pastoring — The Puddcast hosted by Jonathan Puddle — Jonathan Puddle

Provocative, non-religious conversations about life, love and God.
Hosted by Jonathan Puddle and Tryphena Perumalla-Gagnon.

Text transcriptions are available for most episodes.
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Posts tagged pastoring

#137: Creating suicide-safe churches (Steve Austin tribute)

#137: Creating suicide-safe churches (Steve Austin tribute)

Two years ago, my friend Steve Austin, an author, mental health advocate and former pastor, died by suicide. Ever since then, I’ve intended to dedicate an episode to his memory and his work, and this is that episode. Including a powerful interview with Lindsey Austin, Steve’s wife, along with a selection of readings from Steve’s book, Hiding In The Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church, this is a vulnerable and sacred discussion that filled me with more hope and joy than I expected. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me this Spring while hitting really dark patches in their mental health. Pastors, it is our job to help, but not always in the ways we expect or assume. This episode is for all of us, so we can learn to create suicide-safe spaces.

Jonathan PuddleMay 26, 2023suicide, mental health, therapy, pastoring, churchComment

#132-B: Unpacking Katie Gaddini on single women leaving the church

#132-B: Unpacking Katie Gaddini on single women leaving the church

The B-Side is back! Katie Gaddini’s evocative book unveiling the factors that cause single women to feel alienated in the church triggered some THOUGHTS from both Tryphena and myself. Having both served in churches for many years, we each shared some of the ways we’ve seen “the ideal Christian woman” trope play out, why this and other things are so problematic, and what we want to see happen. We talked about a deep faith in Jesus bringing about a wide embrace of people, how we each need to be doing the work of growth and introspection, how marriage can be a framework of control, church NDAs and more!

Jonathan PuddleNovember 24, 2022women, church, pastoring, patriarchy, power, b-side, dignityComment

#132: Why single women are leaving the church (with Dr. Katie Gaddini)

#132: Why single women are leaving the church (with Dr. Katie Gaddini)

Sociologist and author Dr. Katie Gaddini joins us to talk about the factors forcing single evangelical women out of the church. Rather than a focus on faith deconstruction, we talked about power structures and cultural norms, such as “the ideal Christian woman,” how such stereotypes develop, and how they alienate people who don’t fit them. We touched on sexuality, purity culture, whiteness, patriarchy, affluence, wealth, and more in a quest to understand why the largest group currently leaving the church is women.

Jonathan PuddleNovember 11, 2022women, church, purity culture, spiritual abuse, pastoring, patriarchy, race, powerComment

#128: Mystics, mushrooms and the power of letting go (with Kevin Sweeney)

#128: Mystics, mushrooms and the power of letting go (with Kevin Sweeney)

Pastor, poet and mystic Kevin Sweeney comes to The Puddcast this month to share about his journey of encountering God while high on mushrooms. And that’s just the beginning! Starting this episode, we welcome Tryphena Perumalla-Gagnon as a co-host on the show. Tryphena and I had a blast with Kevin, exploring what it means to lean into the contemplative and mystical and find God present in the everyday moments of our lives. He explained the importance of transitioning from spiritual peaks to spiritual practices, and how the key to safety, identity and fulfilment really does lie in letting go of everything. We touched on a range of topics, including vulnerability, pastoral idealism, parenting, pursuing the Spirit without the expectations of others, and much more.

Jonathan PuddleMay 5, 2022mystics, contemplative, discipleship, god's love, drugs, pastoringComment

#127-B: Discussing Bridget Eileen Rivera on what gay Christians experience in church

#127-B: Discussing Bridget Eileen Rivera on what gay Christians experience in church

BONUS EPISODE! I’m away on vacation so instead of a fresh interview, Tryphena and I decided to share our B-Side from episode 127 (back in the days of episode 127 the B-Sides were exclusive to patrons only). Tryphena echoed the question of many listeners by asking why—after 3 years—I decided to publicly engage the topic of LGBTQ+ faith when I have been mostly silent on it. You’ll hear lots of my own story with my dad, and we talked about Bridget’s amazing poise and grace in carrying this heavy burden, for all our benefit. And more!

Jonathan PuddleApril 21, 2022b-side, lgbtq, sex, relationships, church, pastoringComment

#127: What gay Christians experience in church (with Bridget Eileen Rivera)

#127: What gay Christians experience in church (with Bridget Eileen Rivera)

Bridget Eileen Rivera comes to The Puddcast this month to share what it’s like for LGBTQ Christians in the church today. Her book, Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church, is a compassionate, heartbreaking exposé on the theological and sociological structures that block queer Christians from pursuing Christ together. Bridget shared her journey of growing up believing she was an object of wrath, before diving into Scripture to find the truth of her belovedness. We explore some of the different ways queer Christians live out their faithfulness and the importance of allowing everyone the dignity to follow the Holy Spirit. I commend this discussion to you as strongly as I can.

