipleship with ancient Christian responses such as perseverance, prayer and radical dependency on God. With the backdrop of these “renewal spot fires” occurring around the world, Mark engages the challenges and questions leading in the church today with a message of hope, grounded in God’s inbreaking Kingdom. We know this is a long one… but we hope in a single listen or a few that you’ll ultimately be moved through this episode to continue seeking renewal and deeper discipleship where the Lord has you. This past April, we gathered around 100 pastors from across Canada for an online gathering titled Discipleship in Our Complex Age. This conversation with Mark is from that rich time together. You can stay tuned to more events like this one by subscribing to our mailing list below. Bio | Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Strange Days and Reappearing Church. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 10 Mar 2025 | Tyler Staton on the Redemption of Pain, Contextualizing Our Suffering Within the Story of Scripture, and Cultivating a Daily Desire to Experience the Power of the Holy Spirit | 00:47:24 | |
In this episode of The Pastorate, Jason sits down with Tyler Staton, lead pastor of Bridgetown Church and author of The Familiar Stranger, to explore how God works in seasons of suffering and renewal. Tyler shares candidly on how deep pain has shaped his understanding of faith, ministry, and the presence of God in everyday life. Tyler is known for his deep love of prayer, his thoughtful teaching, and his passion for seeing people encounter the living God. In this conversation Tyler and Jason cover these themes,
No matter where you are or what season you’re walking through, our prayer is that this conversation would strengthen your heart and your hands, and that you’d experience a renewed sense of the Father’s desire and ability to redeem your pain. Biography Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Kirsten, and their sons Hank, Simon, and Amos. He is passionate about living prayerfully and relationally. Tyler is the author of three books: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, Searching for Enough, and The Familiar Stranger. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Guest Notes
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| 29 Jun 2020 | Daniel Im on Leadership Succession, Partnering With Other Churches and the Core of Evangelism | 01:01:08 | |
Daniel Im is the Senior Associate Pastor at Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, Alberta. He has served and pastored in church plants and multisite churches in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Korea, Edmonton, and Nashville. He co-hosts the New Churches Q&A Podcast and a podcast with his wife on marriage and parenting called the IMbetween Podcast. His latest book is called You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode14 | |||
| 04 Oct 2021 | David Kinnaman & Mark Sayers: Where God Might Want To Take Us Next | 01:03:35 | |
Episode 68 | David Kinnaman from Barna and Mark Sayers of Red Church to explore what some of the latest data and church trends might mean for the future of the church and pastoring. Barna in 2019 and 2021 did a significant research project called the Connected Generation where they interviewed 18-35 year olds on areas of church engagement, mental health, and global concerns. In this episode, they specifically explore the Canadian data and what it might reveal about the shifting trends in young christians and non christians. Something Mark emphasizes is that although many of the trends can seem discouraging, we have seen them coming; the pandemic just acted as a portal to jump us ahead faster. For example, many of the people who have left the church during the pandemic were already considering it anyways. So where does that leave us? Well, both David and Mark have hope. What remains is a faithful remnant who have chosen to stay and who are hungrier than ever for the things of God. About | David Kinnaman is the author of the bestselling books Faith For Exiles, Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with more than two million individuals and overseen thousands of U.S. and global research studies. He lives in California with his three children. Mark Sayers is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Strange Days and Reappearing Church. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes Get Connected! | |||
| 15 Aug 2022 | Pete Greig: What Echoed From A Prayer Room, the Necessity of the Local Church & A Call to Consider the State of Our Hearts | 00:54:17 | |
