In the latest Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter interviews Hope International University President Dr. Paul Alexander about the importance of soul care and his findings in a study he conducted with over 2200 pastors about depression and anxiety in the pastorate. Dr. Alexander is an ordained pastor, licensed therapist, and has a doctorate in organizational leadership. His love for the local church, his compassion for the loneliness from which many pastors suffer, his transparency, and the way in which he walks you through how you can find true rest and care for your soul is deeply refreshing. YouTube link for conversation mentioned by Dr. Alexander: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ8xjkIBlbIWho is Paul Alexander?Paul Alexander is the President of Hope International University in Fullerton, California. Having served as a long-time faculty in the area of Psychology, Paul speaks in churches regularly on anxiety, depression, and leadership. Paul is an ordained pastor as well as a licensed therapist. Paul and Leslie have two adult children and are involved at Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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In this episode of Craft & Character, preacher and author of How (Not) to Save the World, Hosanna Wong, unpacks how poetry has influenced her preaching. Growing up in San Francisco, Hosanna competed in various underground slam poetry contests and she learned the art of storytelling, the rhythmic patterns within sentences, and how to speak truth using the fewest words possible. She talks candidly about what the transition was like moving from spoken word artist to preaching regularly at her church and around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Steve Carter interviews the creator of the Rise And Fall Of Mars Hill Podcast, Mike Cosper, about what he discovered unpacking the Mars Hill story. We discuss which interview from the podcast broke his heart the most, why people are drawn to charisma over character, people’s critiques of the podcast, and what he’s looking for in a preacher and pastor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest Craft & Character podcast, Steve Carter interviews Pastor and Author Charlie Dawes. Charlie and his team planted Hill City Church in the greater DMV ( DC + Maryland + Virginia) area. Steve and Charlie talk about how prayer plays a crucial part in the sermon prep process. Charlie wrote a fantastic book a few years ago called “Simple Prayer” about learning to speak to God. Charlie speaks candidly about the practice of prayer, not needing to hype up moments but rather how to stay wildly open to the burning bush moments that occur all around us, shaping us and the messages we get to preach.Who is Charlie Dawes?Charlie Dawes pastors Hill City Church in Alexandria, VA. He is the author of Simple Prayer and a loyal Cubs fan that hopes it won’t be another 108 years until the next World Series. He is married to Nicole and they have 3 incredible kids (Caden, Hailey, and Declan). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About the Episode In the latest Craft & Character Podcast episode, Steve Carter takes your questions about how to dive deeper into your sermon prep. Steve unpacks how every person tuning into a sermon has an ache and good desires. As communicators, we must keep searching, praying, studying, and marinating to name the ache people are feeling and also how this text can call out good desires within. Every context we speak in has unique strongholds that must be addressed when we preach. In this episode, Steve will help you identify the problem (these three words), name the premise (what the scriptures have to say about it), and articulate the promise (what a person's life will look like if they apply it to their life). Who is Steve Carter? Steve Carter is a pastor, speaker, author, podcaster, and sports enthusiast. He is the author of, The Thing Beneath The Thing. He is the host of the Craft & Character Podcast and also the Home Team Podcast, a weekly show that talks about the intersection of sports, culture, and faith. Steve currently travels all over speaking to congregations and coaching communicators through The Ascent Leader. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Sarah and their 2 children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About the Episode In the latest Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter interviews author, professor and Christ Church of the Valley Teaching Pastor Mark Moore about the makings of a great talk. Mark explains his process, why he believes he needs to practice preaching a message six times before ever speaking it to an audience and how he has framed talks for students, college classroom, and adult congregation. What Mark shares about the importance of character at the end is worth the whole episode. Who is Mark Moore? Mark joined the staff at Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Peoria, Arizona in July 2012 as a teaching pastor. CCV currently has eight locations and 28,000 in weekly attendance. Prior to joining the CCV team, Mark was a Professor at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, (1990-2012). Currently, he is an online professor for Ozark, an Adjunct Professor at Hope International University in Fullerton, California and Haus Edelweiss, Vienna, Austria. Mark is also the author and co-author of many books mostly on the Life of Christ, book of Acts, and Revelation.  His 2019 ECPA bestseller book Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year, helps readers master the 52 of the most important passages in the Bible.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About the Episode In the latest Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter interviews author, leader and former senior pastor of Connexus Church Carey Nieuwhof about how to get time, energy and priorities for every preacher working in their favor. Carey speaks candidly about what he learned from burning out and the wisdom he has acquired along the way that will help every single communicator to get out of the stress spiral and live well in the thrive cycle. Who is Carey Nieuwhof? Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church.  Carey’s passion for helping people thrive in life and leadership is evident in his latest book, At Your Best: How To Get Time, Energy And Priorities Working In Your Favor. Pastor Niewhof is also a gifted speaker and the best-selling author of, Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects But Everyone Experiences. From Carey: “I met the most amazing woman in my first year of law school. We got married before we graduated. By far...she's the best thing to come out of law school for me!  The second thing that happened was I experienced a call to ministry.  Honestly, the call confused me as much as it compelled me. I finished law and out of obedience, enrolled in seminary. In 1995, as I was wrapping up seminary, I started ministry as a student pastor among three little mainline churches an hour north of Toronto. When I started, one of the churches had an average attendance of 6 (not making that up). Much to my surprise I had discovered a community I'm still a part of over 20 years later. Our church has changed everything in those two decades...the music, the buildings, our governance, our mission, our vision....everything, really. We even left our denomination and now are a multisite church with three locations reaching over 1500 people each weekend. Along the way, I developed a passion for helping other leaders lead like never before.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About the Episode In the latest Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter talks with Bright City Church Teaching Pastor Sharon Hodde Miller. Sharon is an accomplished author and a thoughtful communicator who has an incredible ability to put her Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to good use while also making her messages widely accessible. Sharon and Steve unpack her message, “We are heirs,” from Bright City Church, process how she preps for her talks, and how her words compel people towards becoming disciples of Jesus. Who is Sharon Hodde Miller? Sharon leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband, Ike. She writes, travels around the country speaking at churches and conferences each year, and holds a Ph.D. on women and calling. Sharon is the author of two books: Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It's Not About You, and Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked, And How God Calls Us to More. Sharon lives in North Carolina with her husband and 3 young children. To read more of her writing, you can visit her site, SheWorships.com, and you can connect with her on Instagram at @sharonhmiller.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About the Episode In the latest Craft & Character Podcast episode, Steve Carter interviews Pastor Noah Herrin about the seven lessons he learned in his first five years of communicating. Noah is a gifted teacher of God’s word, has a heart of gold, and offers up an honest reflection of the crucial lessons he has learned throughout his ministry. Whether you’re just starting out preaching or have been doing it for years this episode is for you. Who is Noah Herrin? Noah is a 26 year old communicator and pastor based in Atlanta, Georgia. His passion is to reach the next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2017, Noah founded The Gathering young adult movement in Cleveland, TN that reached thousands of young adults on a weekly basis. Since that time, he has become a trusted voice to the GEN-Z and Millennial generations. In 2021 Noah founded a non-profit called “Neighborhood Young Adults” that seeks to disciple and raise up communities of Young Adult followers of Jesus in every Neighborhood in the United States. His messages have been received by many around the globe as he encourages people to not just know Jesus but to follow Him. Noah can also be found online through his podcast “All our ways” or on social media (@NoahHerrin). Noah is happily married to his wife Maddy since the Summer of 2019. They enjoy eating Chick-Fil-a, traveling, playing board games and walking their son (A miniature Goldendoodle puppy) named Mogley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices