This is a bonus episode that was original recorded in July of 2024 as Jonathan, Graeme, and Joey prepared to lead a discussion in Tauranga on what it means to be fully human and how churches/pastor can help with that.

00:00 Teaser
02:12 Explaining on trip to Tauranga
04:55 Efficient causality vs being human
07:35 Schedule of event and questions to consider
09:30 Why collective wisdom matters
10:45 Importance of group dynamics
12:45 Why theological-provocation matters
16:40 Stories make us human
21:10 4 essential elements of humanity (core touch points)
25:35 Grounding the 4 essential elements
31:00 Framing our conversation
32:40 Phenomena as the starting point (lived experience)
36:00 How systematic theology is helpful
38:50 Creating an impersonal god
41:35 Participation in the Word

Lunch on The Way is a podcast that deeply discusses Christianity, Church, Culture, and Jesus.
Available on ALL podcast platforms https://lunchontheway.buzzsprout.com/share

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this conversation, Graeme and Joey sit down with Ps. Dan Sheed of Central Vineyard Church, Auckland. They discuss prayer as posture and invitation, Dan's book "Drift No More," and Dan's story of entering ministry and planting Central Vineyard.

Dan Sheed is the founding co-leader of Central Vineyard Church in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The son of pastors, he was raised in the Vineyard Church movement, and has been on the journey with Christ as a pastor himself for many years. He planted Central Vineyard Church in 2015. He is married to Gabrielle, and has two wonderful tamariki: Jimmy and Florence. Dan is the author of the beautiful, challenging book Drift No More: An Exploration of Tethered Faith (2024).

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this episode, Graeme and Joey have a conversation with Sam Burrows about how meaning is back in the West, how the cultural left helped Christianity, the growing influence of the right in politics, what biblical critical theory is, and much more!

Makerspace Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/1DklD6kT4wEWUaF64y8pRh

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this conversation, Graeme and Joey discuss how there are many things we cannot quantifiably measure in the church and that we need to use judgement when consulting numbers. Much of their think is derived from "The Tyranny of Metrics" by Jerry Muller.

00:00 Teaser
02:20 Introduction
4:00 Gen Z Christians are Growing | Bible Society UK
18:10 Political Will is Gone
20:00 The Tyranny of Metrics
24:50 Growth through Proximity to Christ
28:00 Tell Stories not Measure Stories
30:00 What we easily measure is what we focus on
33:10 Economic metaphors are dominate in our culture
35:35 An Atheist believes churches should have more government support
38:50 We are in control? NOPE!
40:35 The right place for metrics
45:08 We can fudge the numbers
49:15 Always be engaged with the margins
53:00 Death of an institution is not failure in a Christian paradigm

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this conversation, Graeme and Joey clarify and elaborate on their conversation with Andrew Root. The conversation delves into the role of Christians in society, emphasizing the importance of identifying oneself as a Christian in various settings. Joey and Graeme discuss the concept of being a "royal priesthood," traversing two worlds, and the need for Christians to be visible and present in their communities. They explore the idea of evangelism as consolation, particularly in moments of despair, and the relational ministry philosophy of Andrew Root. The discussion also touches on the stabilizing factors in faith communities, suggesting that faithfulness and presence in the now are more important than growth.

00:00 Teaser
01:21 Introduction
4:13 Surprised by despair - hopeful evangelism
11:52 We're all priests
17:17 What to offer a dying man?
22:12 Stop functionalising people
27:07 Most alive in relational ministry
35:15 I invited people to Alpha
38:15 People need to know you're a Christian
42:27 More on issues with growth as stabiliser
48:02 In Christ as stabiliser

Lunch on The Way is a podcast that deeply discusses Christianity, Church, Culture, and Jesus.
Available on ALL podcast platforms https://lunchontheway.buzzsprout.com/share

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this episode, Graeme and Joey have a brilliant conversation with Dr Andrew Root as they discuss a humanising approach to evangelism, the digital space and discipleship, what the key competency of a pastor should be, growth as modernity's stabiliser, and much more!

Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of Evangelism in an Age of Despair and the six volume Ministry in a Secular Age series (including Churches and the Crisis of Decline, The Congregation in a Secular Age, The Pastor in a Secular Age, The Church After Innovation, The Church in a Age of Secular Mysticism and Faith Formation in a Secular Age). He is also the author of The End of Youth Ministry? and more than dozen other books. Andy also serves as theologian in residence at Youthfront. He has worked in congregations, parachurch ministries, and social service programs. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Kara, two children, Owen and Maisy, and their dog. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Andy spends far too much time watching TV and movies.

PODCAST ...
"When Church Stops Workings Featuring Andrew Root" https://www.andrewroot.org/podcast/

PUBLICATIONS ... https://www.andrewroot.org/books/
"Evangelism is an Age of Despair"
"The Church in an Age of Secular Mysticism"
"When the Church Stops Working"
"The Church After Innovation"
"Churches and the Crisis of Decline"
"The Congregation in a Secular Age"
AND MANY MORE ... https://www.andrewroot.org/books/

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

In this episode of Lunch on The Way, Rev. Frank Ritchie discusses how places and spaces of worship hold our spirituality when we can't muster it up, his various experiences with different religions and expressions of the Christian faith, how and why Holy Communion is so important for the church, why wearing a clerical collar matters for pastors, how the media are open to Christianity, and why irrelevant churches are paradoxically relevant.

Frank is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Aoteroa-New Zealand, a media chaplain, and national Christian voice in New Zealand.

00:00 Teaser
01:28 Introduction
06:37 Cathedrals hold our faith
13:00 Frank's journey with faith over the decades
20:00 Holy Communion holds our spirituality
26:32 Why wear a clerical collar?
40:01 The Media are not anti-Christian
50:32 Challenges in the Media Industry
54:20 Irrelevant Churches are attractive

Check out Frank's Substack for theological, cultural, and formational reflections and insights https://frankritchie.substack.com/

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.

Graeme and Joey welcome Louise to the podcast and discuss Louise's journey into ministry and her families immigration to New Zealand from South Africa, the impact of COVID on the South African church and her family, how a call to ministry can't be ignored, Graeme's call into ministry, reflections on pastoring more than 20 decades, how business-church forgets about the people (ironically), and much more.

00:00 Teaser
1:00 Introduction
03:39 Louise's Journey into Ministry, and Family
17:33 COVID in South Africa and the church
23:13 Louise moving to New Zealand
26:58 Ministry is a calling that can't be ignored
30:00 Graeme's call into ministry
34:40 Louise's reflections on pastoring
36:55 The most important part of church is people
41:35 Undoing Business-church
46:10 What an MBA has can teach pastors
55:49 NZ & South African Cultural Observations
1:02:40 Adjusting after Immigration

Lunch on The Way is a podcast that deeply discusses Christianity, Church, Culture, and Jesus.
Available on ALL podcast platforms https://lunchontheway.buzzsprout.com/share

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.