New Waters

There are two words that seem to get a lot of attention these days and it feels like we're talking about them more than ever: acceptance and belonging.  Join Vijay and Dom as they unpack the differences between the two, discuss healthy spiritual practices and explore the radical acceptance of Jesus which leads to a transformed life in community together. 

Highly personalized,  privatized,  internal,  non-material,  emotional, understood by  and authorized by  the individual. As the tides of our culture shift and become increasingly personalized and technologically advanced it is more important than ever for the Church to live out its calling; to be an embodied people that lives out the mysteries of the Gospel together. This is what it means to say yes to Jesus and follow Him. Join Vijay and Dom as they talk about the current spiritual climate in Canada, Modern Gnosticism, the beauty of walking with a community of people over a long period of time and the wonder of the rooted and ancient Church. 

Being the Church in sea of change requires followers of Jesus to have a healthy understanding of authority. Why? Because power and authority are not the same thing.   "Power is something that we grasp for ... but authority is given." ~ VIJAY KRISHNAN Join Dom and Vijay as they dive deep into Church history and discuss Biblical imagery, 1st and 21st century power plays, organic vs organized church, and what it means to be an enticing visible embodiment of healthy authority.  Listen here or read along at newventurescanada.com/podcast

There are so many ideas and definitions of what the Church is and what it should be. As followers of Jesus it is more important than ever that we clarify existing thoughts and establish new language as we ask the question: what does it mean to be the Church in a sea of change?   Join Vijay and Dom as they kick off season 4 by discussing church/culture climate, institutional structures, and how the mystery of God and his Church draw people together.   For show notes and transcription visit: www.newventurescanada.com/podcast  

“World peace” is often thought of as a far-fetched aspiration tacked on to a beauty pageant contestant's list of hopes for the world, but does it need to be that way? When Jesus promised His followers a kind of peace that the world can't give, what did He actually mean? For the Canadian church in particular, how do we ensure that our reputation as a peaceful people doesn't prevent us from receiving the powerful kind of peace that Jesus offers? In this episode, Sonia leads the New Waters cast through an inspiring conversation on what it means to be people of peace. Together they discuss not only how to become individuals but a church where people can encounter a kind of peace they have never seen before.

The Bible may be too obvious of an anchor point when we talk about what keeps us grounded as Christians. However, while some have a rich relationship with Scripture, many people do not feel at ease reading the Bible for themselves. In recent times, perhaps surprisingly, Bible reading was at an all-time low thanks to the pandemic. So, how do we actually talk about the importance of Scripture in the Christian life today? In this episode of the New Waters podcast, Sonia leads the cast through an animated conversation about how to discover and remember the complexity and richness of the Christian Bible. The cast discuss questions like how can Scripture be considered accessible to everyone, and what is the value and role of trained teachers? Together they home in on our responsibility as leaders to help people build an appetite for an experiential, rich engagement with God's Word.

Whether it's images in stained glass windows or people described in ancient texts, the idea of “saints” and “prophets” tends to conjure up some obscure religious imagery. But the truth is, both are essential to discerning our place in God's work in the world today. In this conversation on the New Waters podcast, Alicia Wilson leads the cast through a discussion about the role and value of voices from unexpected and forgotten places. The cast discusses discernment, the importance of community, and the question of how saints and prophets can help us to stay anchored in God's work in the world past, present and future.

In the last few years, we have seen a number of high profile church and faith leaders fall or tap out. Is this happening more frequently or is it simply highlighted because of social media? What factors in church ministry or our cultural environment make leaders more vulnerable to unwise choices? The cost of falling is so high⏤we can't afford not to have this conversation. In this episode, Vijay Krishnan leads the Season 3 cast through a discussion about vulnerability, the dangers of pedestals, and how to create a healthy sense of mutuality in leadership.

When we face seasons of uncertainty in our own lives or as leaders, our tendency can be to swing between over-reacting (think: seizing control, planning, and a stack of Post-Its) and under-reacting (think: apathy, naive optimism, and an extra nap). In this episode, Josie Vance artfully leads our Season 3 cast through a conversation about how to land in the middle of these two extremes with shared stories, Biblical reflection, and dialogue around the profound practice of simplicity.

The church has always had to adjust in light of dramatic historical and cultural shifts and this past year has been no different. Not only was COVID-19 a central disruption but many other shifts and changes have been amplified on the global stage.  Join our Season 3 cast as they talk about postmodernism, deconstruction and reconstruction, and how to be people who stay anchored to Jesus no matter what changes we face. 

In an increasingly polarized world—when people want to know, "are you with me, or against me?"—the church can do a lot of damage in the name of certainty.  Join our Season 2 cast in this challenging conversation, as they talk about fear, doubt, assurance, anchor points, essentials & finding wonder & meaning in the grey areas of life. Recorded in the summer of 2019, this episode does not reference the pandemic, racial tensions or other current events. Despite this, the conversation you are about to hear feels even more relevant today than it did a few months ago. We pray that this episode will inspire you to learn, listen, discern & love well. 

Join the conversation with our Season 2 cast as they share personal experiences of relearning and explore other unprecedented times in history when the church needed to unlearn and reform. 

