Rise Up Podcast

Called to More | Leadership Night at Rise

In this special episode of the Rise Up Podcast, we’re sharing a powerful recording from Leadership Night — a gathering of the shepherds, team leads, city group leaders, youth leaders, and servants helping lead the life of Rise Church. Jason and Stacey bring a challenging and encouraging word about the holy weight of leadership, the call to be set apart, and the importance of leading from intimacy with Jesus rather than performance or platform. From Numbers 11 to the early church, this conversation is a reminder that God’s answer to a growing harvest is more surrendered leaders filled with His Spirit. Whether you lead in ministry, business, your family, or simply want to grow deeper in your walk with Jesus, this episode is a call to holiness, humility, and hunger for the presence of God.

Episode 14—The Story of Starting Rise with Chris & Stacey Cutshall

What happens when a small group of people sense God stirring something before they fully know what it is? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nate sits down with Jason Clarke, Chris Cutshall, and Stacey Cutshall to look back at the earliest days of Rise—from Bible studies and worship nights at Stomping Grounds to dream nights, launch-team stories, and the first steps of planting a church. Together, they share the joy, chaos, courage, and faith that shaped Rise from the beginning. This conversation is a reminder that God often builds through ordinary people, imperfect plans, and a willingness to keep saying yes. It’s an episode for anyone who wants to hear the origin story of Rise and be reminded that God’s vision is always bigger than ours.

Episode 13— Building a House for the Kingdom with Jared Hargens

Building a House for the Kingdom What happens when God marks out a place for His kingdom before anyone else can see it? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nate sits down with Jason Clarke and Jared Hargens to tell the story of how Rise went from portable church setups to transforming Skate World into a house of worship in the center of Gresham. Together, they unpack the faith, sacrifice, generosity, construction, and unseen leadership that made the building possible—and how God used every detail, from the right people to the right property, to create space for people to encounter Jesus. The conversation also looks ahead to Rise’s next facility expansion and the vision behind building spaces that serve the church, the city, and generations to come. This episode is for anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at how God builds through faithful people, ordinary obedience, and Spirit-filled builders.

Episode 12 — 7 Principles to Start Something that Matters with Jason Clarke, Kristen Friend, and Nate Pursley

7 Principles to Start Something that Matters  What do you do when the burden on your heart might actually be God’s invitation to move? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nate sits down with Jason Clark and Kristen Friend to talk about what it means to launch something with faithfulness, urgency, and purpose. Whether it’s a ministry, church plant, business, nonprofit, or new season in your family, this conversation unpacks the principles that help turn a God-given burden into action. Together, they explore why every meaningful launch begins with a burden, why place and space matter more than we often realize, and why no one builds anything significant alone. From the early days of planting Rise, to launching 733, to learning how to plan around passion instead of pressure, the conversation is filled with practical wisdom for anyone sensing that God is asking them to take a step. Then the episode moves into the deeper work of faithfulness: launching before everything feels perfect, loving the work more than the fruit, and building with legacy in mind. This episode is for anyone who has been carrying an idea, a calling, or a holy discontent and wondering what to do next. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment, this conversation will challenge you to take the next faithful step and trust God with the fruit.

Episode 11—When Loss Doesn't Get the Last Word with Chris Yamnitsky

When Loss Doesn’t Get the Last Word What do you do when grief shapes your story before grace does? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nate sits down with Chris Yamnitsky, alongside Kristen Friend, to talk about loss, addiction in the family, the ache of growing up too fast, and the long road from coping in the world to being remade by Jesus. Chris shares what it was like to lose his dad at a young age, to carry questions no son should have to carry, and to spend years trying to outrun the pain through work, nightlife, and keeping busy—only to find himself emptier than ever. What unfolds is an honest and deeply moving story of how God meets people in layers, not just moments. From quietly attending Rise while living a double life, to finding real community at 733, to being pursued by faithful people who never stopped praying, Chris’s story is a reminder that God wastes nothing—not even the years that felt off course. The same gifts that once drew people into the wrong places are now being redeemed to gather people into the Kingdom, and the same season that once marked his deepest grief became the very place where God began rebuilding his life. Then the conversation widens into the power of prayer, spiritual family, and what it looks like when faith becomes public and contagious. This episode is for anyone carrying grief, wrestling with the past, or wondering whether God can really rewrite what has been broken for a long time. If you’ve ever felt like you were surviving with whatever got you through, but knew it could not carry you into the future, this conversation will meet you there with both honesty and hope.