What if the future of the church isn’t found in choosing between old and new—but in learning how both can flourish together?

In this episode, Loren is joined by Dwight Zscheile and Blair Pogue for a wide-ranging conversation about their book, Embracing the Mixed Ecology, and what it means to form Christian communities in a changing world.

Drawing on their experience in congregational leadership, theological education, and diocesan innovation, Dwight and Blair make the case for a mixed ecology of church—where inherited congregations, new communities, fresh expressions, digital ministry, and lay-led initiatives work together to embody the gospel. Rather than dismissing institutions or chasing quick fixes, the conversation emphasizes discipleship, listening to neighbors, and adapting church forms without abandoning the substance of the faith.

The episode also explores why activism alone cannot sustain Christian identity, how polarization distorts formation, and why the church must recover practices that shape people into a distinct way of life centered on Jesus.

 

Topics Include

• What a “mixed ecology” of church actually means

• Why inherited churches still matter—and where they fall short

• Fresh expressions, microchurches, and lay-led ministry

• Discipleship vs. political or cultural substitutes for faith

• Listening as the starting point for mission

• Digital ministry as doorway, not replacement

• When and how churches may need to end faithfully

The Rev. Dwight Zscheile, Ph.D. is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology: Inherited and New Forms of Christian Community Flourishing Together (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress, 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the Church in America (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans, 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012) and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025). A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), he has served congregations in Minnesota and Virginia. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

The Rev. Canon Blair Pogue is the Canon for Innovation for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. In that capacity she helps congregations all over the state go deeper in their practice of the Christian faith and rethink how they form disciples and engage the communities surrounding their church. She also runs learning communities for Episcopalians wanting to learn how to form Christian community with neighbors where they live, work, and play. Before joining Bishop Craig Loya’s staff she was the rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul for 16 ½ years, and before that she served two churches in the Diocese of Virginia, with a special focus on Christian formation. She is a graduate of Luther Seminary (D.Min in Congregational Mission and Leadership), Yale Divinity School (M.Div), and Whitman College (B.A.).

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 Their Book: Embracing the Mixed Ecology

🌐 Dwight's Website: https://www.dwightzscheile.com/

📧 Blair's Email: 

🎧 Episodes Referenced: William Harrison

 

Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Dwight Zscheile, Blair Pogue, Embracing the Mixed Ecology, mixed ecology church, fresh expressions, inherited church, church innovation, post-Christian ministry, discipleship formation, lay-led ministry, digital church, future of the church, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.

 

 

What does it mean to remain faithful to a calling when the church itself says no?

In this episode, Martha Tatarnic is joined by Rose Hudson‑Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, for a wide-ranging conversation rooted in her memoir, The Girl from Montego Bay.

Drawing on her journey from a childhood in Jamaica to episcopal leadership in the Church of England, Bishop Rose reflects on poverty, belonging, the discovery of God’s love, and the clarity of call that sustained her through repeated rejection. She speaks candidly about racism in the church, the pressure of being “the first,” and the cost of leadership when institutions lag behind the Spirit.

The conversation also explores motherhood and ministry, Scripture as a lived practice, faith in public life, and what Bishop Rose believes the church most urgently needs now: confident Christians who live their faith beyond the church door.

This episode offers pastoral wisdom and spiritual encouragement for anyone discerning vocation, navigating institutional resistance, or seeking a faith marked by courage, joy, and love.

Topics Include

• Discerning a call without visible role models

• Growing up poor without growing up diminished

• Scripture as a source of belonging and confidence

• Racism, representation, and leadership pressure

• Motherhood and ministry as shared vocation

• Why the church needs confident Christians now

• Faith lived publicly, not defensively

 

The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, CD, MBE was born and raised in Jamaica before coming to the UK to study. Ordained to the priesthood in 1994, in 2007 she was appointed as a Chaplain to Her Late Majesty the Queen and in 2010, became the first female appointed to the position of the 79th Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. In November 2019 she was consecrated as a Bishop in the Church of England and installed in Canterbury Cathedral. In May 2023, Bishop Rose was one of three female bishops to make history by playing a part in the coronation of King Charles lll. Her autobiography, ‘The Girl From Montego Bay’ was published in January 2025. Bishop Rose is in wide demand as a preacher and speaker undertaking engagements both nationally and internationally, as well as making regular appearances in the media.

