The Surge Network Podcast

Surge Lunch - May 2017 - Partnering with the church

Partnering with the church

At this Surge lunch, we will be hearing from Anna Ho, President of Reconciled World. This lunch is intended to provoke questions and ideas for what it looks like to be pastors and leaders who are seeking the Spirit’s help to identify lies that trap us as leaders that keep us from being light in the midst of darkness and seek God’s power to embrace all areas of mission he has called us to.

Anna has spent over 20 years in ministry internationally and has sharp insights into how God’s word calls us to effectively address brokenness, walk with the vulnerable, mobilize local resources, and, above all, depend on God.

Anna speaks with deep theological insight to the capability of the local church around the world to see their communities transformed by Jesus and a biblical worldview when they are freed from lies that cripple the church. Anna desires to see the church respond to God and watch as he brings healing to brokenness and builds His church in both numbers and depth.

Speaker: Anna Ho

Anna Ho, together with her husband Nam are the co-founders of Reconciled World. Originally from New Zealand, Anna Ho has lived and worked in Asia since 1995. Anna joined Food for the Hungry in 1996, working with them until 2013. In 2004 Anna started a program, Truth-Centered Transformation to see if people could really move out of poverty as they understood and applied a Biblical Worldview. The results were beyond anything they ever imagined, with hundreds of communities moving out of poverty. In 2013, Nam and Anna followed God’s leading to launch Reconciled World–based on bringing transformation by applying Biblical truth to all areas of brokenness. Anna currently holds the position of Executive Director of Reconciled World. She is based in Asia but spends at least half the year on the road.

Surge Lunch - April 2017 - Creativity vs. Consistency

Creativity vs. Consistency

One of the most significant tensions that leaders must manage is that balance between creativity and consistency. On one hand, we were created in the image of a creative God who invites us to engage the complex problems of the world with creativity. On the other hand, God is faithful, unchanging, and consistent. We display his character when our work is marked by a long obedience in the same direction. 

For the April Surge lunch, we will explore the tension between creativity and consistency, we will address questions such as: 

• When do you choose creativity? When do you choose consistency?  
• How do we cultivate a creative mindset in life and leadership?
• How can we approach problem-solving with greater imagination?
• How does the Gospel sustain faithfulness in a world that esteems newness? 

Join us for a free meal, time of fellowship, panel discussion and an important conversation about the tension between creativity and consistency. 
 

Speaker: Ken Wytsma

Ken Wytsma is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur respected for his insight and collaborative spirit. He is the president of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice. He is the founder of The Justice Conference—an annual international conference that introduces men and women to a wide range of organizations and conversations relating to biblical justice and God’s call to give our lives away.
Ken is a consultant and creative advisor to nonprofits and a sought after speaker on justice, church, and culture. A church planter and lead pastor at Antioch Church, Ken lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters.
Ken’s is the author of, Pursuing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things, The Grand Paradox: The Messiness of Life, the Mystery of God and the Necessity of Faith, and Create vs. Copy: Embrace Change. Ignite Creativity. Break Through with Imagination.

Surge Lunch - March 2017 - Leading in Lament with Dr. SOONG-CHAN RAH

When Soong-Chan Rah planted an urban church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his first full sermon series was a six-week exposition of the book of Lamentations. Preaching on an obscure, depressing Old Testament book was probably not the easiest way to launch a church. But it shaped their community with a radically countercultural perspective. Lament is a missing, essential component of prayer that can be found throughout the Bible, but is often absent from our communities. It recognizes struggles and suffering, that the world is not as it ought to be. Lament challenges the status quo and invites us to cry out for justice. Soong-Chan Rah will help us understand the importance of lament and how we, as leaders in our communities, can create space for the church to lament the brokenness of the world.

Q3 Intensive - Dennae Pierre - God's heart for the vulnerable

Dennae Pierre talks about God's heart for the vulnerable and how that relates to mission

Q3 Intensive - Panel

Surge School Quarter 3 Intensive - Panel discussion

Q3 Intensive - Jim Mullins - God's Mission

Did you miss the Surge School Quarter 3 Intensive?  You can listen to it all on your way to work using the the audio recordings on this page or by subscribing to our Podcast.

East Valley Leader's Breakfast - Discovering joy in our limitations with Zack Eswine

East Valley Breakfast for Church Leaders (Jan. 2017) - Zack Eswine talks about Discovering Joy in Our Limitations - Hosted by Via Church in Mesa, AZ.

Surge Lunch - Jan. 2017 - Merely Human - Zack Eswine

As pastors and church leaders, we desire to “do great things for God.” This seemingly good desire can actually lead to lives that are imbalanced and affections that are grossly misplaced. Do our lives point to the fact that we are “not the Christ”? Are we comfortable when people around us see that we are merely human? If we’re honest, there is a very real temptation to portray ourselves as super-human–priding ourselves on our ability to be everywhere at once, fix every problem, and know everything.

Surge Lunch - Dec. 2016 - Words of Life

We live in times where the Bible is undervalued and undermined both inside and outside of the church. For this December’s Surge lunch Pastor Tyler Johnson addressed Scripture as the means in which churches, communities, and individuals will experience the abundant life Christ promised. Tyler talked about tangible ways to personally, congregational, and culturally engage the Word of God.

Surge Lunch - Nov. 2016 - Politics, Citizenship, and the Gospel Imagination

As the election season continues to intensify, America is facing an unprecedented wave of cynicism, discouragement, and polarization. Many people are ready to give up on politics.Some are struggling to understand how the Gospel should shape their political engagement. Other people struggle to know how to tangibly get involved with politics beyond the election in November. Our churches are filled with people who are weary, frustrated, and confused. But, what if we could imagine a different way?