There aren’t many who can say that in the wake of their life there is a 24/7 prayer movement that has impacted half the nations on earth - but Pete Greig can. And though Pete’s resume has marked the world, he sits down with Jason in a self-effacing way, calling pastors with conviction and sensitivity towards a life walking out the way of Jesus. In this conversation, Pete and Jason discuss the bewildering origin of the 24/7 prayer movement, how Kingdom work needs to be tethered to the local church, how pastors can rise to meet the moment we’re in & more. We hope you are inspired by this episode with Pete Greig. Bio | Pete is a best-selling author, pastor and bewildered instigator of the 24-7 Prayer movement which has reached more than half the nations on earth. He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, England, an Ambassador for the NGO Tearfund, and teaches at St Mellitus Theological College in London. For 7 years Pete served with the senior leadership team at HTB and Alpha International. Pete’s publications include ‘Red Moon Rising‘, ‘God on Mute‘, ‘The Prayer Course’, and ‘Dirty Glory’. He loves art galleries, live music and knocking down walls. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 11 May 2020 | Jon Tyson on Principles of Revival, the Primal Path and What It Will Take for Generations to Work Together | 00:53:54 | |
Jon Tyson is a Pastor and Church Planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide Australia, Jon moved to the United States over 2 decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority and The Burden is Light. Jon lives in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood of Manhattan with his wife and two children. He serves as the Lead Pastor of Church of the City New York. http://www.ccln.ca/season2/episode7 | |||
| 27 Feb 2023 | Jessica DiSabatino on Growing up in an Accidental House Church, How Loss Shaped Her Calling & Living Like the Harvest is Plentiful Today | 00:56:42 | |
Have you ever wondered if anyone reads those New Testaments that you can sometimes find in hotel bedside tables? Well, that is exactly how Jess DiSabatino’s parents came to know Jesus… and her life was never the same. In today’s episode, Jason and Jess move stage by stage through Jess’ story of her family coming to Christ, how she ended up in the pastorate and how Journey Church, the church she leads today, came to be. It’s a story that starts with an unplanned, late night reading of the Book of Acts, and ends with a pastor seeking for God’s Kingdom to come in Northwest Calgary. We hope that it inspires you. Bio | Jessica DiSabatino is a renowned communicator in both business environments and the Church. Following the death of her younger brother, Jess and her dad founded MySafeWork, a philanthropic initiative to bring justice to workplaces in Canada and around the world. For this ground-breaking work, Jess received the Governor General’s award in 2016. In tandem with her foundation work, Jess has pastored in various churches for over twenty years and currently serves as lead pastor of Journey Church in Calgary, AB. When Jess is not playing with her husband and four kids, or her Goldendoodle, Nacho, she is busy resurrecting her 1980s rap career. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 25 Oct 2021 | Francis Chan on Renewing Our Reverence for Communion, the Costs of Unity, and His Encouragement To Pastors Weary From Criticism. | 00:59:47 | |
Episode 70 | Jason is joined by Francis Chan in this week’s episode to discuss his latest book, Until Unity, and what God has been stirring in him most recently. One of the things most on his heart these days is the importance of Communion. He unpacks with Jason where his deepening conviction has come from for there to be a return to Communion as a central part of our gatherings. About | Francis Chan has been a pastor for over thirty years. He is a New York Times–bestselling author of several books, including Crazy Love, Letters to the Church, and Until Unity. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married nearly thirty years and co-authored You and Me Forever. Currently, Francis is in Northern California teaching and discipling the next generation of pastors and leaders. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 22 Sep 2022 | Special Episode: Searching for Faithful Pastors (Part 1) | 00:31:44 | |
In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful. Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far. In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 1 of what we found. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! | |||
| 08 Dec 2020 | Canadian Authors Aaron White, Alastair Sterne, Andy Steiger and Brett Ullman on Their Most Recent Books | 00:47:47 | |
In this episode, Jason introduces the listener to four Canadian authors and their respective ministries and recent books. Aaron White - Jason’s conversation with Aaron White explores his ministry on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The DTES is a neighbourhood plagued by extreme poverty, addiction, and trafficking. But that is not the primary story that Aaron hopes to tell. Overwhelming the obvious brokenness of the DTES, is the tangible presence of God, the grace of the Gospel and the beauty of image bearers who are known and loved by their Creator — friends and neighbours who are, in many ways, our best teachers about the above spiritual realities. Andy Steiger - Andy Steiger is the director of Apologetics Canada. He has recently written a book with Zondervan titled, Reclaimed. Jason and Andy discuss the importance and relevance of Christian apologetics, which involves providing reasons for our hope in Jesus with gentleness, respect, and cultural nuance. Alastair Sterne - Alastair is a pastor and a church planter in Vancouver, BC. His congregation St. Peter Fireside, has been serving and loving the city for the last nine years. Their conversation dives into Sterne’s story of being called into ministry with his wife and how he ended up in the city of Vancouver. Brett Ullman - Brett is a former high school teacher. He attends Sanctus Church in Ontario and is a well-known communicator addressing issues of mental health, pornography, sexuality, media, and parenting across Canada. ccln.ca/season2 | |||