 

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 Her Book: The Girl from Montego Bay

🌐 Facebook: Bishop of Dover

🎧 Audiobook: Listen for Free

 

Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, Bishop in Canterbury, The Girl from Montego Bay, women in ministry, Black church leadership, calling and vocation, racism in the church, Church of England, confident Christians, faith and public life, memoir theology, Future Christian Podcast, Martha Tatarnic

 

What does it mean to lead faithfully when change is unavoidable—and grief is real?

In this episode, Loren is joined by Rev. Dr. Josh Hayden for a deeply honest conversation about remissioning churches and navigating loss. Drawing from his work with congregations across denominations—and from his own experience of profound personal grief—Josh reflects on what it means to embrace change that is rooted in love, sacrifice, and hope.

Rather than treating renewal as a technical fix, the conversation explores remissioning as a discipleship-centered process that requires dying to old versions of ourselves so new life can emerge. Together, Loren and Josh wrestle with fear, resistance to change, the pace of transformation, and why churches often avoid the very practices that form people to live faithfully through loss.

 

Josh Hayden is the cofounder and copresident of `Iwa Collaborative, which helps leaders fly high and and live low as they lead through change processes in their community. He runs remissioning trainings through `Iwa Collaborative across various denominational, non-denominational, and global networks. Hayden is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia. He has worked and led in nonprofit organizations, church plants, and established churches. He has a doctorate in leadership and organizational change from Duke Divinity School and is the author of Sacred Hope. He serves on the boards of numerous nonprofits, and he and his family live near Richmond, Virginia.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 His Book: Remissioning Church

🌐 Website:  `Iwa Collaborative

🎧 Episode Referenced: Jack Shitama

🎧 Episode Referenced: Angela Gorrell

🎧 Episode Referenced: Andrew Root

 

Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Josh Hayden, remissioning churches, church renewal, church change, leading through grief, discipleship and change, pastoral leadership, Edwin Friedman, family systems theory, cross before resurrection, church revitalization vs remissioning, grief and faith, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.

 

What does it mean to worship faithfully in a digital age when church participation is no longer limited to a physical room?

In this episode, Loren is joined by Michael Huerter to talk about hybrid church, online worship, and how technology is reshaping participation in Christian life. Drawing from Michael’s experience in worship leadership and digital ministry, the conversation explores how the pandemic accelerated changes already underway and why worship has always involved mediation and technology. Loren and Michael discuss common assumptions about online participation, the pressure placed on worship leaders to produce spiritual experiences, and how hybrid models can expand access without reducing worship to consumption. Rather than treating digital worship as a temporary solution or a threat to embodiment, the episode examines how churches can think more carefully about participation, formation, and accessibility in a hybrid context.

Topics include:

• What “hybrid church” actually means

• Why worship has always been mediated

• Assumptions about online participation

• Pressure on worship leaders to perform

• Hybrid worship and accessibility

This episode is a practical conversation for pastors, worship leaders, and church leaders navigating worship in a digital and hybrid age.

Michael Huerter (PhD, Baylor University) is a pastor at Holmeswood Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, where he leads worship and works to build community and connection. As a lifelong church musician and digital native, he is interested in engaging with and contributing to scholarship that bridges the gap between research and practical ministry.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 His Book: The Hybrid Congregation

🎧 Episode Referenced: DOC Roundtable

🎧 Episode Referenced: Andrew Draper

🎧 Episode Referenced: David Taylor

🎧 Episode Referenced: The Pressure to Perform

 

Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Hybrid church, hybrid worship, online worship, digital church, worship technology, mediated worship, worship leadership, participation in worship, embodiment and accessibility, church after COVID, future of worship, Michael Huerter, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.

