Podcasts about Assimilation

Equity work in nonprofits requires more than diversifying leadership pipelines—it calls for organizations to examine how workplace culture, decision-making structures, hiring practices, and everyday interactions continue to reflect broader systems of inequity. Despite our current environment of backlash, these are issues that nonprofits need to continue to grapple with. This episode of the podcast Nonprofit Mission: Impact revisits conversations about equity, inclusion, and power in the nonprofit sector, exploring how broader societal systems show up inside nonprofit organizations. Through reflections from a variety of guests, Carol Hamilton and her guests: ·      Examine the emotional toll of assimilation and code-switching, ·      Explore the ways organizational culture often undermines equity efforts even when intentions are good. ·      Highlight practical pathways forward. These practical pathways include: ·      deep listening to communities, ·      rethinking hiring and leadership pipelines, ·      embedding equity into organizational strategy rather than treating it as separate work, and ·      cultivating cultures where people can show up more authentically. Throughout the episode, Carol Hamilton and her guests emphasize that change requires both systemic attention and everyday interpersonal choices that help people feel seen, heard, and valued. Episode Highlights Time-Stamped Highlights 00:00 — Why Equity Work Still Matters 02:17— Nonprofits Reflect the Larger Culture 05:00— Understanding the Systems We Inherit 07:30— Representation, Power, and Listening to Communities 13:00— The Emotional Toll of Assimilation and Code Switching 17:00— Why Diversity Without Cultural Change Fails 21:18— The Hidden Cost of Equity Work 24:00— Reimagining Executive Search and Leadership Pipelines 26:24— Embedding Equity Into Strategy and Leadership 30:29— Building Communities of Support 31:46— Creating the Future Through Everyday Actions About your podcast host: Carol Hamilton, principal of Grace Social Sector Consulting, helps nonprofits become more strategic and effective through inclusive strategic planning, evaluation design, and organizational assessment. With over 30 years of experience, she brings a practical, human-centered approach that helps organizations align around clear priorities and take meaningful action toward their mission. When she is not working with nonprofits to improve their strategy and alignment, you can find her reading a good book, making diary comics, having a dance party in the kitchen, swimming, biking or kayaking on the Anacostia River.   Be in Touch: ✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting and receive the Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make In Strategic Planning And How To Avoid Them

Europe's Migration Crisis has reached a breaking point, and the Belfast riots exposed a reality that political leaders can no longer ignore. As governments blame social media, misinformation, and public frustration, millions of citizens across Europe are asking a different question: What happens when governments stop listening to their own people? The attempted decapitation attack in Belfast serves as the catalyst for a much larger conversation about mass migration, immigration policy, assimilation, national identity, censorship, and the growing divide between European governments and the people they govern. This episode examines why trust in institutions continues to collapse, why anti-establishment parties continue to surge, and why many citizens believe political leaders spent years ignoring obvious warning signs while dismissing legitimate concerns as racism, extremism, or misinformation. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why the Belfast riots represent a broader European backlash against mass migration policies How assimilation failures and parallel societies fuel growing social and political tensions Why many Europeans believe governments police speech more aggressively than they protect public safety How political elites use misinformation narratives, censorship, and social pressure to control public debate Why the crisis unfolding across Europe serves as a warning for the United States and other Western nations From the Henry Nowak case to the response of Northern Ireland's political leadership, this episode connects the dots between immigration policy, cultural cohesion, government legitimacy, and the dangerous consequences that emerge when leaders stop listening to the people they represent. Topics covered: Europe's Migration Crisis, Belfast Riots, Michelle O'Neill, Henry Nowak, Northern Ireland, Mass Migration, Immigration Policy, Assimilation Failures, No-Go Zones, Parallel Societies, Free Speech Censorship, Social Media, Administrative State, Government Legitimacy, Western Civilization.

Why are people across the Western world increasingly rejecting official explanations?This week's Sequel Sunday follows three very different stories that may actually be connected:• The Belfast riots and growing immigration backlash across Europe• California election rules that continue to raise confidence questions• The growing cracks in the Housing First narrative as cities report empty housing units while homelessness continues to riseThe question isn't whether every official explanation is wrong.The question is what happens when ordinary people stop believing explanations that don't match what they think they can see.From immigration and public services, to election confidence, to homelessness policy, Chad examines why public trust breaks down and what happens when people begin looking elsewhere for answers.Call or Text:252-CHAD-LAWChapters:00:00 Cold Open02:12 Show Intro03:15 Belfast Riots & The Question Underneath07:48 The Race Trap12:43 Crime, Assimilation & Public Burden18:27 The UK Commentator Mistake23:31 Who Can Successfully Live With Us?26:04 California's Election Rules29:52 Signature Matching Explained34:18 The X Signature Problem37:22 Election Confidence vs Election Fraud40:51 Housing First Cracks44:12 Empty Apartments, Full Sidewalks48:26 Oregon's Housing Experiment53:31 You Cannot Apartment Your Way Out Of Fentanyl57:18 When The Official Story Stops Working01:01:20 Reagan Reminder01:04:14 Sign-Off#CommonSenseWithChadLaw #ChadLaw #SequelSunday #Immigration #CaliforniaPolitics #ElectionIntegrity #Homelessness #HousingFirst #Politics #CurrentEvents

In this episode of The Right Side: As America approaches her 250th birthday, Doug Billings explores a question that goes far beyond citizenship and paperwork: What does it truly mean to become an American?Doug examines assimilation, American identity, civic responsibility, constitutional principles, and the values that have united generations of Americans. Is America simply a place to live, or is it a shared commitment to liberty, faith, self-government, and personal responsibility?A thoughtful conversation about citizenship, culture, national identity, and the future of the American experiment.Subscribe to Doug's YouTube Channel: @TheRightSideDougBillingsContribute to his show at: www.DougBillings.us #AmericanIdentity #Citizenship #Assimilation #America250 #Patriotism #Constitution #AmericanValues #Immigration #CivicResponsibility #Liberty #Freedom #SelfGovernment #DougBillings #TheRightSide #Podcast #fypSupport the show

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What if the silence in your meetings has nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with culture? Organizational psychologist Neelu Kaur joins Lori Adams-Brown to decode the invisible operating systems shaping how professionals communicate, advocate for themselves, and lead across cultures and organizational hierarchies. IN THIS EPISODE:   - What the "self-trust recession" is and why it matters for global leaders right now   - The paradox at the heart of corporate America: individualistic society, yet over-indexed workplaces   - Why "just speak up" is incomplete advice when power dynamics are involved   - The Abilene Paradox: how teams end up agreeing to decisions nobody actually wants   - The difference between assimilation and adaptability at work and why organizations are getting it wrong ABOUT NEELU KAUR: Neelu Kaur is a global keynote speaker, organizational psychologist, and author of Be Your Own Cheerleader: An Asian and South Asian Woman's Cultural, Psychological, and Spiritual Guide to Self-Promote at Work. She partners with Fortune 500 companies to build transformative leadership cultures, holds a Master's in Social and Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and is a certified NLP master practitioner. TIMESTAMPS:   00:00 - Introduction and Neelu's cross-cultural background (India to the US)   04:00 - The self-trust recession: outsourcing inner authority in the age of AI   08:00 - The I vs. We paradox in corporate America   12:00 - Assimilation vs. adaptability in hiring and onboarding   18:00 - Psychological safety and cultural assessments in executive teams   22:00 - Inclusion at work events: safety, restraint, and belonging   26:00 - Speed culture vs. strategic depth: the cost of always being on autopilot   36:00 - The Abilene Paradox and how groupthink silences the room Join us for the exclusive bonus episode on Patreon with Neelu. FIND NEELU KAUR AT:   Website: https://www.neelukaur.com   Book: Be Your Own Cheerleader (available where books are sold) Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation with NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, she explains why she believes New South Wales has gone from the nation's top-performing economy to the bottom of the pack under Labor's watch. Kellie discusses her journey from country journalism to opposition leadership, her experience during the Bondi terror attack, and her strategy for defeating a first-term government. She also addresses federal-state tensions within Labor, the importance of assimilation in modern Australia, and why authenticity matters more than ever in contemporary politics. New South Wales economic decline under Labor government Federal-state tensions over GST and infrastructure funding The Bondi Junction terrorist attack response Assimilation versus multiculturalism debate Coalition relationship between Liberals and Nationals Presidential-style campaigning in state elections Young people's disillusionment with traditional politics Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the silence in your meetings has nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with culture? Organizational psychologist Neelu Kaur joins Lori Adams-Brown to decode the invisible operating systems shaping how professionals communicate, advocate for themselves, and lead across cultures and organizational hierarchies. IN THIS EPISODE:   - What the "self-trust recession" is and why it matters for global leaders right now   - The paradox at the heart of corporate America: individualistic society, yet over-indexed workplaces   - Why "just speak up" is incomplete advice when power dynamics are involved   - The Abilene Paradox: how teams end up agreeing to decisions nobody actually wants   - The difference between assimilation and adaptability at work and why organizations are getting it wrong ABOUT NEELU KAUR: Neelu Kaur is a global keynote speaker, organizational psychologist, and author of Be Your Own Cheerleader: An Asian and South Asian Woman's Cultural, Psychological, and Spiritual Guide to Self-Promote at Work. She partners with Fortune 500 companies to build transformative leadership cultures, holds a Master's in Social and Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and is a certified NLP master practitioner. TIMESTAMPS:   00:00 - Introduction and Neelu's cross-cultural background (India to the US)   04:00 - The self-trust recession: outsourcing inner authority in the age of AI   08:00 - The I vs. We paradox in corporate America   12:00 - Assimilation vs. adaptability in hiring and onboarding   18:00 - Psychological safety and cultural assessments in executive teams   22:00 - Inclusion at work events: safety, restraint, and belonging   26:00 - Speed culture vs. strategic depth: the cost of always being on autopilot   36:00 - The Abilene Paradox and how groupthink silences the room Join us for the exclusive bonus episode on Patreon with Neelu. FIND NEELU KAUR AT:   Website: https://www.neelukaur.com   Book: Be Your Own Cheerleader (available where books are sold) Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it actually feel like to walk into your church for the very first time? In this episode of the Timothy Project Podcast, Chad Hunsberger sits down with Liz Cuenin, Minister of Membership and Assimilation at Dawson Baptist Church, to talk about creating a church culture where guests feel seen, welcomed, and connected. From parking lot signage and greeter teams to membership classes and one-on-one pastoral conversations, Liz shares practical wisdom on helping people move from first-time visitor to fully engaged church member. The conversation explores why hospitality matters deeply in ministry, how churches of any size can improve guest assimilation, and why a clear membership process strengthens the health and unity of the local church. Whether you serve on staff at a large church or pastor a small congregation with limited resources, this episode offers thoughtful, actionable encouragement for building a church where people truly feel known.

