The Church in Action Podcast

This week, we’re talking about loving, including, and ministering to those affected by a disability. Liz Babbitt and Hannah Bollacke from Joni & Friends join us to discuss ways to welcome and include people and families impacted by disability.

This week on the Church in Action program, Patty MacDonald joins us to talk about World Relief, the country’s largest Christian relief agency, which is celebrating their 80th anniversary evidencing the love of Jesus by doing work in some of the most critical and toughest areas across the globe.

We're all in need of healing - but how do we heal well as a disciple of Christ? And how do we make disciples through healing? That's why we've invited Peter Scalzo, author of “Cancer and Peace, My 15 Year Journey,” Celebrate Recovery Ministry Leader for Walnut Hill Community Church, and launcher of new CR programs. 

Chris Goeppner, Lead Pastor of Riverbank Church in Vermont,  to join us and share their methodology in pursuing both evangelism and disciple making in their congregation, including advice on how you can replicate this in your own church family. 

For Martin Luther King Jr. day, we’re sharing a highlight episode with Rev. Esau Vance of Mt. Olive Pentecostal Church in Worcester, MA, who grew up in the deep south during the 1950's as a Black man, where he and his family had to navigate the injustice of racism.  Now, as a pastor, he sits down with us to reflect on the impact of racism, and how the Church can lovingly pursue racial reconci...

Rev. Dr. Gordon MacDonald joins us to look ahead into 2024, examining how our world's brokenness has impacted the Church and our communities, along with how he believes the Church should respond to effectively serve as God's ambassadors and "keep the lights on." 

Happy New Year! As we celebrate the start of 2024, we're taking a break from our regular content to share an episode on findings we've uncovered on the Post-Pandemic Church... President Charles Galda shares research findings from a series of focus groups we conducted, where we asked more than 100 ministry leaders from across New England - representing different ministry types, contexts,...

Merry Christmas! We're taking a break from our regular content to share an old favorite on Foster Care Ministry... Currently, there are over 425,000 children in the American foster care system, approximately 24,000 of whom live in New England. Join us and Jonathan Reid - Executive Director and Founder of Fostering Hope, based in Providence, RI - as we discuss what it looks like to enter the w...

Rabbi Daniel Berman of Temple Reyim joins us to kindly share how he, his family, and his community have been impacted by Hamas terrorism and the resulting war.  Rabbi Berman will also detail common misconceptions surrounding these difficult dynamics, and help us better understand the history behind the current conflict in Israel.

Are you looking for methodology to better make disciples in your church?  Then check out this episode on practical disciple making with Adam Mabry,  Senior Pastor at Aletheia Church (a multisite Church based in Massachusetts) and author of multiple books, like The Art of Rest! 

Pastor Clark Pfaff is the lead pastor at Valley Brook Community Church and is a founder of the Granby Racial Reconciliation. He joins us to share how the Granby Racial Reconciliation addressed a recent racist episode in their community.

Does the spiritual practice of confession feel nebulous and confusing? Then this episode is for you! Suzy Silk, current teaching pastor at Church of the City in NYC, walks us through what scripture says on the spiritual habit of confession, and uncovers aspects of this practice that we often misunderstand.

Ted Harro, President of Renovaré, joins us to explore innovative work they’re pursuing on spiritual formation to help churches teach their congregants to obey all Jesus commanded!

We’re diving deeper into the Church’s primary mission of making disciples with Jarrod Spalding, co-founder of Vision Partners!  Vision Partners helps small churches go where God is leading them in making disciples, doing justice, and fostering unity to share Jesus. They’re specifically strong in helping churches equip their congregants, not just their ministry leaders, to make disciples.

Do you want to experience God's transformation through prayer? Then join us for a conversation with Rev. Dr. Arlene Hall! She's an ordained minister in the Church of God, co-founder and Lead Pastor of Deliverance Temple Worship Center in Boston, and author of Secret Place Dwellers . Her book explores how to make space for God to transform you and draw you deeper into His dwelling place,...

Pastor Ken Shigematsu, senior pastor of Tenth Church in British Columbia, and author of multiple books, including “ God in my Everything,”  “Survival Guide for the Soul,” and “Now I Become Myself.” Pastor Shigematsu joins us to explore how our busy schedules affect our walk with God, and how we can form our lives in a way that centers on our faith, not our schedule.

We’re diving deeper into the Church’s primary mission of making disciples with Pastor Gary Campbell, senior pastor of Groton Bible Chapel in Groton, Connecticut. Pastor Gary recently tried a new discipleship method in his Church using “Bury Your Ordinary,” a resource from Pastor Justin Kendrick, and shares it’s impact, along with how it’s brought him back to the simple answer of how to make discip...

Ted Harro, President of Renovaré, joins us to discuss how his nonprofit helps you pursue stronger habits to be a better disciple. During Part 2, Harro specifically discusses resources Renovaré offers to equip you.

Ted Harro, President of Renovaré, joins us to discuss how his nonprofit supports and equips you to be a better disciple. During Part 1, he specifically shares what Renovaré is and how it began.

A few episodes ago we discussed 3DMovements, a national ministry that helps churches create disciple making cultures. Now, we've asked Gina Mueller (Director of 3DM) back to talk about a great opportunity for you to experience their process before making a commitment, through "taster" workshops! To learn more about these workshops, go to 3DMovements.com!

If you want a space where your entire church team can come together and be equipped to make disciples (regardless of your denomination), Advance Conference is the place for you! Tim Ponzani, Regional President & Executive Minister of Converge Northeast, shares more about this conference coming October 13-14 of 2023, and how we can stay unified in our common goal to make disciples and advance G...

We’re diving deeper into the Church’s primary mission of making disciples with Joe Reed, founder of Exponent Group, a national disciple making ministry. Exponent Group equips churches to make disciples, offering coaching and consultation for spiritual direction, helping you understand your church context along with where your church stands, and how it can grow. 

We’re diving deeper into the Church’s primary mission of making disciples with our guest Gina Mueller, Director of 3DMovements.  3DMovements is a national ministry that’s making disciples and helping churches make disciples, and has intimate knowledge not only of the spiritual practices that transform us, but how we can shift ministry cultures to better disciple the people in them using these prac...

During August we’re sharing some of your favorite episodes on the Church in Action program.  This week, we’re sharing the first segment of a popular, two-part series on the spiritual practice of worship with Becca Mowrey, recent Worship Director of Walnut Hill Community Church in Connecticut. 

During August we’re sharing some of your favorite episodes on the Church in Action program. This week, we’re resharing an old favorite with guest speaker, Ed Gaskin.  Gaskin is the Executive Director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, and shared his story of exploring a wide variety of churches, exploring different denominations, backgrounds, and culture makeups, that offered him insight into how...