We, as Canadians, are a diverse people made up of complex individuals. We find our identity, belonging and purpose through a kaleidoscope of cultures, but are easily pigeon-holed by others. Even with the best of intentions, we as Christians can over-simplify narratives with the hopes of sharing the love of Jesus with a specific age, generation, people group, etc …  In this episode—using Generation Z has a conversation starter—the New Waters cast explore such topics as generational & developmental divides, the limitations of cultural analysis, the power of presence & Jesus’ ability to “bridge” any person, people group or demographic to Himself.   

In this episode, we explore the grand narrative and cosmic implications of the Gospel through the following lens: God is restoring all things—including you and me! With thoughtfulness and vulnerability, our Season 2 cast members confess where mis-framed views have affected how they personally follow Jesus and their ability to disciple others. They also consider the implications of a more involved and expansive understanding of the Gospel and its effect on the Canadian Church's ability to navigate the future.

Every generation of the church has asked similar questions, it just happens to be our turn. What can we learn from historical missteps and genuine moves of the Holy Spirit? What does revival and renewal look like in Canada as we navigate faith and the future? Join the conversation as Raja, Dom, Lydia, Rob, Milissa and Nathan share from personal experience and consider significant moments and movements throughout history that have shaped how the church responds to culture and change.

Welcome back to Season 2 of the New Waters podcast! We’re kicking off a new season looking at navigating faith and the future in a sea of change. Our hope is that this initial conversation will help you become aware of how your own vantage point when it comes to the future, and be inspired to grow in a helpful way. Listen in as topics range from the hopeful, Jetsons-inspired optimism of childhood, to questions of what it means to be successful as followers of Jesus, to a deep discussion around what it means to become people of character.

In this bonus episode, we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the topics explored in Season 1. We're sharing some outtakes, side conversations, and even additional ideas and observations that for many different reasons didn't make the final cut of Episodes 2-6 (we’re skipping the first episode, which was featured prominently in our previous bonus episode). So if you haven't listened to those episodes yet or missed a couple along the way, we highly recommend going to check them out first.

The themes of this bonus episode revolve around how the church engages with culture. What are some best practices when it comes to the church’s role in culture? Where has the church been most effective throughout our history? What did Jesus seem to recommend? Whether it’s hope-filled optimism or fear-driven hiding out until Jesus comes again, every church has to choose how to engage with the culture we find ourselves in. Listen in and continue the conversation in your own circle.

We live in a spiritually-charged culture. From TV shows to mindfulness apps, the idea of spirituality is no longer a foreign topic, but deeply embedded in everyday life. This presents a unique and challenging environment for the Christian faith. How do Christians make sense of speaking about being Spirit-led in a post-religious world? How does Christian spirituality set us apart in this pluralistic landscape? How can we effectively respond to the haunting that we encounter in the lives of our friends and neighbours? In the sixth and final episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants dive into  themes of spirituality, pluralism and secularism as the church advances into a religious landscape we’ve never seen before. Listen in and continue this important conversation in your own context.

Discipleship isn’t just a Christian thing, but a human thing. We all surround ourselves with the things and people we want to be like. In other words, we are “discipled” by what we are closest to. So, for a Christian, what does keeping close to Jesus look like in this cultural moment? What is the role of spiritual disciplines? Are we in a discipleship crisis and what exactly is the problem? And, where exactly are we heading? In the fifth episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants present and discuss their experiences with discipleship. Listen in and continue the conversation in your own context.

It is safe to say that the value and rights of the individual have never mattered more within our culture than they do today. So, how does the message of Jesus and affirm and challenge individualism? How do we bring the Biblical value of interdependence to bear on the lives of those who join our churches? How do we talk about the value of belonging to a church when someone might argue that they could just as easily stay home and listen to a podcast and worship music? In the fourth episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants reflect on the place of the individual in the life of faith and the church. Listen in and see where you fall in the conversation.

In the third episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants tackle the subject of the gospel. Many evangelical Christians grew up understanding the gospel as the good news of going to heaven when you die, neglecting to see how it is meant to share the reality that God has done a new thing and that we are called to live in a new way. Touching on topics of mission, eschatology, and working for social justice, our conversation will invite you to look at the areas in your life where you may be embracing a gospel that is simply too small.

In the second episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants work through seven principles of discernment as they engage with the idea of church unity. In an age where a church member can cut themselves off from a church body at the first sign of disagreement, what are some best practices for moving towards the larger purpose of unity? How can a mature person discern which hills to die on and which issues to pursue? How do we cultivate an appreciation of complexity in the church? This episode will help you learn how to best posture yourself as you consider unity in the church today.

In the first episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants discuss our cultural moment: the complicated relationship of the church and culture, the kinds of questions people are asking today, and the extent to which the church’s voice is valued in society - if at all. Pulling in issues of identity, gender, and technology, this episode will help you pursue better conversations about how to be the church today.

Check out a brief preview of the New Waters podcast, gathering thoughtful leaders to hold a discerning lens over the church in Canada and helping you engage with the new things God is doing. The first full episode of the podcast will be released Tuesday, October 23rd and is brought to you by New Ventures, a ministry of the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada. Be sure to subscribe on your app of choice, and to learn more and connect with us online visit newventurescanada.com.