Tom Bilyeu joins James Smith to discuss how broken the modern economy really is. The host of Impact Theory and co-founder of Quest Nutrition argues that inflation is theft, that you cannot save your way to success anymore, and that elites are quietly funneling wealth from the working class. He explains: ◼️ Why a balanced budget changes every policy argument ◼️ How property markets get fixed by deregulation, not taxes ◼️ Why men should be encouraged to go hard in the paint ◼️ How AI is shrinking headcount while multiplying output ◼️ Why paying down debt can quietly beat the stock market

On this milestone 100th episode of The Alan Sanders Show, we break down the shocking White House gunfire incident, rising tensions with Iran and the future of the Abraham Accords, explosive Minnesota election fraud allegations and why assimilation remains critical to fixing America's immigration crisis. We also honor our fallen heroes this Memorial Day with reflections on service, sacrifice, preserving the nation they defended and the backstory of play Taps. From national security threats to cultural division and election integrity, Alan delivers straight talk on the biggest stories shaping our Republic. Tune in for unfiltered analysis, personal insight, and a powerful call to remember what truly makes America exceptional. Please take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, X, Instagram, GETTR, TRUTH Social, TikTok, YouTube and Rumble by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. And, consider becoming a sponsor of the show by visiting my Patreon page!

Aaron Renn sits down with Seth Barron, Associate Editorial Page Editor at the New York Post and author of Weaponized: The Left's Capture and Destruction of America's Sacred Institutions. They discuss how cherished American myths have been twisted to weaponize key institutions — policing, borders, public safety, housing, education, and civic life itself.From “defund the police” and anarcho-tyranny in New York City to open borders, the erosion of assimilation, and the battle over American identity, this conversation reveals how the left uses institutions as tools of political power.CHAPTERS:(00:00 - Introduction)(01:36 - What "Weaponized" Really Means) (03:45 - The Left's War on Policing & Public Safety)  (09:20 - Anarcho-Tyranny in NYC Under Mamdani) (15:10 - Police Brutality Myths vs Reality) (18:40 - Why the Right Lacks a Competing Moral Vision) (22:15 - Think Globally vs Think Locally) (28:50 - Immigration, Borders & the Attack on Citizenship) (36:55 - American Identity & the End of Assimilation) (43:20 - Israel, Palestine & the Left's Broader Agenda) GUEST LINKS:

Immigrants or Invaders? Deportation or Citizenship?Traitors to the country or caring socialists?Assimilation or Culture bearers?You might be surprised what the Bible says about immigration. This episode started out as just a reading of the book of Numbers, but something told me that I needed to talk about these verses a little more. I hope this makes you re-evaluate your stance on politics and immigration and I hope you know that God wants you to help protect your country, your freedom, and the future for your children.#immigration #massmigration #islam #culturalJihad #invasion #numbers #moses #sojourner #strangerintheLand

In this episode of That's So Hindu, Mat McDermott speaks with Neha Suratran and Saahas Kaul about their experiences addressing anti-Indian sentiment in their community of Frisco, Texas. They discuss the rise of misinformation on social media, the role of political rhetoric, and the importance of community advocacy. The conversation also touches on the complexities of assimilation and cultural identity for immigrants in the US, emphasizing the need for understanding and positive interactions among diverse communities.TakeawaysNeha and Saahas felt compelled to speak out against misinformation.The demographic shift in Frisco has led to misconceptions about the Indian community.Misinformation is often perpetuated through social media and political agendas.Community support was evident during the council meeting where Neha and Saahas spoke.Many individuals making anti-Indian videos are not from the local community.The rise in anti-Indian sentiment is linked to broader political trends.Assimilation should not mean losing one's cultural identity.The Indian community is gaining confidence in advocating for themselves.Positive community interactions can help dismantle biases.Bigotry is taught, and exposure to diversity can help unlearn it.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Conversation02:59 Community Response to Anti-Indian Sentiment10:11 The Role of Social Media in Misinformation17:04 Political Influences and Rhetoric22:39 Assimilation and Cultural Identity27:32 Empowering the Community through AdvocacyKeywordsanti-Indian sentiment, misinformation, social media, community advocacy, assimilation, cultural identity, political rhetoric, H1B visas, demographic shifts, youth activism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of That's So Hindu, Mat McDermott speaks with Neha Suratran and Saahas Kaul about their experiences addressing anti-Indian sentiment in their community of Frisco, Texas. They discuss the rise of misinformation on social media, the role of political rhetoric, and the importance of community advocacy. The conversation also touches on the complexities of assimilation and cultural identity for immigrants in the US, emphasizing the need for understanding and positive interactions among diverse communities.TakeawaysNeha and Saahas felt compelled to speak out against misinformation.The demographic shift in Frisco has led to misconceptions about the Indian community.Misinformation is often perpetuated through social media and political agendas.Community support was evident during the council meeting where Neha and Saahas spoke.Many individuals making anti-Indian videos are not from the local community.The rise in anti-Indian sentiment is linked to broader political trends.Assimilation should not mean losing one's cultural identity.The Indian community is gaining confidence in advocating for themselves.Positive community interactions can help dismantle biases.Bigotry is taught, and exposure to diversity can help unlearn it.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Conversation02:59 Community Response to Anti-Indian Sentiment10:11 The Role of Social Media in Misinformation17:04 Political Influences and Rhetoric22:39 Assimilation and Cultural Identity27:32 Empowering the Community through AdvocacyKeywordsanti-Indian sentiment, misinformation, social media, community advocacy, assimilation, cultural identity, political rhetoric, H1B visas, demographic shifts, youth activism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Far left politics, prejudice, insisting on selectiveism are all in the political mix nowadays. Didn't we tackle this in years past and come away with a better handle on how we can respect each other and get along? Faith, friends and family are the cohesive foundation to keep us equals. Smile, be kind, and listen to one another make for a better conversation. 

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In Episode 477 of The Andrew Parker Show, Andrew Parker tackles one of today's most controversial debates: when does calling out extremism become “bigotry” — and when is it simply telling the truth?Andrew discusses radical Islamism, terrorism, immigration policy, assimilation into American culture, fraud concerns in Minnesota, and the importance of defending Western democratic values. He examines the difference between factual criticism and harmful stereotypes while arguing for accountability, civic responsibility, and preservation of the American constitutional system.This episode explores difficult but timely questions surrounding national identity, immigration, public policy, and cultural cohesion in modern America.Support the showThe Andrew Parker Show - Politics, Israel & The Law.  Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X. Subscribe to our email list at www.theandrewparkershow.comCopyright © 2026 The Andrew Parker Show - All Rights Reserved. 

EP 657 The Complex World of Kenyan Indians: Unpacking Religion, Caste, Colorism, Wealth, and Assimilation

The return of "What About?" Wednesdays! Text us your questions for apologist and pastor Robby Lashua!As we approach the month of May, a momentous shift is about to take place for students moving from high school and towards college and career.  Students will graduate from high school and, for many, from the direct oversight of Dad and Mom on a daily basis as they head to university, the military, trade school, or a job.So, how can we know that Christian high school students will remain engaged within the spiritual disciplines that will keep them walking a healthy course in pursuit of Christ.We can't.But, what we can do is work to be certain that students are involved, and truly invested, in a youth ministry -- from middle school, high school, and college -- that will incite a true love of discipleship in their lives.Today, we spend time talking with two student ministries pastors from Palmcroft Church -- George Brown, the pastor of College and Assimilation, and Jacob Van Gysel, the pastor of High School ministry -- as they discuss moving young people away from entertainment in youth ministry and towards genuine, heartfelt engagement.The Rooted article that serves as the jumping off point for our conversation, "Don't Entertain Teenagers, Disciple Them", can be found here.To learn about Palmcroft Church, please follow this link.To learn specifically about Palmcroft High School Ministry, click here.To find out about Palmcroft College Ministry, please click on this link. "Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created by Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, Arizona.For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit:  https://www.ncsaz.org/To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email gbrown@ncsaz.org or you can reach him by cell phone:  (623)225-5573.

Brad Brandon, the CEO and Founder of Across Nigeria, returns to LoveTalk Network. Brad was with LoveTalk Network in September of 2025 to highlight the alarming rise of Christian persecution across the globe. Statistics from Open Doors reveal that 380 million Christians faced high levels of persecution last year, up 15 million from the year before, with church attacks rising 800 percent since 2018. Brad is a long-time pastor and teacher. During the National Religious Broadcasters 2026 International Christian Media Convention last month, Brad visited with Cathy, Kerri, and Marlene to share his experience leading an international mission in the world's most dangerous region for Christians and to challenge American Christians to become informed, prayerful, and willing to take a stand for their brothers and sisters in faith worldwide. Brad also shared what is happening across the world with Sharia Law and radical Islamic communities.

This week, we discuss agents taking over at Google Cloud Next, Apple's new CEO, and Cursor getting acquired (sort of). Plus, Coté's e-waste has no exit strategy. Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode 569 Runner-up Titles I love throwing stuff in the trash. Dillo dirt's a thing. BurgerOps. Thomas opens for Richard. Department of “No” people Starfish Stomach Model Enterprise — come into me The Organization will Assimilate it Gold plaques all around He can let his freak flag fly Take the first billion dollar offer Rundown Google Next Welcome to Google Cloud Next26 Google's AI adoption — Steve Yegge X Post Tanzu Platform 10.4: a private cloud platform for AI harnesses (or, "agentic AI") Apple becomes a $4 Trillion under Tim Cook Cursor Watch Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges There's No Time for SpaceX to Buy Cursor SpaceX says it can buy Cursor later this year for $60 billion or pay $10 billion for 'our work together' Relevant to your Interests Poland street sees humanoid robot chasing boars in unusual AI showcase Someone planted backdoors in dozens of WordPress plug-ins used in thousands of websites Snapchat owner cuts 16% of global staff in latest round of job cuts Email for agents - Cloudflare Email Service now in public beta DeployBar — Free CI monitoring. Unsolicited platypus included. Let them tinker - hacking developer resistance to sound enterprise architecture and platforms China's DeepSeek is raising funds at $10 billion valuation, The Information reports Sources: Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges AI chipmaker Cerebras files to go public after scrapping IPO plans last year Amazon to invest up to $25B in Anthropic as part of expanded cloud partnership - SiliconANGLE Amazon to invest up to $25 billion more in Anthropic; Claude developer to spend more than $100 billion on AWS AI technology Amazon and Anthropic expand strategic collaboration Anthropic CPO leaves Figma's board after reports he will offer a competing product OpenAI loses multiple executives in latest leadership shakeup Scoop: NSA using Anthropic's Mythos despite Defense Department blacklist The scientific case for being nice to your chatbot Anthropic's redesigned Claude Code desktop app lets you burn through tokens even faster OpenAI's Codex Mac app adds three key features that go beyond agentic coding Introducing Claude Opus 4.7 Anthropic Sponsors WebRTC.ventures – Real-time communication & Voice AI integration WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America Sept 23–25, San José, CA Use Code DEVPOD26 — 15% off, stacks with group rates for 4+ Listener Feedback Subscribe to Failover New Nonsense Struggling shoe retailer Allbirds makes bizarre pivot from shoes to AI, stock explodes more than 700% Allbirds Stock Now Crashing as Reality Sets in About Its Delusional AI Pivot Conferences DevOpsDays Austin, May 5-6, 2026 DevOpsDays + AI Nashville, May 14-15, 2026 KCD Texas, May 15, 2026, use code MEDIA_THANK_YOU for free pass WeAreDevelopers Europe, July 8-10, 2026 Berlin, Coté speaking. DevOpsDays Graz, Sept 4-5, 2026 DevOpsDays Dallas, Sept 28-29, 2026 DevOpsDays Rockies, Sept. 22 – 23, 2026, Discount Code: 26DODSWEDEFTALK WeAreDevelopers NA, Sept 23-25, 2026, Discount Code: DEVPOD26 DevOpsDays Vilnius, Sep 30 - Oct 1. 2006 DevOpsDays Istanbul, October 24th, 2026 - Coté keynoting. VMware User Groups (VMUGs): Toronto (May 12-14, 2026) Dallas (June 9-11, 2026) Orlando (October 20-22, 2026) SDT News & Community Join our Slack community Email the show: questions@softwaredefinedtalk.com Free stickers: Email your address to stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com Follow us on social media: Twitter, Threads, Mastodon, LinkedIn, BlueSky Watch us on: Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok Book offer: Use code SDT for $20 off "Digital WTF" by Coté Sponsor the show Sponsor more podcasts with Failover Media Recommendations Brandon: Claude /team-onboarding The Junior Dev Crisis: Who Inherits the Code When AI Does the Work Matt: Resident Alien Coté: and

