Episodes

  • Helping Churches Talk About Money

    Helping Churches Talk About Money
    Apr 25 2025
    Helping Churches Talk about MoneyLori Guenther Reesor says her superpower is helping churches talk about money. And who couldn't use some good advice about how to do that?In this episode, we talk with Lori about what she's learned about money and generosity, and why its so important that we talk about money.https://lgreesor.com/Lori can be reached through https://lgreesor.com/contactHere is the book we discussed.Guenther Reesor, Lori. Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church. Lori Guenther Reesor, 2021. https://lgreesor.com/shop/p/stanton-recipes-ed-1-bkw2k.Here is were you can find some of the research behind the book.Guenther Reesor, Lori Ann. “Theology and Fundraising: How Does Current Canadian Mennonite Praxis Compare to Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem? By.” University of Waterloo, 2007. https://dspacemainprd01.lib.uwaterloo.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/5b09b5c9-2ac6-49ec-af1e-2e07df40fef5/content. Guenther Reesor, Lori Ann. “Using Donor Research to Influence Stewardship Praxis in Mennonite Foundation of Canada’s Constituency.” D.Min., Tyndale University, 2014. https://digitalcollections.tyndale.ca/bitstream/handle/20.500.12730/2248/Reesor_Lori_Ann_Guenther_D_Min_2014.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
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    30 mins
  • "Religion" as a polluted word - Ep 28

    "Religion" as a polluted word - Ep 28
    Mar 20 2025
    What does it mean for words like "religion" to become "polluted"? How does it happen, and can they be cleaned up and made usable again?Watts, Galen, and Sam Reimer. “Symbolic Pollution and Religious Change: The Religious Imaginary of Anglo-Canadian Spiritual but Not Religious Millennials.” Sociology of Religion, June 9, 2024, srae012. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srae012.https://academic.oup.com/socrel/advance-article/doi/10.1093/socrel/srae012/7690204
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    33 mins
  • How are churches being planted in Canada today? - Ep 29

    How are churches being planted in Canada today? - Ep 29
    Mar 20 2025
    In this episode, Dr. James Watson talks with Faith Trends about his new ethnographic study of church plants in the Waterloo region. If God has been speaking to you about planting a church you won't want to miss this podcast which is full of ideas and insights.Watson, James. “New Congregations in the Canadian Kaleidoscope: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Thirty New Congregations in the Waterloo Region.” Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research, December 2024. https://ciecr.wycliffecollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/New-Congregations-in-the-Canadian-Kaleidoscope-Dec24-James-Watson-v1.0digital.pdf.To learn more about Dr. Watson's research or the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research visit ciecr.wycliffe@utoronto.ca or email wycliffe.ciecr@utoronto.ca.
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    31 mins
  • Audiences and Congregations - Ep 30

    Audiences and Congregations - Ep 30
    Mar 20 2025
    Church is not theatre, and yet there are things we can learn from theatre, and those who study it. Dr. Scott Mealey, who has also been a pastor, talks to us about his research on audience experience, and what it can teach us about how newcomers experience church.Scott's Dissertation: https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/09d0765e-8ab7-4a2c-a687-92d4326ae014/contentFind out more about the CIECR: https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/canadian-institute-empirical-church-researchFind out more about Scott and how to get in touch with him: https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/users/scott-mealey​​
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    43 mins
  • Blessed are the Undone - Ep 27

    Blessed are the Undone - Ep 27
    Sep 25 2024
    Why do people leave the church? In this episode, Lindsay discusses the findings of a new book that analyzes the testimonies of the "undone," a term that nuances the varied levels of deconstruction from evangelical faith. The authors share challenging stories about church hurt and disillusionment, but offer hopeful insights for the future.More information about the book and its authors can be found here: https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/blessedundone
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    36 mins
  • This cultural moment and AI - Ep 26

    This cultural moment and AI - Ep 26
    Jun 13 2024
    This is the second in a two-part podcast looking at AI. The first was an introduction to AI, and this one examines this cultural moment and AI.https://apologeticscanada.com/ Steiger, Andrew. “A Critical Exploration and Theological Critique of Michael Polanyi’s Structured Ontology.” PhD, University of Aberdeen, 2021.Steiger, Andy. “Artifical Dignity: The Humanizing and Dehumanizing Implications of Polanyi vs. Turing’s Ontology.” In The Inherence of Human Dignity: Foundations of Human Dignity, Volume 1, edited by Angus J. L. Menuge and Barry W. Bussey, 1:217–32. Anthem Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv22d4t3k.Steiger, Andy. “Deciphering Humanity: What Polanyi and the Rosetta Stone Can Teach Us About Being Human.” Tradition and Discovery: The Polanyi Society Periodical 49, no. 1 (2023): 34–38. https://doi.org/10.5840/traddisc20234916.Steiger, Andy, and Sheri Hiebert. Reclaimed: How Jesus Restores Our Humanity in a Dehumanized World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2020. https://www.amazon.ca/Reclaimed-Jesus-Restores-Humanity-Dehumanized-ebook/dp/B081MXJ26G/.
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    37 mins
  • Introduction to AI - Ep. 25

    Introduction to AI - Ep. 25
    May 21 2024
    This is the second in a two-part podcast looking at AI. This one is an introduction to AI, and the second will examine this cultural moment and AI.https://apologeticscanada.com/ Steiger, Andrew. “A Critical Exploration and Theological Critique of Michael Polanyi’s Structured Ontology.” PhD, University of Aberdeen, 2021.Steiger, Andy. “Artifical Dignity: The Humanizing and Dehumanizing Implications of Polanyi vs. Turing’s Ontology.” In The Inherence of Human Dignity: Foundations of Human Dignity, Volume 1, edited by Angus J. L. Menuge and Barry W. Bussey, 1:217–32. Anthem Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv22d4t3k.Steiger, Andy. “Deciphering Humanity: What Polanyi and the Rosetta Stone Can Teach Us About Being Human.” Tradition and Discovery: The Polanyi Society Periodical 49, no. 1 (2023): 34–38. https://doi.org/10.5840/traddisc20234916.Steiger, Andy, and Sheri Hiebert. Reclaimed: How Jesus Restores Our Humanity in a Dehumanized World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2020. https://www.amazon.ca/Reclaimed-Jesus-Restores-Humanity-Dehumanized-ebook/dp/B081MXJ26G/.
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    35 mins
  • De-Sizing the Church - Ep. 24

    De-Sizing the Church - Ep. 24
    Apr 11 2024
    Karl Vaters is the author of four books including De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What’s Next.https://www.amazon.ca/Sizing-Church-Growth-Science-Obsession/dp/0802424252/Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.His heart is to help pastors of small churches find the resources to lead well, and to capitalize on the unique advantages that come with pastoring a small church – something virtually every pastor will spend at least some of their ministry years doing. He also believes that big and small churches can and should work together more often – to the benefit and blessing of everyone.Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. Episodes feature in-depth interviews about the topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.
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    35 mins