In this episode, Paul Nixon interviews Rev. Claire McNulty Drewes of Longmont, Colorado on how her church rebounded so significantly after the pandemic, more than doubling in the last two years. Her analysis defies many old instincts and assumptions. In the conversation, Claire references the book "The Adept Church" by Doug Powe Jr.
Jun 26, 2024
30 min
How did an aging suburban church in decline become a community hub of resilience and new life? Listen to this interview with Keren Rodriguez, pastor of Aloha United Methodist Church located less than 15 miles from downtown Portland, Oregon.
Rodriguez is on the front line of providing housing for the houseless in the parking lot of the church called Safe Rest Village. And that is only the beginning! Listen to how she has built trusting partnerships with government, non-profits, churches, and diverse communities in her neighborhood. She shares the courageous conversations she has had with the church and surrounding neighborhood about fear, death, and new life.
You can contact Keren Rodriguez at [email protected]. Click here to learn more about Safe Rest Village: https://youtu.be/rI11vnGG94U?si=elmpt3JucEFgcrY1.
May 29, 2024
37 min
How did an Olympic paddler end up starting a worldwide ministry on the banks of the Nantahala River? Wayner Dickert worked for 30 years at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina before asking his boss if he could start a little worship service on the bank of the river. Now 18 years later, Wayner will be retiring as the pastor of River of Life Ministry. If you are interested in the cross section of outdoor adventuring and faith community development, this podcast is for you!
To find out more go to nantahalariveroflife.org. You can also find them on Facebook at River of Life: https://www.facebook.com/groups/122781707743338.
May 15, 2024
26 min
In this episode, host Paul Nixon interviews Dr. Andrea Smith, planter pastor of West UMC in Lake Norman, North Carolina, a church that has morphed with nimbleness ever since it was planted. A focus of the conversation is related to a digital children's ministry that grew out of the pandemic and has continued to develop, as they seek to engage an ever-changing population of American children.
Click the link to learn more about Amped online children’s ministry: https://www.youtube.com/@amped.online
May 1, 2024
34 min
In this episode, Paul Nixon interviews Northwest Texas DS Felicia Hopkins on her experience through disaffiliation of 80 percent of her churches. Hopkins also discusses moving onto a season of planting and creativity in West Texas.
Apr 17, 2024
30 min
If you refuse to lead a dying church, this conversation is for you! Paul Nixon has recently revised his best-selling book "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church" for the new cultural context in which we find ourselves.
In this episode, he offers six choices that churches and church leaders need to make in order to thrive in our post-Covid world. They include the following: choosing life over death; choosing community over isolation; choosing fun over drudgery; choosing bold over mild; choosing frontier over fortress; and choosing now rather than later.
The book will be available on May 15. You can also host a book party in person or online by contacting Paul at [email protected]. Learn more at epicentergroup.org.
Apr 3, 2024
34 min
Bring your notebook to this conversation with Nigel Pimlott as he shares some of his reflections from over 40 years in cutting edge ministry in the UK. Pimlott also offers some pithy and subversive one-liners that could be pondered for years. He is the former learning, development, and leadership trainer and coach for the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Pimlott is a man of deep faith, a trail blazer and mentor, and a holy agitator for new forms of faith community. In this conversation, he talks about the patterns and trends of faith formation and offers some ideas for its future. You will be amazed at how his experience tracks with what is unfolding in mainline churches in the United States. You can reach him through Facebook at facebook.com/nigel.pimlott.5.
Mar 20, 2024
34 min
What do coffee roasting, Howard Thurman, and people with criminal records have in common? Listen to our conversation with Dustin Mailman, who leads Deep Time, a new ministry anchored at Trinity UMC in West Asheville, North Carolina.
To find out more or purchase some coffee go to deeptimeavl.org. To contact Dustin Mailman directly, email [email protected].
Mar 6, 2024
34 min
In this episode, host Paul Nixon interviews Dr. Candace Lewis, who leads Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta. Candace has served as a church planter, led the Path 1 team resourcing United Methodist church planters globally, worked as a district superintendent, and now leads an institution preparing pastors for the twenty-first century. Paul asks her about an evocative address she gave to the FXUM gathering entitled, "We Can Do Hard Things." This address received an extended standing ovation. And we share it with you here (it is keynote number 4): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfcxQiIjpMRGAZQ36P15yHkEm7I3OuO3. Paul and Candace share a robust conversation on where church is going in the coming years.
Feb 21, 2024
52 min
In this episode of Church is Changing, host Paul Nixon interviews Patricia Peña of the Path 1 team. Patricia focuses on diversity in new ministry development in the UMC. Paul and Patricia discuss the future of ethnic ministries in the UMC, after so many churches disaffiliated.
Feb 7, 2024
40 min
Load more