The year was 1956. My family made a decision that would change everything. Hungary was in the middle of a revolution, and for many families, staying was no longer an option. Welcome to Story Time Part 2. If you didn't get a chance to listen to Part 1 of my family's immigration story, you can certainly go back and listen to that episode before you begin this one. CONNECT with the PodcastWebsite: www.myhungarianheritage.comEmail: Christine@myhungarianheritage.comInstagram: @hungarianheritagepodcastFacebook: Hungarian Heritage Podcast  CONNECT with Hungarian Roots and American DreamsInstagram: @hungarianroots_americandreamsFacebook : Hungarian Roots and American DreamsEmail : reka.bakos@rootstories.huPurchase a copy of Hungarian Roots and American Dreams through this email: hungarianrootsamericandreams@rootstories.hu

David Harsanyi, senior writer at The Washington Examiner and co-host of the You’re Wrong podcast with Mollie Hemingway, joins Seth to discuss his recent columns on immigration and assimilation. They dive into the importance of assimilation, the difference between various types of immigrants, and the challenges of integrating into American culture. David shares his thoughts on the dangers of relativistic ideas and the need for a core set of neutral principles that allow people to live together peacefully. They also discuss the role of speechwriters and ghostwriters, and how they impact the way we consume information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the most radical thing you could do is invite someone to sit at a table with no queue, no power dynamic, and a really good meal? In this episode, Tristan and Rashid introduce two unlikely friends: Charlton Alexander, a tour guide and facilitator who invites people to connect with the city and its stories, and Barry Lewis, an architect from the UK who has spent decades building sandbag homes alongside communities in Cape Town's townships.Through a clip from the original Liminal Space episode, Charlie and Barry speak about a community dinner in Muizenberg where there is no queue, where people keep coming back not for the food but for the contact time, and where the questions being asked go far beyond “how do we feed hungry people?” Barry challenges us to throw out the lazy questions that aren't generating anything new, and Charlie reframes homelessness by pointing out that people living on the streets do have a home, they just don't have a house. Tristan and Rashid then reflect on what it means to create spaces of belonging and how that might change a neighborhood, a city, and eventually a world.THEMESCommunity dinners. No queue, no power dynamic. Belonging through a meal. Lazy questions. Houselessness vs homelessness. Contact time. Friendship across difference. Creating spaces of belonging.LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODEThis episode features clips from The Liminal Space Season 1, Episode 5: Kinship, Assimilation and Making Home in the Colonial City with Charlton Alexander and Barry Lewis. The full conversation is available on all podcast platforms.Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyWatch on YouTubeFEATURED VOICESCharlton Alexander is a tour guide and facilitator based in Cape Town. He invites guests to the city to connect with the people and land in experiences that are life altering.Barry Lewis is the director of UBU (Ubuhle Bakha Ubuhle / Beauty Builds Beauty), a company focused on developing the technology of sandbag housing in low-income communities in South Africa.Tristan Pringle is a life and executive coach, facilitator, and poet based in Cape Town.Rashid Adams is a musician, songwriter, music producer, and ethnomusicologist based in Cape Town.CREDITS| Produced by | Rashid Epstein Adams| Music by | Rashid Epstein Adams (AKA Arkenstone) and Pursuit| A collaboration between | The Common Good Podcast & The Liminal Space PodcastLINKS| Podcast | linktr.ee/theliminalspacepod | Substack | theliminalspacepodcast.substack.com | Instagram | @theliminalspacepod

Atze und Leon melden sich aus Kopenhagen und Tokio mit dieser Folge ausm Archiv! Wir Menschen vergleichen uns permanent mit anderen. Macht die Kollegin den Job besser? Bin ich als Vater gut genug? Wer hat den schönsten Körper, das dickste Auto, die schlausten Kinder. Warum können wir einfach nicht aufhören, uns mit anderen zu vergleichen? Was macht das mit uns, immer auf andere zu gucken anstatt auf uns selbst. Atze und Leon klären die Psychologie dahinter. Wer besser versteht, warum und wie wir uns vergleichen, kann sich selbst Druck nehmen. Fühlt euch gut betreut Leon & Atze Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonwindscheid/ https://www.instagram.com/atzeschroeder_offiziell/ Mehr zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/betreutesfuehlen Tickets: Atze: https://www.atzeschroeder.de/#termine Leon: https://leonwindscheid.de/tour/ VVK Münster 2025: https://betreutes-fuehlen.ticket.io/ Quellen: Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human relations. Wood, J. V., Taylor, S. E., & Lichtman, R. R. (1985). Social comparison in adjustment to breast cancer. Journal of personality and social psychology. Wills, T. A. (1981). Downward comparison principles in social psychology. Psychological bulletin. Chansiri, K., & Wongphothiphan, T. (2023). The indirect effects of Instagram images on women's self-esteem: The moderating roles of BMI and perceived weight. New Media & Society. McComb, C. A., Vanman, E. J., & Tobin, S. J. (2023). A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure to upward comparison targets on self-evaluations and emotions. Media Psychology. Gerber, J. P., Wheeler, L., & Suls, J. (2018). A social comparison theory meta-analysis 60+ years on. Psychological Bulletin. Mussweiler, T. (2001). Focus of comparison as a determinant of assimilation versus contrast in social comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(1), 38-47. Morse, S., & Gergen, K. J. (1970). Social comparison, self-consistency, and the concept of self. Journal of personality and social psychology. Suls, J., Martin, R., & Wheeler, L. (2002). Social comparison: Why, with whom, and with what effect?. Current directions in psychological science Wheeler, L., & Suls, J. (2007). Assimilation in social comparison: Can we agree on what it is?. Revue internationale de psychologie sociale Redaktion: Dr. Jan Rudloff Produktion: Murmel Productions

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore America's regional sub-nations, tracing how ancestral "Albion's Seed" cultures and frontier geography shaped a feral national identity now clashing with modern managerial bureaucracy, mass migration, and a "mouse utopia" social collapse. -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:16) The Sub-Nation Thesis (06:45) The Six Pillars of Identity (21:37) American vs. European Psychology (39:29) Albion's Seed & Regional DNA (55:15) The Rise of Standard America (1:02:43) The Frontier & The 100th Parallel (1:23:05) Continental Migration & Assimilation (1:35:47) Social Scripts & The Mating Crisis (1:52:55) Managerial vs. Red State Civilizations (2:08:27) Technological Totalitarianism (2:16:15) Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about Rodney at: https://www.rodneyericlopez.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-eric-lopez/ https://www.instagram.com/rodneyericlopez/ Show Notes 

On this week's episode of our show, Captain Ingle and I set a course for an alternate universe version of the year 2024. When the trickster Q transports Admiral Picard into a twisted version of the Federation, the crew of the La Sirena must travel back in time to discover the source of the change in the timeline. Join us as we go boldly!