| 17 Apr 2023 | Albert Chu on Church Planting as a Discipleship Engine, Resurrecting Dying Churches & How a Second Chance to Pastor Changed Him | 00:56:25 | |
Albert Chu has spent decades leading in the same community, in the same area, with the same mission – creating room for people to discover and grow as disciples of Jesus. With his pastoral experience planting and leading a multisite community, alongside his missional passion as the current Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership, Albert offers thoughtful wisdom for forming churches that reflect and captivate the place they’re in. In this conversation, Jason and Albert talk about the Tapestry Church growing from a living room gathering to what it is today, how expanding a church’s reach can produce both grief and increased opportunities for discipleship, how a second chance to keep leading shaped Albert as a disciple and pastor & more. We hope this interview with Albert reminds you of God’s desire to take care of His Church & Its leaders. Bio | Albert has been the Lead Pastor of the Tapestry Church - a multi-campus church in the Lower Mainland - for nearly two decades. He is also the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership which strives to equip leaders for God’s mission in this corner of the world affectionately called Cascadia (PNW). Albert is married to Frieda and is blessed with two lovely daughters. They love to travel, cycle, cook, and wander with their backpacks within the 117,900 acres of bliss called Mt. Baker Wilderness. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 25 Jul 2023 | Montreal Spotlight | A Conversation with David Pothier of La Chapelle | 00:50:34 | |
In a span of just a few decades, Montreal underwent a remarkable transformation, shedding its once-revered title of "city of a hundred steeples" to become one of Canada's most secularized urban centers. Today only 0.7% of Montreal's population identifies as evangelical Christians. Nevertheless, amidst this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal and David Pothier and his team at La Chapelle are no exception. In this conversation, David shares his own journey of faith, the challenges and triumphs of pastoring in Montreal, the historical decline of religious affiliation, and the approach behind La Chapelle's growth over the decade. Join us for the second episode of this mini-series where we are highlighting the ways God is moving in Montreal. Bio | David Pothier is the lead pastor of La Chapelle, a French speaking church planted in the heart of Montreal in 2013. La Chapelle is multiplying churches with a vision to plant several churches in Montreal, Quebec, and French speaking European countries in the upcoming years. He is the proud husband of Karine and father of four children. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 02 Dec 2024 | Glenn Packiam on Navigating Expectations in Ministry, Drawing Strength from Ancient Wisdom, and Building Teams Rooted in Self-Awareness | 00:43:44 | |
Pastoring has always been a vocation of great responsibility, yet the expectations placed on pastors today have grown increasingly complex. From preaching and shepherding to being organizational leaders, cultural commentators, and trauma-informed counselors, the demands can stack up, making the work feel impossible. Add to this the challenge of navigating a rapidly changing cultural and technological landscape, and it’s no wonder so many pastors wrestle with questions of calling, capacity, and resilience. But amidst these challenges the ancient wisdom of the church and the gift of pastoral community offer a way forward. In this episode of The Pastorate, we sit down with Glenn Packiam, Lead Pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, California, to explore the depth and complexity of pastoral ministry in today’s world. Glenn brings his unique perspective as a pastor, offering insights on how to remain grounded in the midst of ministry’s ever-growing demands. Drawing from both his own experiences, Glenn unpacks practical strategies for navigating the weight of expectations placed on pastors, cultivating resilience through ancient spiritual practices, and fostering healthy team dynamics with a focus on self-awareness. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or new to pastoral ministry, this conversation will encourage and equip you to lead with renewed clarity and grace. Our conversation with Glenn Packiam covers:
