Imaginatively Missional
Welcome to The Ephesiology Podcast series on the church! Join us as we explore the dynamics of the early Christian movement and its relevance for today’s church. Through biblical, historical, and missiological insights, we’ll uncover what it means to be part of a movement that transforms lives and communities. Whether you’re a church leader, planter, or simply curious about how to make disciples and multiply healthy churches, this series will inspire you to think deeply about the church’s mission in the 21st century. Let’s journey together to discover how we can align with the movement God started in the New Testament.
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew Johnson shares an update as the podcast enters a short hiatus. While the hosts are away on assignment, Andrew invites you to revisit the rich archive of over 200 episodes—conversations that continue to challenge, encourage, and shape how we do theology in community. Looking ahead to 2026, …
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew Johnson, Michael, and guest Lance Ford delve into the themes of church leadership, the disconnect between leadership and the body of Christ, and the systemic issues that plague modern church structures. They discuss the impact of Lance's book, 'The Atlas Factor,' which emphasizes the need for a …
Continue reading "Episode 216: A Shift in Leadership Paradigms with Lance Ford"
In this episode of the Ephesiology podcast, Andrew, Michael, and Matt are visited again by Mark Thiessen Nation, exploring the profound impact of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and writings on contemporary Christianity. In this episode, our hosts talk to Mark about the dangers of nationalism within the church. They discuss the importance of robust discipleship, the …
Continue reading "Episode 215: Bonhoeffer and Nationalism with Mark Thiessen Nation"
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew Johnson, Michael, and Matt Till engage with Dr. Steve Bezner, exploring the implications of Bonhoeffer's theology for contemporary church leadership. They discuss the importance of maintaining a distinct Christian identity in a politically charged environment, the role of pastors in shepherding their congregations, and the need for …
Continue reading "Episode 214: Bonhoeffer the Pastor with Steve Bezner"
In this episode of the Ephesiology podcast, Andrew, Matt, and Michael welcome Watson Jones III, an executive pastor in Chicago, to discuss the current climate of shepherding in the city. They explore the challenges faced by the church in light of social issues, the historical context of the church's role in society, and the shifts …
Continue reading "Episode 213: Ministering in Chicago with Watson Jones III"
In this episode of the Ephesiology podcast, Andrew, Michael, and Matt engage with Dr. Wes Watkins to explore the dynamics of church movements, the importance of understanding movements in a contemporary context, and the integration of Motus Dei with Missio Dei. They discuss the characteristics of movements, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the …
Continue reading "Episode 212: Reactivating the Church as Movement"
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Dr. Ralph Korner discusses the concept of ekklesia, its historical context, and its implications for the modern church. He emphasizes the importance of community, social justice, and the church's role in society, arguing against a separatist mentality and advocating for active engagement with the world. The conversation explores …
Continue reading "Episode 211: Rethinking Ekklesia with Dr. Ralph Korner"
On this episode of The Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael sit down Dr. Emanuel Prinz—researcher, author, practitioner, professor, and soon-to-be PhD in International Theological Education. With stories of rebel leaders laying down their weapons and whole villages turning to Christ, Emanuel invites us into a world where communal conversion, catalytic leadership, and the slow work of …
Continue reading "Episode 195: What Actually Starts Movements with Emanuel Prinz"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael are joined again by Pastor Caleb Campbell, author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor as they discuss what it means to be the Church in a moment of extreme political and cultural division? Together, they wrestle with the pastoral challenges of shepherding congregations split …
Merry Christmas and Happy Advent! In this final Ephesiology Podcast episode of 2024, Andrew and Michael reflect on the joy and meaning of the Christmas season, share highlights from the year—including the Make Disciples series, the success of the PhD Scholarship Drive, and exciting updates like a forthcoming Spanish translation of Ephesiology—and offer a glimpse into 2025 plans, including new …
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael are stepping into something truly transformative: an opportunity to empower global theological education. Michael returns from an exciting research trip to Asia Minor, sharing insights about the early church while introducing an unprecedented initiative—providing scholarships for PhD students in the Majority World to equip and raise …
