Building Bridges in a Divided World - Bishop Robert Stearns | Faithly Podcast

Building Bridges in a Divided World - Bishop Robert Stearns | Faithly Podcast

Today on the Faithly Podcast, Rev. Adam Durso is joined by Bishop Robert Stearns, founder and executive director of Eagles’ Wings, for a wide-ranging conversation on faith and leadership, exploring the responsibility of Christians to engage the world with both conviction and compassion. Drawing from more than three decades of ministry, Bishop Stearns reflects on the experiences that shaped his calling—from a life-changing trip to Israel in his early twenties to becoming a respected voice in Christian-Jewish relations, leadership development, and public engagement. Along the way, he shares how a simple decision to say “yes” to God opened doors he never could have planned for himself. Together, Rev. Adam and Bishop Stearns explore the growing challenges facing both the Church and society at large, from biblical illiteracy and social media-driven polarization to the ever-present temptation to retreat into ideological echo chambers. Rather than responding with fear, Bishop Stearns offers a compelling vision for bridge-building—one rooted in genuine relationships, historical understanding, and a commitment to seeing the image of God in every person. Website: https://eagleswings.org/ [https://eagleswings.org/] 00:00 Introduction: The Danger of Social Media Echo Chambers 00:25 A Friendship Forged in Ministry 01:29 Bishop Stearns' Journey: From Youth Camp to Global Ambassador 06:40 The Birth of Eagles Wings Ministry 09:17 Why Israel Matters: Beyond Politics to Biblical Identity 13:08 The Rise of Anti-Semitism and the Fight for Human Dignity 14:54 Breaking Out of Echo Chambers: The Power of Humanizing Conversations 16:55 Empathy Without Truth: The Gen Z Challenge 19:04 Israel Advocacy Day: Christians and Jews Standing Together 24:21 The Israel Christian Nexus: Training Modern-Day Daniels 26:00 Hope in the Midst of Shaking: An Awakening is Coming 27:51 A Charge to Leaders: Dream Big, Get Uncomfortable, Say Yes 29:57 Getting Connected: How to Join the Movement Follow us on social media: Website: https://faithly.co/ [https://faithly.co/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/ [https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/ [https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/] X: https://x.com/faithlyco [https://x.com/faithlyco]

NYC’s Surprising Openness to the Gospel - Guy Wasko | Faithly Podcast

In today’s episode of the Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee  is joined by Guy Wasko, Executive Director of FOR.NYC, for a thought-provoking discussion on church unity and the unique opportunities facing the Church in New York City today. Guy reflects on his journey from a childhood call to ministry to planting a church in Manhattan’s East Village, sharing both the joys and challenges of building community in one of the world’s most transient cities. Along the way, he offers honest insights into sustaining ministry through seasons of change, disappointment, and growth. Their conversation also explores the vision behind FOR.NYC, a citywide movement dedicated to equipping leaders and fostering collaboration, helping churches work together to meet the needs of their communities. Through stories of churches uniting during times of crisis and addressing emerging challenges such as mental health among Gen Z, Guy highlights the powerful impact that can happen when congregations move beyond their individual walls and embrace a shared mission. Website: https://www.for.nyc/ [https://www.for.nyc/] 00:00 Introduction: The Calling to New York City 01:01 Guy's Story: From Broken Beginnings to Ministry Calling 04:38 The Path to New York: Relationships and Divine Timing 06:04 Falling in Love with the East Village 08:00 Seasons of Shaping: Highs, Lows, and God's Provision 13:07 Staying Rooted: Calling, Rest, and Community 15:26 Why Church Unity Matters: Theological and Practical Reasons 18:07 Introducing For NYC: A City Gospel Movement 21:04 Stories of Impact: From Hurricane Sandy to Mental Health Ministry 24:32 Getting Involved: Starting Networks and Building Unity 28:32 National Movement: Every City Coalition 32:03 Hope for NYC: Open Hearts and Growing Faith Follow us on social media: Website: https://faithly.co/ [https://faithly.co/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/ [https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/ [https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/] X: https://x.com/faithlyco [https://x.com/faithlyco]

The Surprising Lessons Amazon Taught Me About Faith and Tech - Chris Lim | Faithly Podcast

In this episode of the Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee is joined by Christopher Lim, founder of TheoTech and Spiffio, to explore what happens when a passion for technology collides with a calling to serve the global Church. Chris reflects on his journey from studying computer science and working at Amazon to building technology designed specifically to serve gospel-centered mission. Along the way, he shares the personal and spiritual challenges of leaving behind stability, status, and professional success in order to pursue a deeper sense of calling and dependence on God. Together, Alicia and Chris unpack the rapidly evolving world of church technology—from AI and “vibe coding” to multilingual accessibility and prayer-focused platforms—and explore how these tools can empower ordinary believers to participate more actively in ministry and innovation. At the center of the conversation is a compelling question: what if technology was designed not merely for profit or efficiency, but with God as the customer? Website: https://www.spf.io [https://www.spf.io] (00:21) Welcome to The Faithly Podcast (01:13) Programming, Computer Science, and Machine Translation (02:34) A Desire to Use Technology for the Gospel (05:49) What If God Is the Customer? (06:14) Leaving Amazon to Pursue Technology Entrepreneurship for the Gospel (08:42) Identity, Status, and the Cost of Obedience (11:56) Ceaseless and Building Technology for Prayer (14:09) Building Church Tech and Learning Through the Marketplace (19:29) The Unique Opportunity of AI and Vibe Coding (25:55) What Spiffio Does for Churches (30:20) Serving Multilingual Congregations (35:16) The Redemption of Technology and the Global Gospel Follow us on social media: Website: https://faithly.co/ [https://faithly.co/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/ [https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/ [https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/] X: https://x.com/faithlyco [https://x.com/faithlyco]

