In this episode, Preston Ulmer sits down with Bishop Walter Harvey to explore how churches can move beyond measuring success by attendance and programs and instead become communities marked by love, discipleship, and meaningful engagement with their neighborhoods.

Together, they unpack why intimacy with Jesus must remain at the center of the Church, the dangers of idolizing church structures, and how congregations of any size can create lasting, systemic change. From listening to the real needs of a community to empowering marketplace leaders through the With Movement, this conversation offers practical encouragement for pastors, church leaders, and anyone longing to see the Church embody the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why success can become a stumbling block for the Church
• How to measure ministry through faithfulness rather than numbers
• Practical ways churches can engage and serve their local communities
• Why love is the defining ethic of Jesus' followers
• How business and entrepreneurship can become tools for justice and discipleship
• Simple next steps for churches seeking greater community impact

In this episode of the Jesus Collective Podcast, Greg Boyd joins us to reimagine what it means to share the good news in today's world. Together, we explore how evangelism has often become associated with pressure, certainty, and scripted conversations, and why Jesus offered something profoundly different: an invitation to follow him.

Greg unpacks how faith can flourish without absolute certainty, why doubt can be part of a healthy spiritual journey, and how the way of Jesus calls us to love our neighbours—and even our enemies. The conversation also examines the importance of authentic community, resisting the forces of polarization, and embodying the gospel through lives marked by compassion, humility, and service.

Whether you've struggled with traditional approaches to evangelism or are searching for a more authentic way to live out your faith, this episode offers a hopeful vision of discipleship rooted not in winning arguments, but in becoming people of love.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Jesus invited people to follow rather than simply believe
• How certainty can sometimes get in the way of genuine faith
• Why love is at the heart of evangelism and discipleship
• The transformative power of loving your enemies
• How community shapes and sustains authentic faith
• A fresh vision for sharing the good news in today's world

In this episode of Losing the Way, Preston Ulmer sits down with pastor, author, and ministry leader Ken Riley to explore how the gospel speaks directly to issues of race, justice, and reconciliation. Drawing from both Scripture and his own powerful lived experiences—including being falsely accused of attempted murder as a teenager—Ken shares why conversations about race are not merely political issues, but deeply spiritual ones.

Together, they discuss the biblical vision of racial unity, the impact of systemic injustice, the role of the church in pursuing reconciliation, and practical ways followers of Jesus can choose people over politics, proximity over polarization, and relationship over rhetoric. Ken challenges listeners to move beyond silence and toward solidarity, reflecting the way Jesus entered into the pain and brokenness of humanity.

This honest and hope-filled conversation invites us to examine where we've lost our way and discover how the teachings of Jesus can lead us toward healing, justice, and genuine unity.

Drawing from her own journey, Joy reflects on the importance of reclaiming a Jesus-centered faith marked by mutuality, humility, and compassion. She challenges listeners to consider how empathy, global perspectives, and diverse voices can deepen our understanding of God and expand the boundaries of who we believe God can speak through.

From questions of spiritual authority to the healing power of community, this conversation invites us to discern truth with wisdom, embrace unexpected teachers, and rediscover the voice of Jesus beyond the limits of tradition and power.

Drawing from years of ministry experience, Jake reflects on life both inside and outside traditional church leadership, while Preston wrestles with the pressures pastors and ministry leaders face in a culture obsessed with performance and measurable impact. This honest and thoughtful conversation invites listeners to reconsider what faithfulness really looks like and challenges us to return to the simple question: what if we started with Jesus and stayed there?

Whether you’re leading in ministry, recovering from church hurt, or simply trying to rediscover the heart of your faith, this episode offers a hopeful and deeply formative conversation about losing the way in order to find it again.

In this episode of Losing the Way, Preston Ulmer sits down with author and faith guide Meredith Miller to explore the tension many parents feel between the Christianity they grew up with and the one they hope their children experience. Together, they dive into the “invisible fine print” of faith certainty over curiosity, fear over love, and answers over honest questions and what it looks like to unlearn those patterns in real time.

Meredith shares insights from her upcoming book Wonder, offering a fresh, life-giving approach to engaging Scripture with kids, one rooted in curiosity, imagination, and openness rather than rigid rules. The conversation gets personal as Preston wrestles with parenting decisions, from explaining difficult Bible passages to navigating youth group influences and redefining what faith practices look like at home.

This episode is an honest, nuanced exploration of deconstruction, parenting, and the courage it takes to model a faith that’s still evolving. If you’ve ever wondered how to nurture a spirituality that’s resilient, compassionate, and big enough for questions this conversation is for you.

It explores a provocative question: has modern Christianity, especially evangelicalism, drifted from the original “Way” of Jesus?

Through honest and thoughtful conversations with scholars, pastors, and practitioners, each episode traces where that shift may have happened, why it matters today, and what it could look like to rediscover a faith rooted more deeply in the life and teachings of Jesus.

This is not a podcast about tearing down the church. It is about asking better questions, wrestling with uncomfortable truths, and seeking a path back to the kind of faith that once made the message of Jesus truly good news.