Discipleship Conversations

Kenosis. This is the word that describes the self-emptying love of Jesus which, for Dr. Cheryl Russell, is the basis for a reoriented theology of power and privilege. This reorientation of power and privilege seen in the life and ministry of Jesus is then a foundation for what Cheryl calls an egalitarian priesthood of all believers. What she found in her recently completed Doctor of Ministry project, was that this environment was already present at New Heritage Fellowship when she arrived—an environment that not only opened the door for her to be hired as lead pastor but has also led to a mutual flourishing of church family and pastor.

“A lot of my experiences with God were very supernatural, full of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t necessarily have a context for that growing up as a Church of Christ kid in Abilene, TX. So being able to express that and experience that now feels like coming home.” In this episode, Kelly Edmiston talks about pastoring theologically diverse people in a charismatic-liturgical church and being formed by the Spirit on a beautiful and messy journey toward healing, wholeness, and home.

A new season brings a new host. Jeremy and Steven welcome Tiffany Dahlman to the hosting team as they look forward to new perspectives in the conversation and a broader network of potential guests. In this episode, they return to the conversation about the words “disciple” and “discipleship” as they are used or experienced in each of their contexts.

“I began looking for a way to improve my ability to have conversations with people that didn’t come across as me trying to change their mind, came across more authentically to be able to relate to folks in a way that honored them.” This is how Steve Shaffer got into coaching. In this episode, we discover what coaching is, the theological basis for it, and how it is different from counseling and mentoring.

Honor the person. See them as human. Be gentle and gracious. Listen deeply. These are core values Darryl Canty keeps in mind when having discipleship conversations with anyone but especially when engaging people in the LGBTQ+ community. Darryl’s passion is to be a safe conversation partner in the midst of a fractured and difficult relationship between the church and the LGBTQ+ community.

Cultivating the practice of listening to God into a habit that becomes a part of who we are and how we approach the circumstances of life takes time. As Chris Wiginton discovered, Discipleship Cohorts is a resource that sets us on that path whether it is our first time through as a participant or experiencing one multiple times with different groups as a facilitator. DCs are not a program, not a script for life, but a catalyst for continual growth as followers of Jesus no matter if we are new to the faith or have been at it for decades.

When it comes to women in ministry, two prohibitive New Testament passages unfortunately provide all the clarity and certainty some people need. However, Cheryl Russell and Tiffany Dahlman suggest a different approach—moving from pattern to story. We do this by opening the Bible wide, tapping into its full wisdom, and developing a theology from the stories throughout its pages about women living, working, and interacting with the mission of God.

Small Churches, Shared Spaces, and the Powerful Work of the Holy Spirit  – A Conversation with Cheryl Russell & Tiffany Dahlman

Often leadership is determined by who is out front. Cheryl Russell and Tiffany Dahlman give us a perspective of leadership as being alongside. The power of this kind of leadership can be seen in the way they invite people in their respective churches to significant participation in the worship service—a participation not only fosters a greater sense of mutuality in every gathering, but also increases the value placed on the Spirit of God working among everyone in the church family.

Like many young couples, the Bentleys began marriage with visions of a somewhat typical American life. However, very quickly they could see something different unfolding as they stepped into new opportunities and took on new challenges. In this episode Bob and Michele talk with Jeremy and Steven about their journey from nursing and accounting professions in Texas to becoming church planters in Tanzania—a journey in which a short-term mission trip to India solidified a passion and calling God put in their hearts.

“A church culture that is radically hospitable to the Word of God through the diverse voices within the congregation preaching in a rotating basis empowered by the gifting of the Holy Spirit.” This is how Tiffany Dahlman defines the open pulpit. In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk with Tiffany about how the practice of the open pulpit forms a culture of radical hospitality to the word of God. In our conversation, Tiffany addresses questions about the role of the lead minister in this model, the impact on those participating in the preaching rotation, and how expository preaching from a diversity of voices forms a church community.

In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk with Charles Kiser about his forthcoming book “Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers” which address questions such as: How do we love our neighbors well who carry religious trauma? How do we embody the good news of the way of Jesus in ways that are actually good news for those who have been hurt, harmed, and even abused in the name of the gospel of Jesus, in the name of a version of God or Christianity? Charles helps us reframe evangelism in the terms of being and becoming the gospel in ways that are not only appropriate in relationships with neighbors who have experienced spiritual trauma, but change our understanding of evangelism altogether.