On this episode of The 10-Minute Ephesiologist, Dr. Michael T. Cooper unpacks the challenges missionaries face when theological education feels too academic or even pride-inducing, leaving them unprepared for real-world ministry. Dr. Cooper proposes a new, balanced approach to training—one that blends intellectual depth with practical skills and a humble heart for service. Could this model …
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael conclude a multi-part series entitled This Political Moment with author and pastor Caleb Campbell. His recent book, Disarming Leviathan, discusses the complexities of Christian nationalism. Caleb shares the journey behind his book, opening up about his struggle with cultural polarization within his church and the relational …
Continue reading "Episode 186: Caleb Campbell’s Disarming Leviathan"
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael continue a multi-part series entitled This Political Moment by exploring the kingdom of God and its political implications. We are joined once more by retired missionary Dr. Ron Hesselgrave and missionary Jim Baker for the final discussion in the series . Together, they explore Patrick …
Continue reading "Episode 185: The Way of the Lion and the Lamb"
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael continue a multi-part series This Political Moment by exploring of the kingdom of God and its political implications. Joined again by Dr. Ron Hesselgrave and Jim Baker, the discussion takes a deep dive into Patrick Schreiner's Political Gospel: Public Witness in a Politically Crazy World. …
Continue reading "Episode 184: Reimagining Politics with the Early Church"
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael conclude the discussion on the concept of adaptive ecclesiology by exploring how the early church adapted to various cultural contexts while preserving its core meaning. Join us as we examine the crucial distinction between form and meaning, and how adapting the church to different cultures can help it …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael dive more deeply into adaptive ecclesiology, discussing how the Church can mirror Christ in every culture. We’ll explore how the early Church adapted to its cultural contexts—and what that means for us today. Stay with us as we unpack how churches can move from captive methodologies to adaptive, …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael begin to explore the concept of adaptive ecclesiology, challenging the traditional view of the church as a static institution. They dive into how the early church, rooted in the teachings of Jesus, adapted to different cultural contexts, showing that the true essence of the ekklesia is the gathering …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael continue emphasizing how important it is for us to understand Jesus primarily from who He describes Himself to be. Unpacking the paradigm of Christiology-Missiology-Ecclesiology, our podcasters discuss how our view of Jesus informs the manner in which we engage the world and what His people look like as …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael catch up after recent travels to South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Among other topics, Michael shares about the significance of archaeology for the study of the New Testament movement and invites listeners to join him on an upcoming research trip to Asia Minor. Learn more about …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael are joined by Jeff Christopherson, again. Jeff updates us on the reception of his book, Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church. He gives us more of the context and birth of the book which came out of his interactions with 1600 churches during COVID. To …
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael are joined by Will Plitt to discuss the work of Christ Together in the United States. Join us for this fascinating conversation about the state of Christianity in America and the ways in which churches are working together to make Christ known. Will shares about the missiological and …
Continue reading "Episode 166: Christ Together with Will Plitt"
On this Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael are joined by Brian Sanders to talk about some early findings from his research on church networking in central Florida. Brian is a social entrepreneur who has helped start hundreds of missional enterprises. He is the founder and former executive director of Tampa Underground. Join us for a …
Continue reading "Episode 164: The Church on Mission with Brian Sanders"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, author and co-founder of a ministry focused on trauma healing, Evan Owens, joins Andrew and Michael to discuss mental health in the church. Evan shares how psychology is catching up with what we know about the importance of long-term relationships for personal well-being versus one-hour counseling sessions. One …
