The Church Around the World

What happens when believers rediscover the very names God uses to reveal Himself? Host Dan Ehrman talks with author Grace Fox about her new book, Names of God: Growing Strong . Grace, an award-winning author of sixteen books and member of the First 5 writing team with Proverbs 31 Ministries, has served more than thirty years as a career missionary alongside her husband, Gene. Together they co-dire...

What does it look like to plant a church inside a famous honky-tonk bar on the Gulf Coast? Ben & Julie Ragsdale are doing it every Sunday. Dan Ehrman sits down with Ben and Julie Ragsdale, lead pastors of Worship on the Water — a thriving congregation that meets under an open-air tent at the world-famous Flora-Bama, right on the Alabama-Florida line. With 8 million tourists passing through the...

What would it look like if your church committed to reaching every home within five miles — by prayer, personal invitation, and a Bible on every doorstep? That's exactly what Cross Points Church in Shawnee, Kansas set out to do. In this episode of the Church Around the World podcast, Dan Ehrman sits down with Pastor David Jones and lay leader Shannon Jensen to unpack the 3-for-30 initiative — a th...

What does it look like to lead a ministry organization for decades and never lose sight of the fact that it belongs to God? That question sits at the heart of this conversation with Mark Taylor. Dan Ehrman and Tyndale House Foundation's Caroline Curry sit down with Mark Taylor — former President and CEO of Tyndale House Publishers and longtime Chairman of Tyndale House Ministries — for a rich conv...

What does it actually take to translate the Bible — and is the New Living Translation really just a paraphrase? If you've ever heard that criticism, this conversation is for you. In this episode of Church Around the World , Dan Ehrman sits down with Dr. Andrew Abernethy — professor of Old Testament and assistant dean at Wheaton College's Divinity School, and a member of the New Living Translation...

What happens when the Church shows up—not just with programs, but with people —in the lives of children growing up in under-resourced neighborhoods? This week, Dan is joined by guest co-host Caroline Curry (Development Specialist, Tyndale House Foundation) and two leaders from By the Hand Club for Kids : Peter Hanson , VP of Volunteer Development, and Stephen Fernandes , Chief Development Officer....

In this episode, Dan Ehrman sits down with Steve Macchia and S.K. "Suz" Skinner to explore their new book, Praying the Parables of Jesus: A 40-Day Devotional Journey in Word and Image (NavPress/Tyndale). Steve is the founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), an author of 17 books, and a leading voice in spiritual formation and discipleship for Christian leaders. Suz is an ar...

How do you lead a congregation into deeper engagement with Scripture—and sustain it together? Pastor Andrew Forrest joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to share how Asbury Church in Tulsa is guiding the entire church through The One Year Bible in 2026 with a “Year Through the Bible” initiative built around shared rhythms, joy-filled discipleship, and practical tools pastors can adapt i...

In this episode of The Church Around the World, host Dan Ehrman is joined by Alex McElroy—pastor, author, and founder of Proof For The Truth—for a thoughtful conversation on how apologetics strengthens local church ministry, shapes discipleship, and equips believers to engage culture with confidence and grace. Alex shares how apologetics is not merely an academic exercise, but a pastoral tool that...

In this week’s episode, host Dan Ehrman sits down with Dr. Eric J. Tully, Director of the PhD in Theological Studies and Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). Dr. Tully joins us to explore why ancient languages matter deeply for the life of the local church, not just the academy — from deepening biblical interpretation to enriching preachin...

In this episode of The Church Around the World, host Dan Ehrman sits down with Dr. Jerry Hwang — Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament at Regent College and a member of the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible Translation Committee. Dr. Hwang shares how the NLT translation process works, how scholars collaborate, and why translation matters for a global and multilingual church. Together, they...

In this inspiring episode of The Church Around the World, host Dan Ehrman speaks with Andrew Gorski of Evangelical Poland and the Lake EPIC Training Center. Together they explore how God is stirring hearts in Poland—a nation rich in history yet still deeply shaped by its Catholic tradition. Andrew shares the bold vision behind Evangelical Poland: to see 1% of the nation come to a Protestant faith...

