Staircase to Nowhere: A Ministry and Culture Podcast

Deconstruction. If you are anything like us, you are probably tired of hearing this word. Nonetheless, the dust seems to have settled on the conversation so we have officially entered the chat. What are people talking about when they say deconstruction? What do we actually mean when we talk about faith in Jesus? Is there a way forward when doubts and questions feel more real than the faith that’s...

Somehow every topic–no matter how different they seemed on the surface–all came back round to the same solution: we need other people, physically, in real relationships. Maybe it’s a result of the season of lockdowns we weathered alone together. We’re hungry for real embodied community–even as the three of us recorded a season of podcasts over the internet hundreds of miles apart. We look back ove...

Ever wondered what do I need church for ? This one's for you! Many Christians today say they are still good with Jesus, just not the church. We attempt to give a Biblical theological answer, richer than one verse in Hebrews (“don’t forsake the gathering”) to present why we need the church and why the church needs you. Email us your questions or comments and get a full response from ChatGPT: s...

Boundaries are a difficult question for anyone in ministry: how do I serve sacrificially like Jesus without neglecting my family or my health? Where do we draw the line when ministry isn’t a 9-to-5? We share our experiences in residential ministry, church planting, and solo pastoring, attempting to offer some practical thoughts on how to serve others without hurting yourself. Boundaries Emotionall...

What does baptism mean? Why do we get baptized? Is it for babies or believers? Why do some churches sprinkle and others have a hot tub on their stage? We dive into all your baptism questions–and we find ourselves asking new questions–as we share perspectives from Scripture, church history, and our different theological traditions.

Whether you call them sacraments or ordinances, the commands Jesus gave us make up essential practices of His church. We dive into the nitty gritty of Communion, what it means, who can do it, and what authority means for the church. Email : staircasepod@gmail.com Outward Sign and Inward Grace Across the Spectrum: Understanding issues in Evangelical Theology

Dating apps. Everyone’s using them, but does anyone like them? Sam’s sister Rachel Carroll joins the show to talk Gen Z dating culture, Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and what the story of Jesus has to say about our human desire to find love. Talk back with us: share your feedback, questions, or topic suggestions at staircasepod@gmail.com Pew Research Study Barna Study

How should Christians view politics? It’s a touchy subject! But we zoom out beyond donkeys, elephants, and all the noise to consider what is politics? What is the nature of the church? Friend of the podcast Michael joins us again ready with 7 pages of notes on political philosophy, ecclesiology, and some good book recommendations! The Brothers Karamazov Why the Germans Do it Better: Notes from a G...

Apple’s got a new VR headset and we feel like grandpas saying this will never work…or will it? Could VR just be the next step in our increasingly disembodied society, disconnected from  our closest neighbors while communicating with people across the world? We talk about the gnosticism of internet culture, the importance of a healthy theology of our bodies, and ask, “Can we plant churches in the m...

Why is Christian art usually so bad? Hundreds of years ago, the Church commissioned some of the greatest artistic works in history. But today, media with the “Christian” label on it is known for being trite, preachy, derivative, and very cheesy. We talk about music, film, and the Chosen–and why believers should create beautiful art. Who sounds like who? (chart) Book recommendations: For the Beauty...

Why is everyone lonely now and it feels so hard to make friends? Why isn’t church the place where real friendships flourish? And why is ministry so lonely? In this episode, we share some stories of memories we have as friends and ask ourselves the question– how can we live this life as better friends?  Talk back with us: share your feedback, questions, or topic suggestions at staircasepod@gmail.co...

How is the way we use the internet today with iPhones in our pockets different  than when Millennials logged onto the computer growing up? And how has this shaped our culture to be more individualistic than ever before? We explore media fragmentation, expressive individualism, and gender ideologies in this Staircase to Nowhere about the most ubiquitous and least understood concept of our time–the...

Ever wondered what’s the difference between Baptists and Pentecostals, Methodists and Presbyterians? Does your downtown have an intersection with Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox, and Catholic churches on each corner? We give a brief overview of Christian denominations with Noah’s seminary roommate Michael from Germany. Talk back with us: share your feedback, questions, or topic suggestions at stairca...

What would a church look like that doesn’t rely on full-time paid staff? Ephesians 4 tells us God gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip all believers for the work of ministry. Why then do our churches only have pastors? And could these lost missional, outward-facing gifts be the reason our churches are so inward focused? Talk back with us: share your feedback, qu...

We’ve all been paid ministers before and we’re thankful! But church as a corporation with full-time staff members doesn’t look like the Bible, and isn’t reaping as much fruit as more nimble movements around the world where every believer is engaged in discipleship and mission. We talk pros and cons of church structures that rely on leaders with full-time salaries. Talk back with us: share your fee...

We saw Jesus Revolution and got thinking, who are our people? What are the Millennials and Gen Z like? And why are so many who grew up in church walking away from the faith? Here’s the Barna research study we talked about: Doubt & Faith: Top Reasons People Question Christianity  Talk back with us: share your feedback, questions, or topic suggestions at staircasepod@gmail.com

Is Lent just Mark Wahlberg’s 40 Day Challenge? Why didn’t my church observe Lent growing up? And why are so many churches getting back to it now? Evangelical churches for years didn’t celebrate Lent–but it’s making a comeback in churches reclaiming some of these ancient practices that bind us as the new family of God. Talk back with us: share your feedback, questions, or topic suggestions at stair...

Should we be able to livestream a work of God? How does revival spread in a social media age? Why do all the armchair theologians need to chime in about Asbury? And how do we not be them… Where do we go from here, now that Asbury’s campus is closed to the public? staircasepod@gmail.com

We prayed for it! But do we believe in revival when we see it? David shared his experience at the Asbury Outpouring before it blew up on social media—and Noah is confronted with his own unbelief. staircasepod@gmail.com

All the kids are talking about AI and ChatGPT—it can write term papers for you, but should it write sermons? How does this new tool shape the preacher, the sermon, and the church? staircasepod@gmail.com

In an old brick church building on the corner of a country road in Indiana, there’s a staircase. But this staircase leads nowhere. Literally into a brick wall. This got three young ministers thinking, how much of the way we’re doing ministry was made for another time? When people were looking for a church home and Christian values were just assumed? Join us as we talk about how to follow Jesus on...