Influence Podcast
253 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 58 ratingsThe Influence Magazine Podcast is a chance for you to hear from the premiere voices in church leadership…voices who are redefining what church leadership looks like. It's the audio companion to Influence Magazine, a resource full of practical tools, informative news and powerful biblical principals aimed at empowering all leaders. Visit us online at InfluenceMagazine.com
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Episodes
299. Is God a Vindictive Bully?
November 03, 2022 08:00 - 44 minutes - 82.3 MB“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction,” wrote the atheist Richard Dawkins. He went on to describe God as “jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” Dawkins, who is frequently wrong but never in doubt, isn’t the only person ...
298. Leading with an Opportunity Mentality
October 27, 2022 11:00 - 35 minutes - 64.3 MB“Opportunity awaits every single day, and God wants you to tap into each opportunity,” writes Jonathan Hardy. “When you remain faithful to God’s purposes, you’ll see how you can easily step into opportunities and give a wholehearted effort toward achieving His will every day.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Hardy about how to lead a church with an opportunity mentality. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Jonathan Hardy is an ord...
297. The Key to a Gracious View of People
October 06, 2022 11:00 - 39 minutes - 73.2 MB“I am convinced that if you want to see an increase in hope, understanding, and unity amid the engulfing mercilessness of today — indeed, if you want to communicate anything approaching grace — you must begin with a low anthropology.” So writes David Zahl in his new book, Low Anthropology, published by Brazos Press. Zahl considers such a view of humanity “the unlikely key to a gracious view of others (and yourself),” as the book’s subtitle puts it. I talk with Zahl about what low anthrop...
296. Preaching for Reconciliation and Unity
September 29, 2022 11:00 - 38 minutes - 69.9 MB“Countless pastors, preachers, teachers, and ministry leaders are dismayed at the dysfunction engulfing the church and the wider culture,” write Matt Kim and Paul Hoffman. “Every day, headlines reveal a world divided across ethnic, class, sex, and political lines. We are simultaneous a nation and a church with comparable cavernous disagreements. Make no mistake: these chasms are expanding and feel increasingly insurmountable.” Even so, Kim and Hoffman go to write, “We are convinced that ...
295. Six Behaviors That Tear Teams Apart
September 23, 2022 13:44 - 37 minutes - 68.2 MB“When the enemy takes a run at your church, he won’t do it through those who attend it; he will do it through those who lead it,” writes Chris Sonksen. “One of his most effective plans against the local church can be summed up in one word: Leaderdrift.” I talk with Sonksen about what leaderdrift is and how to stop it in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Chris Sonksen is an ordained Assemblies of God minister w...
294. Canonical Gospels vs. Apocryphal Gospels
September 15, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutes - 82.4 MBMany Gospels circulated in early Christianity. Everyone knows about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but what about the Gospel of Peter or the Gospel of Thomas? Why were some Gospels included in the New Testament but not others? Scholars such as Bart Ehrman reduce the debate to politics: “one of the competing groups in Christianity succeeded in overwhelming all the others,” he writes. “This group became ‘orthodox,’ and once it had sealed its victory over all of its opponents, it rewrote th...
293. How Celebrity Hurts the Church
September 08, 2022 11:00 - 38 minutes - 70 MB“Ordinary people are the primary way God has worked in and through the world over the centuries,” writes Katelyn Beaty. “More and more, though, it seems that a lot of us aren’t content to be ordinary Christians.” Instead, we want to be celebrities. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Beaty about how the desire to become a celebrity, or the need to follow one, hurts the Church. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Katelyn Beaty is a wri...
292. Slow-Motion Growth in a Fast-Paced World
September 01, 2022 11:00 - 35 minutes - 64.3 MB“Ever been in a season of life that seemed to lack forward momentum?” asks Jeffery Portmann “You’re doing everything you can to experience growth, maybe even repeating what’s worked before. But then there’s a moment … where what you expected, hoped, and prayed for just isn’t happening.” Portmann calls this experience “delayed destiny.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to him about delayed destiny using the biblical example of Joseph. We talk about what hinders and what help...
291. ReStorying the LGBT Narrative
July 21, 2022 11:00 - 52 minutes - 96 MBIn contemporary culture, people who identify as LGBT have a clear narrative. Their lives became better after they “came out” as lesbian, gay, or transgender. Society should celebrate with them. Individuals who don’t are “homophobic” and “transphobic.” ReStory Ministries believes that the coming-out narrative is not the only story. They believe people find true life when they give their hearts to Jesus Christ and live out sexuality according to biblical norms. In this episode of the Influ...
