A question many of us face this time of year is how to guide our congregations well through the Advent season. In the midst of pastoring others, some of us have been able to enter into the wonder of the season ourselves, some of us are navigating the busyness of planning and executing events and services, and others of us are walking through a deep…

Pastoring has always been a vocation of great responsibility, yet the expectations placed on pastors today have grown increasingly complex. From preaching and shepherding to being organizational leaders, cultural commentators, and trauma-informed counselors, the demands can stack up, making the work feel impossible. Add to this the challenge of nav…

This week on The Pastorate we are excited to host Carey Nieuwhof—Bestselling author, Host of the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, and Founding Pastor of Connexus Church in Barrie, Ontario Today’s episode covers a wide range of topics: Carey discusses his journey of founding and then stepping back from the Lead role at Connexus Church. He reflects…

This week on The Pastorate, Rachel Hughes—Pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, England—joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry. Rachel shares about: The experience of planting Gas Street Church, the ongoing cycle of raising and sending new leaders, and how church planting can disrupt comfort zones, keep churches missio…

This week in the inaugural episode of The Pastorate, Adam Browett – Pastor of Calvary Temple in Winnipeg, Manitoba – joins us on the podcast for a conversation on pastoral ministry. Adam shares about: What Adam’s been learning recently, as a naturally gifted speaker, about continuing to develop his craft of preaching, Adam’s journey discerning tran…

Since its inception over four years ago, the Canadian Church Leaders Network (CCLN) has served thousands of pastors through its podcast, monthly newsletter, cohort-based programs, and pastors retreats and gatherings. This week, Jason Ballard, host of the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast and Executive Director of CCLN sits down with Chris Price to di…

We've got a special episode for all of you this week. The CCLN Team is working hard on a special project that will be officially announced with the October 7th episode on the podcast, but we didn't want to leave you high and dry this week. In 2022, we had Keith Taylor speak to a group of Pastors as part of our first cohort based program, The Church…

The work of renewal in a church is slow, costly, and long-term. It requires pastors who consistently say, “I can’t do this alone,” and who return to the feet of Jesus, the One making all things new. This week, Father James Mallon, Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in beautiful Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, joins us on the podcast to share his heart …

As pastors we want to run the race well and finish more in love with Jesus and with His church than when we started. Pastors that have been both fruitful and faithful set a beautiful example for what longevity in ministry can look like. This week Dan Cochrane, Pastor of CrossRoads Church in Red Deer, Alberta, joins us on the podcast to share insigh…

What does community look like when it’s rooted in love and grounded in the realities of life? How do we grab hold of a vision for biblical unity within our congregations and learn to live in the tensions that come with knowing and loving others well? This week, Rich Villodas, author of The Deeply Formed Life and Pastor of New Life Fellowship, joins…

The church growth movement of the 20th-century has left a lasting impact on our perception of the Church today. What can we learn from its successes and shortcomings, and how can we move forward in the context of our post-everything society? This week, Daniel Im from Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton joins us on the podcast for a second time Danie…

Every leader faces moments when vision dims and passion wavers. How do we sustain a vision for long term leadership and be able to lead with joy in our hearts and conviction in our steps? This week, Shaila Visser from Alpha joins us on the podcast for a second time to share insights from her extensive leadership experience. Shaila shares about: Sus…

What is unique about your church that you bring to the broader body of Christ? And, what from the broader body of Christ can you draw from and be strengthened by? Chrishan Jeyaratnam joined us this week from Hillsong East Coast where he and his wife Danielle serve as Lead Pastors. Chrishan shared with us about his family’s move from Perth to New Yo…

How can the people of God inhabit our cities - in workplaces, commutes & classrooms in a way that’s coloured by the hope of God’s kingdom breaking in? This week Tyler Staton and Pete Hughes join us on the podcast in a conversation that was originally a part of one of our Emerging Leaders Lab cohort sessions. Tyler and Pete share about: Finding Rhyt…

38 years into ministry, Helen Burns speaks of the Church with love in her voice and delight in the work God is doing among His people today. Joining us on the podcast for a second time, Helen is a voice of encouragement as she reflects on what she has learned along the way. From planting Relate Church with her husband John in 1986, to the process o…

Letting Jesus shepherd us into renewed courage and contentment when our vision for success has been broken is a wrestle many of us are familiar with. It's a path that our guest this week, Evan Allnutt, has walked at different moments in his vocational journey. Through changing careers from teaching to ministry, taking on a Lead Pastor role at a new…

John Mark Comer joins us again for a conversation on why people in our congregations are gravitating towards spiritual formation right now, and how we can pastor people beyond conversion into deeper healing and sanctification in their walk with Christ. Jason and John Mark talk through what it’s like to pastor today, and how the cultural hostility p…

Mark Buchanan sits down with us again to explore everything from how storytelling forms us to our addiction to control. He articulates how narratives help us navigate the truths of life and our identity, emphasizing the significance of weaving hope-filled, gospel-rooted stories into the fabric of our cultural imagination. Throughout our conversatio…

How do we contextualize our churches to the neighbourhoods God has called us to? And how do you keep your heart healthy when people leave your church? In today’s episode with Tammy Giffen, lead pastor of Groundswell Church in Truro, Nova Scotia, we explore these questions and more from her journey in ministry. Tammy became a Christian through Alpha…

In this episode, Jason sits down with the pioneer of the Alpha Course and former Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, Nicky Gumbel. Nicky shares about his journey of transitioning leadership at HTB after nearly two decades in the senior role, emphasizing the importance of healthy succession and not taking changes made by new leaders personally…

In this episode, Jason had a conversation with Jerry L. Sittser, a retired professor of theology from Whitworth University, renowned for his expertise in Christian spirituality and history. In this conversation, Jerry shares the relevance of early Christian practices in today's world and highlights the importance of the church embracing a new catec…

Change and the process of pruning are essential yet challenging aspects of personal growth and church life. Jonathan Smith understands this reality deeply, having navigated 30 years of church ministry and leadership. In this engaging conversation with Jason, Jonathan candidly shares his transformative journey, from the bold endeavor of planting a c…

Discipleship lies at the heart of the Christian journey, yet it often becomes compartmentalized within separate ministries or aspects of the Christian faith. Jeff Vanderstelt, with years of experience leading others in the way of Jesus and equipping the broader church through his writings, is now dedicated to mentoring pastors and leaders in gospel…

In this episode, Jason had the privilege of sitting down and having a conversation with his very first pastors—Angel and Durwin Gray, who played a crucial role in shaping his pastoral imagination during his formative years. Angel and Durwin have been serving as pastors at Hillside Church for 25 years, and they generously shared with us the joys, ch…

This past year we gathered for a one day conference with pastors and leaders from across North America, collaborating with our friends at Practicing The Way. Together, we engaged in meaningful discussions on spiritual formation within the context of the local church. This full day gathering consisted of teaching and dialogue from John Mark Comer, K…