Canadian Church Leader's Podcast

In October, we welcomed 100+ youth pastors representing over 8,000 students to Vancouver, BC for our very first Canadian Youth Pastor Summit. 3 days with some of Canada’s best youth pastors, all gathering for the sake of the next generation. These are some of our favorite moments from our time together. In this episode, you’ll hear from: Youth ministry experts Lisette Fraser, Sid Koop and Jason Ballard. Youth Pastor Jarin Oda from Bridgetown Church.  Pastor and preacher Chris Price.  And other youth pastors we interviewed live, in the moment from across Canada. Join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at CCLN as they walk through the final day of the gathering, uncovering themes like partnering with parents, leading vulnerably in front of students, emerging gender identities, the beauty of serving youth long-term, best practices for spiritual formation & more.  Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. To get in touch with them, email our friend Jon at jon.wright@gener

In October, we welcomed 100+ youth pastors representing over 8,000 students to Vancouver, BC for our very first Canadian Youth Pastor Summit. 3 days with some of Canada’s best youth pastors, all gathering for the sake of the next generation. These are some of our favorite moments from our time together. In this episode, you’ll hear from: Youth ministry experts Lisette Fraser, Sid Koop and Jason Ballard. Bible researcher, Hakeem Bradley from the Bible Project. Long-time pastor and preacher Darrell Johnson. And other youth pastors we interviewed live, in the moment from across Canada. Join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at CCLN as they walk through this gathering, uncovering themes like key youth audiences to focus on, what Generation Z cares about most, deepening Bible engagement in our youth ministries, the challenges youth pastors are experiencing & what Jesus is inviting them into today. We hope this episode equips and encourages you to do effective, Spirit empowered youth ministry

Though the major cities in Canada seem to have a sort of gravitational pull to them, there is a deep need for smaller towns in our country to see church planting, multiplication and revitalization. Canada needs more pastors like Nathan Weselake who have a big Kingdom vision for the smaller places in our nation. Join Nathan and Jason as they discuss the key prayers that are transforming Nathan’s church, how his heart beats most for indigenous reconciliation, what it means for a church to exist for a place & more. And one last thing – with a heart to minister to remote fly-in communities in Manitoba, Nathan might be the only pastor with a plane who you would gladly support… We hope this episode inspires you to see God’s Kingdom come where He has you today. Bio | Nathan is married to Tamara, and they have four children. Nathan is Lead Pastor of Prairie Alliance Church in Portage La Prairie, providing overarching leadership over their sites. Nathan is passionate about helping PAC live out four key prayers and

With Jesus’ words living deep in her heart, Joyce Rees is known as someone who calls the Church and Her leaders to the main things. To sit down with Joyce is to inevitably talk about loving the poor, becoming a servant, contemplating a day where we will stand before the Lord. Join Joyce and Jason as they discuss those themes as well as the impact Joyce’s ministry had on Jason as a teenager, why we cannot simply copy and paste another leader’s methods or style, how pursuing God’s call often comes with resistance & more. We hope this episode inspires you to faithfully serve where the Lord has you today. Bio | Joyce Rees has pastored for thirty years. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker for diverse parts of the Church as an exceptional communicator, known especially for her teaching on justice. Joyce was the founding director of Jacob's Well, an intentional Christian community in Vancouver's downtown eastside – the poorest postal code in Canada. During her decade living and working there she also plan

We have had quite a few conversations with Darrell Johnson now, and it still feels like we are just scratching the surface of what the Lord has taught him in his 50+ years of ministry. For this special episode, we interviewed Darrell live and online in front of pastors from across Canada, using the questions they submitted. In this conversation, Darrell and Jason discuss the definition of a pastor, how to serve churches while prioritizing family, teaching a biblically illiterate church, what Darrell prays for pastors & more. We hope this episode serves you as you in turn serve those the Lord has entrusted to you. Bio | Darrell W. Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vanco