Special 5: The Imperfect CEO - Jimmy Mellado | Faithly Podcast

What actually creates a healthy organizational culture, and why does it matter so much? In this episode of The Imperfect CEO, Rev. Adam Durso and Jim Brown welcome Jimmy Mellado, President and CEO of Compassion International, for a rich conversation on leadership, trust, and the kind of culture that helps both people and mission thrive. Rather than stepping into leadership with a need to immediately change everything, Jimmy reflects on approaching Compassion with a posture of listening first—learning the culture, understanding the people, and discerning what God was already doing before attempting to lead organizational change. From there, the discussion unpacks how healthy culture is intentionally built through behaviors, accountability, feedback, and leadership consistency rather than through slogans or aspirational values. Together, the trio explores Compassion’s five key cultural behaviors and dive into everything from psychological safety and humility to honest disagreement and leadership accountability. At the center of today’s episode is a compelling idea: culture is not secondary to performance, it is often the multiplier that determines whether people merely function or truly flourish. Website: https://www.compassion.com/ [https://www.compassion.com/] (00:00) Selecting the Right Leaders for Culture (00:49) Culture as a Performance Multiplier (02:04) What Healthy Culture Looks Like at Compassion International (04:36) Listening, Learning, Loving, Then Leading (05:31) Building on Compassion’s Existing Culture (07:39) Behaviors Versus Values (08:24) Compassion’s Five Cultural Behaviors (13:39) When Leaders Inherit a Toxic Culture (17:24) Collaborative Culture and Leadership Accountability (20:23) The Difference Between Niceness and Kindness (25:17) Guarding and Sustaining Healthy Culture (29:17) Integrity in What You Are Building (35:58) Why Healthy Organizations Impact the Whole World Connect with Jim Brown, and DM the word “BUILD" at linkedin.com/in/authorjimbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorjimbrown/] for a free resource, and preorder your copy of The Imperfect CEO now at http://imperfectceobook.com/ [http://imperfectceobook.com/] Follow us on social media: Website: https://faithly.co/ [https://faithly.co/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/ [https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/ [https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/] X: https://x.com/faithlyco [https://x.com/faithlyco]

Special 4: The Imperfect CEO - Stephen M. R. Covey | Faithly Podcast

In this episode of The Imperfect CEO, a special series from the Faithly Podcast, Rev. Adam Durso is joined once more by Jim Brown and their guest bestselling author Stephen M.R. Covey for a compelling conversation on trust, accountability, and the hidden dynamics that shape organizational culture. Together, they challenge the idea that agreement automatically equals unity, exploring how many leadership teams appear aligned on the surface while quietly struggling with artificial harmony or unspoken tension, conveying an underlying lack of genuine commitment. Stephen shares why true buy-in can never exist without involvement, while Jim highlights the dangers of environments where the real conversations only happen after the meeting ends. At the heart of the discussion is a powerful leadership principle: healthy organizations are not built through control or uniformity, but through trust. From vulnerability and peer accountability to collaborative leadership and shared ownership, this conversation offers practical insight into what it takes to build cultures where people feel safe enough to contribute honestly and challenge constructively, allowing everyone to move forward together. Website: https://www.franklincovey.com/ [https://www.franklincovey.com/] (00:00) The Leader Goes First (02:00) The Illusion of Alignment on Leadership Teams (04:22) Artificial Harmony and the Meeting After the Meeting (07:19) How Trust Is Often Misunderstood (10:03) Why Imperfect Leaders Must Admit Their Weaknesses (12:32) Building Complementary Teams (15:16) A Merger Case Study: When the Real Problem Is Trust (18:12) The Four Peaks of The Imperfect CEO (22:02) Peer Accountability and Supporting One Another (25:33) What to Do When You Sense Something Is Unhealthy (27:29) The Imperfect Leadership Movement and Next Steps Connect with Jim Brown, and DM the word “BUILD" at linkedin.com/in/authorjimbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorjimbrown/] for a free resource, and preorder your copy of The Imperfect CEO now at http://imperfectceobook.com/ [http://imperfectceobook.com/] Follow us on social media: Website: https://faithly.co/ [https://faithly.co/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/ [https://www.facebook.com/thefaithlyco/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/ [https://www.instagram.com/faithly.co/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/faithly/] X: https://x.com/faithlyco [https://x.com/faithlyco]