The journey of following Jesus can be at times lonely, isolating, and unfulfilling. What if that's all part of the process?  Counselor, professor, and author Mark Dorn joins the pod to talk about why he believes Christians and especially pastors and church leaders need to lean in to their feelings of longing and unfulfillment, why he thinks chasing after fulfillment is antithetical to the way of Jesus, and why darkness is a precious opportunity.  Mark S. Dorn is Professor of Music at Colorado Christian University, as well as a private practice counselor.  In his work at CCU, Mark leads the Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble, teaches trumpet lessons, and is actively involved in the mentoring of undergraduate students.  He is both a freelance musician and conductor, as well as an author. With a longtime investment in discipleship and counseling, his curiosity about how knowing God can lead to personal transformation has propelled him into counseling, writing, and a lot of musing about the journey. He is married to Jill, with four grown children, a new baby, and ten grandchildren, and lives in Morrison, Colorado where he is never far from his next mountain adventure. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.  

Since pre-Covid times, the United Methodist Church has been embroiled in conflict and disagreement over human sexuality, resulting in the splits and splintering playing out over the last several months. In this episode Pastor, author, and Family Systems expert Jack Shitama examines the rift via a FST approach, talking about how the conflict arose, what he thinks are some of the problems, and how he thinks things will play out. Jack Shitama is an author, teacher, speaker and coach. His family systems approach to leadership helps congregational and nonprofit leaders achieve their best spiritually, physically and professionally. He is an avid learner with a passion for taking the most recent secular learnings and applying them to spiritual leadership. Jack is also an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and currently serves as the Executive Director at Pecometh Camp & Retreat Ministries in Centreville, MD. He is also the Director for the Center for Vital Leadership. Jack is the author 3 books, including of Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety,  Jack and his wife of 40 years, Jodi, have four adult children and three grandchildren. Jack is an avid runner and has completed the Baltimore Marathon three times. He plays guitar and bass in the Jacob’s Well Band, his church’s worship band. He enjoys all kinds of sports, cooking, reading, traveling and, most of all, seeing people experience spiritual growth. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Everyone seems to be focused on the same thing, trying to re-vitalize and re-charge declining churches. But what if everything we're trying is emblematic of the decline? Author and church-planter Rohadi Nagassar joins the pod to talk about why common answers to church decline are Christendom-centric, the problem with seeking answers from "exceptional" churches, and why he believes churches need to find allies from within God's kingdom, not simply the same denomination. Rohadi also talks about how to protect yourself as a leader when risk-takers are often "left outside to freeze." Rohadi writes and speaks on the topics of decolonizing, liberation, and deconstructing western Christianity. Listen to his podcast: Faith in a Fresh Vibe. He has planted two churches including an inner-city multi-ethnic expression called Cypher Church. He has also written extensively in the areas of missions and church leadership including his book, Thrive. Ideas to lead the church in post-Christendom. Rohadi’s latest book, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins, from Herald Press. He lives in Canada, on Treaty 7 Lands, otherwise known as Calgary, and holds a Business Certificate from Mount Royal College, a BA in Economics from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Divinity from Canadian Theological Seminary. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

"Where does it hurt? And how can we help?" These are the words that led a small, dying church in Texas to Breakthrough! In this conversation with Pastor Dawn Weaks, we talk about being the leaders the church needs, how to guide a church through moving locations, and knowing what stuff to hang on to and what to leave behind. Dawn also talks about how the crisis of the pandemic and the flurry of the move gave momentum for change and new life. A must-listen for small-church pastors trying to lead growth and revitalization in church. Rev. Dawn Weaks is the author of Breakthrough:Trusting God for Big Change In Your Church and Travel Guide to Christian Faith along with many other published articles and sermons. Her B.A. is from Baylor University, her M.Div. from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, and her D.Min from St. Paul School of Theology. She was ordained in the Southern Baptist church before becoming a Disciples of Christ minister. She has pastored FCC Miami, Texas, FCC Rowlett, Texas, Raytown Christian Church of Missouri, and currently is co-pastor at Connection Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) along with her husband, Joe. Connection is the third century-old congregation she has led to discover bold, new purpose in ministry.  Facebook:@dweaks Instagram:@ddweaks Twitter:@dawndw The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Pastors and church leaders often face the pressure to "perform," whether that means always appearing as spiritually confident, emotionally intact, or even just always showing up as the idealized version of themselves. In our age of authenticity, how can pastors and church leaders balance the need to "perform" in some capacity while also being true to themselves? In this conversation with Paul Romig-Leavitt and Brian Davis, two veteran worship leaders who know what it's like to "put on a show" for thousands of people at a time, we talk about handling the pressures and how to lead in a healthy and sustainable manner.   Brian has been leading worship in the Denver-metro area for the last 25 years and has built relationships with dozens of churches all over the city. Authenticity and empathy have been hallmarks of Brian’s leadership, and his intention is to use these attributes to coach other worship leaders and inspire greater creativity and deeper spiritual practice in the local church. Brian has three daughters, and he and his wife, Jess, live in Lakewood, CO. He also serves part-time as the Worship Arts Director at New Denver Church. Paul has been a worship leader and pastor in the greater Denver area since 2001 working in full-time positions in churches such as Crossroads Community Church in Parker, The Refuge in Broomfield, and Restoration Church in Denver. Along with working as a guest worship leader in many other churches in Colorado, Paul also works with the Aspen Institute in Aspen CO as the Production Manager for the Aspen Ideas Festival as well as a director with the Denver video production company Colorado Arts Productions. Paul is the Co-author of “Cue-Lines,” a collection of plays and sketches he co-wrote with Greg Stier for the Dare 2 Share conferences. He lives in Broomfield CO with his wife and two daughters. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Despite efforts to include and make space for diversity, churches often do the opposite through their language, spaces, and architecture. In this conversation, Kimmothy Cole talks about what it means to create spaces where all are included, highlights the importance of knowing your community, and how pastors and church leaders can use her book in their churches. Kimmothy Cole is a community artist working with ritual and gathering as tools for radical change. Their work prioritizes the creation of shared culture through a decolonizing lens. Cole is an accomplished visual, musical and performance artist, bringing immersive experiences into mundane spaces. Their performance and ritual work has been featured in festivals, events and venues across the US. They have certificates in Embodied Healing and Movement Chaplaincy, and their first Book A Liturgy for All Bodies: New Words for a New World available from Cyclical Publishing. Support Kimmothy at https://www.patreon.com/TheRootedRitual The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.  