 

 

What does it mean for a church to thrive when membership is declining, resources feel scarce, and the future is uncertain?

In this episode, Loren is joined by Kory Wilcoxson and Erin Cash to talk about their book, Thriving Church: What We Can Learn from Faithful Congregations, and the real-world practices of congregations navigating change with courage and clarity.

Drawing from years of congregational research and ministry experience, the conversation explores how churches can remain faithful to their calling without being governed by fear, metrics, or nostalgia. Kory and Erin reflect on the importance of grounding ministry in Scripture, revisiting mission and vision regularly, and honoring the past without being constrained by it.

Rather than equating thriving with growth, the episode makes a case for faithfulness, imagination, and adaptability—especially in mainline Protestant contexts where decline is often assumed to be the whole story.

Topics include:

• Why thriving is not the same as numerical growth

• How fear distorts mission—and how clarity restores it

• What it looks like for a church to be both “dying” and thriving

• Honoring history without letting it become a barrier to change

• Why Scripture still matters deeply for faithful congregations

This episode is a grounded, hopeful conversation for pastors and church leaders discerning how to lead well in seasons of transition.

 

Rev. Dr. Kory Wilcoxson has served as the Senior Pastor of Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., since 2009. Prior to moving to Lexington, he served for twelve years as a pastor in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas. Wilcoxson holds degrees from Indiana University ((BA in Speech Communication), Ohio University (MA in Interpersonal Communication), Christian Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity), and Lexington Theological Seminary (Doctor of Divinity). Wilcoxson has served in a number of leadership positions within the Kentucky Region and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination, including moderator of the Kentucky Regional Board, chair of the Board of Directors for the Council on Christian Unity (now the Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry), and member of the Board of Directors for Disciples Home Missions. Wilcoxson is also the executive director of Compassionate Lexington, an organization which seeks to promote the core value of compassion through concrete action. Wilcoxson has two adult daughters: Sydney and Molly. He enjoys reading, running, and rooting on his beloved Cincinnati Reds.

 

Erin Cash is the Project Director for the Thriving Congregations Project at Lexington Theological Seminary.  Prior to this role, Erin served as Director of Admissions at LTS for over 8 years.  She is a graduate of Greenville University in Greenville, IL, Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY. Ordained in 2006, Erin enjoys the opportunities she has to serve in pulpit supply, guest lectures, and as a lay leader in her own congregation. Erin has served as Moderator for the Christian Church In Kentucky, as co-chair of the Local Arrangements team for Regional Assembly, and as co-chair for the Local Arrangements Team of the General Assembly. She also serves as Kentucky’s representative to the General Board, chairing the General Assembly Planning Committee there.  Erin is deeply passionate about the work of the local and the Regional church. She is co-author of the book Thriving Church: What You Can Learn from Faithful Congregations now available from Chalice Press. Erin is part of a clergy couple.  Her husband, Chris, is the Senior Pastor at FCC Georgetown, having formerly served North Middletown Christian Church and Oxford Christian Church.  She is mom to Ella, who is a Junior at Murray State University. In her free time, Erin enjoys baking, hiking, exploring the National Parks, baseball games, and any experience that involves a lake, pool, or the ocean.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📖 Their Book: Thriving Church

🎧 Episode Referenced: DOC Roundtable

🎧 Episode Referenced: Dawn Weaks

🎧 Episode Referenced: Chad Brooks

 

Connect with Future Christian:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Kory Wilcoxson, Erin Cash, Thriving Church book, Thriving Congregations, mainline Protestant churches, church decline, faithful congregations, mission and vision, church leadership, pastoral leadership, Disciples of Christ, Lexington Theological Seminary, fear vs mission, Christian formation, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.

In this year-end episode, Loren Richmond Jr. and Martha Tatarnic reflect on leadership, vulnerability, and the pressures pastors are carrying into the new year.