290. Why Preaching Requires Virtue
July 15, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 61.9 MBPhillips Brooks, the nineteenth-century minister who wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” defined preaching as “the communication of Truth through Personality.” Truth is “the most authoritative statement of God’s will,” he said. Personality refers to a preacher’s “character, his affections, his whole intellectual and moral being.” (As Pentecostals, we would add “or her” to Brooks’ statement.) Absent genuine character, a preacher is merely a “printing machine” or a “trumpet,” not “a real m...
289. Effective Ministry in Small Rural Churches
July 07, 2022 11:00 - 31 minutes - 57 MBWhen it comes to planting and revitalizing churches, rural America is a forgotten field. It faces a variety of demographic and economic challenges, and the rural pastorate often means bivocational ministry in small congregations. In consequence, rural ministry is not an option for many would-be pastors. Gerad Strong thinks it should be. I’ll be talking to him about effective ministry in small rural churches in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of I...
288. The Faith of a Founding Father
June 30, 2022 11:00 - 51 minutes - 93.7 MBIndependence Day commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration is a legal brief, making a case that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” The Declaration also makes theological claims, however. It begins with reference to “the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle [the colonists].” It ends with the signers appealing to...
287. Against Liberal Theology
June 23, 2022 11:00 - 43 minutes - 80.1 MB“In today’s culture, it’s not popular to be against something unless it’s blatantly immoral or illegal,” writes Roger Olson. However, he adds: “If Christianity is to mean something, it has to have some shape, if not boundaries” (emphasis in original). The thesis of his new book, Against Liberal Theology, is that “liberal Christianity cuts the cord of continuity between itself and biblical, historical, classical, orthodox Christianity so thoroughly that it ought to call itself something oth...
286. The Way to Better Manhood
June 16, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 61.9 MB“Our culture has become highly skilled in pointing out the problems [of masculinity], but, beyond public service campaigns and news headlines, we haven’t developed the same expertise in helping men solve those problems,” writes Chase Replogle. “We have lost the wisdom by which men become better, by which they mature into a better manhood.” In this podcast, I talk to Replogle about how to find that wisdom again. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Cha...
285. What Christians Should Do If the Supreme Court Overturns Roe
June 09, 2022 11:00 - 29 minutes - 54.8 MBOn May 2, 2022, Politico made headlines when it leaked the draft of a Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That draft overturns Roe v. Wade, a 1973 decision, which together with Doe v. Boltoneffectively legalized abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy. And it returns regulation of abortion to state legislatures, rather than federal courts, which is where the matter lay prior to 1973. A decision overturning Roe would be a momentous legal event, but ...
284. Did Jesus’ Resurrection Really Happen?
June 02, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 108 MBThe resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central claim of Christian theology. As the apostle Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” But is belief in Christ’s resurrection a matter of faith only, or can it also be demonstrated historically? That is the question I ask Dr. Gary Habermas in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Dr. Gary Haberm...
283. Becoming Steady Pastors in Unsteady Times
May 05, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 60.8 MB“Life is like walking downhill over the rocks,” writes Chris Maxwell. “The slopes and sharp rocks remind us of danger.” Consequently, he goes on to say, “Healthy equilibrium isn’t staying away from the downhill slants or the harsh drops; it is gaining a better perspective on obtaining and maintaining stability there.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with Maxwell about how pastors — and the churches they lead — can get and keep spiritual and emotional equilibrium. I’m George P...
282. What Churches Should Learn from Religious Scandals
April 28, 2022 11:00 - 44 minutes - 80.6 MBOn January 6, 2002, reporters for the The Boston Globe began publishing a series of stories about clergy sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Their revelations went on to garner a Pulitzer Prize and shine a spotlight on similar scandals in other dioceses. Evangelical churches weren’t immune from criticism either, and not just on the topic of clergy sexual abuse. The past few years have revealed scandals among some of America’s best-known and largest ministries, rangin...
281. How to Share the Gospel with Muslims
April 22, 2022 11:00 - 49 minutes - 90.7 MBThe American Muslim population is growing. According to Pew Research Center, there were 2.35 million Muslims in the U.S. in 2007 and 3.85 million in 2020. Pew estimates that by 2050, there will be 8.1 million Muslims in the U.S. “This represents a significant mission field,” writes Christina Quick in her profile of Lynda Hausfeld in the spring 2022 issue of Influence. “Yet many Christians are hesitant to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I ta...
