Worthless Servants

Scott and Emily attended and greatly enjoyed the MissioNexus Conference in 2022, and came back with some new vocabulary and insights. Join them as they highlight workshops dealing with involving Gen Z in missions and much more.

In this brief episode, Scott and Emily fill us in on new sites that we are entering with the Genesis initiative, and new missionaries who are being sent there this very month! They also take us behind the curtain to see what training and sending missionaries looks like post-pandemic.

The Church of the Nazarene recently celebrated its first Mesoamerica Regional Conference since before the pandemic, and many of the Worthless Servants were there. Listen to some of what God did in Panama, and enjoy insights from our special guest, Timmeon Spencer, as well.

This week's passage helps us to reflect on the attitude that Christians should have in the face of the difficult situations that come at us in life. The apostle Paul learned the secret of contentment in the midst of persecution, suffering, and prison. We invite you to listen to this full episode and learn what the Worthless Servants discovered as they delved into these scriptures and shared their...

In this episode the Worthless Servants share 7 reasons why missionaries (or any speaker) should never just show up at the worship service. Benefits such as spiritual formation, opportunities to serve the sending church, valuable time with children and youth, and the ability to engage with the community as much as possible are unlikely to be produced by “doing the minimum” and “merely” preaching a...

In this episode we focus on a thought-provoking article written by missionary Amy Medina. She describes a trend she has seen in the Church to unconsciously categorize missionaries into different classes based on their assignments. Are some roles more mission critical than others? Is it right to value certain missionaries more for the work they do or the location where they serve? Should the church...

This week, Nathalie brings some unconventional tips that Lucas Leys recommends to any Christian desiring to maintain their "spiritual hygiene." In addition, Scott causes us to reflect on the dispersion of foreigners around our Mesoamerica Region and the great opportunity that the Church has to strategically promote the gospel throughout the world, even without having to travel to far-away nations.

This week we open up the mics to hear what some of our cast has had on their minds (and hearts) recently. Dario explores where our evangelical churches in the Caribbean are bearing fruit and where we still have work to do. Then, Emily reveals a personal project she has been involved in for the last year and how it has taught our entire family about discipleship and investing in our children.

Have you ever had evangelistic conversations that aren't just "formally presenting the gospel" with people you connect with casually, like an Uber driver, for example? Do you make Jesus sound interesting, like your friend, your hero, your teacher, your savior, your king? In this episode, The Worthless Servants talk about this approach that Mike Frost shares in his article: "Jesus Take the Wheel."...

Author Micah Davis has published an article titled, “How Church Leaders Can Empower and Reach Millennials and Gen Z,” and in this episode we reflect on his suggestions. Some notable takeaways include: Don't Generalize, Really Listen, Adapt to their Lives, and more. Hear us out and let us know if you can identify other valuable strategies for equipping future generations.

In this episode the Worthless Servants share their stories about missionary experiences in Haiti, miracles they have seen serving in the field, how culture influences sports, and more!

Have you ever found yourself in situations where, as a leader, you know that your role is to exhort or to serve as the intermediary? How do you deal with conflicts in the church? This week's passage makes us reflect on this, taking as a reference the life of Paul, who also exhorts us to “always rejoice” even in the midst of discouraging circumstances.

What challenges will face the Church after the COVID-19 pandemic? In our previous episode, we explored how we might answer that question while thinking specifically about the local church. In this episode we pull back the curtain and give a glimpse into how this question might be answered on regional and global levels.

An interesting and important question was posed to us several weeks ago: What do we see as the challenges that the church will have after the pandemic? In this episode we look towards the local church and formulate some initial answers. After listening to our conversation, what did we leave out? How would you answer that same question?

In this episode, Nathalie has been thinking about ineffective leaders and their effect on those around them. How can we assure that our actions and example will end up producing more Christ-like followers? Also, what might Reuben and Judah have to do with this? Scott has been thinking about something very different: what he surprisingly learned from his family’s vacation to France.

This week Dario shares his thoughts about how to create a culture of generosity in the Church and Emily shares what she’s been thinking about her own Third Culture Kid.

Once again we are talking about numbers and metrics of the Mesoamerica Region (has it already been a year?). A few of the questions we ask are, “How many new Nazarenes were received in the region, in the middle of the pandemic?” and “How did the support of the mission change?” Don’t miss out on the end and celebrate with us the districts in the Mesoamerica Region that have gone above and beyond in...

This week we welcome Pastor Dario Richards from Barbados to the Worthless Servants’ cast. He has been with us in previous episodes, but this time we interview him about his family, his ministry, his calling, his passions, and more. Stay tuned at the end for a description of why we are called The Worthless Servants (hint: it’s biblical)!

After 5 years and 132 episodes, AJ and Chelsea say goodbye to the Dominican Republic. Although their ministry in Latin America comes to a close, they will be starting a new chapter in another urban district. The Worthless Servants asked them to reflect on their time in the D.R. as well as what they have enjoyed or will miss the most. They may be leaving the podcast and the D.R., but they will need...

This week we share our thoughts on how to improve our Bible study, how we can become genuine servants, how prayer has changed in recent times, and much more. What about you? What have you been thinking?

This week's passage challenges us to see ourselves as true athletes. The apostle Paul likens the Christian life to a great race that requires focus, perseverance, and effort to reach the finish line. What are some tips we found to successfully run this spiritual race? What is the grand prize that we will get when we win? Paul's decision to persevere steadfastly to the end, despite his earthly affl...

This time the Worthless Servants reflect on an article written by Stephen Mattson. If proclaiming the good news of the gospel is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, why are more and more Christians uncomfortable sharing their faith? Is it enough to believe that God exists and ¨do good¨? What are some misperceptions that keep Christians from sharing the gospel? Why is just being a good pers...

In this episode we share our observations on the 2021 statistical report of the Church of the Nazarene globally. How has COVID-19 impacted our denomination? What are some areas or findings that potentially alarm us or that we may need to improve? We dive into this and a whole lot more, so enjoy this episode!

In this episode, the Worthless Servants share stories about some home assignment complications, gum samples, a baby dedication gone awry, and much more.

This week we look at an article by Carey Nieuwhof that proposes five important questions that any leader should ask when looking to the future. We talk about leadership structure, self-evaluation, multidimensional relationships, and much more.