Practicing Hope Podcast

What happens after the decision is made and things still do not feel settled? In leadership, we often think the hard part is getting through the decision itself. But what happens when the decision changes the shape of the community? When people leave, relationships shift, or everyone is trying to figure out whether they still belong? In this episode, Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, an...

What if discernment isn't something you do alone, but something that takes shape in a relationship? In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore what it looks like to build a "personal board of advisors" — a circle of people who help you listen well, stay grounded, and move forward with clarity.  Through stories, humor, and practical wisdom, they unpack how to rec...

What do you do when a decision impacts everyone, but not everyone agrees? Making decisions on your own is hard enough. But in leadership, decisions often have consequences for an entire community. The challenge is building a process people can trust, even when they don't get their way. In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore the real tension of communal disce...

Have you ever sat in a room where something needed to be said, but no one said it? In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore the challenge of naming hard truths with both courage and care. From "pointing to elephants" in the room to learning how to avoid dropping "verbal bombs," they reflect on the practices that help us discern when to speak, how to prepare ou...

Have you ever had a decision that just… lingers? A conversation you know you need to have. A leadership call that keeps getting pushed to the next meeting. You tell yourself you're "still discerning" — but you're not actually moving forward. In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore the tension between faithful discernment and avoidance — why decisions get stuc...

Have you ever made a hard decision — only to realize the real challenge comes after? Maybe you're in a church, workplace, or community where there's real disagreement. You've wrestled with whether to stay or leave, and you've made your decision. But now a new set of questions begins: How do you stay without losing yourself? How do you leave without damaging relationships? And how do you move forwa...

When tension rises, certainty can feel like safety. We've all been in a room where strong conviction takes over and starts to sound like control, self-protection, and avoidance.  In leadership, certainty is often rewarded. It feels decisive and strong. But what if discernment asks us to listen instead?  In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore what to do with...

Have you ever wished there were a simple formula for knowing when it's time to move on,  especially after your community makes a decision you wouldn't have chosen? Sometimes the hardest decisions aren't about starting something new — they're about what to do after a decision has already been made. Maybe your church changed direction. Maybe your organization chose a path you wouldn't have chosen. N...

Have you ever carried a decision that felt heavy? Leadership often puts us in moments where there's no obvious right answer — just responsibility, consequence, and the hope that we don't cause harm. What if discernment isn't about finding certainty, but about becoming the kind of person who can choose love when the stakes are high? In this episode, Tanner Smith is joined by Chase Stancle and Sarah...

Have you ever had someone trust you with something heavy, and suddenly you're not sure what to say? A friend tells you their marriage is falling apart. A volunteer quietly admits they're exhausted and thinking about stepping away. You want to respond well, but your mind races. What if trust isn't about having the perfect words, but about showing up with steadiness, humility, and care? In this epis...

Have you ever gone days without needing to ask anyone for help? Groceries arrive at your door. Coffee is ordered ahead. Work, worship, and errands can all happen without a single face-to-face conversation. Life runs efficiently, but often at the cost of shared life. What if a fuller life comes not from convenience, but from shared life with others? Tanner Smith and Chase Rashad Stancle examine the...

Have you ever opened your phone "just for a minute" and ended up angry at strangers on the internet? So many of us pick up our phones to relax, but instead feel restless, stressed, and less present to the people right in front of us. What if your online life could actually become a place to practice hope and love? In this episode of our Beholding series, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sar...

Have you ever felt a friendship grow tense or distant and weren't sure why? In a world marked by polarization and quick assumptions, even strong friendships can feel fragile. A single comment, a post, or a difference in perspective can suddenly amplify the distance between us. But what if the gap you feel isn't the end of the relationship — just an invitation to truly see each other again? In this...

Have you noticed hurry shrinking your capacity to love the people right in front of you? The pace of life makes us reactive — rushing kids out the door, skimming conversations, and missing moments that matter. What if slowing down wasn't about doing less, but about learning to see as God sees? In this kickoff to our Beholding series, Tanner, Chase, and Sarah explore how hurry distorts our relation...

Have you ever felt powerless in a situation you care deeply about? When things feel out of control, it's easy to slip into the story that says, "There's nothing I can do." But what if helplessness isn't the whole story? In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson wrap up their Relational Triangles series by exploring the Victim role — what it really is, what it isn't, an...

Can we be honest? Blame feels good — at least for a moment. It's quick, easy, and even a little satisfying to find someone else to fault. But before we know it, that "warm blanket" of blame can leave us isolated and stuck. In this next installment of the Relational Triangles series on the Practicing Hope Podcast, Sarah Johnson joins Tanner Smith and Chase Rashad Stancle to explore the role of the...

Have you ever felt the pressure to fix everyone else's problems? Maybe with your kids, your congregation, or coworkers, you step in, smooth things over, and carry weight that isn't yours. It feels noble, but it can drain you and keep others from growing. What if rescuing isn't the most loving thing you can do? In Part 2 of our Relational Triangles series , hosts Tanner Smith and Chase Rashad Stanc...

Have you ever found yourself pulled into someone else's conflict? It happens at work, at church, even in the grocery store. One moment you're minding your own business, and the next you're caught in the middle of a conversation that really belongs between two other people. What if, instead of absorbing stress that isn't yours, you could learn to notice these moments and respond more healthily? In...

Have you ever lost yourself in the middle of conflict? When tensions rise, many of us either rush to fix things or soften the edges to keep the peace. But what if you could stay grounded — anchored in your values — even when things get hard? In this honest and hope-filled episode of Practicing Hope, Rev. Tanner Smith and Pastor Chase Rashad Stancle explore what it means to be a defined leader: som...

What if the key to peace is getting closer, not pulling away? In this episode of Practicing Hope, Tanner Smith sits down with Todd Deatherage and Emily Cullum of Telos, a peacemaking organization that leads immersive trips into places shaped by conflict. Together, they explore how "getting proximate" — moving toward people and places we don't understand — can transform our lives, deepen empathy, a...

What does it look like to lead with integrity — in the pulpit and at the dinner table? In this vulnerable and hopeful episode, Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith and Pastor Chase Rashad Stancle reflect on the real tensions of being both ministry leaders and family members. Through laughter, honest stories, and hard-earned wisdom, they explore what it means to integrate your calling with your core identity. Tog...

What do you do when funding opportunities come with tension and tough choices? In this episode on The Practicing Hope Podcast, Jess and Jeff dive into the real-life tension between staying true to your mission and accepting the money that helps make it happen. From generous gifts to gifts with strings attached, they explore how nonprofit leaders can navigate financial decisions without losing thei...

What if the difficult people in your life are also your greatest teachers? In this episode, Pastor Chase Rashad Stancle and Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith take an honest, hopeful look at what it means to lead in the midst of hard relationships. Instead of giving a formula to fix "those people," they turn the focus inward, offering wisdom and practical tools to help leaders respond with love, boundaries, an...

What do you do when the people you lead hold competing values? Whether it's politics, sexuality, or the color of the sanctuary carpet, leaders are often stuck in the middle. They find themselves caught between people who love Jesus but can't see eye to eye.  In this episode, Jess and Jeff draw from real-life examples and Scripture to unpack how non-anxious leadership can change the tone of an enti...

What if your body is trying to tell you something important? In this episode, Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith and Pastor Chase Rashad Stancle explore the powerful connection between our bodies, emotions, and spiritual well-being. They discuss how ignoring physical signals can impact leadership, relationships, and mental health. Whether you're a pastor or not, learning to listen to your body can lead to heal...