Life Jacket: A Filmmaker's Journey Into the Refugee Crisis | Faten Alfaraj

Life Jacket: A Filmmaker's Journey Into the Refugee Crisis | Faten Alfaraj

In this episode, host Gordon Showell-Rogers speaks with Jordanian-Canadian filmmaker Faten Alfaraj, the producer and director of the award-winning documentary Life Jacket. Faten shares her journey from Jordan to Canada — a leap of faith that left her well-established life behind — and how that experience of chosen displacement gave her unexpected empathy for those who had no choice. She takes us to the island of Lesbos, Greece, where she spent two weeks filming inside the notorious Moria refugee camp, one of the most overcrowded camps on earth. Through conversations with Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan refugees, she encountered stories of unimaginable loss, extraordinary resilience, and a deep, cross-cultural trust in God as the ultimate "life jacket." We hear about the film's three-layered title, a woman who witnessed her entire village massacred by ISIS, children who smiled despite trauma, and the missionaries and organisations quietly sharing hope on the ground. Faten also reflects on what fifteen years in Canada have taught her about belonging, identity, and the citizenship that matters most.

There is Hope for Kenya | Bp. Dr. David Oginde

What does it take to lead with integrity in a culture where leadership is often viewed as a pathway to power, status, and personal gain? In this episode, we sit down with Bishop Dr David Oginde—former bishop, leadership scholar, consultant, and now Chairperson of Kenya's Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. David shares his remarkable journey from studying architecture to spending decades in student ministry, church leadership, leadership development, and eventually stepping into one of the most challenging public roles in Kenya. We explore why leadership begins with self-awareness, how identity shapes integrity, and what happens when leaders pursue influence for what they can get rather than what they can give. David also offers practical insights from his leadership training work, including his powerful framework: Know Yourself. Accept Yourself. Appreciate Yourself. The conversation then turns to corruption, ethics, and public service. David reflects on the realities of combating corruption, the risks involved, and why he still believes transformation is possible. 01:01 Introduction and Background 01:23 From Architecture to Ministry 02:31 Eleven Years with FOCUS 03:01 Becoming a Bishop 03:25 Transition During the Pandemic 04:12 Academic Journey in Leadership 05:18 Life Lessons in Leadership 06:54 Training the Next Generation 08:07 The Catalead Consultancy 08:50 High Impact Leader Program 10:13 Building Leadership Muscles 10:29 Growing Leadership Capital 11:28 Leadership Without a Title 12:39 Changing the Tide in Africa 13:38 Leadership for Impact Not Gain 14:27 Sacrificing Status for Service 16:55 Leadership Crisis in the Church 18:13 Empowering Through Self Confidence 19:01 Biblical Foundation of Leadership 19:40 Know Accept Appreciate Yourself 22:21 Identity and Material Possessions 23:02 Corruption and Self-Worth 24:13 Leading the Anti-Corruption Commission 26:09 From Leadership Studies to Government 27:59 The Appointment Process 29:14 Parliamentary Vetting on Live TV 29:35 Inside the Fight Against Corruption 30:28 Global Corruption Networks 31:28 Dangers of the Role 32:15 Recent Attack on Staff 33:25 Why Take This Risk 34:22 Life with Bodyguards 35:02 Committed Young Investigators 37:43 Hope for Kenya's Future 38:13 Prayer and Divine Intervention 39:39 The Jericho Strategy 40:34 David Facing Goliath 41:00 Closing Prayers and Gratitude

Living With Grief in Everyday Life | Adrian Blenkinsop

Gordon interviews Adrian Blenkinsop of Access the Story in Adelaide, which runs the Junction cafe op shop and supports scripture engagement and youth mental health, and also houses Converge Oceania. Adrian describes the “Your Story” nationwide Australian research (439 respondents aged 16–20 connected to Christian contexts) exploring influences shaping young people’s experience of God, highlighting that faith is complex and non-linear. He reports churches help most when they welcome young people, respect their agency, and allow doubts and questions, and harm when they misuse power or act coercively; he shares examples including a same-sex attracted young person welcomed by a small church. Reports are free at convergeoceania.com, with schools and churches applying findings (e.g., longer home groups, mapping relational ecosystems, and eight faith trajectories). Adrian also recounts his daughter Imogen’s death from brain cancer at 13, his anger and lament toward God, grief as waves where joy and sorrow coexist, and his critique of Christians offering simplistic “God’s plan” answers instead of presence and practical support. 00:40 Reconnecting in Goa 01:42 What Access the Story Does 02:33 Junction Cafe Op Shop 03:10 Converge Oceania Overview 03:52 Your Story Research Origins 05:38 Church at Its Best 09:08 Beyond In or Out Faith 10:14 Young People Stepping Away 13:47 Who Was Surveyed 15:20 Negative Influences Power 19:21 Reports Without Prescriptions 20:29 Early Responses in Schools 21:00 Home Groups After Lunch 22:29 Faith Grows Relationally 23:04 Eight Faith Trajectories 24:00 Discipling With Small Teams 25:08 Imogen’s Cancer Story 27:54 Anger Lament and Faith 30:44 Grief and Joy Together 33:43 When Christians Get It Wrong 37:36 Jesus the Alongsider 40:50 Staggering Forward

