Jesus Collective Podcast

At Jesus Collective, we want to be a part of a movement that is trying to look more like Jesus in all things– and that even includes how we grieve. Author and pastor Leanne Friesen joins us to discuss her book ​ ‘Grieving Room,’ inspired by the loss of her sister to cancer. Leanne challenges common notions about grief, advocating for authentic emotional processing and the importance of rituals. Sh...

Join author and theologian Brad Jersak as we embark on a journey into the depths of the Cross. From Abbotsford, BC, Brad, the Principal of St. Stephen’s University, shares his personal evolution of understanding, moving away from the doctrine of penal substitution and towards a non-violent interpretation of atonement. Delving into the landscape of atonement theories, Brad challenges us to broaden...

There's a mystery and a question at the heart of the cross. In his new book "The Wood Between the Worlds," pastor and author Brian Zahnd passionately explores the kaleidoscopic and Theo-poetic nature of the cross, cautioning against misconceptions and urging a recapture of its scandal and shock in a world where it has become a mere religious cliché. From the Crucified God at the center of theology...

Join us on an inspiring episode as we delve into the transformative power of unity and reconciliation with our special guest, Issa Sadi Ebombolo. Issa currently serves as the Peacebuilding Coordinator at the Mennonite Central Committee in Zambia and Malawi and brings a wealth of experience and hope to the conversation. From sharing impactful stories of reconciliation emerging from the Peace Clubs...

Mental health and the conversation around it have reached crisis levels in our society. Yet the church has sometimes been hesitant to step into the conversation, fearing they are ill-equipped or overconfident. Join Pastor Jenni Waldron on a learning journey as she shares her family story, pastoral wisdom on walking with people and how the church can be a place of hope and healing. Check out Jenni...

There is so much emotional anxiety and polarity around issues confronting the church today... Division about politics, hand-wringing about de-churching and disputes over what it means to be Jesus-centred. Join Pastors Brian Zahnd and Greg Boyd as they speak words of hope and encouragement into this moment and how a chaste and diminished church can bring healing to the hopelessness of our moment.

Welcome to Episode 1 in our Unite Series. We are exploring themes we will dive deeper into at our global Unite Gathering on April 24-26, 2024 in St. Paul, MN. In this episode, Paul Walker and Christie Penner Worden sit down with Northern Seminary Professor David Fitch to talk about his new book (January 30, 2024) called Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When it's On the Wrong Side of Powe...

We sit down with Jenni Waldron and Preston Ulmer as they share their perspectives and insights as practitioners who are deepening their discipleship and creating spaces of discipleship for others. Both Jenni and Preston are leaning into a practice-based way of engaging spiritual formation and discipleship through Jesus XP (the Jesus Experience). They share how this relational resource has been dee...

Join Jesus Collective for a live podcast episode featuring Marlena Graves. In this live podcast, we will explore Marlena's latest book "Bearing God: Living a Christ-formed Life in Uncharted Waters." Together, we will explore what makes Jesus-centered spiritual formation unique and how it equips us to be non-anxious leaders in a world characterized by uncertainty, anxiety, polarization, and a longi...

Join Keith Smith and Jon Hand as they talk about how we can deepen our leadership and discipleship to Jesus in a polarized world. Jesus Collective is committed to helping leaders be better leaders by becoming better followers of Jesus. One of the ways you can deepen your Jesus-centered leadership is by exploring our Online Learning Collective . Today, Keith and Jon talk about the upcoming OLC laun...

A pastor, lobbyist, network leader, and Middle East peace advocate talk about the war in Palestine and Israel. Join Keith Smith, Mercy Aiken, Anna Vogt, and Jon Hand as they share insights into the unfolding war and how we can be peacemakers in the tensions created by this tragedy. Here are some resources from us: Two video reflections from Palestinian pastors: Reflection #1 , Reflection #2 . MCC’...

Join Paul and Cherish in this insightful exploration into the wisdom of the New Testament book of Galatians. Professor Mark Baker, author of Centered-Set Church, highlights his new commentary on Galatians. This conversation highlights the humanity of Paul, the missional heart of this letter, how this letter addresses identity and cancel culture, and how it critiques progressive and conservative id...