After almost 100 episodes, Mike happens to be the first pastor/body-builder that has graced the podcast … and he did not disappoint. With almost 20 years at the same church (North Pointe Community Church), and a story marked with unimaginable suffering, Mike is an incredible example of faithfulness and perseverance. In this conversation, Mike and Jason discuss the 100+ year history of North Pointe, the importance of building vibrant churches in rural communities, how to effect change while working with teams of people, as well as Mike’s tragic story of loss and how it’s impacted his life and pastoral vocation. We hope you are inspired through this episode with Mike Voll. Bio | Mike lives with his wife Melissa, and children Aubri and Zane in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the Lead Pastor at North Pointe Community Church and an Adjunct Faculty member at Vanguard College in Edmonton, where he teaches the Intermediate Pastoral Practicum class. Michael’s passion in life is to communicate for change in everyday living th

While most teenagers her age were dreaming about years of travelling or schooling after graduation, young Katia Adams was dreaming about planting a church. With parents and grandparents that played a vital role in the inception of the Iranian Church, Katia was dead set on building upon the foundation of faith laid by her family. Katia’s story can be traced from Iran, to England, all the way to the heart of Boston in the USA today where she pastors a community called the Table Boston. In this interview, hear her and Jason discuss this unique story, and how it has profoundly shaped the way Katia views the church and pastoral leadership today. Bio | Katia is Senior Pastor of The Table Boston Church and Director of Frequentsee. Katia teaches on theological courses, church conferences and leadership events internationally. In addition to being a preacher, pastor, she is also a medical doctor, wife to Julian, mother to two busy children and the author of Equal. Thanks to Generis for supporting this episode. To

In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful. Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far. In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 2 of what we found. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

In a time where the list of pastors who are falling seems to be growing, we’ve been on the search for faithful pastors. Pastors who have finished well, stayed the course, maintained a deep love for Jesus and His Bride - pastors who have been faithful. Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far. In this special mini-series, we circle around the topic of faithfulness with a group of leaders that have 5 to 50+ years of pastoral experience. We sat down with Darrell & Sharon Johnson, Helen Burns, Murray Coughlan, Jason Ballard and Jeremiah Niengor. This is part 1 of what we found. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

Here's a quick update on an upcoming episode we're excited to release, and a bit about what this fall will look like on the podcast. Take a listen. 

There aren’t many who can say that in the wake of their life there is a 24/7 prayer movement that has impacted half the nations on earth - but Pete Greig can. And though Pete’s resume has marked the world, he sits down with Jason in a self-effacing way, calling pastors with conviction and sensitivity towards a life walking out the way of Jesus. In this conversation, Pete and Jason discuss the bewildering origin of the 24/7 prayer movement, how Kingdom work needs to be tethered to the local church, how pastors can rise to meet the moment we’re in & more. We hope you are inspired by this episode with Pete Greig. Bio | Pete is a best-selling author, pastor and bewildered instigator of the 24-7 Prayer movement which has reached more than half the nations on earth. He is also the Senior Pastor of Emmaus Rd, Guildford, England, an Ambassador for the NGO Tearfund, and teaches at St Mellitus Theological College in London. For 7 years Pete served with the senior leadership team at HTB and Alpha International. Pete

We want to see Sunder Krishnan's story repeated over and over in Canada. Sunder represents a faithful demographic of church leaders who have finished well in ministry, now taking up the mantle of mentoring the next generation of pastors in our nation with visible delight and joy. With over 35 years of pastoral ministry in his rearview, Sunder has a lot to say. Through this conversation, we know you will be drawn to consider your postures as you lead, the life you’re living before your church and what it might mean for you to be found faithful. We hope you enjoy this episode with Sunder Krishnan. Bio | Sunder was born in India and grew up in the capital city of New Delhi. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology and received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked with Atomic Energy of Canada. He became a pastor in 1980, retiring in 2016. Sunder and his wife, Shyamala, have been married since 1971. They have two grown children, Vijay and Sheila

Jason has a great conversation with Joshua Butler, pastor of Redemption Tempe in Arizona. They discuss Josh's story of coming to faith, entering ministry, and working at a church in Portland doing mission and outreach in their city. Josh also shares some of his learnings from working with college students and twenty somethings about how to navigate hard questions, listen well, and share the gospel in a compelling manner.  Bio | Joshua currently serves as lead pastor of Redemption Tempe, a thriving church near Arizona State University, one of the largest colleges in the country. Prior to 2018, he served as an outreach pastor for fifteen years in Portland (OR) at Imago Dei Community. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Josh Butler Website & Books Redemption Tempe Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List

Jason and Simon Ponsonby sit down for a conversation following CCLN's Incubator Program's time in Oxford. When there, Simon gave a historic tour of their neighbourhood and its spiritual history to our cohort of Canadian Pastors.  Bio | A fourth generation preacher, Simon Ponsonby came to personal faith in his late teens. He worked as a butcher, then became an evangelist and church planter, before preparing for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, where he gained his BA & MLitt in Theology. He is an international author, speaker and theologian, now based at St Aldates, Oxford, UK where he is Pastor of Theology. He has written several books on practical theology and doctrine. Simon is married to Tiffany, and they have two grown sons. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: St. Aldates Church Amazed By Jesus Book Get Connected!

