At The Table

At The Table, Season 2, Ep. 3 | Pastor James Byensi, Founder and President, Rebuilders Ministry, DRC

October 1st, 2025 Welcome to At The Table, a long-form podcast spotlighting conversations about the intersection of faith and one's work in the world. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Drew Sams, senior pastor at Bel Air Church. In this episode, Drew sits down with Pastor James Byensi. In addition to being the pastor and director of missions and outreach at CECA 20, the 20th planting of the Church of Christ in Congo, Pastor James is also the founder and president of Rebuilders Ministry DRC, a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the spiritual, socio-economic, and educational challenges faced by the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pastor Drew and Pastor James explore how faith fuels peacemaking, community rebuilding, and leadership in one of the world’s most conflict‑stricken regions. Pastor James shares the deep historical roots of the DRC’s suffering, the birth and growth of Rebuilders Ministry, and how holistic discipleship—education, trauma care, economic empowerment, and leadership development—forms the heart of their work. Their conversation invites listeners to consider how their own faith can shape the work they do and how they might partner in bringing restoration to Congo. https://lesrebatisseurs.org/ https://ceca20drc.wixsite.com/bacbunia Thanks for listening and please take the time to rate, review, and share afterwards. https://www.belair.org https://www.instagram.com/belairchurch pastordrew@belair.org https://www.instagram/pastordrewsams

At The Table, Season 2, Ep. 2 | Dr. Sophia Apple, Author, Pathologist (UCLA Health)

Welcome to At The Table, a long-form podcast spotlighting conversations about the intersection of faith and one's work in the world. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Drew Sams, senior pastor at Bel Air Church. In this episode, Drew sits down with Bel Air Church leader Dr. Sophia Apple, a board-certified pathologist (UCLA-trained) and author, to hear the powerful story of how God met her in suffering, shaped her faith, and formed her calling in medicine. Sophia shares about contracting polio as a child, a life-changing moment that led her to trust Jesus, and how walking with physical limitations has deepened her compassion, her prayer life, and her ability to see people the way God sees them, both in the hospital and in the church. Sophia also reflects on bold, honest prayer, the difference between “doing” to earn God’s love and receiving grace, and what it looks like to enter a new season of life as she retires from medicine and prepares to move to Georgia. Thanks for listening and please take the time to rate, review, and share afterwards. https://www.belair.org https://www.instagram.com/belairchurch pastordrew@belair.org https://www.instagram/pastordrewsams

At The Table, Season 2, Ep. 1 | Reuben Abootorabi, Workshop Leader, The Power Of Praying Scripture

Welcome to At The Table, a long-form podcast spotlighting conversations about the intersection of faith and one's work in the world. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Drew Sams, senior pastor at Bel Air Church. In this episode, Drew sits down with Bel Air Church member Reuben Abootorabi about his evolving prayer life, learning to pray Scripture, and the invitation to intimacy with God that is made possible through Jesus. As a member of our Prayer Team, Reuben will be leading a workshop on The Power of Praying Scripture on September 21, 2025 at 12:30pm and the link for more details and to register for the free lunch + workshop can be found here:  https://www.belair.org/featuredevents/1yoptrpqxd9bumeqxpwyele6l2pi8v Thanks for listening and please take the time to rate, review, and share afterwards. https://www.belair.org https://www.instagram.com/belairchurch pastordrew@belair.org https://www.instagram/pastordrewsams

At The Table, Episode 8 | Jack Sapp, Former SVP at US Bank, Wingstop Franchisee

Welcome to At The Table, a long-form podcast spotlighting conversations about the intersection of faith and one's work in the world. Hosted by Drew Sams, senior pastor at Bel Air Church. In this episode, Drew sits down with Jack Sapp, a native Angeleno who, after playing collegiate basketball at UC Irvine, had a career trajectory that took him from being a stock broker in the fast paced environment of the 1980s, becoming the only black Senior Vice President in his division at US Bank, to eventually being a successful franchisee of Wingstop Restaurants not just once but three times. From hitting financial rock bottom at 40 to now having financial freedom, Jack has turned his attention to being part of initiatives that harness his skillset and experience. During their conversation, Drew and Jack cover the topics of the transformational affect of making room for others and God, leading and living in the gray areas, maturing through the shadow side of unhealthy interpretations of Scripture, and what can happen when you trust and follow a God who offers second chances again and again. Thanks for listening and please take the time to rate, review, and share afterwards. https://www.belair.org https://www.instagram.com/belairchurch pastordrew@belair.org [pastordrew@belair.org] https://www.instagram/pastordrewsams

At The Table, Episode 7 | Drew Friedrich, Chief Operating Officer, Operation Blessing

Welcome to At The Table, a long-form podcast spotlighting conversations about the intersection of faith and one's work in the world. Hosted by Drew Sams, senior pastor at Bel Air Church. In this episode, Drew sits down with Drew Friedrich, the Chief Operating Officer of Operation Blessing, one of the largest disaster relief organizations in the world who has partnered with Bel Air Church in the wake of the devastating LA Fires. Formally at the helm strategy for Orphan’s Promise, Drew brings his business acumen and bold faith together in ways that are making not just a generational but eternal impact. During their conversation, Drew and Drew cover the topics of leading through change, transformational relationships, not settling for the status quo, decision making, and charting your own path while seeking God’s leading. Thanks for listening and please take the time to rate, review, and share afterwards. https://www.ob.org https://www.orphanspromise.org/opupdate/ https://www.instagram.com/pastordrewsams https://www.belair.org/