We’re thankful you’ve joined us on The Pastorate today, bless you as you listen. Biography Glenn Packiam serves as the Lead Pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, California. Glenn has written several books, including The Resilient Pastor, Blessed Broken Given, and his latest work, The Intentional Year, co-authored with his wife, Holly. Holding a Doctorate in Theology and Ministry from Durham University, Glenn is also a Senior Fellow at Barna Group, a Visiting Fellow at St. John’s College, Durham University, and an ordained priest in the Anglican Church of North America. As a songwriter, Glenn has contributed to over 65 worship songs. Glenn and Holly reside in Orange County, California, with their four children. Sponsors We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins soon! Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 15 Jun 2020 | Danielle Strickland on Racism, Justice & Canada as a Place of Healing for the Nations | 00:48:33 | |
Danielle is a spiritual leader, justice advocate, communicator and peace maker. Danielle trains, advocates, and inspires people to live differently through initiatives like: Amplify Peace, Brave Global, Women’s Speakers Collective, and Infinitum. Currently based in Toronto, Canada, Danielle is the proud mom of 3 boys, wife to Stephen, and as an enneagram 7, has been affectionately called the "ambassador of fun". www.ccln.ca/season2/episode12 | |||
| 01 May 2023 | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas on Engaging the Gospel Amidst Unrest, Seeking Righteousness and Distinguishing Between a Biblical and Secular View of Justice | 00:58:59 | |
“You will love the guns out of their hands.” These are the words that Jonathan Tremaine Thomas sensed the Lord say to him in his junior year after he led a violent drug dealer to Jesus on the curb of a McDonalds in North Carolina. Since that moment, Jonathan Tremaine has given his life to seeing the Church bring transformation, justice and reconciliation in places of unrest and pain. As the founder of Civil Righteousness, Jonathan Tremaine is a leading voice on how Christians can bring justice in the way of Jesus. In this conversation between Jonathan Tremaine and Jason, hear them discuss the profound origins of Civil Righteousness, how to put the gospel into action amidst unrest, where the world’s understanding and God’s understanding of justice vary & more. We hope this conversation with Jonathan Tremaine gives you vision for how the gospel can remedy and bring hope where there is incredible pain. Bio | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In 2003, after earning a B.S. Communications at East Carolina University and pursuing an M.A. in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; he was commissioned as a full-time missionary to the most violent neighborhoods in Nashville, TN. He gained a voice nationally due to his peacemaking efforts during the 2014 civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri; which led to the founding of CivilRighteousness, Inc. and a national reconciliation movement. He then moved to Ferguson where he currently resides with his family directing prayer fueled evangelism, community transformation, and racial reconciliation initiatives. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 12 Apr 2020 | Darrell Johnson on the Importance of Preaching and Prayer in COVID-19 | 00:54:40 | |
In this interview, Darrell Johnson speaks to the COVID-19 pandemic not with tactics or approaches but instead he focuses on the intentions and motivations of Christian leaders in this time. Darrell has been preaching Jesus Christ and His gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. Darrell has also taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Regent College and Carey Theological College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is now serving as Teaching Fellow at Regent. In addition to writing a major work on preaching, The Glory of Preaching: Participating in God’s Transformation of the World many of his sermon series have been published in book form, including 57 Words that Change the World: A Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through the Book of Revelation | |||
| 23 Sep 2024 | Special Episode: Keith Taylor on Church Governance (and a quick note on the future of CCLN) | 00:27:08 | |
We've got a special episode for all of you this week. The CCLN Team is working hard on a special project that will be officially announced with the October 7th episode on the podcast, but we didn't want to leave you high and dry this week. In 2022, we had Keith Taylor speak to a group of Pastors as part of our first cohort based program, The Church Leaders Incubator. Out of the many amazing speakers that the cohort was able to learn from, this was a session that captures our desire for creating opportunities to grow in competency with hearts full of love for Jesus and love for people. Don't let the topic dissuade you, this episode is worth your time. Jason will also take a moment to share some insight into what is coming up for our team here at CCLN. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected!