China's new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress mandates Mandarin as the language of education, encourages the breakup of minority-majority neighbourhoods, and criminalises expressions of ethnic separatism — including by Chinese citizens living abroad. Critics say it formalises a decades-long push toward assimilation that has already reshaped the lives of Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority communities. Guest: Professor James Leibold (Professor of Politics and Asian Studies, La Trobe University). Recorded on 25th March, 2026.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Greg Curtis and Tommy Carreras from Climbing the Assimilayas, an organization dedicated to helping churches build systems that move people from first-time guests to engaged disciples. With years of experience working inside and alongside growing churches, Greg and Tommy bring practical insight into one of the most overlooked—and most critical—areas of church health: assimilation. Are people showing up at your church but not sticking? Do you feel like guests are slipping through the cracks despite your best efforts? In this conversation, Greg and Tommy unpack what's changing about how people engage with church today and how leaders can respond. A seismic shift in why people are coming. // One of the biggest changes in churches is a shift in motivation: people are no longer primarily coming to church for community or life improvement—they're coming to find God. Where previous generations often needed to be convinced of the benefits of church, many new guests today are already spiritually curious or even actively seeking Jesus before they arrive. Greg shares stories of individuals with no church background who are reading Scripture, watching content like The Chosen, and showing up ready to take decisive steps like baptism. This means churches must recalibrate their approach—not just creating welcoming environments, but facilitating genuine encounters with God. You're missing more people than you think. // Tommy identifies a foundational issue: most churches are only tracking a fraction of the people actually engaging. Many leaders celebrate the number of new guests they can count, but in reality, they're missing a significant percentage—especially families checking in children or people who never stop at a guest table. Churches often aren't lacking opportunity—they're overlooking it. Recognizing and responding to all entry points into the church is critical if leaders want to move more people toward connection and growth. Stop telling your story—start naming theirs. // A common mistake churches make is focusing on communicating their own story—how the church started, what it believes, and why it exists—rather than connecting with the story of the guest. Guests aren't primarily interested in your church's narrative; they're asking what God might be doing in their life and how your church fits into that. Instead of offering multiple vague next steps, churches should provide clear, guided invitations that help people take one meaningful step forward. When churches shift from “Here's who we are” to “Here's how we can help you,” engagement increases dramatically. The first questions every guest is asking. // Every new person is subconsciously asking, “Is there anyone here like me?” That question shapes their experience from the parking lot to the worship service. But today, a second question is emerging: “Is there someone worth imitating?” Guests are looking for more than information—they're looking for transformation. This has led many churches to create space for prayer, reflection, and personal ministry during or after services. These moments often become powerful connection points where guests experience both God and meaningful relationships with others. People are looking for people—not programs. // Both Greg and Tommy emphasize that guests aren't primarily searching for better programming—they're searching for meaningful relationships. That means churches must prioritize relational connection over information delivery. Simple actions—like learning someone's name, asking thoughtful questions, and creating environments where people feel seen—can have a greater impact than any polished program. Designing clear pathways for connection. // Greg outlines three key journeys every church should consider: from the “screen to the seat” (first-time attendance), from the “seat to the circle” (relational connection through groups, teams, etc.), and from the “circle to the street” (living out faith in everyday life). Each stage requires intentional environments and clear next steps. Without these pathways, guests may attend once or twice but never fully engage. Every response is a sacred opportunity. // Tommy closes with a powerful reminder: every form submission, every piece of contact information, every small step a guest takes is a miracle. People don't casually give their information—they do so because something significant is happening in their life. When churches fail to follow up or steward those moments well, they're not just missing a system—they're missing a person God is drawing. Leaders must treat every interaction as sacred and respond with urgency, care, and intentionality. To learn more about Climbing the Assimilayas, access their free assimilation audit, or explore their Sherpa Tribe coaching community, visit assimilayas.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: SermonDone Hey friends, Sunday is coming… is your Sermon Done?Pastor, you don't need more pressure—you need support. That's why you need to check out SermonDone—the premium AI assistant built exclusivelyfor pastors. SermonDone helps you handle the heavy lifting: deep sermon research, series planning, and even a theologically aligned first draft—in your voice—because it actually trains on up to 15 of your past sermons. But it doesn't stop there. With just a click, you can instantly turn your message into small group guides, discussion questions, and even kids curriculum. It's like adding a research assistant, a writing partner, and a discipleship team—all in one. Try it free for 5 days. Head over to www.SermonDone.com and use promo code Rich20 for 20% off today! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. Really looking forward to today’s conversation. We have got repeat guests on the call, which you know what that means. These are people I love dearly and who I know have so much that they can help you with. You’re going want to stay plugged in. In fact, this is one of those areas that I think many of our churches are stumbling on and are not doing a good job. We’re not doing what we should be doing. And that doesn’t just come from like, it’s a hunch. I’ve literally been in dozens of conversations where what these guys have shared literally illuminates our thinking and helps us take steps towards being a more effective church. So you’re going to want to stay tuned stay tuned for the entire conversation. Rich Birch — Super excited to have Greg Curtis and Tommy Carreras with us. They’re with an organization called Climbing the Assimilayas. Greg is the director of First Steps and Content Development Eastside Christian Church, a fantastic church. Been on the podcast a number of of times. They’re a multi-site church with six locations in all the places that make sense, California, Nevada, and Minnesota. Of course, those fit together.Rich Birch — And then Tommy is is the head sherpa at Climbing the Assimilayas. Super excited to have both of you guys on. Welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Greg Curtis — Yeah. It’s awesome to be with you, man. Always.Rich Birch — Always fun to connect. Why don’t actually, before we jump in, Tommy, why don’t you tell us about Climbing the Assimilayas? How do you guys help churches? What do you do to come alongside us and help us get better at what what we do?Tommy Carreras — Yeah, I’d love to. Climbing the Assimilayas was started by Greg back when I was brand new in ministry. I was a groups pastor who had just taken over sort of the rest of the pipeline of getting people into groups because I realized I couldn’t get anybody into groups because I wasn’t in charge of anything that was happening before that.Tommy Carreras — So I met Greg in like 2013, 2014. He had just taken over the role of assimilation at Eastside. He kind of designed the role himself when his lead pastor—I’m telling your story now, Greg. Usually you get to tell it.—But his lead pastor, Gene Appel, said, hey, what what do you want to do in this next season? And Greg kind of designed the role based on what he saw was super necessary in the church and also what he was really well designed for.Tommy Carreras — And he was right. Because it was exactly what I needed at the time. It was just trying to figure out what a replicable and scalable system looked like for making things more personal and more effective at getting people to take real next steps. And it sounded really simple, but it was so unbelievably challenging because I just kept getting it wrong myself. And I had no idea where to actually go for advice on any of this. And he started figuring it out, started universalizing some of the principles that were working for him at Eastside and testing those with other churches.Tommy Carreras — I was at his first ever base camp training at Eastside. And so a long friendship began there. And then I just believed everything he said at that point and customized it, contextualized it for ministry and in also Southern California, but a different part. And, you know, it’s California is like five states total. Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Tommy Carreras — So it was much different than Eastside, but also all the principles held up. And so that’s what he’s been doing ever since. I came alongside him a few years ago to sort of throw gas on the fire. I had transitioned out of my role in ministry and started doing a few things with multiple churches. And this was one of them. And it has been a blast to help build these systems in churches that are super hungry for helping people connect, but can’t quite build the systems or just don’t have the models out there that are able to adapt and flex with the changing culture and the changing needs. Because those needs of guests have changed a lot over 12, 13 years.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s fantastic. And friends that are listening in, both Greg and Tommy are the kind of leaders that I just say, you should just do what they say. Like, just listen to what they’re doing and do it. And you’d be amazed at the results that we’ve seen at churches all across the country. And so you’re in for a treat of a conversation today. Rich Birch — Greg, since we last talked, so I think that was maybe a year ago, maybe 18 months ago, what have you continued to notice that’s maybe different around how people are engaging, connecting? We’re talking about getting first time guests, the kind of people that are arriving, trying to help those people get assimilated, get connected. What what have you noticed maybe something that’s that’s maybe different in the way people are engaging right now that’s different than maybe even a year or two ago?Greg Curtis — Yeah, over a crescendo over the last two years has been remarkable in its shift towards—this is going to sound crazy because we’re talking to churches—they’re wanting God now. And what I what I mean by that is prior, we were having to sell the benefits of following Jesus, most growing churches, which there are, and I think it was a compelling thing to share with the culture.Greg Curtis — And so people were coming to church to find community, to find help with parenting, to find support in marriage or to, you know, a variety of different things. And so the draw and and what was causing people to engage with church was really what can, what help in my life? How can I increase the quality of my life? Maybe even get some pretty powerful pain points addressed.Greg Curtis — This has shifted. I’ll put it in the terms of our um our young adult pastor. His name is Charles. He came to me. He said, Greg, prior to a few two, three years ago, maybe not even that long. He said, young adults were coming, 80% of them to find friends and community, and about 20% to find God. He goes, it’s flipped. It’s flipped. Now it’s 80% God and 20% community.Greg Curtis —  And that has expressed itself in some remarkable ways. I’ll just throw two out. At the end of last year, i was covering somebody, ah a pastor who was gonna baptize somebody after the service. He had to be gone, so I said, yeah, I’ll cover it. So in our context, I’ll meet that person ahead of time and kind of show him where to sit in the service, when to come out, where the baptistry is, et cetera.Greg Curtis — And I met her, she was 28 years old, named Connie. And I said, as we’re walking through the baptistry, so, you know, I asked these typical questions, how how long have you been coming to Eastside, which is my church? And ah she says, oh, I’ve I’ve never been to Eastside.Greg Curtis — And was like, oh, so you’re from our online campus? And she goes, no, I’ve never really heard of Eastside. And I said, well, what’s led you to be baptized today?Rich Birch — Right.Greg Curtis — And this was her story. She goes, I grew up in a very non-religious home and I’ve I’ve never been to church. And I have, I vowed I’d never even date a religious person, but I had some friends three months ago that invited me to watch The Chosen with them.Greg Curtis — I didn’t want to. I got I was mad at myself for getting engaged after the first episode. Kept watching. Decided to buy myself a Bible two months ago. I started reading the Old Testament and New Testament concurrently and decided, I love Jesus and I want to follow him. And I could tell what I needed to do was get baptized. But get this. I’m the game day operations coordinator for the NFL. So I work on Sundays. And I just Googled who would baptize me on a Saturday. And your form came up and I filled it out. So here I am.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing.Greg Curtis — Yeah. And and I’ll tell you what. She didn’t know, Rich, that this baptism was going to be in front of other people until we were in the water and the whole church was looking at her.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s incredible.Greg Curtis — Okay. The questions she had, we’ve we’ve remained in touch. The questions she asks are so precious. I mean…Rich Birch — So good.Greg Curtis — …but I’m telling you, I met with somebody, I’ve had a few of those that are similar. That one’s pretty dramatic, but are very similar. No background at all. They’re coming because they’re having a God moment before they get to us.Rich Birch — Yeah. Greg Curtis — And that’s a big shift because God is doing something literally worldwide and in our culture right now that they’re coming to us to find God and and they’re already they’re already encountering him in some way and they need help with that and want it. And that’s a huge shift.Rich Birch — Yeah, I would agree. I’ve seen that in our context, in our church, so my specific home church that I’m a part of, Connexus. I’ve seen that at our church. We’ve seen it in the churches we work with. There is a um a measurable change in the way, kind of the state that people are at when they arrive. You know, that the way I’ve said, echoed similar to what you’re saying there, Greg, is like, There used to be, you know, you and I are of a certain age. I can remember a time when, you know, people would kind of stumble into church and they, you know, they were there for all different kinds of reasons. And, you know, we had to hold their hand for a long time. Rich Birch — But it seems like now people are arriving and they have ah It’s like a God question on their heart that they’re looking for an answer for. It’s they’re, they’re arriving already asking something significant. And, you know, we’ve got to meet them there. We can’t, we can’t just leave that.Greg Curtis — So get get this. I’ve often, I think I’ve probably said this on your podcast before, but for for our church, Christmas is our Super Bowl. It’s our number one outreach event for the year. Traditionally, we’ve gotten 18% of our guest leads from Christmas for for the year.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing.Greg Curtis — Okay. But yeah, but we tried something in light of this. Because we’re we’re we’re looking at this and trying to meet God in in this. And we did something we have never done at Christmas services. And that’s, we it’s so counterintuitive. We invited people, we just shared the gospel. If you want to be baptized right now, We’ll do it.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow.Greg Curtis — And we have never done that because, and and you’ve heard me say i Christmas guests are different than other guests of the year. They’re not there to find God. They’re there because Aunt Sally invited them to a Christmas service before the dinner and gift exchange. So they’re on their way someplace. They’re not going to do anything. And we just thought, let’s just try it. Rich Birch — RightGreg Curtis — And it probably, we we were we were prepared for, we thought maybe, you know, we’re a church of, I don’t know, 12-, 15,000 today. We thought maybe we’d get 120 people to respond, but we prepared for 200 just in case. We had 399 people… Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. That’s incredible. On Christmas Eve. Greg Curtis — …get baptized by coming to a Christmas service, not knowing that they were going to do that.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s incredible.Greg Curtis — So that just that that just illustrates there’s a seismic spiritual shift going on. And I think meeting guests there is going to be very smart for us in this hour.Rich Birch — Yeah, and I want to, that’s a great place to start. I think sets up, tees up the conversation we will be having today, which is, friends, I think a lot of our churches could be missing some of these folks as they’re as they’re connecting. And I want to really mine from you guys. You guys are the experts on this. You interact with a lot of churches. I want to mine for our our listeners some help for them. So Tommy, from your vantage point, you work with churches across the country where we’re asking questions like this.Rich Birch — How do we get these people plugged in? How can we help these first time guests take steps towards ultimately groups, teams, get plugged into whatever it is that we’re trying to get them plugged in. Where do you see that leaders keep getting stuck when it comes to helping people take their next steps beyond this kind of first weekend? Where do we keep stumbling? What do you see consistently bubbling up in the churches that you’re working with?Tommy Carreras — Yeah. Yeah, there’s a few really specific things. And the first one is, first of all, we always have to move as far left or as far up, however you’d like to think, left to right, top to bottom. We have to move all the way to the left or all the way to the top. And the problem is there aren’t enough people in your funnel in the first place.Tommy Carreras — We’ve talked about this before, but a really, really popular church that I’ve been talking to a lot recently, and working with—by “popular”, I mean it’s growing, it’s a few thousand, so it’s there’s something there, obviously, and really popular online pastor. Not not super duper 2 million followers, but like quarter of a million. That’s a lot. Right. And just a wonderful guy. Right. Tommy Carreras — They announced really proudly recently that they had 1300 new people in the last year and their church of 25 to 2800. And I, looked him and said, guys, guys, that’s not even half of how many new people walked in the door. And they just looked so con confused.Tommy Carreras — They’re like, that’s a great number. I’m like, that’s a that’s a great number. It’s a really bad percentage, though. And it’s just wrong. Doesn’t matter if it’s good, bad, ugly.Rich Birch — Right.Tommy Carreras — It’s just wrong. The idea is most often we’re trying to help people take next steps, but we’re just looking at half or less than half of the actual people that are there. And so if we can’t get the top of the funnel right and recognize who’s there, and some of that is just missing the data that we do have. You can give this one away… If you’re not treating your new families like new guests, you’re ignoring them. You’re not missing them. You’re ignoring them because they’re giving you all the info. They’re giving you all the info besides their social security number, right? We need all their info for having their children. And we’re just missing that opportunity usually because we don’t treat them like, well, they didn’t go to the new guest table. But well, who cares? Bring the new guest table to them, right? Just bring it over there and treat them as such. And so that’s a huge one. That’s 30 to 40% of your new guest leads are actually coming in through kids. And so we have to stop ignoring those people.Tommy Carreras — But also it’s all about that invitation. If we can’t get that invitation right originally, then we’re always going to be looking at less than the actual amount. And then fewer people are going to take next steps because fewer people are being invited to take next steps. And so the top of the funnel is the first problem. We’re just not dealing with all the information. Tommy Carreras — The bigger sort of meta problem that I think has has been really interesting to watch is that most churches end up trying to tell their story instead of name their guest’s story.Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s good.Tommy Carreras — And so if you want to go like the StoryBrand route, and if you’re a Donald Miller fan, which I think, Rich, you are a Donald Miller fan, like it, how could you not be, right?Rich Birch — Sure, sure.Tommy Carreras — Like, “Blue Like Jazz” and “StoryBrand”, where does this guy stop? But the idea is we try and play the hero so that they’ll choose us. We’re trying to make sure all our theological ducks are in a row. We need to tell them the story about the incredible call that that God had on this this church planter’s life 23 years ago and that incredible first moment. And and they’re just sitting there going, Okay, that’s really cool…Rich Birch — That’s interesting to you.Tommy Carreras — …but it has nothing to do with them. Yeah, that’s super interesting. And that sounds like a great documentary that I would watch the trailer for. But that’s it. And what we’re not trying to do, though, is name their story, how they might be feeling right now, and how we might play a part in their story.Tommy Carreras — So instead of trying to say, here’s the story of our church, do you want to get on board? Those assimilation environments, whether it’s your “one program”, which is our language for, you know, the the program that you invite somebody to to help them take a next step into belonging and purpose. Instead of trying to name our story as an organization and say, here’s where you can fit into it. We’re trying to say, here’s the story we believe that God is writing in your life. And we might be able to play a part of it. It’s way bigger than us as a church, but we would love to play a part in it. And here’s the specific next thing that we would like to try and do for you because God’s writing your story and it’s a really good one. And we think we can plug in right here, right now.Tommy Carreras — And that’s the other thing. It’s a lot of times we’re just trying to go and here’s all the ways you could connect. And Greg’s been saying this since 2013 when I met him. But, you know, if you give if you give somebody A, B, C and D, they’ll choose E, none of the above. We’re just we’re giving them options and really they want guidance. And so if we can say, hey, here’s the thing that we have found is the best step for most people like you right now. Then they can just say yes or no.Tommy Carreras — And yes or no is great because if they say no, we just downsell and say, well, what do you want? What are you looking for? What what can we help you accomplish in your story and in your life right now? Not what environment do you want to be in? Because they don’t know. They don’t know what the deliverable of a group is. They don’t know why they would do it. We just have to say, what what do you want then?Tommy Carreras — And they say, oh I’m kind of looking for this, this, this. And you go, oh well, this is an environment that might be built just for you. And so we’re just trying to come alongside their story. But most often we’re trying to convince them that our story is really compelling. And that’s just falling way too flat.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. So much there. Unpack. Friends, rewind. Listen to that. There’s good stuff packed in there. Greg, sticking with this idea of options versus guidance, you know, when we’re thinking about a new person that walks into our church this weekend, this season, what do you think they’re actually trying to figure out in those first few weeks? What are the kind of questions that are on their minds that we’ve got to try to guide them towards? What are you seeing in the churches you’re working with? How should we be trying to guide those people?Greg Curtis — Multiple thoughts come to mind with that one. I’ve always said, and I do think that it’s still true, that the number one question when any of us are in a new environment is, and we’re not conscious of it really, but we look around and is there anyone here like me? And that’s that’s the inner question everybody is asking whenever they go to someplace that’s foreign or new to them. And that, you know, in a church context, that starts in the parking lot.Greg Curtis — And that sounds unusual. But if you’ve if you’ve driven in in on your motorcycle and every other car is a Mercedes and a Beamer, when you pull up, you know, you start to feel other than. And it’s people just look around, is is there somebody here like me? Greg Curtis — And I do think, like I had mentioned before, they are trying to figure out if this is a place where I can encounter God. So I do think we need to calibrate our services in such a way that they do encounter God. And I think that there’s a shift and I can’t wait to see how it gets ferreted out. But the shift in worship that needs to be happening is not just singing great praise songs and, having compelling announcements and and great teaching that is given to you, but having moments where they they actually feel like they’re encountering God, you know what I mean, in some way. And not that he’s not encountered, you know, through his word and and and and in worship. But um you know, ah creating a little bit of space ah for that, I think, going to actually speak to what they’re trying to figure out, which is, okay can I figure out God here? I have so many questions.Greg Curtis — And when they encounter God, that covers a multitude of sins, so to speak. Like, they may have three burning questions, but when if they actually encounter God, the questions almost go into the backseat because, oh my gosh, I just I sense God here. And when I say this, I’m not being theoretical. I just met with a gal, another 28-year-old, yesterday. And again, no church back when whatsoever.Greg Curtis — Her father was Jewish. She passed away a year ago. And she just feels orphaned and started looking for God and started watching us online for two weeks and then came and got baptized her first week she came because we happen to be doing one of those baptism things that we do maybe five times a year.Greg Curtis — And so we sat down, she had her little Bible that we print. It’s one of these few dads that we make. We call it a Bible, but we just print out text for the Bible because we’re doing an Old Testament survey kind of thing called the Old Testament Junk. But she’s she’s like, I think I should get it. Like she just figured out that’s not actually a Bible. And she what what Bible should I get was her first question.Rich Birch — Right. Love it. Right.Greg Curtis — Her other second question. because I said, you got a real pastor of front of you. Where do where do you which what kind of Bible should I get? The second one was, how do you pray?Rich Birch — Love it.Greg Curtis — This is the kind of stuff that as we were growing up, you said we were men of a certain age, that we used to anticipate and dream that people would ask us these incredible discipleship questions, like the disciples asked Jesus, Lord, how do we pray? And he gives them Lord’s Prayer. And we were prepared for those questions, but we were unprepared for a culture that was pretty disinterested. And so we’ve gone to the other paths I mentioned before. But now they’re asking the questions that we we are very prepared to answer, but I think we’re just got a little unused to it. And we need to put those things right in our pocket again because they’re asking. Greg Curtis — And so those are the kinds of of things that that they’re looking for in their first few weeks. And I think they’ll gauge and they are gauging our church by different things than they were a couple of years ago. You know, yeah, sure we have our kids program needs to be good and safe. You know, and and and we can’t do a sloppy job, you know, as we worship God corporately. But they’re gauging it by is God here? Am I meeting him? How can I connect with him? And that is just a very beautiful thing to see happen. That’s a great shift.Rich Birch — You know, I kind of sticking with that. One of the things I’ve been doting as I’ve been interacting with churches across the country is something that a friend of mine, Jeff Brody, lead pastor at Connexus has said. He talked, he’s talked about how we’re trying to offer what we’ve been calling accessible encounter, that it’s like we are trying to, so he wouldn’t say this next part, I’m saying this, so I don’t want to put words in his mouth.Rich Birch — But, um you know, i come from I come from the attractional church movement. That would be my background. Happy to say that that is my background. I know you’re not supposed to admit that, but that’s where that’s my background. It’s like you’re not supposed to say or that’s who it is.Rich Birch — And you know, what we were trying to do there was trying to connect with people who don’t normally attend church. And that’s still our heart. That’s still what we’re trying to do. But what we’ve realized is people are looking for an encounter with God that is that does go beyond. It transcends like, here’s three great ideas for this week at work or whatever. It’s it’s like, hey, I’m coming with real questions.Rich Birch — And so people are looking for something in the service that does have a transformational experience or an encounter to it. Sticking with you for a second, Greg, do you see that trend? So we’re doing more, I’m seeing more churches doing more kind of prayer stuff at the altar, end of the service experience, light these candles if you’re praying for that, fill out this card and post it on the cross. More of those kinds of experiences than I’ve seen before. What do you think about that, Greg?Greg Curtis — No, I feel that too. But that do you know what that does, is it shifts me into one thing I didn’t say is, I also think they’re looking for a person, a resource that they can talk to also. Tommy Carreras — Yeah.Greg Curtis — And I think that when we have those after church like prayer moments, like what what how that’ll look at our church is, and we’ve we’ve decided for this very reason to increase the frequency of them because we didn’t do them often. Now we’re doing them a little bit more regularly, more cyclically. But we we’ll have a prayer team, and I love being on the prayer team that’s at front afterwards because of the content that we were talking about.Greg Curtis — And lines will form of people, and we just pray for them and and talk to them and look in their eyes and sometimes connect them to resources if you know, that’s appropriate. But we just watch the people just line up for that, you know. And I just think people are looking for also a person or a guide, you know, that they could ask some questions of. Rich Birch — Right.Greg Curtis — And so I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who’s, I think he’s 31. And um his name is Kellen. Love this guy. He’s a leader on staff at a church in Georgia. And his thing, and I’m not saying this is the answer, but because I don’t think anybody knows the answer right now, because all of this, there’s not, and it’s really multiple answers, right? It’s just a bunch of things. But I’ll throw this in as an ingredient in the thought soup, you know, that’s percolating right now on all this. He was saying, especially with all the younger people returning to church, he that he sees a shift in the attractional church model maybe that may be happening over the next five years, where instead of the worship service being the attractional event, and then we get them assimilation-wise into small groups and ministry teams, that it it may be the reverse of that.Greg Curtis — Where because they’re looking for God in a person, they end up in somebody’s home at, at a, something that may look like a small group, as we think of them, and conversations over coffee. And they get so enraptured in it that it starts there. And then it ends kind of like my friend, Connie, who, who came the NFL gal, it ends at your church. It doesn’t start there. That’s the shift. It starts to end there. And that may mean in the future, our attractional church model and worship may shift to something that’s unapologetically for those who are following and seeking Jesus, not trying to get them to. And that’s a big shift. So so the the the river flow may be shifting. And I just think that’s an interesting thought. It’s been in my head for a while.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Tommy Carreras — I think it’s so funny that you mentioned that people are looking for a person, because I was hoping to jump in and say, I think that all of this is like they’re looking for people, not experiences. Rich Birch — Right.Tommy Carreras — And so thank you for for going there. The question that came to mind, because I’ve always loved your question to to remind us how simple and basic the initial need of a guest is. Anybody in any new scenario, is anybody here like me? I think the question that they’re asking next, is anyone here worth imitating? Because also imitation, imitation is the way we learn. It’s the way we grow. It’s why Jesus is a, is a person we follow, not a doctrinal set of beliefs that we adhere to. Tommy Carreras — That’s not the point. The point is the person we follow and the people we’re becoming and everybody wants to become someone better. And that’s not actually a legalistic gross, like, Oh, you’re just prideful. No, no, no. We’re designed to be phenomenally wonderful people that look like Jesus. That’s what our, our actual heart’s desire is. Tommy Carreras — And so if God’s leaning into that desire in people, then their first question is going to naturally be, is anybody here worth imitating? And we can’t tell people that we’re worth imitating. We can only show them that we’re worth imitating. And how do we show them? We walk up to people we don’t know and say, Hey, I don’t think I know you yet. And you deserve to be known. I’m Tommy. What’s your name? And just take it from there. Tommy Carreras — That’s somebody that’s worth imitating. That is somebody that’s confident and inviting and welcoming and kind and compassionate and interested and curious. That’s who I want to be. And so I’m going to naturally say, oh, if that’s the first person I met here, what are all these other people like? This could be wonderful.Rich Birch — Right. Greg Curtis — Yeah.Tommy Carreras — And so I think those two questions really build the the exact desire set, or at least the first initial desires of somebody who’s who’s coming to church, especially somebody who’s explicitly coming to get to know God and to be the best version of themselves. And they’re they’re actually saying, and I think God defines what that best version looks like. That’s like the best news ever for churches. But we tend to miss it because we design for information transfer and not relationship building. And that’s just not what they’re looking for.Greg Curtis — Yes.Rich Birch — So sticking with that, Tommy, I’d love to, I’d love you to unpack that a little bit. Think of maybe I’m a church of a thousand. So it’s, you know, this thing’s got some energy behind it. And I want to design this, these kind of initial first steps. I want to design our weekend experience and then whatever I’m asking for people to make, to try to get them towards some relationship and get them towards some people. What are some of those initial things that we should be thinking about to try to help them take those first couple steps? What are some of the, these initial steps. Again, picture a church of maybe a thousand. What’s that look like? So it’s gotta be done at scale.Rich Birch — I love the idea of like, you know, I could note people in the room who I don’t know, but like, we all know you get up over a couple hundred and it’s like, I don’t know. By the time you get to a thousand, you look around your lobby and you’re like, I don’t know any of these people. Like I don’t know who any of these people are.Tommy Carreras — I don't know any of these people. Yeah.Rich Birch — So how do we, how do we build a system for lack of a better word that helps us move people towards that?Tommy Carreras — Yeah, I think that first we have to get clear on our goals as a team and we have to get clear on every environment’s goal and make sure there is an environment for every step of the journey. Nobody’s just going to take a big swing. Right. And also we, I would love to live in a place and and be in a church where this is just like, I don’t have to design any systems because all the people just naturally do it. Tommy Carreras — And I would say that often, like I want to, I want to, I want our church to be a church where we don’t even need a group connection event because everybody gets invited to a group personally. And that wasn’t because I was actually hoping that would be a realistic thing. I was trying to set such a clear picture of my actual goal that we could just move 5% in that direction. We could get 20% of our people invited instead of going through a connection event. That would be awesome. Even 5% is better than zero. Tommy Carreras — And so I tried to set ah a visionary goal just for the sake of the culture building. But we have to build the systems and and be really obvious about it because people are also walking in with baggage and they’re walking in with a clear picture and they’re they’re asking to be proved wrong in most cases. Well, i don’t know about in most cases, but in plenty cases, they’re they’re hoping they’re proved wrong. Tommy Carreras — Well, church people just like each other. Well, church people are going to judge the places that don’t have it together yet. Lightning is going to strike when I walk in the door. I’m not actually going to be useful here. I’m going to be a burden. All of those things, that’s the baggage they’re walking in with, not just because of church hurt, because of life hurt. And that is exactly why we’re here, to meet that and say, that’s actually a lie. That’s actually a lie from the father of lies. And you’re here to meet the good father that has only truth for you. And I’m going to show it to you. Tommy Carreras — But we need the systems and the environments that build it correctly and that that lean toward those and produce those kinds of relationships or relational touch points. We need to set clear goals and we need to be relentless in our invitation into those environments. So just having a new here sign on a booth is not an invitation. It’s information. But when my favorite way to announce, for example, which should be an announcement, every single service, hopefully twice in the service. Hey, if you’re new here or you consider yourself new here, and if if you haven’t done this yet, we’d love you to go have a conversation at this place. We want to put this gift in your hands or this something and, and, and here’s what I would always say. And if you’re thinking that the free mug is a bribe to get to know you, you are exactly right. The mug is great, but what’s better is that we think you’re worth knowing and we want to make sure that you have every opportunity to have a familiar face next time you walk in the door.Tommy Carreras — Not, we want to meet you because it’s part of our organizational goal to identify this many guests so that hopefully you give at some point. That’s not a great message. The great message is you’re worth knowing. We think you deserve a familiar face who calls you by name next time you walk in the door. And hopefully also there’s going to be a next time. And we’d like to ensure that there’s a next time. So yes, it’s a bribe. All we want to do is get to know you. We stop by the place. Tommy Carreras — And that, that really worked because also we’re not being slick. We’re being honest. We’re being vulnerable. We’re being transparent. We’re saying we’re just here to do this and whatever it takes to get you there. That’s great. You can leave the mug. The point is we would love to get to know you because you’re worth knowing. And so we’re trying to make sure those environments exist. And then we also have to follow it up. Tommy Carreras — And that means training people training. empowering volunteers to actually accomplish the goal as opposed to accomplish what they think is the goal, but never really was. And so if they’re like, I got to sell the church. Nope. No, no, no. You got to remember their name and ask three personal questions about them. That’s my, that’s my goal for you. Just do that. Tommy Carreras — And if they come to the next thing, like we’ll, we’ll get them to the next thing. You got to mention the program that we want them to come to. That’s fine. They’re not going to come next week anyway. They’re not ready for that. Just get to know them. Rich Birch — That’s good.Tommy Carreras — And so we’re setting real goals and making them very attainable for those volunteers. And then we’re also doing it ourselves in staff and we’re not hiding in the green room, just a little note. But you know, if you’re on staff and you’re hiding in the green room, you know, would fix that. Just fix it.Rich Birch — Yeah, exactly. Stop doing that. I love that. So super tactically, Greg, because we’re talking, we talked, you brought up the ethical bribe. I like to call it the like, Hey, we’ve got a great coffee mug or a water bottle. And you know, it’s one of those things. I love how you framed that, Tommy. Cause I like, think that’s a, that’s a great way even just to like unpack this exactly what we’re trying to do. I think that’s fantastic.Rich Birch — Greg, you’ve helped us think, you’ve helped me think so clearly around um how are we collecting people’s contact information, which is just the start of the of the relationship. Like we’re I think sometimes we can get that turned upside down. It’s like we’re trying to hit the metric because for some metric reason. No, no, it’s ultimately about trying to start a relationship. What are you learning about the timing, the context of all of that, of that kind of part of the service that we’re asking when we’re giving them? You know, what is the ethical bribe, all of that?Rich Birch — What are you learning these days for this very tippy top part of the transaction we’re talking about, the very first step? Is there anything that you’re learning there that we should be thinking differently about?Greg Curtis — I don’t I don’t know. I’m always cautious about saying what I’m learning as if it’s been learned. Rich Birch — Right. Greg Curtis — I think that we are experimenting with some new things in light of this. And I would say that one of the big shifts is it’s look, how do I say it? In light of everything we’ve said already about them looking for God, right? And not just life help. They, I think looking at their discipleship, there’s an old word, you know, but they’re they’re learning to follow Jesus, right? Their discipleship, becoming a follower of Jesus. We have always looked at that through just a biblical theological doctrinal lens. Like, do they know this? Have they done that kind of thing? Greg Curtis — And I think it’s an interesting thing to look at it through the journeys that they experience at at when they come into a new church from their angle. So I call them, I’ve said this before, I think to your crowd, but I call those three journeys the journey from the street to the seat, which really became from the screen to the seat after COVID.Greg Curtis — Right. Like I mentioned, the gal I met with ah on Sunday, she had already attended our church twice online before she had come. And many churches I have talked to, their average is about four times that they’ve attended your church online. But that journey from, say, the screen to the seat where they’re ah they’re seeing you on their television. But then it’s the parking lot, the greeters, the info counter, kids checked in, ushers, whatever. Right. That journey is is so important. Greg Curtis — And that journey is about but ah belonging. But then you get the journey from, ah that’s really the growing journey, which is what they’re there for. And that’s a journey from the seat to a circle. And that’s because the circle is the environment we know works best for somebody to grow, where they’re just kind of FaceTime with people, you know, that in Tommy’s words, they might want to imitate, right? And learn from.Greg Curtis — But it’s so important to get that information. We’re making a big shift where instead of like we’re actually experimenting and saying this for the last few weeks at our church where we’re not collecting their information at all at the at that stage. What we’re doing is saying just come get a free get come get…in our case, we have like a grill where they could get a free meal. Come get a free coffee drink or meal or whatever on us. And we’re we’re not asking them for anything. We’re just creating engagement.Greg Curtis — But we’re starting to shift because we are baptizing, like in our in our case, over the last 15 months, we’ve baptized over 1800 people. And that’s a big that’s a big shift from targeting what I call cold leads to warm leads. You know, you want to get engagement, start collecting stuff and engaging with people when they’ve been willing to get wet in front of people they don’t know, because they made a decision to follow Jesus. That’s a warm lead.Rich Birch — Right.Greg Curtis — Somebody, you know what I’m saying? And in the, in the spirit of the parable of the talents investing where the, you’re starting to see results, you know, in the fruit and just being strategic about that.Rich Birch — Right.Greg Curtis — That’s where we’re pouring in some of our, of our best stuff. We’re experimenting with that. I’m not telling people to do that yet because we don’t know how that’s going to work for us.Rich Birch — Yes.Greg Curtis — So let me just say that in the… Rich Birch — Yes. That’s good. Yeah.Greg Curtis — But moving them from the seat to the circle through that kind of engagement, you know through whatever one program you have, inviting them into a ministry team, a small group. And then that third journey is the journey, you know once it’s belongings established, growing established, then it’s it’s going, the journey about going.Greg Curtis — That’s the journey from the circle back out to the street. And it’s really just equipping people to to not just know Jesus, but to be more like him and to imitate him ultimately, even through their other people examples. And ad I just think that there’s some great environments that we can talk about later that really equip them to do that. Because we may look at the Bible and see, here’s discipleship steps. But from the guest vantage point, it’s their journey from the screen to the seat, the seat to the circle, and the circle back out to the street. And so what environments are we creating?Greg Curtis — And like you said, how are we engaging with them? When do we get their contact info, right? When do we invest in in the engagement? And for us, it it seems a worthy experiment to shift to, because we are seeing so many baptisms in light of the the huge God interest, is to start it’s like a it’s a it’s a discipleship moment to let the discipleship issues drive when we do what. And look at it through the lens of these journeys that guests experience our church with. Right. So that’s a little bit about, you know, what we’re looking at in there and on the front end.Rich Birch — Love it. Well, I friends who are listening in, I was really hoping that you’ll take steps to get connected with Greg and Tommy. We’ve talked about a bunch of stuff. The problem with these things is, man, we can just keep going. And like, there’s so much in this that I find fascinating and, you know, I’ve always loved when people connect. Rich Birch — I do want to kind of pivot and talk a little bit about how you guys help churches. So first, maybe Tommy, talk to us about, you’ve got this incredible free audit that you’ve made available for folks. Talk to us about the audit. How will it help us? We’ll put a link to in the show notes about it. But I really think 100% of the people that are listening today should take this. This would be a great next step for folks coming out of today. Talk us through this a little bit.Tommy Carreras — Yeah, yeah. One of my favorite things about the audit, because it’s it’s a brand new tool that we just rolled out. Because we had a 63-point checklist before, and it was phenomenal. I worked through every item on that checklist…Rich Birch — Yes.Tommy Carreras — …when Greg initially rolled it out a long time ago. And what we did was we took our own medicine and said, how do we reorganize this instead of around an organizational checklist of do we have the features that we think are valuable? Instead, we said, well, what what milestones are going to help a guest on their journey. And so we, we organize the assimilation audit around the three journeys of the guest, not the environments of the church. Tommy Carreras — Now the audit does say, well, this is an environment that meets them in this thing that they’re looking for on their journey, but, do you have the environment? Is it working? Is the main question usually is, is it actually working? And we give you some actual markers around whether or not it’s working. Because the the reality is you have the programs, you have the ingredients, you have the volunteers, you probably have a great Sunday experience. And yet all the people are still disappearing or at least most of them. And they’re, the problem is they do it quietly. They don’t write in and tell you… Rich Birch — Right. Tommy Carreras — …by the way, I left because I didn’t find somebody that I could imitate quickly enough because what I really had was all this baggage from this… They don’t tell you any of that. You just never knew they were even there. Rich Birch — So true. Tommy Carreras — And so what we’re trying to do is look at the experience and go based on all the churches that we’ve worked with, Greg, for over 12 years and seeing this happen over and over and over and seeing the remarkable consistency in the issues and the challenges. We said, here are the leakage points in the system. And some of them are pretty surprising. Some of them are super obvious. But what this will do is actually help you audit the effectiveness of those experiences, organized by what the guests are hoping they experience. They’re desperately hoping you can provide for them on their journey.Tommy Carreras — And the best part about it, honestly, like it’s a Google doc right now. That is, I’m just giving you that admission because also it’s not a fancy tool that I vibe coded like Rich recently vibe coded one of his really cool assessment tools. I haven’t done that yet. And the the reality is though, it’s a Google doc because also you should write some notes on this thing and you should sit around it as a staff and share it and have real conversations.Tommy Carreras — Cause the, the, the gold of this audit is going to be in the conversation and the arguments: No, I think it’s red. No, it’s yellow. It’s doing okay. But what about this person? What about this person?Rich Birch — That’s good.Tommy Carreras — Will somebody go pull up the numbers? Because the numbers… That’s where the gold is in the audit. And it’s, I mean, it’s a lot. It’s a lot of stuff to dig through in your system because it’s 49 points. It’s 49 stops along the way on those three journeys. But you’re going uncover so much. And then I think that it’ll give you a really clear pathway toward, okay, well, here’s what we should do first. Rich Birch — That’s good.Tommy Carreras — And that might be the most important thing about it.Greg Curtis — I would just say, too, on that point that for your listeners, if you’re at a point where you are either feeling alone in in wanting to see a breakthrough in engagement or you have a team and you guys are just kind of spinning your wheels and you have the same results all the time and wanting to see them increase and they really don’t that much, this thing is do it for a few weeks together in meetings. It will invigorate. And you’ll do it do it with a team, even if if ah ah but ah a team of key volunteers yeah in a smaller context.Greg Curtis — But make a day retreat or something out of it and really go through it. And you will find that you, oh my gosh, you can shake out all of the obstacles, all the pain points and weaknesses. It will be very, very helpful and rejuvenating. And it’s free. So there’s that.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Yeah, and we’ll put a link to that in the show notes. I really do think this would be a great next step for everybody who’s listening in. Super helpful. Great. It’s crazy that it’s free to me. You know, don’t don’t trash talk that it’s just a Google Doc. Like, man, a lot of intelligence built into that that, you know, we want people to take.Rich Birch — And then the second thing, Greg, could you tell us about the Sherpa tribe? Because I think there are people, well, I know there are churches that are listening in that, you know, you talked about earlier, there was this, you know, hey, there’s 1300 guests or or, you know, sorry, Tommy was talking about the fact there’s 1300 guests at this church, and they should have had a lot more. That has been my experience with 100% of the churches that I’ve talked to around these issues, we’re missing people. So how does the Sherpa tribe help with that? How does that actually help us find those guests, get them to stay, get them to serve and to start growing? What does that look like?Greg Curtis — Well, alongside of looking at the guest journeys in these three ways that I earlier described, we we find that each church, once they do the audit, has a different weakness. You know what I mean? Some of them are common, right? But they ah they’re at their own place and shoring up and strengthening different aspects of that journey. Greg Curtis — And so what we did is we took our video course, which was one of our mainstays, and we started breaking it up and creating a ton more videos that breaking up around 10 minutes and then creating action points for each one and allowing ah people who become part of our Sherpa tribe—which you can go to assimilayas.com and click on Sherpa Tribe, find out more—to to to go right where they need it and study the things and action points that they need. Go deep in that. And then weekly meet with Tommy or I, with other people just like them from around the country and beyond that in these Zoom sessions where there’s no agenda but you. Rich Birch — Right.Greg Curtis — And you bring your questions and what you’re struggling through in this. And we have the most dynamic and fun conversations that create breakthroughs for teams through those through those Zoom moments. Tommy, would you add anything to that?Tommy Carreras — No, I think the the other the other piece of the puzzle that’s so powerful is we’ve seen the we’ve seen the best results from the folks who haven’t just jumped in to go like, I got to shore up a thing and get some information and and then get out and then you know milk it for all it’s worth and just get in.Tommy Carreras — What they’re really, that the churches who are getting the most out of it are the ones who say, this is the year where we fix this. Greg Curtis — Yeah, yeah.Tommy Carreras — This is the year where we look different at the end of it. This is the year that our staff gets it. There are no more people just sitting around in workflows or process queues 29, 42, 83 days overdue. That is the biggest crisis that we could have now because we all get it. We’re speaking the same language and we’re serving each other and we’re doing all these things to shore up all of these systems because it’s not just one person. And most likely it’s most people’s second or third job on their actual plate. Tommy Carreras — And so we’re trying to skip them up to third base on all of these different kind of sections of their assimilation system. And we’re trying to give them the people and the contextualization that’s going to make it come to life for their entire team. But it’s it’s the churches that go, we’re going to make it this year is going to be the one where things change.Tommy Carreras — And they they dive in and they go, I’m going to commit to this thing because they believe that it’s a keystone. It’s almost like a keystone habit. We fix this. Everything else is going to make more sense in our church. And that’s assimilation is a mindset and ah a sort of almost a belief system, not just a couple different environments in our church or a couple different process cues. And so those are the churches that are really crushing it inside the tribe.Rich Birch — Yeah, that that’s fantastic. And friends, again, we’ll link to that. It’s assimilayas.com where you can you know connect more with Tommy, with Greg, with everything that they’re they’re doing. And you know super hearty endorsement from me. You guys do great work and I think it’s super helpful for many churches. This is one of these areas that if we don’t keep an eye on over time, we’re just missing people. We’re missing people taking steps closer to Jesus.Rich Birch — Tommy, why don’t I give you the last word here? Any kind of last encouragement as we wrap up today’s episode that you’d like to share with listeners who are you know thinking about these issues? Obviously, these people are the better part of an hour in. What would you say to them as we wrap up today’s call?Tommy Carreras — Yeah. I was at a church recently and they I was working on mostly data with them. Okay. And they said, hey do you want to talk to the staff for 20 minutes? And I said, okay, sure. Random. I’m going to try and convince them that data matters. And that they okay, they should love their church management software at the end of this 20 minute talk.Tommy Carreras — And by the end of it, they did actually. They believed me. But the whole idea was I led with there’s a whole bunch that got to it, but the the crux at the end was every form response. Every time somebody gives us their information is a miracle. God has moved heaven and earth since before time began to get them to put their name, email, and phone number on that stupid Planning Center form. And it’s a dang miracle.Tommy Carreras — And if that’s true, then every single person in a queue or a workflow or a form, you know, submission, whatever you call in your church management software, that is a sacred opportunity and a massive burden of leadership on our shoulders.Greg Curtis — Yeah.Tommy Carreras — And every red light overdue, 23 days not started, all of those are massive warning signals in our ministry. All because it’s a miracle that anybody would say yes to anything. And how could we not do everything in our power to lean in meet them there and steward their next step and get them across the gap that they are not going to and may not be able to cross on their own.Tommy Carreras — That’s the opportunity ahead of us. And it’s just sacred. And I hope that we don’t miss it.Rich Birch — That’s great. Well, thank you so much, guys. really appreciate you being on the show. Again, that’s assimilayas.com. We’ll link to all of that, but appreciate you being here today. We’ll have to have you on again in the future because this is such an important area, but appreciate you being here today. Thank you. Tommy Carreras — Thanks, Rich.

