Worthless Servants

Can you believe we’ve been doing this for 100 episodes? This time Chelsea helps us celebrate! We list some of our favorite past episodes, we play Worthless Servants Trivia, we talk with some special guests, and we share our hopes for the future. Plus, there are several surprises you won’t want to miss! Thank you all for listening and being an army of Worthless Servants!

This week we share some of our thoughts on unity, vacation, and flexibility. Natalie also shares some honest thoughts about serving in missions and taking the next step in her call. Don’t miss out on this episode and let us know what’s been on your mind!

Nobody likes criticism, but it is necessary for healthy growth. This week we take a step back and look at ourselves and the Church to see if we are spreading Good News or Toxic Faith. We talk about perfectionism, control, perpetual cheerfulness and more. What happens if we acknowledge these characteristics of toxic faith systems and seek to change them? Is there a way to find a balance between who...

This week's Scripture Spotlight brings us to those exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. It is a passage that has clear missional implications for how we view our cities. How can we be the Church in our city? What does it mean to “seek the peace” of our city? What are the practical implications of this verse for us today?

This week we’re focusing on an article by Derwin Gray. How can our sermons be more than good advice or entertaining speeches? What does it mean to preach a transformational message? We’re going to talk about all six C’s mentioned in Gray’s article and the difference between communicating in general and specifically communicating the Gospel.

'Tis the season for big meals, parades, presents, and decorations. But is that what it was really like when Jesus was born? How have we watered down the real meaning of Christmas? What would it look like to celebrate today the messiness of Christ’s birth? We talk about all this and more as we eat our Christmas treats and sing jolly tunes.

This week we’ve been thinking about conformity, inner transformation, baked goods for God, and what space smells like. How does this all relate to missions? You’ll have to listen to find out!

We mentioned him in a previous episode; now we get the chance to hear more of his story. This week, Carlos Gordon is our special guest. He is on his way to Africa from Jamaica to serve as the Regional Finance Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene. Listen as he shares part of his story, his calling, and his passion. And let’s please support him in prayer and financially in the coming days!

When you get ready for the day, you put on clothes. Shouldn’t we do the same with our attitude? How does attitude affect our actions and outcomes in daily circumstances? We try to answer this question as we talk about the difference between attitude and emotions, the construct of behavior, and attitude’s relationship with obedience. We have some advice to hopefully make this a daily practice and t...

In this episode we spotlight a classic passage of scripture that has a lot of theological and missional meaning. We talk about confessing and believing, sending, preaching, hearing, going, and so much more. What do you notice from this passage? How does it help you in your walk with Christ?

Technology has been a great advance for humankind and has helped the Church in her mission. But when can it become too much? This week we talk about how an over-reliance on technology could possibly limit a missionary’s effectiveness. An article by Rachel Kleppen provokes a lot of discussion. Do we need to limit technology? If so, how do we do that when our society is so dependent on it for commun...

Many people are trying to figure out what it looks like to be a leader when so few of us know what to plan for. A convenient infographic that we came across may help to define differences between a typical pandemic leader and one who leads with vision and purpose. We talk about going back to “normal” vs working for the future, turning inward vs looking outward, surviving vs thriving, and several m...

There are many things in our day-to-day lives that make us think about God, missions, spirituality, religion, and much more. Why not touch on those interesting topics in one episode? This week we share what we’ve been learning about immigration, slowing down, segregation, and even finances in Africa. It’s a mixed bag of topics, but all have to do with our lives as missionaries and as Christians. W...

This week we take a deep look at ourselves and get a little vulnerable. Dan Reiland’s article “The Four Temptations that Leaders Face,” forms the basis of our conversation. No one is exempt from facing temptations. Even leaders face them, and maybe more so than the average person. If you’re a leader and you're struggling with temptation, listen carefully, because you’re not alone. We’re all in thi...

Through 85 episodes, you may have wondered when we would highlight the Great Commission. This week is the week! However, we don’t just hit the points you’ve heard before; we also explore the context and hopefully shed a different light on this Scripture. What does it mean for us today? Is it still relevant? The Worthless Servants offer many thoughts and take-aways on this classic passage.

We’re back this week talking about the World Evangelism Fund (WEF). It’s just that important! This time we’re blunt; we don’t want to see any zeros in our financial reports in regards to missions giving. WEF is, after all, the backbone of the Church of the Nazarene’s strategy to sustain its global ministry. What is the Zero Zeros initiative? Why do we need this in our region? How can you get invol...

Pastor Dario Richards is back to help us continue the conversation about race, and specifically ethnocentrism, in the Church. What is ethnocentrism? How does it show up in the Church, and how can we combat it? What can we learn from an analogy of an iceberg? Hear our answers to all these questions and more as we share times when we ourselves have fallen short, and what we have learned along the wa...

This week the Worthless Servants talk about race and racism: a conversation that is taking place all over the world in the light of recent events. This is certainly not a new issue, but many of us in the Church are finally addressing it head on. Pastor Dario Richards from Barbados joins the conversation to give us a fresh view and a wise perspective. He and the group share several stories of what...

Yet another week in the world of COVID and the Worthless Servants are back to talk about it. How does this time compare to culture shock? What are some similarities and differences? They all have something to say as they borrow some terms from a beloved former missionary. They also talk about how we as the Church can help people and how we can continue to make disciples in this time.

You’ve heard her voice, her comments, and her heart. Now you can hear her story (and more)! This episode is dedicated to getting to know Nathalie Franco a little bit more. Hear her story, her call, and her answers to some not-so-serious questions.

This episode is dedicated to looking at two articles by Nazarene Pastor Rob Prince on How to Strengthen the Church of the Nazarene. While the articles were written for the USA/Canada Region, we believe they can help people around the world think differently about Church. A link to the articles can be found in the show notes.

For this Scripture Spotlight we’re focusing on Acts 2:1-11. As we read this familiar story of Pentecost, what does it teach us about the mission of God? We tell some personal stories to help relate the modern era to the Biblical text, and we discuss several theological and missiological implications of the Spirit’s filling.

In episode 74 we briefly touched on the new missions paradigm in the Church of the Nazarene. This week we answer some of your questions and other topics of interest regarding those changes. We touch on missions education, the role of NMI, the definition of a Nazarene Missionary, and a lot more.

This is the continuation of episode 75: 14 Point Check-up. As we focus on the second half of Dan Reiland’s article, we talk this time about how we should never stop learning, give more personal stories, and even bring sugar cookies into the conversation! What can we learn from this list and how can it help us in ministry?

The Worthless Servants came together (but stayed 6-feet apart) to record a special episode in the new age of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although scientists and doctors have spoken out on the subject (and we urge everyone to keep listening to them), we have heard few voices from the church that have talked about ministry and missions implications. What is a biblical response to a spreading disea...