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| 04 Jan 2021 | Darrell Johnson: Speaking to the Weariness of Pastors, an Exercise for Moving Through Your Internal World & What to Preach Today | 00:56:14 | |
Darrell Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. He is currently serving as Scholar-in-Residence for The Way Church and Canadian Church Leaders Network, and still serves Regent College part-time as Teaching Fellow. He and his wife Sharon have been married 49 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren! | |||
| 09 Aug 2021 | Ho-Ming Tsui on How Ethnic Churches Evolve and Why the Gospel Must Be Central in Conversations on Justice & Mercy | 00:56:29 | |
Episode 64 | Ho-Ming Tsui of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church in Toronto, Ontario joins Jason for his second conversation on the podcast. Between this interview and the previous one with Ho-Ming, multiple anti-racism movements have arisen and resonated with millions across the globe. In particular, the Stop Asian Hate movement triggered by the Atlanta shootings in March, have acutely affected Ho-Ming and the Chinese community that he pastors. Ho-Ming with great honesty processes the many tensions he felt as he considered how to thoughtfully respond to this movement. Thousands of pastors worldwide felt the pressure to release some sort of statement or response in the wake of the shootings. Ho-Ming shares how he wanted to provide more than a statement for his congregation, but a space for them to reflect, grieve and pray together. He describes the incredible fruit of that decision. About | Ho-Ming is the Lead Pastor of Richmond Hill Christian Community Church, a multi-generational, multi-lingual church just outside of Toronto. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, and went onto graduate studies at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Ho-Ming speaks frequently at conferences in Toronto and has traveled to Asia, Europe and Africa to teach as well. He is an avid guitarist and loves all things sci-fi. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie, they have three children. Blog | www.ccln.ca/episodes/episode64 Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 11 Oct 2021 | Danielle Strickland on Hospitality as Counter-Formation, the Beauty of Story, and How We Can Better Repent & Lament | 00:57:42 | |
Bonus Episode | Danielle shares passionately with Jason in this week’s episode about how the church can step into our cultural moment with humility and courage. It’s not easy to be a church leader right now. Increasingly, people view the church as detrimental to society and harmful to individuals. As pastors, we can respond with defensiveness and aggression, or we can take a path of reflection and refinement to see how God might want to shape us. About | Danielle Strickland’s aggressive compassion has served people firsthand in countries all over the world. From establishing justice departments and church plants, to launching global anti-trafficking initiatives, to creating new initiatives to mobilize people towards transformational spiritual life. Danielle trains, advocates, and inspires people to live differently through initiatives like: Amplify Peace, Brave Global, Infinitum, and Women’s Speaker Collective. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 27 Jul 2020 | Mark Clark on Developing Young Leaders, Handling Criticism and New Perspectives in the Pandemic | 00:43:28 | |
Mark grew up in Toronto and moved to Vancouver in 2004 to attend Regent College, where he received a Master of New Testament Studies. Following over ten years of ministry, Mark, along with his wife Erin and an amazing team of people, planted Village Church in January 2010, which has now grown to a vibrant multi-site church in the Greater Vancouver Area and Calgary. He is passionate about contextualizing the gospel, teaching the Bible, seeing people transformed by Jesus, planting churches, and seeing the gospel advance across Canada. Mark resides in South Surrey with his wife and their three daughters. www.ccln.ca/season2/episode18 | |||
| 08 Aug 2023 | Jonny Hughes on the Simplicity of Prayer, Discerning His Call to Pastoral Ministry & the Story of Trinity Church | 00:50:06 | |
For this interview, we welcome Jonny Hughes, an English pastor and close friend of Jason's, joining us all the way from Nottingham, England. Jonny's journey as a pastor began in London and Southern California, where he served in various churches for nearly a decade. In 2016, along with his wife, Amy, Jonny made the significant move to Nottingham to establish Trinity Church, a name that serves as a tribute to the longstanding legacy of Holy Trinity Church, which faithfully served Nottingham for over a century. Jason and Jonny spend the bulk of the conversation discussing the pivotal moments and attitudes that paved the way for the founding and flourishing of Trinity Church. We hope you find Jonny's reflections in this episode as moving and helpful as we did. Bio | Jonny Hughes is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Church Nottingham, a vibrant Church of England congregation that he and his wife, Amy, founded seven years ago. Over the past 15 years, Jonny has devoted his time to various roles in church leadership, serving communities in Nottingham, London, and previously, California. Outside of his pastoral duties, Jonny cherishes moments with his family, which includes his wife, Amy, and their four children. Additionally, Jonny indulges in his passion for golf, a sport he's truly addicted to, and proudly cheers for his favourite team, Manchester City. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners: Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity. Read World Vision's Open Generation Report to reach, love and serve the Next Generation in the most well-informed way. Show Notes: Get Connected! | |||