Continue reading "Episode 142: The Church and Mental Health"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we catch up with Heath Haynes, movement director of the Bridge: HTX. Heath shares about the life of the church after the pandemic and how the Lord used the pandemic to bring clarity to their work in Houston. A part of the clarity has been the implementation of …
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we catch up with Daniel Yang. Daniel is the Director of the Billy Graham Center's Church Multiplication Institute at Wheaton College. Join Andrew and Michael as they talk with Daniel about the future of church multiplication, the influence of the generations, and the impact of the pandemic on …
Continue reading "Episode 129: Church Multiplication with Daniel Yang"
Happy New Year! We are back with our first podcast of 2023 and one of our favorite guests: Jeff Christopherson. Join us as Andrew and Michael (if he stays awake after returning from South Asia) talk with Jeff about church planting in Canada and his new book, Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western …
Continue reading "Episode 128: Once You See with Jeff Christopherson"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast we hear from Chad Clarkson who shares about his conviction of partnership. It was out of such a conviction that the Houston Church Planting Network was born. With a heart for uniting the body of Christ, Chad discusses how it is possible for churches from different denominational background …
Continue reading "Episode 124: The Houston Church Planting Network with Chad Clarkson"
On this Ephesiology Podcast we are joined by the Send Networks' director of the equipping team for regional directors of church planting. An experienced church planter, Charles Campbell joins Andrew and Michael to share about the church planting efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Send Network partners with 4,400 SBC churches to multiple churches …
Continue reading "Episode 123: The Send Network with Charles Campbell"
On this Ephesiology Podcast we are joined by the director of church planting for the Summit Collaborative. Clayton Greene shares with Andrew and Michael the lessons they are learning about starting churches that multiply. Currently, the Summit Collaborative has seen 69 churches begin across the US on their way to 1,000 churches globally. Join us …
Continue reading "Episode 121: The Summit Collaborative with Clayton Greene"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael sit down with Craig Whitney, Vice President of Church Multiplication with Stadia Church Planting. Craig states, "Growth is good. Multiplication is better" as we consider what is necessary to transition from church planting to church multiplication. Along the way, Craig shares that most church plants …
Continue reading "Episode 118: Growth is Good, Multiplication is Better"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew, Matt, and Michael discuss a recent survey revealing that the majority of US pastors believe people in their congregations lack commitment. At the core of the survey is the gap between the pulpit and the pew. It's reminiscent of the classic story of the monkey and the …
Continue reading "Ep 117: The Pessimistic Perception of Pastoral Ministry"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew, Matt, and Michael are joined by Dr. Scott Manor, president of Knox Theological Seminary to discuss theological education and the church. Accessibility is one of the major issues confronting seminaries around the country. Innovative seminaries are stepping away from the traditional campus model and taking seminary to …
Continue reading "Ep 115: Theological Education for the Church"
On this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we begin a multi-part series on theological education. In part one, we focus in on church planters and theological education. While enrollment in theological education is at an all-time high, according to the Association of Theological Schools, the question remains whether or not seminary is still relevant. We …
Continue reading "Ep 114: Church Planters and Theological Education"
Peyton Jones joins us on this Ephesiology Podcast to talk about his latest book, Church Plantology: The Art and Science of Church Planting. We talk about church starting versus church planting as well as current trends focusing on marketing the church. No discussion about church planting is incomplete without a conversation about APEST. Peyton dives …
Continue reading "Ep 107: The Art and Science of Planting Churches"
We continue in our series After Evangelicalism, What? with the provocative topic of church planting. Starting new churches has long been considered one of the most strategic methods of evangelism. However, with more churches closing than starting in 2019, we rightly reconsider its strategic nature. Should we plant a church where the church is already …
Continue reading "Ep 95: Church Planting Where the Church is Planted?"