When it comes to church growth and revitalization, church governance isn't a topic that often comes to the forefront. Yet, according to Sean Bublitz, poor church governance is often a significant factor in stuck, declining churches. In this conversation, we talk about why pastors and church leaders should pay more attention to church governance, why when it comes to church boards bigger isn't better, and why voting should happen less often - not more. If you've ever felt like you're running into a brick wall with your organizational structures, you're going to want to listen to this. Sean Bublitz has spent time over the past two decades at Community Christian Church (Naperville, IL) and Granger Community Church (Granger, IN) serving in weekend service, arts, and senior leadership roles. For the past 5 years, he has served as a ministry consultant and on the leadership team at The Unstuck Group. Sean lives with his wife and 5 kids in the South Bend, IN area. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

The work of a good pastor or church leader, according to pastor and church planter Aurelia Davila Pratt, is to make space - to be a spacemaker. And while she understand that there are many who have chosen to leave church for sake of their own healing, she also believes that it is essential that we make space for others, and most importantly, for the Spirit. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to make space for the Spirit, for real critique, and for others to heal and re-imagine. Aurelia Dávila Pratt (MDiv, LMSW) is the lead pastor of Peace of Christ Church, a radically loving community in Round Rock, Texas. Named by Sojourners as one of “Ten Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2022”, Aurelia is also the author of A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step into Your Power and the co-host of the Nuance Tea Podcast. She is also a licensed master of social work, who currently serves as chair of the Board of Advocates at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. She regularly contributes articles for Progressing Spirit, Alliance of Baptists, and Good Faith Media. Find her on Instagram @revaureliajoy where she is reimagining faith and theology via spoken and written word. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Music isn't the main point in church, says singer and songwriter Spencer LaJoye, but churches need to decide what is. LaJoye joins the pod to talk about how music can be used for good in a church, and when it it's not. Spencer also shares advice for churches trying to become more inclusive, and what the one thing is they would change about music in church spaces. Spencer LaJoye is a folk/pop singer songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist in Boston, MA, who believes everyone is made of the good stuff. A 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition winner, LaJoye (luh-JOY) makes music to tell the truth and return to their body as a queer person in recovery from American Christian evangelicalism. Delivering Broadway-esque melodies accompanied by a weathered dreadnought, their performances are equal parts confident quirk and elegant storytelling. The easiest way to support Spencer and stay connected is to join their community on Patreon. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

So your church is struggling and maintaining an aging building is no longer feasible. What do you do next? Pastor Dennis Sanders shares about his own church's experience navigating this difficult decision. Dennis shares how the conversation started, what was the tipping point, liturgies for leaving, and what they plan to do with the proceeds. Through it all, Dennis shares why keeps him hopeful for his church and why they still want to try. A native of Flint, Michigan, Dennis is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He received his bachelor's in journalism from Michigan State University and his master's of divinity from Luther Seminary.  He’s been a communications professional working for various nonprofits for over 20 years. From 2008 until 2013 he was the Associate Pastor at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Minneapolis.  Since 2013, he's been the Pastor at First Christian Church of St. Paul in Roseville, MN . He lives in Minneapolis with his husband, Daniel. The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.