In 2020, John Lamos sat down next to his wife Jessie after a long day at the church, and she expressed with great fatigue and honesty: “John, if this is what ministry is like, I can’t keep doing this.” John was leading on reserves at the time — he knew it and so did his family. He was lonely, restless and well into a trajectory towards complete burnout. He’d be the first to tell you his own discipleship was lacking and he couldn’t even find himself in his own vision of what it meant to be a pastor. The picture was a pastor at the end of himself, and his family following right behind him. But today, John, Jessie and their three kids are more alive in Jesus and His call than ever before... What happened in-between? We'll let John tell you. Bio | John Lamos is the Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Church on Grand Manan, a small island off the coast of New Brunswick. He is married to Jessie and has three kids, Adaline, Olive, and Samuel. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Give today⁠⁠⁠⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Every dollar given to CCLN will be matched until July 19th. Partners: Help solve the global food crisis by giving ⁠⁠gifts of Compassion⁠⁠ today or get in touch with the ⁠⁠team at Compassion⁠⁠. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠⁠Bible Course here⁠⁠⁠. Show Notes: Darrell Johnson: Resources to Lead You to Jesus An Interview with Tyler Staton on the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast Get Connected! ⁠⁠⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

What might it look like for us to match the complexity of our time with courageous and creative responses for discipleship? Join pastor and thought leader Mark Sayers as he seeks to answer this question amongst many others in this long-form conversation for pastors. In this interview, Mark marries a thoughtful dissection of felt, current issues around discipleship with ancient Christian responses such as perseverance, prayer and radical dependency on God. With the backdrop of these “renewal spot fires” occurring around the world, Mark engages the challenges and questions leading in the church today with a message of hope, grounded in God’s inbreaking Kingdom. We know this is a long one… but we hope in a single listen or a few that you’ll ultimately be moved through this episode to continue seeking renewal and deeper discipleship where the Lord has you. This past April, we gathered around 100 pastors from across Canada for an online gathering titled Discipleship in Our Complex Age. This conversation with Mark is from that rich time together. You can stay tuned to more events like this one by subscribing to our mailing list below. Bio | Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books including Strange Days and Reappearing Church. Mark lives in Melbourne with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. ⁠⁠⁠Give today⁠⁠⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Help solve the global food crisis by giving ⁠gifts of Compassion⁠ today or get in touch with the ⁠team at Compassion⁠. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠Bible Course here⁠⁠. Show Notes: Rebuilders Podcast Red Church Strange Days: Life in the Spirit in a Time of Terrorism, Populist Politics, and Cult Reappearing Church: The Hope for Renewal in the Rise of Our Post-Christian Culture Get Connected! ⁠⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

Into a revolving door of senior pastors, Ken Shigematsu arrived to lead a struggling community in Vancouver, BC by the name of Tenth Church in 1996. After over two decades, Ken is still at the helm, having led Tenth to become one of the largest and most diverse city centre churches in Canada. But you’ll notice, Ken doesn’t exude an ambitious, pioneering spirit that you might attach to a story like that. He’s more of a soft-spoken, thoughtful contemplative who is seeking to see the Kingdom come in and through his life. In this conversation, Jason and Ken chat largely about themes from his new book Now I Become Myself - touching on emotions that can be destructive for pastors like envy and shame. We hope this conversation gives you a vision for how Jesus wants to meet you in and beyond those very feelings. Bio | Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-centre churches in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo. Ken is the author of the award-winning bestsellers ‘God in My Everything’ and ‘Survival Guide for the Soul.’ Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠Bible Course here⁠. ⁠Give today⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Now I Become Myself: How Deep Grace Heals Our Shame and Restores Our True Self Tenth Church Arrow Leadership Get Connected! ⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠ ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠ ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ ⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠ ⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