| 19 Aug 2024 | Dan Cochrane on His Call to the Pastorate, Growing and Adapting Alongside The Church, and Preaching the Living Word | 00:45:15 | |
As pastors we want to run the race well and finish more in love with Jesus and with His church than when we started. Pastors that have been both fruitful and faithful set a beautiful example for what longevity in ministry can look like. This week Dan Cochrane, Pastor of CrossRoads Church in Red Deer, Alberta, joins us on the podcast to share insights from over 45 years of experience as a Pastor. With 27 of those years being spent at CrossRoads Church alone. Dan shares about:
Today we're praying that you would hear the invitation to joy and delight in the Holy Spirit as you hear the passion and energy Dan carries for the church in Canada. Bio | Dan Cochrane has been the Senior Pastor of CrossRoads Church since July 1, 1997. Prior to CrossRoads, he pastored in North Vancouver for 18 years. He has been married to his wife, Ginny since June 1977 and they have three adult children: Rick (Jenn), Christina, and Ryan (Janine). Their lives have also been blessed with six grandchildren. The vision of CrossRoads Church is: "To give everyone in Central Alberta an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and by following Him together impact the world with compassion and hope." Dan is passionate about theology and studying scriptures. His focus is to teach the Bible and to lead the church forward in accomplishing the vision God has given. He also delights in developing young leaders and watching them grow. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Partners: Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Show Notes Guest The Pastorate | |||
| 29 Mar 2021 | Jono Zantingh on Embracing the Emotions of Transitions, Every Pastor's Wrestle With People Pleasing, and Why Your Church Shouldn’t Get All Your Hospitality | 00:47:46 | |
Jono Zantingh is a Canadian Pastor, Church Planter and Worship Leader. He has been married to Nicole for 20 years. Together, they have 3 children; Julia, Riley and Kaleb. In 2018, Jono & Nicole moved to Edmonton, AB from Winnipeg, MB to plant Evolve Church in South Edmonton with their ARC Canada Family. In 2020, Jono began serving as a coach to other church planters in Canada through the ARC. He is passionate about the local church and seeing others grow in their surrender of learning to trust and follow Jesus. The emotions, he shares, of both being excited about the journey, but also grieving the past were challenging to navigate. He says that it was important to feel both, allowing themselves to be sad about leaving friends, family, and their church and also excited for the vision God had given them for Evolve Church. The call to plant was discerned over a few years where both Jono and his wife, Nicole, sensed God’s leading to a new place. Edmonton was somewhat of a surprise, but they soon had a heart for the city and settled with their family into their new home. Jono talks about how important it has been for them to be intentional with the neighbours, setting up Facebook groups, hosting fires, and embodying a spirit of hospitality. The challenge for many pastors is that they can invest all their energy into hospitality and community with their church, but then be left without the capacity to be good neighbours. Jono has found the importance of not falling into that trap, but keeping that margin to live on mission with neighbours. Website | www.ccln.ca | |||
| 04 Apr 2022 | Winn Collier on How the Life, Presence & Posture of Eugene Peterson Speaks to Pastors Today | 00:52:17 | |
One of the most influential voices in western evangelicalism in recent history has been pastor Eugene Peterson. Known especially for his paraphrase of the Bible, “The Message”, his writings, preaching, and pastoral life have touched the lives of millions. In today's episode, Jason sits down with Winn Collier, who recently released the authorized biography of Eugene called “A Burning in My Bones”. Bio | In addition to A Burning in My Bones, Winn Collier has authored four books (Restless Faith, Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of François Fénelon, Holy Curiosity, and Love Big, Be Well) and contributed to numerous other volumes. He has written for multiple periodicals including Christianity Today, Christian Century, Relevant, and the Washington Post. A pastor for twenty-five years, Winn was the founding pastor of All Souls Charlottesville in Virginia. He now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, where he focused on the intersection of religion and literary fiction. Winn and his wife, Miska, a spiritual director, live in Holland, Michigan, with their two sons. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes:
Get Connected! | |||
| 04 Nov 2024 | Rachel Hughes on Church Planting as a Catalyst for Kingdom Values, Thoughtfully Developing Emerging Leaders, and A Vision for Women and Men Leading in Partnership | 00:48:08 | |
This week on The Pastorate, Rachel Hughes—Pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, England—joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry. Rachel shares about:
