The Aquila Institute

In this episode, Stephen and David sit down with Aquila apprentice Lucas dos Santos. Lucas began as a member of IBC Cologne and has grown into an essential part of the core church-planting team and lay elder at Aachen International Church.    You'll be encouraged by Lucas's high view of God and the local church, and you'll be challenged by his wisdom and experience of church planting.

In this episode, Stephen sits down with church planter John Hugh Tate. You'll be encouraged by his heart for evangelism, mentoring, and helping disciples of Christ grow in faith and obedience.   Dr. Tate, together with his wife Linda and their boys went to Paris after 17 years of church planting & pastoring in his home state of Mississippi, USA. He has always had a global heart, growing minist...

In this episode, David and Stephen sit down with Dr. Glenn Kreider to discuss the Last Things. You'll be blessed as they discuss the consummation of God's eternal plan of salvation and the hope of every believer.  Dr. Kreider is Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and Editor in Chief of the Theological Journal Bibliotheca Sacra. He has a Th. M. and Ph. D. from Dallas Th...

In this episode, David and Stephen sit down with Dr. Juan Sánchez about the church. Many Christians try to downplay the importance of the local church in God's mission, but listeners will be enriched by Juan's clear biblical support and encouraged to love and participate in their local church. Dr. Sanchez has an MDiv, ThM, and PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as the se...

Stephen sits down with Dr. Lucas Stamps to discuss the doctrine of salvation. How does God save sinners? What is man's role in salvation? You'll be blessed to learn more about this essential and comforting doctrine of God's grace. Dr. Lucas Stamps has a PhD is Systematic Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as Professor of Christian Theology and Director of the Master...

In this episode, Stephen and David sit down with Dr. Graham Cole to discuss the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Cole's years of experience in the church and classroom mean that he's full of knowledge, wisdom, and practical insights. You'll be blessed as you grow to love God more and thank Him for the gift of His Spirit, who points us to Christ. Graham A. Cole (ThD, Australian College of Theology)...

In this episode, Stephen sits down with Dr. Matthew Emerson to discuss Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the second person of the Trinity. This doctrine is the epicenter of all doctrines. It is essential to knowing God and being in a relationship with him. Dr. Emerson earned a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and an M.Div. and Ph. D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Emers...

Stephen sits down with Dr. Gary Schultz to talk about the doctrines of humanity and sin. What does it mean to be a human? What is sin? Why is it such a big problem?    You'll be challenged and encouraged as the Bible's clear teaching on these important topics is explained in simple terms.   Gary Shultz (Ph. D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as Associate Professor of Theology at...

David sits down with Stephen to discuss the Trinity, the doctrine that God has revealed Himself as one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   You'll be encouraged and built up in your faith, but you will also be challenged to be more precise in your speech about God. To learn even more, watch Stephen's lecture on the Trinity here. Stephen Campbell earned his MA in Church Ministry an...

In this episode, Stephen and David sit down with Dr. James Dolezal of Cairn University to discuss the attributes of God. You'll be challenged to think more deeply and more precisely about who God is. You'll be encouraged to trust God more than ever before. James Dolezal is professor of theology in the School of Divinity at Cairn University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has an MDiv from The M...

In this episode, Stephen sits down with Dr. Mike Svigel for the first episode in our new series of conversations about Systematic Theology. To begin the series, Stephen and Mike lay a strong foundation by outlining how we can know God at all.  You'll be built up as you begin to search the beauties of God, and you'll be encouraged to hear how much God loves you and wants to be known by you. Dr. Svi...

David and Stephen sit down with Nick von Brandenstein, one of the founders of Home Aid, an outpatient home care service in Cologne and Neuss, Germany. Their aim is "to make life in your own home more pleasant.    You will be encouraged by Nick's story of faith in God's provision and guidance that led him and a friend from an idea to a company that is now,  after a long journey, profitable.    http...

Stephen Campbell sits down with Tom Griffin, who is Executive Director of By Heart Ministries (byheart.org). By Heart is dedicated to helping churches incorporate regular Scripture recitation into their corporate life. Tom's story will encourage you, and his passion for God's Word will inspire you to learn your Bible more and memorize Scripture. Tom is a technical consultant for a global software...

In this episode, Stephen and David sit down with Kristen Martin. Kristen is the BIM (Business in Mission) Manager at Aquila and co-founder, together with her husband David, of Prisca Publishing, where she also serves as Executive Publisher.   You're sure to be inspired by her vision to use business to provide for the needs of those in ministry, equip church members in important life skills, and me...

In this episode, David and Stephen sit down with Mike DeVries, pastor of Gateway Bible Fellowship in Dacono, Colorado. Mike and his church have fully committed to mentoring and training their members through the Aquila Theological Institute. Mike shares how it is operating and what he has enjoyed about ATI.   In this episode, Mike endorses the book Missions on Point: The LOcal Church at the Heart...

In this episode, we start a series highlighting our apprentices, mentors, and partner churches. David and Stephen sit down with Jonathan Aeschlimann, a trained carpenter from Switzerland who is a church-planting apprentice at IBC Bonn working toward planting an international, German-language church in that city.

Dr. David Page is back on the podcast to talk about worldview. He wisely explains how the Christian world serves as a tool for making wise decisions about media consumption and even the types of media we use. You will be informed and equipped to better live within the biblical story and live whole-heartedly for God.

In this episode, David and Stephen sit down with Michael Debusk to discuss how to wisely discern between things that are worth consuming and those that are not. It is really a question of discerning those things that are good for us and those that are bad.   You'll be equipped with useful tools to help you make wise decisions for yourself and those you are responsible for leading.

In this episode, Stephen shares a sermon he preached at IBC Bonn on 28 September 2025 in Bonn, Germany.  Scripture: Acts 15:1-35 Main Point: Healthy churches participate in what God is doing in accordance with what God has spoken and full of love for one another. This text presents a model that churches and individuals can use to discern what is truly biblical and keeping with God's will. The text...

Stephen and David sit down for an important conversation about Marketplace Missions, a key element of our vision for church planting here in Western Europe. In addition to providing a clear biblical basis for such an approach, they enumerate several benefits this approach has for the local church.

In this episode, Stephen and David sit down with Aquila team member Nick von Brandenstein to talk about biblical entrepreneurship and how to think entrepreneurially. You will be encouraged to trust God, take calculated risks wisely, and engage more actively and creatively in Great Commission work.   Entrepreneurial thinking is a state of mind rooted in biblical principles, faith, creativity, coura...

In this episode, hosts David and Stephen sit down to preview Season 2 on the podcast.  They also take some time to talk about the core values of Aquila's apprenticeship approach.

In this special release episode, Stephen Campbell sits down with regular guest Michael DeBusk to discuss canonization, the process that led to the book we call the Bible.  You will be encouraged and informed as you hear how God both oversaw this process and gave faithful men the responsibility to care for and transmit the Bible for over 3,000 years.

In this episode, David and Stephen finish their conversation about biblical hermeneutics, which is the art and science of reading and applying the Bible well. The Bible is meant to transform us as we encounter God through His word. That's what the step of application is about. We hope you will be further equipped to read, understand, and put into practice what you read in the Bible.

In this week's episode, Stephen and David continue their conversation about biblical hermeneutics, the art and science of reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible. You will be encouraged in your walk with the Lord. You will walk away with a greater understanding of how to understand the Bible and know God and His plan of salvation through the Bible.