Children Are the Hope of the Nation | Michelle Tolentino

Michelle Sheba Tolentino explains her middle name’s origin from the biblical Queen of Sheba and discusses her work with vulnerable children through the Global Children’s Forum and as catalyst for the Lausanne Movement’s Children at Risk Issue Network, which since 2010 has emphasized children as co-laborers in God’s mission. She defines “children at risk” as those under 18 exposed to poverty, war, exploitation, child labor, trafficking, and online sexual exploitation, noting a 2015 study that eight in ten Filipino children experienced violence and an IJM estimate of 500,000 children impacted by online sexual exploitation. Tolentino shares growing up in Metro Manila slums amid poverty, abuse, and community drug addiction, and founding Made in Hope in 2011 to support women survivors of sex trafficking and their children through livelihood, leadership, spiritual formation, child support, prevention training, prayer practices, and government partnerships, while advocating for churches to welcome survivors with patience. 00:51 Origin of Sheba 01:55 Global Children’s Forum 02:17 Lausanne Children at Risk 03:45 Defining Vulnerable Children 05:35 Calling and Early Ministry 07:13 Growing Up at Risk 10:34 Violence and Exploitation Stats 12:43 Made in Hope Programs 15:24 Breaking the Cycle for Kids 17:55 Radio Show by Children 20:12 Kids On Corruption 20:52 Called To The Work 22:54 Restoring Voice And Power 24:37 Why Churches Feel Unsafe 26:43 Becoming A Welcoming Church 28:32 Culture Pets And Affluence 29:24 Signs Of Hope And Prevention 31:41 Prayer Practices For Resilience 34:11 Mobilizing Government And Policy 36:32 Lament Perseverance And Emmanuel 39:28 Let The Children Come

Fearlessly Exposing the Deceptions of Islam | Harun Ibrahim

Gordon interviews Harun Ibrahim, founder of Al Hayat Ministries and Al Hayat TV, a 24/7 Christian channel and online ministry using satellite, social media, websites, chat tools, music, worship, apologetics, and Bible teaching to reach unreached people groups in 12 languages, especially within the Muslim world. Harun, born into a secular Muslim family in Jerusalem and fluent in Arabic and Hebrew, describes a period of atheism before encountering Jesus through reading John’s Gospel and praying to accept Christ on March 31, 1985. He contrasts Islamic ritual prayer with conversational Christian prayer and centers his mission on John 14:6. Discussing his book “Sharing Jesus, Shaking Islam,” he explains his aim to expose what he calls Islam’s deception, contrasting Quranic claims about Jesus with New Testament witnesses, recounting opposition, and urging Muslims to read the New Testament and Christians to pray for Muslims. 00:51 Meet Harun Ibrahim 01:08 Al Hayat Mission 01:41 Unreached Languages 04:02 Jerusalem Roots 04:36 Why Shaking Islam 06:00 Secular Muslim Years 08:20 Meeting Jesus 11:17 New Life in Christ 14:15 Prayer Reimagined 17:27 Jesus the Only Way 20:48 I Am Claim Explained 21:48 Islam as Deception 21:55 Quran Versus Gospel 22:57 Witnesses To Crucifixion 24:13 Quran Jesus Debate 25:15 Backlash And Forgiveness 26:30 Shaking Islam Explained 28:50 Hadith On Aisha 29:22 Call To Missions 31:33 Radio To Al Hayat 33:29 Pioneering Media Apologetics 34:26 God Is Love Contrast 36:24 Book And Resources 36:53 Final Message And Prayer