280. Leading Congregational Change Collaboratively
April 14, 2022 11:00 - 30 minutes - 56.3 MBLeading change is one of a pastor’s most important jobs. The changes pastors lead are spiritual, moral, and missional in nature. In other words, they help people come to Christ (spiritual), become like Christ (moral), and go out as witnesses to Christ (missional). The changes pastors lead are also organizational. In other words, pastors help congregations change their methods and structures to make sure that the means of ministry actually accomplish its spiritual, moral, and missional en...
279. How Churches Can Help End Human Trafficking
April 07, 2022 11:00 - 44 minutes - 80.5 MB“Imagine a steep and deadly cliff,” write Shayne Moore, Sandra Morgan, and Kimberly McOwen Yim. “Today, most churches and nonprofit organizations working in anti-human-trafficking efforts are focused solely on the victims who have already fallen or been thrown off the cliff of modern slavery.” Unfortunately, the authors continue, “we will never end human trafficking and modern slavery with this as our only strategy. Together, we must erect an impervious fence so that women, men, and childr...
278. God, Genocide, and Biblical Interpretation
March 10, 2022 12:00 - 37 minutes - 69.1 MBThe Israelite destruction of the Canaanites, found in biblical passages such as Deuteronomy 7:1–2, presents a conundrum to Christians. Here’s what that passage says: "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations — the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you — and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated t...
277. An Eschatology of Hope
March 03, 2022 12:00 - 53 minutes - 97.6 MB“Recent studies of Pentecostal origins have demonstrated that eschatology and pneumatology were inexorably connected in the historical development of Pentecostal theology,” writes Prof. Daniel Isgrigg. Why? Early Pentecostals “believed that the Holy Spirit was being poured out because they were in the last days” [emphasis added]. Spirit baptism, then, was a sign of the end times. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with Prof. Daniel Isgrigg about what the Assemblies of God teach...
276. A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship
February 22, 2022 16:00 - 56 minutes - 103 MBIn the middle of the twentieth century, two theological ideas began to reshape Protestant worship. The first focused on how churchgoers could experience the manifest presence of God. The second focused on how churches could overcome the gap between themselves and the people they were trying to reach. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with Prof. Lester Ruth about those two theological ideas — presence and power. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and you...
275. What’s Next for the Assemblies of God?
February 17, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 49.1 MBTwo years after Covid arrived in the United States, the pandemic seems to be winding down and normalcy seems to be returning. Even so, the pandemic and the governmental responses to it were incredibly disruptive. So, what does the new normal look like for churches? Specifically, where is the Assemblies of God headed now? Those are the questions I ask Doug Clay in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Doug Clay is ...
275. Where Is the Assemblies of God Heading?
February 17, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 49.1 MBTwo years after Covid arrived in the United States, the pandemic seems to be winding down and normalcy seems to be returning. Even so, the pandemic and the governmental responses to it were incredibly disruptive. So, what does the new normal look like for churches? Specifically, where is the Assemblies of God headed now? Those are the questions I ask Doug Clay in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Doug Clay is ge...
274. How William J. Seymour Led Azusa Street
February 08, 2022 12:00 - 53 minutes - 97.8 MBEvery Pentecostal knows that William J. Seymour was the leader of the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, California. The revival that happened at that mission from 1906–1909 played a central role in the history of early Pentecostalism. Even after revival fires cooled, however, Seymour continued to lead the mission until his death in 1922, and the church continued to meet until the death of his wife, Jenny Evans Moore in 1936. What lessons can Pentecostals learn from Seymour’s leadership of ...
273. What Do Churchgoers Want?
January 27, 2022 13:00 - 34 minutes - 63.6 MBPastors often hear complaints about church from members of their congregations. These negative comments can create a doom-and-gloom mentality among church leaders, as if everything in their congregation is going wrong. According to The Congregational Scorecard, a new report from Grey Matter Research & Consulting and Infinity Concepts, the reality is quite the opposite. “[T]he vast majority of American evangelical Protestant churchgoers are actually largely satisfied with their church,” says t...
272. Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More.
January 13, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 48.8 MBRod Wilson believes three short statements have power to change the world: “Thank you!” “I’m sorry!” And “Tell me more!” These statements are ways all people, but especially Christians, can live out the meaning of Jesus’ Great Commandment. “How we relate to others flows from our relationship with God. Love is the action. People are the recipients,” Wilson writes. “Expressing ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘Tell me more’ to people is putting words to love. I see you. I notice you. We impact ...