They discuss how leaders navigate vulnerability in public roles, including the challenge of knowing what to share, what to hold privately, and how unresolved pain can unintentionally shape preaching and leadership. The conversation addresses the tension between honesty and responsibility, especially when leaders are still processing their own questions or struggles.

Loren and Martha also talk about spiritual practices that have become increasingly important to them, particularly shared prayer and the Daily Office as grounding rhythms amid institutional anxiety and uncertainty. They reflect on how decline, fatigue, and pressure to perform can distort leadership, and why steadiness and formation matter when outcomes are unclear.

Topics include:

• Vulnerability and disclosure in pastoral leadership

• The difference between honesty and oversharing

• Prayer and the Daily Office as stabilizing practices

• Institutional anxiety and leadership pressure

• Leading faithfully without clear outcomes

👉 Subscribe to the Future Christian Podcast for ongoing conversations about leadership, theology, and the future of the church.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📱 Future Christian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurechristianpod/

📱 Martha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_tatarnic/

📱 Loren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richmondljr/

🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Dennis Sanders – Producer

 

 

SEO / Keywords

Loren Richmond Jr., Martha Tatarnic, church leadership, pastoral leadership, vulnerability in leadership, spiritual practices, Daily Office, prayer rhythms, Christian formation, ministry fatigue, church decline, institutional anxiety, faith and leadership, pastors and ministry leaders, Future Christian Podcast

What happens when deconstruction becomes an identity—and woundedness becomes a platform?

In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with pastor and writer Tara Beth Leach about the growing online ecosystem where deconstruction is monetized, anger is rewarded, and discipleship is often replaced by endless dismantling.

Tara Beth shares why she believes some deconstruction is necessary (especially as faith matures), but warns that deconstruction without reconstruction can become a spiral that forms people in cynicism rather than hope. She describes how churches can respond to cultural crises without becoming “statement churches,” why partisan politics becomes idolatrous, and how practices like liturgy and theology formation can subvert polarization and re-form the Christian imagination.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Why online deconstruction and local church reality are often very different

• The danger of mistaking deconstruction for discipleship

• How algorithms reward outrage and shape Christian formation

• Why Gen Z is often hungry for embodied, communal faith

• Liturgy and slow formation as a pastoral response in a divided age

• The difference between charisma and character—and what churches celebrate

• Supporting women in ministry: why men often “call out” people who look like them

• Tara Beth’s “G.R.E.A.T.” morning prayer practice and her book The Great Morning Revolution

 

Tara Beth Leach is a pastor, preacher of the Word, and writer. She speaks widely at conferences, retreats, and universities across the country on Women in Ministry, Church Leadership, and the call to be a Radiant Witness. She is the Senior Pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, IL and previously served at Christ Church in Oakbrook and as Senior Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (”PazNaz”) in SoCal. She is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Northern Theological Seminary and has authored three books, including Emboldened and Radiant Church. Tara Beth is the co-founder of Propel Ecclesia and is also the co-host of The Pastors Table podcast. She has two beautiful and rambunctious sons and has been married to the love of her life, Jeff, since 2006.

 

Mentioned Resources:

📱 Find Tara online @TaraBethLeach

🟧 Tara's Substack: https://substack.com/@tarabethleach

🌐 Tara's  Website: https://tarabethleach.com/

🎧 Tara's Podcast: The Pastors Table Podcast

📖 Tara's Book: The Great Morning Revolution

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Kokoro  Join in for heartfelt journeys that challenges the way we see ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Paul Romig–Leavitt – Associate Producer

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Alexander Lang - Production Assistant

 

SEO / Keywords

Tara Beth Leach, deconstruction, discipleship, church hurt, Christian formation, Gen Z church, Christian nationalism, partisan politics idolatry, pastoral leadership, preaching in a divided age, liturgy, school of theology, Christian imagination, cancel culture, call-out culture, family systems theory, Jonathan Haidt Anxious Generation, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr.