“You will love the guns out of their hands.” These are the words that Jonathan Tremaine Thomas sensed the Lord say to him in his junior year after he led a violent drug dealer to Jesus on the curb of a McDonalds in North Carolina. Since that moment, Jonathan Tremaine has given his life to seeing the Church bring transformation, justice and reconciliation in places of unrest and pain. As the founder of Civil Righteousness, Jonathan Tremaine is a leading voice on how Christians can bring justice in the way of Jesus. In this conversation between Jonathan Tremaine and Jason, hear them discuss the profound origins of Civil Righteousness, how to put the gospel into action amidst unrest, where the world’s understanding and God’s understanding of justice vary & more. We hope this conversation with Jonathan Tremaine gives you vision for how the gospel can remedy and bring hope where there is incredible pain. Bio | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generation “preacher’s kid”, and the grand-nephew of the legendary Civil Rights artist Dr. Nina Simone. In 2003, after earning a B.S. Communications at East Carolina University and pursuing an M.A. in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; he was commissioned as a full-time missionary to the most violent neighborhoods in Nashville, TN. He gained a voice nationally due to his peacemaking efforts during the 2014 civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri; which led to the founding of CivilRighteousness, Inc. and a national reconciliation movement. He then moved to Ferguson where he currently resides with his family directing prayer fueled evangelism, community transformation, and racial reconciliation initiatives. ⁠⁠Give today⁠⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Join Generis for a free online coaching call to learn about giving strategies for your church and growing a culture of generosity. Show Notes: Holy Ground Civil Righteousness Get Connected! ⁠⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

Albert Chu has spent decades leading in the same community, in the same area, with the same mission – creating room for people to discover and grow as disciples of Jesus. With his pastoral experience planting and leading a multisite community, alongside his missional passion as the current Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership, Albert offers thoughtful wisdom for forming churches that reflect and captivate the place they’re in. In this conversation, Jason and Albert talk about the Tapestry Church growing from a living room gathering to what it is today, how expanding a church’s reach can produce both grief and increased opportunities for discipleship, how a second chance to keep leading shaped Albert as a disciple and pastor & more. We hope this interview with Albert reminds you of God’s desire to take care of His Church & Its leaders. Bio | Albert has been the Lead Pastor of the Tapestry Church - a multi-campus church in the Lower Mainland - for nearly two decades. He is also the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership which strives to equip leaders for God’s mission in this corner of the world affectionately called Cascadia (PNW). Albert is married to Frieda and is blessed with two lovely daughters. They love to travel, cycle, cook, and wander with their backpacks within the 117,900 acres of bliss called Mt. Baker Wilderness. ⁠Give today⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Prepare your church to respond to global crises by ⁠connecting with Chris⁠ from World Vision.  Show Notes: Tapestry Church  Centre for Missional Leadership Get Connected! ⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠ ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠ ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ ⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠ ⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

When Jason, Chris and Jeremy set out to plant the Way Church in 2020, they found in the Vancouver Church many allies – one of them being Brett Landry. With Brett’s own history of planting in one of Canada’s most secularized cities and his desire to see more life-giving churches join its neighbourhoods, Brett offered deep wisdom and encouragement. For this conversation, instead of informally gathering in a coffee shop or church office, Chris, Jason and Brett sit down for a recorded conversation to tell the beautiful story of Christ City Church, how Brett came to know Jesus, how he has navigated the inevitable tumultuous stretches that come in pastoral ministry & more. We hope this conversation with Brett Landry serves to encourage you. Bio | Bretty Landry is the pastor of Christ City Church in Vancouver, BC – a network of neighbourhood churches currently serving South Vancouver, East Vancouver and Kitsilano. Brett has been married to his wife Alison for almost 2 decades, and they have three teenage daughters – Tasia, Mireya, and Jasmine. ⁠Give today⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Deepen your faith and increase your impact in ministry by enrolling at Tyndale University. Show Notes: Christ City Church Get Connected! ⁠Blog & Episode write-up⁠ ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Join our Mailing List! ⁠ ⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ ⁠Follow on Instagram ⁠ ⁠Share a Canadian Church Story

Studies have shown that a pastor typically stays at one church for an average of 4 years. For Dr. Henry Schorr however, that is far from the case. With 43 years of pastoring under his belt at Centre Street Church alone, Henry sets an incredible example of both faithfulness and fruitfulness in the pastorate. In today’s episode, Jason and Henry talk about the fascinating story of Centre Street Church, the Kingdom values that led to the church’s explosive growth in the 1980s, the wisdom Henry would offer to young pastors, the integration of family and mission & more. We hope your imagination is captured by Henry’s faithful example and his reflections on over 40 years of pastoring. Bio | Dr. Henry Schorr is the lead pastor of Centre Street Church, an influential, resourcing church in Calgary, Alberta that has been serving Calgary and beyond since 1958. Henry has been lead pastor of Centre Street Church for 43 years, with 37 of those years spent as the lead pastor. Under Henry’s leadership, Centre Street Church has had a profound impact on the National & Global Church. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Prepare your church to respond to global crises by connecting with Chris from World Vision.  Show Notes: Centre Street Church  New Canadian Friendship Centre Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