We’re thankful you’ve joined us on The Pastorate today, bless you as you listen. Bio | Rachel is the co-founder and co-lead pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, where she and her husband, Tim, have served their community since 2015. She also co-founded The Orchard, a ministry devoted to seeing women set free, raised up, and released to answer God’s call on their lives. Rachel is passionate about inspiring young women in leadership and helping them be emboldened by the Holy Spirit to stand firm in the truths of God’s Word, unaffected by cultural values that may seek to divert or deplete them. Tim and Rachel have five beautiful children, joyfully balancing their ministry with family life. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins soon! Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course. Guest Notes Show Notes | |||
| 11 Jan 2021 | Tim Mackie on the Bible: the Wrestle to Understand It, Complexity of Teaching It and Power Within It | 01:02:53 | |
In this episode Jason dialogues with Tim Mackie, the co-creator of the popular BibleProject Series. Their conversation dives into one of Mackie’s favourite all-time topics — the scriptures. Mackie unpacks his prior hang-ups about the Bible, ranging from textual variants in manuscripts, the violent, off-putting nature of many of the sacred stories, and the sometimes strange, unsettling, hard-to-understand God portrayed therein. Scripture is not a tidy, prepackaged encyclopedia of answers freshly stamped with divine approval. According to Mackie, our sacred texts are more of a venue for wrestling with God. Like Jacob in Genesis, we are invited to tangle with our Creator in hopes of leaving the encounter — perhaps with a limp in our step — but also with a burning love in our hearts that renames us and makes us new by constantly pointing us towards the person of Jesus. www.ccln.ca | |||
| 21 Oct 2024 | Adam Browett on Cultivating A Heart for the Neighbourhood as a Downtown Church, Moving from Captivation to Inspiration, and Navigating Change As A Family | 00:42:56 | |
This week in the inaugural episode of The Pastorate, Adam Browett – Pastor of Calvary Temple in Winnipeg, Manitoba – joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry. Adam shares about:
We’re praying that today you would be strengthened to live more fully into the work that God has for you in the place and context of your own neighbourhood. Bio | Adam has been in full-time ministry since 2005, serving churches across Western Canada, including BC, Alberta, and Manitoba. He’s passionate about reaching challenging areas where Christians often hesitate to go and encourages others to do the same. In February 2024, Adam, his wife Shandy, and their four children moved to Winnipeg, following God’s leading. He now serves as the Lead Pastor at Calvary Temple, a historic PAOC church with a diverse community representing different generations, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Partners: Download a free PDF on Improving Your Giving Statements from Generis or get in touch with Jon Wright from their team here. Visit the Coram Deo Foundation website to learn more about the Joseph Chung Scholarship and to apply. Applications are open from October 21st–October 27th. Show Notes Guest The Pastorate | |||
| 16 Dec 2024 | AJ Sherrill on Cultivating a Distinct Pastoral Voice, Slowing Down to Shepherd Well, and Rediscovering Christmas | 00:45:56 | |
A question many of us face this time of year is how to guide our congregations well through the Advent season. In the midst of pastoring others, some of us have been able to enter into the wonder of the season ourselves, some of us are navigating the busyness of planning and executing events and services, and others of us are walking through a deeply painful season that can come with this time of year. Wherever you find yourself today, our prayer is that this time spent listening to this conversation will strengthen your hands, fill your heart with courage, and draw you deeper into the joys of this Advent season. Today, AJ Sherrill joins us from St. Peter’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina. AJ has pastored in diverse contexts—from California to New York to Grand Rapids—before settling in Charleston with his family. He’s also an accomplished author, and his latest book, Rediscovering Christmas, is a profound exploration of the Bible’s Christmas story, helping us embrace the ancient wonder of the season. In this episode, AJ shares about:
We’re so grateful you’ve joined us for this conversation on The Pastorate. May God bless you as you listen and enter into the wonder of Advent. Biography AJ Sherrill has served as a lead pastor for over two decades in churches across the country, from Southern California to New York City, and now calls the Low Country home. He holds two master’s degrees in theology and a doctorate in spiritual formation. AJ teaches courses on preaching and the Enneagram at Fuller Theological Seminary and leads workshops on spiritual formation and personality theory. Above all, he is a disciple of Jesus, husband to Elaina, and father to Eloise. On a lighter note, he is also a dedicated—though often humbled—Michigan fan. Sponsors We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and give towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church. Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Our next intake begins soon! Guest Notes
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