S1 E8: A Conversation with John Onwuchekwa

On this episode of Preaching Lab, Rory sits down with Pastors Christina Hoagland and Jordan Victoria Lewis to talk about the experience, challenges, and learnings of women and their gift of preaching. The trio traverse the stories of calling and awareness of preaching, the internal dialogue of a preacher, as well as the encouraging and critical feedback all preachers receive. Enjoy!   Host: Rory Green   Guests: Jordan Victoria-Lewis + Christina Hoagland   Producer: Briggs Boyd

On this Episode of Preaching Lab Rory is joined by Singer, Songwriter and Worship Pastor Dee Wilson to talk all things Super Bowl, Media Day, and Instagram preachers (00:37). The episode concludes with an interview with Lauren Jackson. Lauren is the is the founder + CEO of Next Gen Ministry Network, a community for kids and student ministry leaders to be encouraged and equipped to love and serve the local church. She served in vocational ministry for over a decade and is now teaching and training kids ministry leaders, writing curriculum, and serving her local church. Lauren and her family live outside of Denver, CO. Lauren and Rory talk all things children’s ministry, as well as how lead pastors and teaching pastors can think about and help pastors the kids in their congregations (42:14). Host: Rory Green Co-Host: Dee Wilson Guests: Lauren Jackson Producer: Briggs Boyd New Gen Ministry Network Links: nextgenministrynetwork.com @kidsministrycircle @studentministrycircle @nextgenministrynetwork

John is a jack-of-all-trades and Rory and Andrew get to know all about him, including his desert island coffee (03:35). So much of John’s current work is focused on grief and the human experience. The remainder of the podcast enters into that world — the role grief plays in life, preaching, the church, and everyone’s mutual experience of it. (18:12). The episode concludes with an honest conversation around John’s departure from full-time, vocational pastoring, and the nuances of living out one’s calling (44:17). Host: Rory Green Co-Host: Andrew Arndt Guests: John Onwuchekwa Producer: Briggs Boyd

On episode seven of Preaching Lab Rory is joined by the Senior Pastor of Southwest Church in Indian Wells, CA, Ricky Jenkins. Ricky has a robust history of ministry and preaching and is a master communicator. Rory and Ricky talk about the history of Ricky’s childhood and upbringing that brought him into preaching, including the people and voices who encouraged him to pick up the craft (2:05). As a master-illustrator of the Scriptures, Ricky shares some ways to build a database and method for capturing ideas throughout life (21:56). Rory and Ricky round out the episode discussing how preaching plays a vital tole in setting the vision and culture — and overall health — of an organization (36:27).  Host: Rory Green Guests: Ricky Jenkins Producer: Briggs Boyd

On episode six of Preaching Lab, Rory and Andrew chat with pastor, author, and speaker, Steve Carter. Steve is also a podcast host and Michigan sports enthusiast. As the conversation unfolds, the trio talk all things preparation on this episode: How to study well, outline well, and map out a sermon in a way that is fitting to the communicator. If you are a new communicator, or a seasoned preacher who feels stuck in their sermon process, this episode is FOR YOU. Host: Rory Green Co-Host: Andrew Arndt Guests: Steve Carter Producer: Briggs Boyd

Rory is joined in studio by Brock Trexler, Student Pastor at New Life Downtown, as well as Anthony Morgan (Compass Christian Church) and EJ Brown (The Hills). A conversation unfolds around the early days of student ministry, as well as some of the key challenges student pastors are facing (1:30). Next, they dig into the nuts and bolts of preaching to the next generation including how the preparation process for a student pastor differs from that of others, along with the big questions they are attempting to consider when they preach (8:27). The remainder of the episode includes conversation around character, legacy, and how to keep having fun while preaching.     Host: Rory Green   Co-Host: Brock Trexler   Guests: Anthony Morgan, EJ Brown   Producer: Briggs Boyd

Rory and Andrew are joined by special guest Brandon Beard. Brandon brings over 30 years of pastoral experience, but he also brings his unbelievable stories and love for Star Wars, and Seattle sports teams (01:35). The focus of this episode is all about preaching and coaching — how to receive it in preaching, as well as how to give it to the next generation of preachers. Brandon takes some time to address some of the major trends — both good and bad — he is witnessing from preachers in 2023 (11:55), as well as some of the best practices for creating systems of feedback in someone’s preaching habits (26:30). We round out the episode discussing how to set ourselves up to be open to feedback, including the challenges and gifts of doing such (38:25).   Host: Rory Green   Co-Host: Andrew Arndt   Guests: Brandon Beard   Producer: Briggs Boyd