In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk with Rex Butts about his new book Gospel Portraits: Reading Scripture as Participants in the Mission of God. Leaning into guitar playing interests, Rex likens our interaction with the story of the Bible to that of members of a blues band. Knowing the key and tempo of the song and following the structure of 12 bar blues, the improvisation of these musicians brings the song to life. For Rex, this serves as a model of how we can live out the story in a way that is faithful to the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God but in a way that is contextualized for the local community in which we live.

Whether one is learning to play the bass or the game of chess, growing in our skill level occurs best when we are not thinking about being better than others. Rather it is when we approach the instrument or game as a learner. The same goes with growing as a disciple. In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk about how growing is like setting down one layer of experience, encounter, or knowledge after another.

In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk with Seth Bouchelle, a New York City missionary, about not inviting people to church, but rather helping them to start a church with their community of friends and family.

In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk with Seth Bouchelle, a New York City missionary, about his journey from a food service job in Amarillo to planting churches in New York City. Learn how this journey helped him change his understanding and practice of evangelism.

What happens when you live discipleship as the hospitality of Christ for the people in front of you? You learn to be still, to be present, to listen, and to receive the story of others rather than passing judgment. Listen in as Jeremy and Steven talk with Tiffany Dahlman about her experience in ministry—planting a church, becoming a preacher, and helping others process church hurt.

How does a church take up presence in a neighborhood? One way to is to focus around a “parish house.” What is a parish house, you might ask? Join us in this conversation, as we continue talking with Nathan Pickard, minister at the Newmarket Church of Christ in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. In this conversation, Nathan shares the story of how his church came upon the idea of buying a house in the neighborhood (the “parish”) and inviting a family to live with them–them being both the church and the neighborhood.

A life dedicated to discipleship can seem like a slog to many of us. We struggle with what to do and how to do it, forgetting that discipleship is merely about our ongoing relationship with Jesus. In this conversation, Jasmine Turner, the Recovery Minister at North Atlanta Church of Christ, shares with us her wisdom about maintaining a joyous day-to-day relationship with Jesus while helping others, especially those in recovery, to find that same joy in their own relationship with Jesus.

Join Steven Carrizal and Jeremy Hoover as they continue talking about the beginnings of discipleship. In this episode, they discuss the question "How much do you have to believe to be a disciple?" This question comes from Brian McLaren's 2003 book The Story We Find Ourselves In (see Chapter 21, "Something Special, Something Holy).

Join us in this episode, where Jeremy goes on the other side of the microphone, as the Hoovers talk about their ministry in Sarnia, Ontario, and about incarnational, neighbourhood-based ministry. Special thanks to Lisa Vance, who co-hosted the podcast with Steven.

Join us in this episode, where Jeremy goes on the other side of the microphone, as the Hoovers talk about their ministry in Sarnia, Ontario, and about incarnational, neighbourhood-based ministry. Special thanks to Lisa Vance, who co-hosted the podcast with Steven.

Listen in to this fun conversation with Micah Lewis and Kyle Mott from River City Community Church in Wichita, KS. They share stories and wisdom about creating a network of house churches while working full-time in other jobs.

You can reach Micah or Kyle in the following ways:

Listen in to this fun conversation with Micah Lewis and Kyle Mott from River City Community Church in Wichita, KS. They share stories and wisdom about creating a network of house churches while working full-time in other jobs. 

You can reach Micah or Kyle in the following ways:

Charles Kiser leads Storyline Community in the greater Dallas area. Listen in on this conversation with him where he shares his wisdom from church planting for over 13 years.

Charles Kiser leads Storyline Community in the greater Dallas area. Listen in on this conversation with him where he shares his wisdom from church planting for over 13 years.

What is it like to hear from God and make a drastic, but vital, change in life circumstances? How do you know you've heard the voice of God? How do you lead others into this kind of listening and learning?

Join us in this episode as we talk with Kevin and Lisa Vance, church planters with Gentle Road Church of Christ in Regina, Saskatchewan. They share stories about learning how, after hearing God's call to them to plant a church in the inner-city of Regina, they began to lead others into learning how to listen to God's call.

What is it like to hear from God and make a drastic, but vital, change in life circumstances? How do you know you've heard the voice of God? 

Join us in this episode as we talk with Kevin and Lisa Vance, church planters with Gentle Road Church of Christ in Regina, Saskatchewan. They share stories about learning how to listen to God's call, how that call impacted their family, and how yielding themselves to that call has led to a fruitful long-term ministry and church in the inner-city of Regina.