What would happen if churches stopped talking about money with guilt, shame, or fear—and started talking about vision, impact, and opportunity instead?

In this episode, Loren interviews Jason Hanselman, Donor Relations Director and longtime pastor, missionary, church planter, and fundraiser. Jason shares why asking people for money is, surprisingly, one of his most deeply spiritual practices, and why churches must rethink the way they talk about giving if they want to cultivate generosity rather than anxiety.

Together they explore:

• Why asking for money can be a spiritual experience for donors and leaders

• How childhood experiences shape our money scripts

• Why guilt-based “money talks” cause people to disengage

• How nonprofits have shifted donor expectations—and why churches must catch up

• How to make giving personal, relational, and meaningful

• Why younger adults don’t lack commitment—they lack invitation and clarity

• How segmenting, storytelling, and vision casting can transform a giving culture

• Why many churches need to simplify their structures, clarify their mission, and make compelling asks

• How capital campaigns can tie internal needs to external impact

Jason offers honest, practical, field-tested wisdom for pastors, stewardship teams, and anyone responsible for raising money in a ministry context. If you want to cultivate a healthier, more joyful, more spiritually grounded approach to giving, this conversation will give you the tools to start.

 

Jason Hanselman currently serves as a Donor Relations Director with Mission Aviation Fellowship. His ministry experience spans more than 25 years. He has led in a variety of capacities in kingdom-building roles as a pastor, missionary, church planter and fundraiser. Jason was born and raised in Denver Colorado where he met his wife Mary - they’ve been married for 32 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Ministry and a Master of Arts degree in Education. Jason’s goal is to partner with other Kingdom minded individuals and churches to raise enough resources to make it possible for them to fund their vision and increase their impact. Jason enjoys spending time with his family on hikes and in art museums. Jason and Mary raised their three children in Boise, Idaho: Naomi (25), Grace (23) and Solomon (20). When he has extra time, Jason is a portrait artist and an avid sports fan.

 

Mentioned Resources:

🌐 Jason's Website: https://fundyourvision.my.canva.site/

📧 Jason's Email: jasonfyv@gmail.com

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Sheryl Johnson

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: JJ Peterson

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Mike Cosper

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Michelle Van Loon

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Kokoro  Join in for heartfelt journeys that challenges the way we see ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Paul Romig–Leavitt – Associate Producer

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Alexander Lang - Production Assistant

 

SEO / Keywords

church fundraising, generosity, stewardship campaign, donor relations, spiritual fundraising, money and faith, church giving, nonprofit fundraising strategies, Mission Aviation Fellowship, fundraising without guilt, money scripts, younger donors church, capital campaign ideas, storytelling for churches, Loren Richmond Jr, Future Christian Podcast

What does youth ministry look like when the world — and young people — are changing faster than ever?

In this in-person episode recorded at Broomfield United Methodist Church, host Loren Richmond Jr. sits down with longtime student ministries director Mike Orr to talk about faith formation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, belonging, spiritual maturity, and what it really means to cultivate community in a post-Christian culture.

With warmth, honesty, and decades of ministry experience, Mike reflects on:

Highlights from the Conversation

• His early spiritual experiences and how actual transformation — not willpower — shaped his faith.

• The surprising power of belonging-first ministry for Gen Z & Gen Alpha.

• Why emotionally coercive youth ministry of the 90s left deep marks — and how churches can do better.

• How to hold space for students with radically different political or cultural views.

• Why youth ministry should never be about indoctrination, but about helping young people own and explore their faith.

• How to handle deconstruction as a natural part of spiritual growth.

• The crisis facing young men — and how to model a healthier version of Christian masculinity.

• Why the future of church isn't about producing spiritual “products,” but creating a context where real faith can flourish.

• The essential role parents play in forming faith, whether they realize it or not.

• His hope for Christianity: “Keep adding leaves to the table. There’s room for everyone.”