Pastor Jack gives his opinion on Islamic terrorists, their worldview, their connection to religion, and how it all relates spiritually. What exactly are the "deceiving spirits" and the "doctrines of demons" that the Bible warns us would prevail in the last days? This is a time when we need to be vigilant and have our spiritual armor on to withstand what's upon us now and what is approaching in the future.(00:00) Opening on Violence, Islam, and Spiritual Deception(01:16) 1 Timothy 4 and the Meaning of the Last Days(03:18) Cultural Change as Evidence of Deceiving Spirits(07:13) Terrorism, Islam, and Current Events(10:08) Deuteronomy 28 and National Judgment(11:34) Quran Passages and Hibbs’ Comparison to the Bible(16:14) How the Bible and Quran Differ in Origin and Message(19:20) Islam, America, and the Question of Assimilation(25:25) The Antichrist, Prophecy, and the Future of Islam(26:47) Final Warning About Modern Doctrines of DemonsCONNECT WITH PASTOR JACK:Get Updates via Text:  https://text.whisp.io/jack-hibbs-podcast Website: https://jackhibbs.com/Instagram: http://bit.ly/2FCyXpOFacebook: https://bit.ly/2WZBWV0 YouTube: https://bit.ly/437xMHnTwitter/X: https://x.com/RealJackHibbs CALLED TO TAKE A BOLD STAND:https://boldstand.org/ DAZE OF DECEPTION:https://jackhibbs.com/daze-of-deception/ Did you know we have a Real Life Network? Sign up for free today for more exclusive content:https://www.reallifenetwork.com//  

