In this podcast episode, Dr. Trent Lambert chats with Nirup Alphonse, Lead Pastor of Lifegate Church in Denver, Colorado. The conversation highlights the importance of pastoral health, revealing how leaders can avoid burnout through rhythms of rest and having genuine relationships outside their congregation. Nirup details his own preaching style, exploring the transformative power of narrative preaching to help pastors thrive and effectively cast vision through the art of storytelling.

Nirup Alphonse is the Lead and Founding Pastor of Lifegate, a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural church in Denver, Colorado. Born in Singapore to missionary parents, Nirup was then raised in South India before moving to Chicago, Illinois to for High School. He graduated with an Accounting and Economics degree from Trinity International University and moved into full time ministry a few years later. He is married to his wife Hannah and together they have four sons.

This podcast is sponsored by The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.

The Center for Thriving Leaders assists local churches to flourish by serving church planters and helping local churches renew and revitalize. The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders is based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.

This episode features Bob Fetterhoff, an experienced pastor and the Director of Ministry Partnerships for Grace Theological Seminary’s Deploy program. Fetterhoff shares his personal faith journey, highlighting how his family’s spiritual legacy and his lengthy marriage have shaped his four decades of ministry. The conversation then delves into eschatology and the biblical importance of supporting Israel, as Fetterhoff leads a nonprofit called Walk the Bible. He advocates for pastors to teach prophetic scripture and recounts his extensive history of leading educational tours to the Holy Land.

Bob Fetterhoff serves as the Director of Ministry Partnerships & Mentor Coordinator for the Deploy program. In this capacity, Bob assists with onboarding new ministry partners and provides touch-and-go support to Deploy’s ministry and formation mentors. Bob has over forty years of pastoral ministry experience–36 as senior pastor of Wooster Grace in Wooster, Ohio, and has hosted weekday radio broadcasts and led semi-annual trips to Israel. Bob served two terms as the Executive Director of the Charis Fellowship, and now serves as the Executive Director and Board Chair of an educational entity called Walk the Bible.

This podcast is sponsored by The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.

The Center for Thriving Leaders assists local churches to flourish by serving church planters and helping local churches renew and revitalize. The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders is based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.

This podcast features a conversation between Dr. Trent Lambert and Virgil Tanner, the Executive Director of One Tree Ministries. The discussion highlights One Tree Ministries' mission to help global religious leaders transition from merely surviving to thriving in high-stress environments. Tanner details his unique personal journey from a martial arts background to international missions, explaining how he uses the "One Tree" approach to address the epidemic of pastoral burnout. By focusing on holistic soul tending and spiritual discernment, the organization provides targeted support through guided sabbaticals and specialized training events.

As the Executive Director of OneTree, Virgil is responsible for leading the team to help mission, marketplace, and ministry leaders thrive holistically, do beautifully integrated work, and become everything God dreamed them to be, believing this to be a primary means for stewarding the reviving life of God through His people into the world.

Virgil holds a B.S. in Biology, an M.A. in Religion and Cross Cultural Studies, and an MEd. in Curriculum and Instruction. He is presently working on an EdD in Christian Leadership.

Virgil has ministered in Spain and Central Asia as a disciple-maker and in organizational leadership. He began his journey in mission work after serving in a church in Nashville for nine years.

This podcast is sponsored by The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.

The Center for Thriving Leaders assists local churches to flourish by serving church planters and helping local churches renew and revitalize. The Charis Collective Center for Thriving Leaders is based in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace Theological Seminary.