In today’s episode, we share some highlights from our time in England with our Church Leaders Incubator. This cohort of 17 young, senior leaders in Canada got to connect with pastors and church teams over a 5 day trip as part of their 2 year journey in the program. Hear some of their reflections from the sessions and how it impacted them at a personal level.  Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Instagram  Share a Canadian Church Story

Mark Sayers joined an online session with our Church Leaders Incubator back in the Fall where he explored a variety of topics on pastoral leadership and prophetically spoke into where he believes the Spirit is moving the church in the coming years. Bio | Mark Sayers is a cultural commentator, writer, and speaker. He is passionate about spiritual renewal and the future of the church. Mark is the author of a number of books, including Disappearing Church, Facing Leviathan, and Reappearing Church. Mark is the senior leader of Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. He is also one of the hosts of the Rebuilders podcast. Mark lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife, Trudi, his daughter, Grace, and twin boys, Hudson and Billy. Thanks to Compassion Canada for sponsoring today’s episode. You can learn more about partnering with them as a church here. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Mark Sayers: Non Anxious Presence Book Red Church Intercessor - Rees Howell

In today’s episode, we bring you into a conversation Jason hosted for our Church Leaders Incubator with Darren Rouanzoin. Amongst our group of young, senior leaders, Jason and Darren wade into conversations on what a Spirit filled church looks like, the need for personal holiness as pastors, and how to build a covenantal community.  Bio | Darren Rouanzoin lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Alex and their two boys, Ezra and Amos.  Darren is the founding pastor of Garden Church, a community in the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the US. He is passionate about leading people to know and experience the extravagant generosity of God and the abundant life Jesus brings here and now. Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.  Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Garden Church Darren’s Website Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Ma

Gordon Smith joins Jason to dive into topics like calling, ecclesiology, secularism, and having hope for the next season as pastors and leaders.  Bio | Gordon T. Smith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Institutional Intelligence, Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, and Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal. Give today to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Show Notes: Gordon Smith website Ambrose University  Gordon Smith’s books  Parker Palmer - The Courage to Teach Alec Hill - Just Business Get Connected! Blog & Episode write-up Website Join our Mailing List!  Subscribe on YouTube

Glenn Packiam was last on the podcast in mid 2020 with Jason, so we were excited to have him back on and to hear about his latest book, The Resilient Pastor. Partnering with Barna, Glenn dives into research on the state of pastors and churches and what it will take to lead your church in a rapidly changing world. Bio | Glenn Packiam (Doctor of Theology and Ministry, Durham University) is associate senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and lead pastor of one of its eight congregations, New Life Downtown. A Senior Fellow at Barna Group, a visiting fellow at St. John’s College at Durham University, and an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary, Glenn is the author of several books, including The Resilient Pastor, Blessed Broken Given, and Worship and the World to Come. He is also an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America, speaks regularly at conferences, and has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows. Glenn and his wife, Holly, live in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains wit

One of the most influential voices in western evangelicalism in recent history has been pastor Eugene Peterson. Known especially for his paraphrase of the Bible, “The Message”, his writings, preaching, and pastoral life have touched the lives of millions. In today's episode, Jason sits down with Winn Collier, who recently released the authorized biography of Eugene called “A Burning in My Bones”.  Bio | In addition to A Burning in My Bones, Winn Collier has authored four books (Restless Faith, Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of François Fénelon, Holy Curiosity, and Love Big, Be Well) and contributed to numerous other volumes. He has written for multiple periodicals including Christianity Today, Christian Century, Relevant, and the Washington Post. A pastor for twenty-five years, Winn was the founding pastor of All Souls Charlottesville in Virginia. He now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. He holds a PhD from the University of Virgin