In these dynamic times, a healthcare professional, church developer, co-pastor, and network leader come together to discuss the relevancy of Jesus. Be part of this varied group of leaders as they explore the implications of adopting a Jesus-centric approach to address the emerging challenges in their specific environments. This engaging dialogue underscores the significant and optimistic role that...

In Part 1 of this thought-provoking mini-series, we hear from Pastor Meghan Larissa Good speaking at Jesus Collective's in-person gathering in June 2023 at Woodland Hills Church as she shares about our current cultural moment—a moment defined by its uncertainty, where the ground beneath us is shifting faster than ever before. Meghan offers some deep insights into the rise of 6 dynamics in our cult...

Welcome to another episode of the Jesus Collective Podcast. In this episide we pause to delve into the vision and heartbeat of Jesus Collective, introduce new core leadership team, and highlight wins from this past year. Plus, we explore the current landscape of church, and hear how Jesus Collective is responding to these shifting dynamics as we move into an exciting future together with a broader...

In a world filled with hostility, division, and polarization it's time to refocus on Jesus. Join us for a captivating episode as Derek Vreeland, author of "Centering Jesus," reveals the consequences of losing sight of Jesus and the transformative impact of keeping Him at the center of our lives. Derek invites us to imagine what it looks like to keep Jesus as the Lamb of God at the center of three...

Join us for a thought-provoking episode as we delve into the crucial topic of mental health within the church in the post-COVID era. In this enlightening conversation, we sit down with Carolyn Klassen, a counselor, public speaker, and leader within her church community. Together, we explore the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of the church community. Has the conve...

Adam Dyer, our brand new Jesus Collective Executive Director, sits down with Greg Boyd for a conversation about hope in a post-Christendom context. Adam and Greg explore how the rapid changing context of a post-Christendom culture is actually a good thing because it provides space for people to embrace an authentic faith, instead of simply acquiescing to the common shared trend of the larger cultu...

When we tell a reduced Gospel story, we get reduced results. In this podcast, we sit down with Matthew Bates as he shares his latest book, "Why the Gospel?". Matthew helps us see how the Gospel is a bigger story than personal salvation or forgiveness. The Gospel is a larger story based on Jesus the King who is the ultimate answer to our more profound questions about ourselves, God, and our world....

Jesus Collective Partner, Jonny Morrison explores with us the dissatisfaction in our culture and why it's important for pastors and leaders to analyze culture more deeply. Morrison's book Light as Air: Practicing Authenticity, Depth, and Purpose in a World of Empty Promises may also offer some clues. We also delve into why some of us tend to individualize Jesus apart from his Kingdom political mes...

Jesus tells us to love our enemies. He doesn’t mean a hypothetical imagined enemy either. It is a love that goes beyond common sense. Jesus Collective Leadership Development Pastor Jon Hand reflects on learning to love your enemy from Matthew 5. Jon originally taught this sermon at The Meeting Place, a church in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we thought our wider Jesus Collective audience would...

In this episode with J.W. Buck, we explore why it's important to reveal the radical Jesus: the Jesus who teaches on justice, relating to the poor, and what it means to be salt and light in the world. We'll get into Buck's book, "Everyday Activism" to answer some questions about creating social change, and dive briefly into the seven practices of justice he outlines in the book. J.W. Buck is a Chri...

The book of Revelation has been used to justify religious violence, greed in regards to climate stewardship, and distractions from Jesus with apocalyptic doom scrolling. Pastor Jeremy Duncan shares helpful insights from his book to help leaders and thoughtful Christians have tools for how to approach this often misunderstood and misused book of the Bible. Jeremy's refreshing approach will illumina...

Jesus Collective partner and pastor Keith Smith shares about launching a 24/7 prayer room at his Ohio-based church, and his recent experience of attending the outpouring at Asbury University. We chat about encountering God, doubts, skepticism, and the ability to recover a childlike sense of wonder and awe in the face of God's mystery. Keith invites us into his journey of being Spiritually re-awake...

This podcast is the fourth part of an ongoing series that is exploring Five Markers for a Jesus-Centred Transformation . In this episode we are joined by Dr. Drew Hart (Messiah University) who helps us explore the statement, "evil is overcome through the power of suffering love." Dr. Hart draws on the wisdom of the BIPOC community as he reflects on taking the way of Jesus seriously in how we overc...