In what starts as an absolutely unhinged episode of Preaching Lab, Rory is joined by Aaron Olson, the Executive Pastor of Creative, Communication, and Production at New Life Church, and Laura Collins, the Creative Arts Pastor at Compass Christian Church. A conversation about preaching, social media, and creative direction unfolds. The crew starts with the challenging question of whether the church should even be involved in social media (16:27), which helps create a framework for some key questions churches, pastors, and preachers should begin asking about the online presence (18:47). The conversation shifts from media “outside of the church,” to creative production within a Sunday morning, and how it intersects with the work of a preacher (31:58).   Host: Rory Green   Guests: Aaron Olson, Laura Collins   Producer: Briggs Boyd

This episode, Rory is joined by a special guest host, Pastor Christina Hoagland. Christina is the Women’s Ministry Pastor at New Life North, a congregation of New life Church. Rory and Christina are joined by pastor Jim Essian of the Paradox Church in Fort Worth, Texas (00:39). After taking some time to get to know Jim, our team talked with Jim about his counter-intuitive approach to preaching, as well as why listening to the greats is the best starting block for learning to preach (13:45). Jim then spends some time drawing on the practicals of his preaching flow — having a preaching calendar thats future-minded, finding your voice, and embracing your own personality (22:38). The trio then dive into the nooks and crannies of exegetical, line-by-line preaching. Is it boring? Is it creative? You’ll have to listen to the end to find out! (41:07)   Host: Rory Green   Co-Host: Christina Hoagland   Guests: Pastor Jim Essian   Producer: Briggs Boyd    The Paradox Church -- https://www.theparadoxchurch.com   Charles Spurgeon – Lectures to My Students -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1986066231/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1   Martin Lloyd Jones – Preaching and Preachers -- https://www.amazon.com/Preaching-Preachers-D-Martyn-Lloyd-Jones/dp/0310331293/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1696441903&refinements=p_27%3AD.+Martyn+Lloyd-Jones&s=books&sr=1-2&text=D.+Martyn+Lloyd-Jones

Preaching Lab’s Rory Green is joined by Essential Church’s Andrew Arndt for the first ever episode of the Preaching Lab podcast. (00:51) Rory and Andrew sit down with Casey Fritz to discuss all things preaching. (2:50) The trio spend time discussing preaching horror stories, the sermons that changed Casey’s life, as well as Casey’s love for the local church. (14:00)This episode then unfolds into a dialogue around storytelling, becoming a vulnerable preacher, creating a church culture that is genuine. (29:20) The preparation process of preaching is then discussed — finding the “hum” of the message, the way to tell a great story, and how to “kill your darlings.”  Host: Rory Green  Co-Host: Andrew Arndt  Guests: Casey Fritz  Casey has been in pastoral ministry since 1998 and planted a church in Los Angeles in 2015. C.S. Fritz now is an award-winning author and illustrator with published titles such as the Cottonmouth Trilogy, Good Night Tales, The Moonman Cometh, Seekers and Good Night Classics. Fritz's debut novel, and soon to be a major motion picture, A Fig For All The Devils released in 2021 - which was awarded best in horror with the IBPA in 2021. Lastly, Fritz's latest novel, All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun released early 2023.   Producer: Briggs Boyd   Links:The Works of John Knox — https://www.amazon.com/Works-John-Knox-Vol-ebook/dp/B0083ZZE32/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580750594745&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9029015&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10956610445347838856&hvtargid=kwd-307230543030&hydadcr=22562_13493218&keywords=the+works+of+john+knox&qid=1694640706&sr=8-1  Eugene Lowry’s, The Homiletical Plot — https://www.amazon.com/Homiletical-Plot-Expanded-Sermon-Narrative-ebook/dp/B00SLHGXEQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K2SG5KAXLWQQ&keywords=the+homiletical+plot&qid=1694640744&sprefix=the+homiletical+plo%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1  Mary Oliver’s, A Poetry Handbook — https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Handbook-Mary-Oliver/dp/0156724006/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T61821AX4J9W&keywords=mary+oliver+poet+handbook&qid=1694640786&sprefix=mary+oliverr+poet+handboo%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-1 Joesph Campbell’s, The Hero with A Thousand Faces — https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell-ebook/dp/B08MWW2VDL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2HESPC7KCXQ3R&keywords=the+hero+with+a+thousand+faces+by+joseph+campbell&qid=1694640974&sprefix=the+hero+wi%2Caps%2C215&sr=8-1