Have you ever wondered if anyone reads those New Testaments that you can sometimes find in hotel bedside tables? Well, that is exactly how Jess DiSabatino’s parents came to know Jesus… and her life was never the same. In today’s episode, Jason and Jess move stage by stage through Jess’ story of her family coming to Christ, how she ended up in the pastorate and how Journey Church, the church she leads today, came to be. It’s a story that starts with an unplanned, late night reading of the Book of Acts, and ends with a pastor seeking for God’s Kingdom to come in Northwest Calgary. We hope that it inspires you. Bio | Jessica DiSabatino is a renowned communicator in both business environments and the Church. Following the death of her younger brother, Jess and her dad founded MySafeWork, a philanthropic initiative to bring justice to workplaces in Canada and around the world. For this ground-breaking work, Jess received the Governor General’s award in 2016. In tandem with her foundation work, Jess has pastored in various churches for over twenty years and currently serves as lead pastor of Journey Church in Calgary, AB. When Jess is not playing with her husband and four kids, or her Goldendoodle, Nacho, she is busy resurrecting her 1980s rap career. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion. Show Notes: Journey Church  My Safe Work Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

Right alongside the name Billy Graham when it comes to discussions on evangelism, is the name Luis Palau. Luis was a passionate evangelist who preached in over 80 different countries, and saw millions of people come to know Jesus before his death in March of 2021. Carrying forward the spirit of Luis’ ministry is his son Kevin Palau. Kevin, who now runs the Luis Palau Association, is an incredible leader who has helped form profound gospel movements in secular cities; movements that in certain instances engaged over 200 churches and 32,000 people in over 300 service projects. Join Kevin and Jason as they discuss how Luis finished his life, the postures that contribute to gospel movements, working with municipalities for the sake of a city & countless stories of Jesus using the “yes” of people to bring His Kingdom to earth. We hope this episode encourages you and gives you vision for the impact that’s possible in your community. Bio | Kevin Palau is President and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. Under his leadership, LPA has united tens of thousands of churches in hundreds of cities to love and serve their communities and clearly share the Good News of Jesus. Kevin also helps lead TogetherPDX, a sustainable, united movement of churches in Portland, Oregon. His book, Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel describes the ongoing impact of the movement. Kevin lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his wife, Michelle, and enjoys serving on the boards of Alpha USA, Christians Against Poverty, and Transforming the Bay with Christ. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Help solve the global food crisis by giving gifts of Compassion today or get in touch with the team at Compassion. Show Notes: Luis Palau Association TogetherPDX Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

Over decades in the church, Ross has seen pastors pass the preaching test, and even the pastoral test, but seen less pass the character test than one would want. Today Ross is giving much of his time seeking to understand how pastors can cultivate holiness in the busyness of ministry and be a part of the 15% who finish well in the pastorate. Join Ross, Jason and guest interviewer Chris Price as they discuss how Ross was formed pastorally through personal depression, a grid for making ethical decisions, the significance of beholding Christ & more. We hope this episode encourages you to look to Jesus and be transformed into His character. Bio | Ross Hastings, a Zimbabwean Scot, holds PhDs in organometallic chemistry and theology. His teaching interests include Trinitarian theology, pastoral theology, theology and spirituality of mission, ethics, and the interface between science and theology. Ross's most recent work is Theological Ethics: The Church's Integrity in Contemporary Context. Ross lost his first wife Sharon to cancer in 2008 after 27 years of marriage. In 2011 he married Tammy Carrillo, who also lost her husband to cancer in 2008. Together they have five children. He enjoys sport—especially rugby, cricket, soccer, tennis, squash and flyfishing—as well as a wide variety of music. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Pastoral Ethics by Ross Hastings Echoes of Coinherence by Ross Hastings  Regent College  Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story