This is a rich, grounded conversation about what actually works in youth ministry today — and what kind of church the next generation is longing for.

Mike Orr has been a youth worker since the late 1990's, serving churches in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, California, and Colorado. He earned his MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. For over 10 years he has been the Director of Student Ministries at Broomfield United Methodist Church, located in the northern suburbs of Denver, CO. He lives with his wife and 3 dogs in Denver, CO. He has written zero books. 

 

Mentioned Resources:

🌐 Mike's Church: Broomfield UMC

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Andrew Root

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Quiet Revival

🎧 Mike’s Podcast: Tapestry Talk

 

Presenting Sponsor:

Phillips Seminary Join conversations that expose you to new ideas, deepen your commitment and give insights to how we can minister in a changing world. 

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Kokoro  Join in for heartfelt journeys that challenges the way we see ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Paul Romig–Leavitt – Associate Producer

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Alexander Lang - Production Assistant

 

Keywords / SEO Tags

youth ministry, Gen Z faith, Gen Alpha spirituality, belonging in church, student ministries, Mike Orr Broomfield UMC, Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr, deconstruction and faith, progressive youth ministry, family faith formation, modern youth ministry challenges, Charlie Kirk Christianity, masculinity and church, spiritual formation for teens, church and political identity, Christian nationalism youth, Wesleyan sanctification, teen mental health church

 

 

How can a historic church navigate a rapidly changing world without losing its soul?

In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, host Martha Tatarnic speaks with Archbishop Shane Parker, the newly elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, about leading through transition, discernment, and hope for the church’s future.

Archbishop Parker shares the story of his unexpected election, reflecting on themes of surrender, vocation, and guiding change rather than being changed by circumstance. Together, they explore what it means to lead faithfully in a post-Christian context—one where the church no longer holds cultural prominence but still holds deep spiritual purpose.

They discuss:

• The evolving role of Christianity in Canadian society

• What it means to be “first among equals” in Anglican leadership

• The spiritual practice of personal prayer and community intercession

• Why some leaders are called to stay instead of move on

• The challenge of guiding change before it overtakes the church

• How to reimagine church structures for relevance and sustainability

• The importance of friendship, pastoral care, and gathered community in thriving congregations

• His hope that the future of Christianity will embody the courage, compassion, and justice of Christ

Parker offers both realism and hope: that the Anglican Church can rediscover its vitality by focusing on community, worship, and service — not nostalgia or institutional weight.

Archbishop Shane Parker was elected the 15th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada on June 26, 2025, and installed on June 29, 2025, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario. Prior to being elected Primate, he had served as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa since 2020. Before that, he was dean of the Diocese of Ottawa and rector of Christ Church Cathedral for two decades. Born to Irish parents in Edmonton, Alberta, he grew up in western Canada. He worked as a labourer for several years before embarking on undergraduate and graduate studies in sociology at Carleton University. After working as a professional sociologist, he studied theology at Saint Paul University. He was ordained as a priest in 1987 in the Diocese of Ottawa, later serving as the diocesan archdeacon.  Parker has an honorary doctorate from Saint Paul University, where he has served as a part-time professor of pastoral ministry and chairs its Anglican Studies Advisory Committee. A collection of his pastoral essays was published by Novalis in a book called Answering the Big Questions. He is a recipient of the Interfaith Ottawa Award, for devoted service to promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Parker is married to Katherine Shadbolt, a lawyer specializing in family law and mediation. He has three adult children and three grandchildren. He is handy, enjoys physical work and is most comfortable in natural places.

 

Mentioned Resources:

🌐 The Anglican Church of Canada: https://www.anglican.ca/

 

Presenting Sponsor:

Phillips Seminary Join conversations that expose you to new ideas, deepen your commitment and give insights to how we can minister in a changing world. 

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Kokoro  Join in for heartfelt journeys that challenges the way we see ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Paul Romig–Leavitt – Associate Producer

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Alexander Lang - Production Assistant