Double Helix: Faith and Family - J.P. De Gance | Faithly Podcast

Double Helix: Faith and Family - J.P. De Gance | Faithly Podcast

In today’s episode, Rev. Adam Durso is joined by J.P. De Gance, founder and president of Communio, as they engage in a compelling conversation on the double helix of faith and family. Drawing from both personal experience and extensive research, J.P. shares how a family crisis reshaped his understanding of ministry and ultimately led him to create Communio—a ministry dedicated to helping churches strengthen relationships, support families, and reach their communities through practical, Christ-centered relationship ministry. Together, Rev. Adam and J.P. explore the growing challenges facing marriage and family life today, as well as the profound impact these realities have on church health and generational faith transmission. J.P. explains why strong marriages and intentional discipleship within the home remain some of the most significant predictors of whether young people will continue following Christ into adulthood, pointing to emerging research that highlights the vital role parents play in shaping lifelong faith. Their conversation also examines the cultural shifts that have contributed to rising loneliness, alongside declining marriage rates and increasing disconnection, while offering a hopeful vision for how local churches can respond. Through intentional relationship ministry and a renewed commitment to strengthening families, J.P. shares why the Church is uniquely positioned to bring healing, connection, and the transformative love of Christ to communities in need. Website: https://communio.org/ [https://communio.org/] 00:00 Introduction: The Crisis of Discipleship Through Marriage 01:06 JP's Journey: From Politics to Marriage Ministry 03:10 The Birth of Communio: Serving the Local Church 06:04 What is Communio? A Campaign Consultant for Marriage 08:02 Research Meets Pastoral Care: The Ministry Engagement Ladder 12:24 The Transformation Inside and Outside the Church 14:12 The State of Marriage in the Church: Surprising Statistics 15:49 Marriage as a Gospel Issue: Why It Matters for Discipleship 18:30 The Double Helix: Faith and Family Intertwined 20:53 Generational Succession: The Real Cause of Faith Decline 23:57 The Cultural Revolution and Its Lasting Impact 28:05 Equipping Pastors: Practical Tools for Relationship Ministry 33:24 Hope for the Future: Seeds of Revival 36:34 Getting Involved: Next Steps for Churches 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]

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]