271. How to Reconcile with Others
December 16, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 38.5 MB“At your greatest point of injustice is your greatest opportunity for Christlikeness,” writes Brian Noble. Christ reconciled us to God on the Cross and gave us what Paul calls “the ministry of reconciliation” in 2 Corinthians 5:19. The Church’s job is to urge people to be reconciled to God — and to one another. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I am talking to Noble about the necessary attitudes and practices of this ministry of reconciliation. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor ...
270. Trading Easy Street for a Life That Count
December 09, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MB“All of us long for Easy Street,” writes Stephen Blandino. “It’s paved with comfort and lined with safety. It travels through the trouble-free hills of security, and its road signs point to a pain-free destination where blessings abound.” There’s only one problem, he concludes: “Easy Street is a dead-end street.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Stephen Blandino about why Christians — church leaders and church members alike — should stop chasing easy and start pursuing l...
269. How to Make (or Break) Any Habit
December 02, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBNew Year’s Day is just around the corner, so now’s a good time to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions for 2022. What new habits do you want to make in the coming year? What old habits do you want to break? In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Mark Batterson about how to make — or break — any habit.. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Mark Batterson is lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, a New ...
268. How to Help People Understand Glossolalia
November 11, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 49.6 MBSpeaking in tongues is one of Pentecostalism’s most distinctive practices. And yet, in his doctoral research, Timothy Laurito found that “a majority of self-identified Pentecostal participants did not feel like they had even been adequately taught about speaking in tongues.” He goes on to argue that this fact “should be of concern for Pentecostals.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Timothy Laurito about how pastors and other church leaders can help people understand...
267. How Churches Can Multiply Themselves
November 04, 2021 08:00 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBEarly in his ministry, Jeff Leake faced a problem common to growing churches: He needed a new larger building but didn’t have enough money. So he prayed, “God, we have a problem, and it seems that You are not offering any solutions here!” The thing about talking to God is that He talks back, and Leake felt God saying this to him: “Have you considered that I have a problem too?” God’s problem, it turned out, was that too many pastors were interested in growing their churches and too few int...
266. Why Aren’t Young People Going to Church?
October 28, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 53.5 MB“Young people are increasingly less likely to be engaged with institutional forms of religious expression,” writes Josh Packard. “Decades-long trends continue: for a large and growing segment of young people, religiosity is increasingly decoupled from institutions, even as they express high levels of religious belief, practice, and identity.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Packard about why young people aren’t affiliating with religious institutions. I’m George P....
265. An Empirical Case for Miracles
October 21, 2021 08:00 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MB“Many people simply take it for granted that miracles don’t happen,” writes Craig Keener. But is that assumption true? Or is it the case that God performs miracles in the modern world? In Miracles Today, Keener answers those questions by describing scores of documented reports of healing and even resurrection. These reports don’t come from long ago or faraway places. They’re happening here and now. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking with Keener about this empirical cas...
264. Five Styles of Personal Evangelism
October 14, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBPersonal evangelism doesn’t require you to use a method that feels forced and unnatural. In his new book, Contagious Faith, Mark Mittelberg writes, “There are a variety of natural approaches we can take to reach the people around us — things we can say and do that fit our own God-given personalities.” That’s what Mittelberg calls “the good news about the Good News.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Mittelberg about the five styles of personal evangelism he describes...
263. Effective Intercultural Evangelism
October 07, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBAccording to Jay Moon and Bud Simon, intercultural evangelism is “the process of putting Christ at the center of someone’s worldview in order to initiate them into Christian discipleship through culturally relevant starting points.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Moon and Simon about why it’s important for Christians to practice such evangelism, as well as how to do it more effectively. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Ja...
262. Effective Church Staff Transitions
September 30, 2021 08:00 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MBAccording to church growth expert Thom Rainer, “The median tenure of a pastor at a church is around four years. Simply stated, over one-half of pastors leave a church before their fourth anniversary.” The question is not whether church staff transition is happening, then, but whether it is happening well. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Mike Burnette about how pastors can effectively transition themselves and staff pastors both out of and into new ministry assignme...
261. Five Ways Effective Leaders Build Relationships
September 16, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MBAsk pastors whether they are frustrated, and most of them will say they are, for a variety of reasons. Too often, they think their people problems are outside their control. “If we change our perspective and transform our leadership strategy,” writes Scott Wilson, however, “the people near us right now can become exponential leaders who have an impact on generation after generation of others.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Wilson about five ways pastors can build...
