The Church in Action Podcast

Join us as our partners at Life Changing Radio interview President Charles Galda on our first THRIVE event in Farmington Valley, CT!

Fracture lines run through our nation, dividing people by class, background, political views, gender, race - these same fractures, this same hurtful division, runs through the Church.  In this episode, Pastor Dave Swaim of Highrock Covenant Church in Arlington, MA unpacks the state of  today's Church and the division we're experiencing, then walks us through actionable, scriptural steps...

Approximately  80% of Christians won't share their faith this year, according to a recent study done by Barna Group. In the face of statistics like these, how do we respond? How do we share our personal faith and encourage our church family to do the same? Pastor Chris Goeppner, Lead Pastor of Riverbank Church and evangelist at heart, details how he's nurtured evangelistic habits in his...

As we inch closer to our 100th episode, we've been celebrating by sharing past episodes you've liked best! This week, we're taking a break from our most popular episodes and sharing one we feel encapsulates what the vast majority of New England leaders have been sharing with us. Read below to learn more! Have you felt God is exposing things in the Church He wants to change? We have....

As we inch closer to sharing our 100th episode, we wanted to celebrate by sharing our past episodes you've liked best! This week, we're sharing our past episode with Brittany Feldott. Read below to learn more! Only 10% of Christian twentysomethings have a resilient faith, according to a study done by Barna Group in 2019. That's why we value the wisdom of successful practitioners lik...

As we inch closer to sharing our 100th episode, we wanted to celebrate by sharing our past episodes you've liked best! This week, we're sharing our old episode with Dr. Mateus de Campos, read below to learn more! Every Christian is called to make disciples, but sometimes the New England church seems to either trust only a handful of people to make disciples, or reduces disciple-making to...

As we inch closer to sharing our 100th episode, we wanted to celebrate by sharing our past episodes you've liked best! This week, we're sharing our conversation with Rev. Dr. Lloyd - read below to learn more! "And Jesus said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."  Luke 9:23   The above verse isn't always an...

As we inch closer to sharing our 100th episode, we wanted to celebrate by sharing our past episodes you've liked best!  Our conversation with Gordon MacDonald - author of more than 12 books, a man who has successfully led almost every kind of ministry -  was split into a two-part discussion on unleashing the potential in your church family, by creating disciples through biblical, purpose-fill...

Have you felt God is exposing things in the Church He wants to change? We have. We've been in conversations with New England leaders who have gotten the same sense through all the pain and disruption of the last two years.  So we surveyed and focus grouped more than 100 diverse leaders across New England to identify what God is exposing, and what the implications are for us. We landed on ten...

Patty MacDonald - Northeast Director of Strategic Partnerships at World Relief - has a conversation with us about the intense challenges refugees must navigate in different contexts and cultures, and how World Relief is rallying volunteers and working with local organizations to care for them.  Learn more about World Relief here !

Within five years of their prison release, 79%  of returning citizens are re-arrested (according to the State Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division). That's why we're sitting down with Ed Gaskin, Executive Director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, to discuss a research project Ed is involved in that helps us understand how to support returning citizens in giving them a clean s...

Rev. Shannon Mumblo walks us through the ministry she leads as Executive Director of Christina's House, creating and guarding spaces for women to heal, find peace, and learn how to lead a healthy life. Rev. Shannon will also share how she's seen this ministry break down silos between non-profits, churches, and organizations, offering us a glimpse of unified servanthood as we pursue justi...

In the past year almost 300 calls have been made to report a potential case of a child being trafficked (or being vulnerable to trafficking) in New England. Annmarie Boulay, Executive Director of The Underground, joins us to share what form this injustice takes here in our New England home, what her organization does to take up arms against it, and how we can partner in their fight to support surv...

In this episode, we're joined by Bob Niedermeier, one of the founders and Executive Director of Urban Impact, an organization based in Bridgeport, CT devoted to offer youth educational opportunities through ‘in-school’ & ‘after-school’ activities. These include everything from one-on-one and small group tutoring, and give volunteers an opportunity to invest in these kids and share Jesus....

On today's episode we're joined by Frank Vitale, Executive Director of His Mansion ministries, a Christian residential recovery community in Deering, NH. Frank will share with us what it looks like to "restore broken lives through the hope of Jesus Christ" as they walk through addiction recovery. Learn more about His Mansion here !

In this episode, Rev. David Johnson of Grace Church of East Dennis,  co-founder of Cape Kid Meals (who works to address food insecurity on Cape Cod) discusses what it looks like to share Jesus by addressing the needs of those within our community, setting aside our preconceptions of how well those around us are living, choosing instead to keep our eyes open to unexpected needs, and how we can fill...

As Joni Eareckson Tada (CEO of Joni & Friends) points out in this episode, church families aren't whole without their brothers and sisters living with disability. That said, churches often believe they don't have the budget to create an inclusive environment for those living with disability, or are unsure of where to begin creating a church culture of inclusion. Join us as we discuss...

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 world of foster care ministry as a church in New England, and how Fostering Hope strives to reunite biological families,...

Creating a loving, godly culture surrounding mental health ministry can be overwhelming to navigate, especially with the overwhelming number of people in need.  Join us and Lucy Houghton, Director of Care Ministries at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, CT, as we explore the impact of Saddleback Church's program, Hope for Mental Health, on her church community!   Contact Lucy Houghton at...

Mental health was already a crisis before the pandemic - but now, many churches and ministries find themselves inundated with church family members in desperate need of support for their mental health.  In this episode we talk with Rev. Liz Walker, now retired senior pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston, MA, where she founded the Corey Johnson Program and Can We Talk. Rev. Liz has succe...

Now more than ever, we find ourselves struggling with mental health - thankfully, we have well-informed, God-honoring resources we can turn to! Join us and Pastor Enoch Liao, pastor of Boston Chinese Evangelical Church, and Board Chair of Boston Center for Biblical Counseling, as we explore the indicators of a well-formed, godly mental health ministry, and how Christians have historically interact...

Mental health needs have intensified both inside and outside the Church, putting pastors and counselors under strain as they care for hurting congregations. What if there's a more biblical, sustainable way to support the mental health of our church families? That's what we discuss in this episode with Pastor Bobby Warrenburg, Senior Pastor of North Shore Community Baptist Church, founder...

The pandemic took a toll on the mental health of pastors nationwide. So much so, that in the year of 2021, 38% of pastors seriously considered leaving ministry ( Barna Group ). That's why we're proud to partner with people like Sean Bowen, Executive Director of Barnabas Ministries, which serves more than 1,000 pastors globally through John 17:23 groups. Join us as Sean shares how pastors...

Our fractured nation can make unity seem like a distant hope. But as followers of Christ, we're not only called, but equipped to stand unified as a Church family. Join us and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez -  President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, advisor to former presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, and pastor of New Season Church. Rev. Samuel will share his experience on...

In part 2 of this conversation, Pastor James Roberson III of Bridge Church NYC shares his experience on what it looks like to pursue justice as a disciple of Christ, specifically in racial reconciliation. Listen in to hear about spaces where the Church can pursue justice in a way that honors both God and His children. Learn more about Bridge Church NYC here .