My point is: you should assimilate what you have first. We already have so much, and it's highly assimilatable—but not many people have assimilated it. Who has fully assimilated the Śrī Īśopaniṣad? What is assimilation? What does it look like? Assimilation means you spend some time going deeply within the book: researching it, learning all the verses, and knowing the purports backwards and forwards—learning the verses backwards and forwards. We did that with 'Divinity and Divine Service.' In order to get full credit, you had to be able to recite the chapter forwards and backwards. That's the very beginning of assimilation. Hanumat Presaka Swami, one of the great thinkers and scholars in our movement—I just remember when he was frequenting ISV. He always kept a little pouch around his neck. What was in that pouch? The Upadeśāmṛta. But not just the Upadeśāmṛta; it was in Spanish. He wanted to challenge himself doubly, because that's how his brain works. He speaks Spanish, and he wanted to practice reading in Spanish. But everywhere he went, he would have that around his neck, and he'd read it and read it. When you assimilate a book, you'll find out how—or at least, when you attempt to assimilate one book, you start to realize—how deep it is and how much is really there. Generally, people get involved in things because they want to 'strike it rich quick.' That's why so many people live in California. In 1849, the world changed because there was a discovery of gold in the mountains of California. And actually, the world wealth situation dramatically increased at that time because so much natural gold was discovered. People came from all over the world, and they wanted to strike it rich. There's still the impulse in each person in the world that they want some way to get rich quick. In a business I once had, I was training people how to do business, and I noticed that people would come in, and then as soon as they had to make a few phone calls—which is actually work—they would quit and say, "I'm going to find another business that's easier." There's a tendency to do that in spiritual life also. Instead of reading the whole Bhagavad-gītā 108 times, or as Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta said, "You should read Prahlāda Mahārāja a hundred times and Dhruva Mahārāja a hundred times." Did you know it's mentioned in one of the commentaries that the gopīs used to read Dhruva Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja? They would weep reading those accounts of those little boys doing such austerities and so forth. Assimilate the Bhagavad-gītā. I know very few people who have actually gone deeply within the Bhagavad-gītā who can sit and discourse. I mean, Caitanya Caraṇa—he comments on it every day. He reads it deeply and thinks about it when he's sleeping at night; he's thinking about what he's going to present the next day, how to bring out topical points in the world and connect them to the Bhagavad-gītā. Ask him if he's assimilated the Bhagavad-gītā. What will he tell you? The more he's going into it, the more he's seeing how deep it is. What about the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Have you ever in your school days, or even now when you're in school, ever noticed the phenomenon where you finish a course and then realize you absorbed about 2% of what was in the textbook? I used to save all my textbooks. My garage was full of....