The events in Washington D.C. last Wednesday were troubling and tragic. The political, economic, and societal turmoil in the United States continue to find new expressions in 2021. While we all have high hopes for the new year, the reality of Wednesday's shocking display of utter disregard for the democrat process makes us wonder if …
Continue reading "Ep 70: Crisis at the Capitol, Crisis in the Church"
Contemporary church leadership tends to model itself after various social structures of leadership whether in business or politics. The DNA of the New Testament church looked altogether different as Jesus instituted a leadership style that was counter-cultural and unique for His church. Join Matt, Andrew, and Michael as they continue to discuss the non-hierarchical leadership …
Continue reading "Ep 68: The Non-Hierarchical Leadership of the New Testament Church"
Leadership is one of the most important issues confronting the church today. In this podcast, Andrew, Matt, and Michael address the distinction between hierarchical and flat leadership. A discussion originating with a recent blog on the topic, Michael focuses attention on how the Trinity is a model for the body of Christ and how Jesus …
Continue reading "Ep 66: The Dark Side of Hierarchical Leadership"
On this week's Ephesiology Podcast, Michael talks with Jeff Christopherson about his upcoming course on Church Planting. Jeff brings years of experience and wisdom from his career as a serial church planter. The course, based on his book Kingdom Matrix, focuses on equipping church planters in fundamentals based upon Kingdom concepts. Jeff explains that church …
Today on the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew and Michael catch up with Brad Watson from Soma. In June, Andrew, Michael, and Brad talked about the impact of the pandemic on Soma's work in LA County. The extreme lockdown had produced positive results as they reached their community with the gospel. It's been four months and we …
What will the sermon look like in a post COVID-19 world? We talk about this subject with Russell Cravens, lead pastor of Neartown Church in Houston, Texas. As the sermon developed historically and became the central focus of the church in an illiterate world, how should it change in a largely biblically illiterate world today? …
As churches and ministry leaders face a shocking new reality in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a pathway forward on meeting the spiritual needs of our congregations and finding creative ways to remain on mission for the Kingdom are needed now. Join Matt as he shares more about resources he has used at Restoration Church. …
Continue reading "Ep 43: A Missiologically Theocentric Micro-Church"
Are buildings, butts in seats, and bucks the measure of success for the church today? What about transformation of lives resulting in cultural impact? Join us as we continue our conversation on the state of the church in America. Keelan Cook joins our podcast to help us think through the shift needed for gospel impact. …
Continue reading "Ep 29: The State of the Church in America – Part 2"
What is the state of the church in America? Join our podcasters as they reflect on their participation at a recent Church Planting think tank held at Wheaton College with the Send Institute. In spite of the decline of the church in the US, there is hope for a future movement of multiplying disciples. To …
Continue reading "Ep 25: The State of the Church in America"
What is the church? This is the third installment of a three part series that explores ecclesiology. Join Matt, Andrew, and Michael in a discussion on how Ephesiology impacts our thinking about the church. Search "Ephesiology" on your preferred podcast app.
What is the church? This is the second installment of a three part series that explores ecclesiology. Join Matt, Andrew, and Michael in a discussion on how Ephesiology impacts our thinking about the church. Search "Ephesiology" on your preferred podcast app.
What is the church? This is the first of a three part series that explores ecclesiology. Join Matt, Andrew, and Michael in a discussion on how Ephesiology impacts our thinking about the church. Search "Ephesiology" on your preferred podcast app.
Join us as we engage in a community dialogue about a church planting movement in the New Testament. This is part three of a series addressing what many are calling the “legacy church.” In this episode, our podcasters drill down on diagnostic questions for the legacy church and unpack the concept of being disciples. To comment …
Continue reading "Ep 7: The Legacy Church and Movement Making, Part 3"
Critics of CPM say that advocates practice eisegesis; they read into the biblical text something that is not there. Learn about this and more as we discuss the evidence for a church planting movement in the Book of Acts. To comment on this episode and future episodes, be sure to login. Discussion Forum Find us …
Join us for this interesting discussion on the characteristics of a legacy church and of a church planting movement. What differentiates the two and what needs to happen to see a legacy church take on the identity of a movement? These and other topics are the focus on the second part of our three part …
Continue reading "Ep 3: The Legacy Church and Movement Making, Part 2"
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