Sam Picken shares the story of planting C3 Church Toronto and building a church shaped by invitation, innovation, and intentional discipleship. Originally from Australia, Sam talks with Jason about discerning the call to Toronto, starting with one conversation in a coffee shop that sparked a church community.

He also unpacks how their team responded to the challenges of COVID-19 with creative solutions—like developing an online food bank platform—and how small, service-based gatherings opened new doors for mission and leadership development.

Key Takeaways:

How a culture of invitation can shape an entire church
Discerning calling through open conversations and prayer
Innovating during crisis with a heart for the city
Empowering leaders through relational, small-scale gatherings

This episode is full of hope and practical wisdom for leaders reaching their cities with faith and creativity.

Biography

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.

Partners

This episode was sponsored by Compassion Canada. Learn more about the work of Compassion at ccln.ca/compassion.

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.

Show Notes

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