In this episode of The Narrative, Aaron and Mike celebrate the success of the most recent Prayer at the Statehouse, which saw its largest turnout ever as hundreds gathered to fill the Ohio Statehouse with worship and prayer. The guys also discuss the importance of Christian engagement in all areas of life, from protecting the family to advocating for fair property tax policies that ensure the elderly are not forced out of their homes. After the news, Aaron and Mike are joined by Dr. Fenggang Yang, a professor of sociology and director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University. Yang provides a fascinating look at the "Triple Market" of religion in China. In a world dominated by a Communist regime that enforces "scientific atheism" and bans baptism for minors, Yang reveals how the underground "Grey Market" of Christianity is exploding. Discover how the Holy Spirit is outmaneuvering the Deep State of Beijing and why China is on a trajectory to become the largest Christian nation on the planet in our lifetime. More about Dr. Fenggang Yang Dr. Fenggang Yang is a Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University. He also holds the appointments of Courtesy Professor of Political Science and faculty affiliate with the Purdue Policy Research Institute, Asian Studies, and Religious Studies. Dr. Yang has served as President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. As a renowned expert in the sociology of religion, immigration, Asian Americans, and East Asian societies, Dr. Yang has delivered numerous invited lectures at prestigious universities and keynote speeches at professional associations across the US, Asia, and Europe. His insights have been featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Economist, NPR, CNN, BBC, and ABC. Dr. Yang earned his B.A. in politics and education in 1982 and his M.A. in philosophy in 1987 in China before moving to the United States in 1989. He completed his Ph.D. in sociology at The Catholic University of America in 1997. He is the author of several influential books, including Chinese Christians in America: Conversion, Assimilation, and Adhesive Identities(Penn State 1999), Religion in China: Survival and Revival under Communist Rule (Oxford 2012), and Atlas of Religion in China: Social and Geographical Contexts (Brill 2018). Additionally, he has co-edited over a dozen scholarly books. Two of his numerous articles have received distinguished article awards from professional associations. Want to Go Deeper? On Saturday, April 11, Center for Christian Virtue will host our 2026 Columbus Celebration Gala. We're excited to welcome our keynote speaker, Scott Jennings, who is CNN's senior conservative voice and one of the sharpest commentators in the national spotlight. He's known for his clarity, conviction, and humor, and Scott brings decades of experience at the crossroads of politics and media, including serving in the George W. Bush White House and key roles in multiple presidential and Senate campaigns. It's going to be an elegant evening where you'll enjoy an incredible dinner followed by visionary keynotes exploring the path forward for the future of Ohio and America. Get your tickets or secure your table today at CCV.org/ColumbusGala.

