Brian Zahnd is the lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, which he founded in 1981 with his wife, Peri. He is a passionate reader, avid hiker and mountain climber, Bob Dylan aficionado and author of several books including Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Postcards from Babylon, A Farewell to Mars, Water to Wine, and Beauty Will Save the World.  Brian and Peri have three adult sons and seven grandchildren. In this episode, Brian and our host Adam Russell discuss the hidden treasures to be found in academic theology when our experience of Christianity no longer feels worthy of Jesus, and the effects a founding pastor’s evolving faith can have on a church body. Brian also shares the historical parallels of our current times and the need for Christians to prioritize practicing love in such a divisive political season. This episode is packed full of personal testimony that is challenging and honest and is sure to inspire a deeper look at our own relationship with Jesus.   

A Tennessee native, Leslie Jordan is a worship leader, singer/songwriter and co-founder of The Fold, a Nashville-based songwriting community and non-profit organization that seeks to provide a safe space for writers and songwriters to find their unique voice through retreats and workshops. Prior to this, Leslie was best known as a member of the Grammy-nominated band All Sons & Daughters, whose most well-known songs include “Great Are You Lord”, “Called Me Higher” and “Oh How I Need You”.  She is also a staff writer on Integrity Music Publishing, spending much of her day cowriting with artists in the Nashville area and around the country. She lives with her husband and son in Franklin, TN. In this episode, Leslie and our host Adam Russell discuss all things songwriting, including where songs come from, how vulnerability is a gift in the co-writing relationship, and the essential roles generosity and hospitality play in cultivating a nourishing environment for artists and songwriters to create together.  

Susan O’Brien is a spiritual director who works with people to become more aware of God’s presence in their lives. She received her certification through the Institute of Christian Spirituality at Lipscomb University and also holds a Bachelor of Theology from Point University. She believes that God is working in every person that she encounters. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Mike and her 8-year-old son, Ezekiel. When she isn’t doing spiritual direction, homeschooling her son or teaching piano lessons, she likes spending time in her rocking chair or on the back porch swing.   On this episode, Susan and our host Adam Russell look at the “slow” work of God in our lives. This is especially relevant in this season as our normal rhythms have been disrupted in so many ways. Much to glean in this rich episode!

Chris McClarney grew up in the church as the son of a youth pastor and met Jesus at a very young age. When he was 14 he began leading worship for a small group, which then led to full-time ministry in local churches and inner-city ministry across Nashville, TN. Chris’ powerful worship anthem “Your Love Never Fails” has become one of the most popular songs in America’s churches as reported in the TOP 25 of CCLI and a #1 song on the Billboard Christian chart. Chris currently serves as one of the worship pastors at Church Of The City in Franklin, TN.  On this week's episode, Chris and our host Adam Russell explore Chris's journey as a worship leader and songwriter. Also, reflecting on the cultural moment we find ourselves in wrestling with COVID-19, political unrest, and societal division even in the American church. This is a helpful and grounding conversation reminding us about the things God holds as primary in our lives and ministries.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!   Dr. Caleb Maskell leads the Society of Vineyard Scholars and is the Worship Pastor at Blue Route Vineyard Community Church outside Philadelphia, PA. He has a PhD in the Department of Religion at Princeton University, focusing on the history of American Christianity. He has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary and Fordham University.     Caleb is passionate about developing leaders and institutions that will help to produce a healthy, courageous, and hospitable future for the church in the 21st century. In 2007, he co-planted Elm City Vineyard Church in New Haven, Connecticut with his wife Kathy. Kathy is active in social justice and worked for six years as the U.S. Advocacy Director for Love146, an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation.  They live in Media, Pennsylvania with their son Josiah and their daughter Emmanuelle.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!   Dr. Brittany Kim is an Old Testament scholar, adjunct professor, and spiritual director-in-training based in Chicago, IL. She has taught at Roberts Wesleyan College, Northeastern Seminary, and Bethel Seminary, and is the author of Lengthen Your Tent-Cords: The Metaphorical World of Israel's Household in the Book of Isaiah. Brittany is also the wife of Ferment podcast guest, Ted Kim.   In this episode, Brittany and Adam dig into the Old Testament bringing out both specific and "meta" insights extremely useful for the modern worship leader. Brittany also highlights the frequency and importance of the theme of lament, particularly in the Psalms.  This is an important conversation for worship leaders and songwriters seeking more biblical expressions of worship in their personal and congregational lives.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!   John Kim is an Investor, entrepreneur, and co-pastor of The166, a Vineyard church plant in the Hell's Kitchen section of midtown Manhattan, NY.    After graduating from Harvard in 1995, John received his Ph.D. in Economics from MIT in 1998.  John joined MSD Capital in 1998, serving as partner from 2001 to 2008. He then founded the Karamaan Group —a long-term investing firm that takes ownership interest in public and private companies.   John resides in Manhattan with his wife, Kara, and son, Samuel. The Kims are one of three founding families of Coram Deo: A House of Worship, Prayer and Entrepreneurship, located in midtown Manhattan.    In this unique episode, John shares his journey of being a Jesus follower in the fast-paced NYC business world, surviving with his faith intact and actually finding his God-breathed vocation in the midst of it. This is a deeply encouraging conversation for anyone seeking to walk out their calling, whether inside or outside the walls of the Church.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!     Hannah DeSpain is a vocalist and worship leader in Campbellsville, KY, featured on numerous Vineyard Worship projects such as Promises of Wonder and All Things Rise. She sits down with our host Adam Russell, her long-time friend, and shares her life story — from growing up singing in church with her twin sister Sarah to discovering a calling to lead people in worship in college to marrying her husband Matt.  Hannah offers some hard-won and key insights as she and Adam discuss walking through seasons of suffering and loss as followers of Jesus.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!   Sam Yoder is a chiropractor in Campbellsville, KY and the author of the modern Vineyard hymns “All Things Rise,” “Wonderful,” and the upcoming Vineyard Worship single,  “Jesus Beautiful.”   In this wide-ranging conversation, Sam shares about his journey - from being raised Old Order Amish to discovering the music of Bob Dylan and the writing of Carl Sagan.  Sam and Adam cover various topics including the experience of the immigrant and outsider in society, the songwriting genius of Dylan, and Sam's deep love of space and the universe that inspired his upcoming album, The Reaches, featuring songs about black holes and other surprises.    Sam is an inspiring and curious person who pursues his creative life with ferocity. This is a fascinating conversation you won't want to miss.

As we take our mid-season break for the month of July, we have hand-picked some of our favorite episodes from season one! We'll be releasing these curated archive episodes on Mondays and Thursdays. We’ll be back with brand new episodes on Monday, August 3rd!     Carol Wimber-Wong was an early Vineyard pioneer and, along with her late husband John Wimber, helped birth the Vineyard Movement. Carol has been closely involved in the development of the Vineyard for over 40 years.   In this broad conversation, Adam and Carol discuss her journey of faith and the deep impact the Quakers had on both her and John and the foundation of the Vineyard Movement. They then dive into her perspective on the history of the Vineyard and her dreams for the future Church.