In this special episode of The Church Around the World, host Dan Ehrman is joined by co-host Caroline Curry from the Tyndale House Foundation for an in-studio conversation with Dr. Jessy Jaison of Mesa Global, her husband Dr. Jaison Thomas, and nonprofit leader Chris Bos. Mesa Global equips local church leaders in more than 50 nations, including across Asia—where Oxford-trained Dr. Jessy Jaison le...

From Nairobi to Mombasa to Chicago, Joyce and Tobbias Ngala share their remarkable journey of faith and calling. After planting a thriving network of churches in Mombasa, the Ngala family followed God’s call to serve in the United States. Known for their passion for discipleship, endurance sports, and deep Scripture memorization, Joyce and Tobbias join Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World pod...

How are Millennials and Gen Z engaging with the Bible today? Dr. John Plake, Chief Innovation Officer at the American Bible Society, joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World podcast to share insights from the State of the Bible 2025 research. Discover trends in Scripture engagement, the history of ABS, and how God is shaping a new generation of ministry leaders. Perfect for pastors, church...

Mental health professionals are equipping churches to better care for hurting people in their communities. Shaunti Feldhahn and Dr. James Sells join Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to discuss their book When Hurting People Come to Church . Shaunti and Jim share a new vision for churches to engage in discipleship and outreach while becoming places of hope and healing. By empowering church...

The New Living Translation was first published nearly 30 years ago and last updated in 2015. Today, a new generation of scholars is building on the work of the original team to review and refresh the translation. Dr. Lynn Cohick, a New Testament scholar, joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to share her experience in the review and revision process to ensure the New Living Translation r...

“Your (American) churches are dying, ours are growing, but you’re still sending us missionaries. Shouldn’t we be sending missionaries to you?” Nairobi, Kenya Bishop Oscar Muriu proclaimed at Urbana 20 years ago. Today, Pastor Christian Mungai embodies that vision as the Global Movement Pastor at Mariners Church. He joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to share his story and the African...

Apologetics is experiencing a resurgence in Western culture—but what does that mean for today’s Church? Dr. Kurt Jaros joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to share his personal journey, calling, and insights into cultural trends shaping apologetics ministry today. Dr. Kurt Jaros is a theologian, apologist, author, podcast host, and teaches at the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism &...

After 25 years in ministry in Seattle, a health crisis led Pastor Jay to an unexpected calling—driving for a ride-share company. But God was still at work. Known by many as the "uberpastor," Jay began sharing Christ in everyday conversations from the driver’s seat. Now serving as Pastor of Discipleship at Fourth Memorial Church in Spokane, Washington, Jayson continues to drive part-time to engage...

Huntsville is the name of Texas’s state penitentiary—and the town where Pastor Gary Garrison has faithfully served Second Baptist Church since 1996. In this episode of The Church Around the World, Pastor Gary joins Dan Ehrman to share how stepping back from full-time ministry to run a local gym opened the door for God to work in unexpected ways. Hear how he learned to lead without striving, to ser...

Dr. Tim Matheny on Church Finance and Health   Dr. Tim Matheny, a leading expert in church finance and health diagnostics since the 1980s, joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World . With a doctorate from Fuller Seminary focused on Church Growth Analysis and decades of experience in church bond programs and financial consulting, Dr. Matheny offers both financial and spiritual insights from a...

Travis West is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Western Theological Seminary, where he is known for incorporating performance, embodiment, and play into the process of learning biblical Hebrew and interpreting biblical stories. Otherwise, he’s searching for wonder off in a field, at a farmers market, watching movies, or hanging out with his wife, Mariah, who is his most consistent source o...

Vaughn Sanders is a co-vocational in Cyber Security and as Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church of Bolingbrook. Pastor Sanders joins in conversation with Dan Ehrman to share how God has led him into co-vocational ministry, the ways he is seeing God lead and provide in church revitalization, and the dynamics of leading a multiethnic church.  Vaughn shares practical insights for other pastors in co-v...

Dr. Naomi Cramer Overton joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World in a powerful conversation sharing insights from her multifaceted career in business and ministry, the journey of developing Every Woman’s Bible, and practical steps church leaders—especially men—can take to better support women in the church.  After earning degrees from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA, Dr. Overton b...