In this episode, Brady and Andrew sit down to talk about Brady's newest book "Life-Minded," and the challenge of unity.

On this episodes hosts Andrew Arndt and Daniel Grothe have a conversation with Jared Patrick Boyd, a pastor, spiritual director, and founding director of the Order of the Common Life. In this conversation, the trio dive into Jared’s complex origin story of church and the Christian ‘story.,’ as well as the topic of Christian deconstruction — and how a study of theology and contemplative prayer brought him back to a deeper need for the love of God. 

Host: Andrew Arndt

Co-Host: Daniel Grothe

Guest: Jared Patrick Boyd (see below for info on Jared’s upcoming book)

BOOK: Finding Freedom in Constraint

BOOK INFO: https://www.ivpress.com/finding-freedom-in-constraint

PRESS KIT: https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Press-Kits/A0431-press.pdf

EXCERPT: https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A0431-excerpt.pdf

• Visit his website at jaredpatrickboyd.com.
• Follow him on X (Twitter): @BoydJared
• Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaredpatrickboyd/

On this brief episode of Essential Church, Andrew and Rory sit down with Brit Windel a pastor and church planter from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Brit shares the story of Daybreak Church, a church that is ‘making much of Jesus’ and serving the city. Brit’s story is one of faithfulness, longevity and serving. 

Host: Andrew Arndt 

Co-Host: Rory Green

Guests: Brit Windel

Producer: Briggs Boyd

On this week’s episode Andrew and Daniel are joined by Ken Tanner, Pastor of Church of the Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Ken takes the time to wade through his own story of life and maturity, as well as the complexities of living a life devoted to ministry(2:30). Much of Ken’s life and ministry is wrapped up in the great journey he took through traditional charismatic church, into the great traditions of the church across history (17:09). The episode wraps with ken sharing three words of prophetic encouragement for the American Church(36:33).

Host: Andrew Arndt

Co-Host: Daniel Grothe

Guests: Ken Tanner

Producer: Briggs Boyd

Greg is a former university president and pastor, and Andrew and Daniel start a conversation around how to sustain longevity in ministry (01:18).  The trio lean into a discussion around Sabbath and work, and the reciprocal relationship they hold for pastoral faithfulness (11:05). The pod wraps up with an emphasis on the pastoral relationships we need to carry (29:00. 

Host: Andrew Arndt

Co-Host: Daniel Grothe 

Guests: Greg Waybright

Producer: Briggs Boyd

Andrew and Geoff Holsclaw sit down to discuss how the field of neuroscience and spiritual formation intersect in the life of faith (3:43). Andrew and Geoff go on to discuss how these new fields of combined study can actually help people who are beginning to wrestle with, or even deconstruct their faith (12:45). A rabbit trail about attachment theory and how it potentially relates to our experience of God, round out the episode (30:10).

Host: Andrew Arndt 

Guests: Geoff Holsclaw

Producer: Briggs Boyd

Andrew Arndt and Daniel Grothe are joined by a New Life congregation member and author Bri Stensrud to talk about the complexities and challenges of what it looks like to “meet the strangers at our gates.” (01:35) The trio discuss how this issue moves far beyond simply a social or political issue, Bri helps guide a discussion around immigration and caring for the foreigner and its biblical roots. (10:54). The last stretch of this episode includes both the practical and the personal ways we can all get involved in this conversation. (29:45)

Host: Andrew Arndt

Co-Host: Daniel Grothe

Guests: Bri Stensrud

Producer: Briggs Boyd 

For pastors/churches:

Evangelical Immigration Table

World Relief

For laypeople:

Women of Welcome

Books: 

Start with Welcome 

The Bible and Borders 

Welcoming the Stranger

Find Bri: Instagram 

Andrew and special guest, Derek Vreeland have a detailed discussion around Derek’s new book Centering Jesus: How the Lamb of God Transforms Our Communities, Ethics, and Spiritual Lives. One of the core values of Essential Church is that Jesus is at the center, and this is exactly what Derek’s book reveals — from the book of Revelation, the COVID pandemic, and the power of unity (02:22). At the crux of Derek’s book is the metaphor of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the multitude of ways that metaphor is fleshed out through Jesus’ life (15:34). This conversation lands by discussing how prayer is the ultimate act of seeing Jesus at the center of all things (24:22).

Host: Andrew Arndt

Guests: Derek Vreeland

Producer: Briggs Boyd

Derek Vreeland’s books — https://derekvreeland.com/books/ (https://derekvreeland.com/books/)