260. How to Help People Who Are Deconstructing Their Faith
September 09, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBSocial media is filled with stories of well-known Christians who have deconstructed their faith or are in the process of doing so. Some deconvert from Christianity entirely. Others identify themselves as “exvangelicals” who now advocate a progressive form of Christianity. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Preston Ulmer about how Christians, whether ministers or laypersons, can help people who are in the process of deconstructing their faith. I’m George P. Wood, execu...
259. How to Make Mistakes Well
September 02, 2021 08:00 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MB“People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year,” says Peter Drucker. “People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” In other words, one way or another, you’re going to make mistakes. The only question is whether you make them well. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to John Pearson about how to make mistakes well. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. John Pearson served more than ...
258. How to Talk to Teens About Life’s Big Questions
August 26, 2021 08:00 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MB“Every teenager is a walking bundle of questions,” write Kara Powell and Brad Griffin in their new book. “Almost every question young people are asking ultimately finds its genesis in these 3 big questions: Who am I? Where do I fit? What difference can I make? In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Kara Powell about these three big questions — perhaps life’s biggest. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Kara Powell is executive direc...
257. How the Beatitudes Shape Discipleship
June 03, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 49.8 MB“What troubles me is that much of the modern evangelical movement in America does not seem to grasp the priority of the call of apprenticeship to Jesus,” writes Ryan Post. “Rather than teaching people to obey everything Jesus has commanded us, many churches seem to treat discipleship as an optional accessory, choosing instead to focus on selling the basic ‘conversion’ package (afterlife insurance included).” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Post about how the Beatit...
256. Love Them Anyway
May 25, 2021 08:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MB“The currency of the kingdom of God isn’t prayer, Bible study, missions, or service; it’s love,” writes Choco De Jesus in his new book, Love Them Anyway (Charisma House). “All the disciplines are means to put us in touch with the love of God so it overflows into the lives of those around us. Whom does God want us to love? Everyone. Our love should know no bounds.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to De Jesus about why boundless love is so important, as well as why it’s...
255. Christian Faith in a Celebrity Culture
May 13, 2021 08:00 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MB“In twenty-first-century America, three forces have united to make living as a follower of Jesus more complicated and nuanced than at any other time in Christian history: capitalism, consumerism, and celebrity culture,” writes Ben Kirby. “These forces are raising questions that most Christian leaders, perhaps due to fear, are brave enough to ask only in private. It’s time to drag these questions out of the shadows.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Ben Kirby about h...
254. How to Preach When People Are Suffering
May 06, 2021 08:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MB“Suffering is ubiquitous, success is not,” writes Matthew D. Kim in Preaching to People in Pain. Ironically, the content of many, if not most, sermons focuses on success more than suffering, however. Are pastors missing an opportunity to speak into the painful experiences of their church members with the hope of the gospel? And if they decide to make the most of the opportunity, how do they go about preaching to suffering people? Those are the questions I’m talking to Kim about in this epi...
253. The Nature and Necessity of Urban Apologetics
April 29, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MB“[Black] dignity has lingered in a state of confusion for generations in this country as we’ve faced constant harassment, false theologies, white supremacy, syncretistic evangelicalism, and civic oppression,” writes Dr. Eric Mason. Consequently, the task of such apologetics is to “restore Black dignity with the gospel.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Mason about the nature and necessity of urban apologetics. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazi...
252. How to Do Evangelism Online
April 22, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MB“In 2020,” according to Barna Group’s Five Changing Contexts for Digital Evangelism report, “churches around the world woke up to the extraordinary, urgent need to embrace digital platforms in fresh ways in order to engage with—and sustain—their congregations during the pandemic.” Now that the immediate crises of 2020 are well behind us, two questions come quickly to mind: Do we need to continue using digital platforms for ministry, especially evangelism? And if we do, how do we use them e...
251. How to Help Youth Discern the Call to Ministry
April 15, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 37.2 MB“The U.S. Assemblies of God has a mandate, a problem, and a need,” writes John Zick in the newest issue of Influencemagazine. The mandate is to evangelize the world. The problem is that youth are underrepresented among AG ministers. And the need is to develop the next generation of vocational ministers. That need—how to help youth discern a call to vocational ministry—is the topic of today’s conversation with John Zick. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your h...