Jonathan PuddleApril 8, 2022lgbtq, sex, relationships, church, pastoringComment

#120: When Everything's on Fire (with Brian Zahnd)

#120: When Everything's on Fire (with Brian Zahnd)

This week, pastor and author Brian Zahnd returns to The Puddcast to discuss his new book, When Everything’s On Fire. This helpful and timely book is a sort of field guide to maintaining faith in a secular age, and so we unpacked deconstruction, modernism as a framework for secular society, Nietzsche’s predictions about the death of God, postmodernism and more. I asked Brian some very pointed questions about faith leaders espousing a faith we can’t support and why that’s led so many to deconstruction.

Jonathan PuddleOctober 28, 2021jesus, deconstruction, faith, postmodernism, brian zahnd, pastoringComment

#114: Embracing an authentic spiritual life (with Liz Milani)

#114: Embracing an authentic spiritual life (with Liz Milani)

Liz Milani is a writer and seeker who runs The Practice Co app and Instagram, and joins me this week to talk about daily spiritual practices that are authentic to our self of sense. We talked about leaving church when our bodies break down, deconstructing and reconfiguring our faith, and reconnecting to our bodies and a more holistic, sustainable spirituality. Liz and her husband Jesse were formerly pastors at a megachurch in Australia—we have loads in common, this was a really refreshing discussion for me personally, and there’s loads of hope and practical wisdom in here for anyone wrestling with God, church and their sense of self.

Jonathan PuddleMay 20, 2021deconstruction, church, pastoring, faith, spiritual practicesComment

#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

#107: The Life of Eugene Peterson (with Winn Collier)

This week I have the great delight of discussing the life and faith of Eugene Peterson, with Winn Collier, who wrote his authorized biography. Winn has pastored for 25 years and was deeply impacted by Eugene’s work, both in The Message and in his many pastoral books. Winn now directs the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. We discussed the holy ordinary, a major theme of Eugene’s life, and we reflected on a life lived in pursuit of divine love. Expect warmth and encouragement and hope.

Jonathan PuddleMarch 25, 2021eugene peterson, story, pastoring, bible, life, theology, churchComment

#86: Justice and Happiness (with Derwin L. Gray)

#86: Justice and Happiness (with Derwin L. Gray)

On The Puddcast this week is Derwin L. Gray, pastor of Transformation Church in South Carolina, and author of The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness. We discussed the Beatitudes as an invitation to a life of meaning and purpose, how that intersects with racial justice, how the prosperity message has crippled our witness, and our great need for leadership from those who have pastored on the margins.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 11, 2020covid-19, pastoring, race, jesus, discipleship, justice (theological)Comment

#85: De-stigmatizing Suicide (with Kayla Stoecklein)

#85: De-stigmatizing Suicide (with Kayla Stoecklein)

This week we look at a crucially important topic: suicide and mental health. My guest is Kayla Stoecklein, whose husband Andrew died by suicide two years ago. Andrew had been the lead pastor of their church, and had struggled with significant mental health issues for some time. Kayla shares vulnerably how warning signs were missed and a great tragedy could have been averted. She provides hope and practical help for anyone facing depression, anxiety, panic attacks or suicidal ideation, as well as for those people loving others through it.

Jonathan PuddleSeptember 3, 2020covid-19, family, suicide, mental health, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, pastoringComment

#83: Why Would Anyone Go to Church? (with Kevin Makins)

#83: Why Would Anyone Go to Church? (with Kevin Makins)

My guest this week is Kevin Makins, pastor of Eucharist Church in Hamilton, Ontario. Kevin and I chatted about walking away from God, building communities that are safe for people questioning their faith, and how Jesus shatters the idols we make out of our churches and communities. This conversation presents a hope-filled, loved-centred path forward for the church in secular society. It’s full of joy. You’ll love it.

Jonathan PuddleJune 19, 2020covid-19, jesus, hope, pastoring, church, communityComment

#81: A Deeply Formed Life (with Rich Villodas)

#81: A Deeply Formed Life (with Rich Villodas)

Rich Villodas, pastor of New Life Fellowship in the heart of Queens, NY, joined me on the show this week. I’ve been hugely impressed by Rich’s depth of thought and the integration of emotional health, racial reconciliation, Holy Spirit power and more that he teaches and embodies. We discussed sexual wholeness, contemplative spirituality and discipleship all in the lens of his new book, The Deeply Formed Life.

Jonathan PuddleJune 5, 2020covid-19, discipleship, church, pastoring, spiritual practicesComment

#79: Charismatics in a time of COVID-19 (with Lucy Peppiatt)

#79: Charismatics in a time of COVID-19 (with Lucy Peppiatt)

My guest on the show this week is Lucy Peppiatt, Principal of Westminster Theological Centre in the UK. Lucy is a Charismatic Anglican and is a theologian, an educator, pastor and author. We discussed the gifts that Charismatic Christians offer the world in a time of crisis, as well as the areas that Charismatics need to be particularly careful about. We covered the power of prayer, using prophecy responsibly, anchoring what we say about God in the real world, as well as the importance of co-suffering & lament with our brothers and sisters around the world.

Jonathan PuddleMay 21, 2020theology, covid-19, holy spirit, church, pastoring Comment

#74: Embracing opportunities to grow, within COVID-19 (with Tim Day)

#74: Embracing opportunities to grow, within COVID-19 (with Tim Day)

My guest this week is Tim Day, one of the top thought leaders in Canada regarding the church, mission and culture. Tim is Executive Director of City Movement Canada, and Director of Waybase.com (The Impact Network). We discussed the very real suffering caused by COVID-19, how individuals, churches and ministries are responding to it, and what God invites us to examine about ourselves, within the pain.

Jonathan PuddleApril 9, 2020church, leadership, culture, change, covid-19, pastoringComment

#65: Building Resilient Disciples (with David Kinnaman)

#65: Building Resilient Disciples (with David Kinnaman)

David Kinnaman is President of the Barna Group, specialists in church-related research. He joined me on the show this week to discuss what is working in churches around the world looking to build resilient, faithful disciples. We also discussed using research as a lens on what’s happening in culture, and using that as a means of helping the church understand its times and the way forward.

Jonathan PuddleJanuary 23, 2020church, jesus, leadership, discipleship, pastoringComment

#47: Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis (with Mary DeMuth)

#47: Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis (with Mary DeMuth)

Mary DeMuth is the author of over 30 books including popular fiction and Christian living titles. A survivor of sexual abuse at a young age, Mary has devoted much of her life to helping people walk out healing, and now she has turned her sights on the church itself. In this powerful discussion she shared deep truths about where the church is failing, and why, and practical tips on how we can all do better. We discuss her latest book, We Too, which is part expose, part memoir, part healing guide, and predominantly a clarion call for the church to do better.

Jonathan PuddleAugust 8, 2019sexual abuse, trauma, church, healing, metoo, churchtoo, pastoring Comment

#45: The church in a post-Christian context (with Rohadi)

#45: The church in a post-Christian context (with Rohadi)

Our series for pastors and church leaders continues with Rohadi, a Canadian church planter, entrepreneur, author and speaker hailing from Calgary. We discussed the importance of creating safe spaces for people to live out the gospel in their unique racial, cultural and neighbourhood contexts. Rohadi argues that the church has not been marginalized by anyone in particular but by its own failure to act.

Jonathan PuddleJune 11, 2019church, culture, race, pastoringComment

#44: Rethinking Evangelism (with Curtis Hinds)

#44: Rethinking Evangelism (with Curtis Hinds)

Curtis Hinds wants to help Christians become normal human beings again. Currently serving as the Pastor of Evangelism & Outreach at Catch The Fire Church in Toronto, Curtis joined me to discuss how to stop assaulting people with the truth, and instead build genuine, vulnerable relationships that naturally display the power of God in our lives. If you’ve ever felt ashamed for not doing enough work to spread the gospel then get this in your ears today.

Jonathan PuddleMay 30, 2019church, evangelism, authenticity, vulnerability, pastoring Comments

#43: The Church as Destiny Incubator (with Michael Brodeur)

#43: The Church as Destiny Incubator (with Michael Brodeur)

Michael Brodeur is a pastor to pastors and a church consultant. We discussed church growth vs church health, the failing megachurch model and the differences between family churches and factory churches. Michael told me that part of the spiritual responsibility of leaders is to help people discover their unique gift mix, their unique passions and dreams, and to get them on a path towards that outcome. If you’re in pastoral ministry you should definitely have a listen.

Jonathan PuddleMay 23, 2019church, discipleship, evangelism, leadership, pastoringComment