AP's Huizhong Wu reports that China's National People's Congress is focusing on high tech and has passed an ethnic unity law.

Is assimilation oppressive or is it essential? “Immigration without assimilation is invasion.” — Charlie Kirk Some call it nationalism. Others call it wisdom. This week, we unpack what assimilation actually means and why shared language, shared values, and shared law matter for a nation's survival. We're not talking about ethnicity, we're talking about unity. Is it loving to expect newcomers to adopt the values of the country they're entering? Is assimilation biblical? Let's think critically, not emotionally. Let's get into it. Connect With The Few! Follow us and join the conversation:

Over our 3,300 year long history, we have lost more Jews to assimilation than to violence and persecution. Assimilation, rather than persecution, is then the biggest threat to the continuation of Judaism and the Jewish people. How can we counter assimilation and ensure the continuation of our people? 

Immigration is a privilege — not a right. Filling in for Todd Huff on The Todd Huff Show, Krish Dhanam shares a deeply personal perspective as a first-generation legal immigrant. He contrasts the rigorous immigration process of the 1980s with today's visa system, raising serious concerns about H-1B abuse, cultural integration, border enforcement, and political incentives.Krish reflects on sovereignty, assimilation, voter integrity, and America's constitutional foundation, asking whether we've lost sight of what made this nation exceptional. A passionate conversation about law, morality, and preserving the American Dream.

Immigration is a privilege — not a right. Filling in for Todd Huff on The Todd Huff Show, Krish Dhanam shares a deeply personal perspective as a first-generation legal immigrant. He contrasts the rigorous immigration process of the 1980s with today's visa system, raising serious concerns about H-1B abuse, cultural integration, border enforcement, and political incentives.Krish reflects on sovereignty, assimilation, voter integrity, and America's constitutional foundation, asking whether we've lost sight of what made this nation exceptional. A passionate conversation about law, morality, and preserving the American Dream.

This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to discuss the 2025 psychological thriller, "The Dutchman." Based on Amiri Baraka's groundbreaking 1964 Obie Award-winning one-act play, the film follows Clay (André Holland), a successful but troubled Black businessman navigating a crumbling marriage with his wife Kaya (Zazie Beetz). After a therapy session with the enigmatic Dr. Amiri (Stephen McKinley Henderson), Clay encounters Lula (Kate Mara), a seductive and sinister white woman on a New York subway, who draws him into a dangerous psychological game of cat and mouse that forces him to confront his identity, his marriage, and the concept of double consciousness. Directed by Andre Gaines and co-written with Qasim Basir, the film also stars Aldis Hodge and Lauren E. Banks. The crew digs into the film's exploration of race, assimilation, Black male identity, and whether this modern adaptation does justice to Baraka's original text — or if the meta-theatrical approach gets in its own way.Black on Black Cinema is a long-running podcast featuring in-depth Black movie reviews and frank conversations that matter to the Black community. We review Black films across every genre — from Black horror and Black sci-fi to indie dramas, comedies, and blockbuster action. Covering filmmakers like Spike Lee, Jordan Peele, Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, and more. Hosted by Jay, Micah, Terrence, and T'ara. Featured on RogerEbert.com. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Look Forward (progressive politics), and Dense Pixels (video game news).

Wine Selection French Vinchot (mulled wine) - the last of a homemade batch from the holidays Episode Description Political scientist and paralegal Desiree Collado joins Jessica Yanez for an urgent conversation about Latino identity, political power, and community protection. With over 30 years of experience and work with the United Nations, Desiree breaks down the current political landscape and provides practical guidance for navigating uncertain times. Desiree Collado is a Dominican-American political scientist and paralegal with 30+ years of experience. She has worked with UN ambassadors on international resolutions and is dedicated to preserving Latino narratives and advancing understanding of the Latine experience. Guest Bio Desiree Collado is a Dominican-American political scientist and paralegal with 30+ years of experience. She has worked with UN ambassadors on international resolutions and is dedicated to preserving Latino narratives and advancing understanding of the Latine experience. Timestamps & Topics [00:00:00] Introduction Jessica introduces the urgency of today's conversation Why this episode focuses on current political events [00:04:00] Growing Up Between Two Worlds [00:12:00] Assimilation vs. Identity [00:16:00] Living on the Hyphen [00:23:00] Military Service & Exploitation [00:26:00] Anger as a Love Language [00:28:00] The GOP Strategy: Repetition [00:29:00] Plan, Don't Panic [00:37:00] Credentials & Qualifications [00:42:00] Latino Political Power [00:45:00] They Colonized the Rich [00:48:00] Venezuela Discussion [00:57:00] The Identity Crisis Continues [01:03:00] Optimism for the Next Generation [01:06:00] This Cannot Last Long [01:09:00] Practical Safety Tips [01:13:00] Minnesota Police Officers Stopped by ICE [01:16:00] Final Call to Action Connect with Desiree Instagram: @MadiDez (follow stories for sourced political analysis)

The battles for Jericho and Ai start the conquest of the Promised Land for Israel. How did they capture a fortress with gigantic walls? Why did God let them get defeated by the army in Ai? Why did they march around Jericho so many times? This and other questions are answered in this episode of Bible Backdrop.If you are enjoying Bible Backdrop, please leave a 5 star rating and review. Bible Backdrop is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast station. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can e-mail me at the address in this episode. 

John talks about Trump speaking about his version of Christianity at the National Prayer Breakfast and Speaker Mike Johnson trying to out Christian the pope by mansplaining how borders are in the bible and they're what God wants. Then, he speaks with Boston Globe staff writer Abdallah Fayyad about Trump and his obsession with rigging elections and the increasing problems with the ICE Gestapo. And John interviews author Sasha Abramsky about his new book American Carnage: How Trump, Musk and DOGE Butchered the US Government.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cutting Through the Chaos with Wallace Garneau – Immigration is often treated as a moral slogan rather than a system with limits. This episode examines assimilation as a rate-dependent process, asking what happens when societies absorb newcomers faster than shared norms can form. It explores culture, scale, and history to explain why cohesion depends on expectations, enforcement, and clear thinking about tradeoffs...

Paul Chowdhry is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer known for his dark, deadpan style and boundary-pushing comedy. A regular on British television and radio, he has appeared on shows including Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, and Stand Up Central, and has released multiple stand-up specials. His American tour is called “Artificial Indian.” Chowdhry also hosts the podcast The Paul Chowdhry PudCast. Follow him on Instagram @paulchowdhry and X @paulchowdhry.FOR MORE WITH PAUL CHOWDHRY:STAND UP TOUR: ‘ARTIFICIAL INDIAN' TOURING THE US NOW Jan 16 - NEW YORK CITY - GRAMERCY THEATER Jan 20 - PHILADELPHIA PA - KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS WEBSITE: paulchowdhry.comINSTAGRAM & X: @paulchowdhryFOR MORE WITH RUDY PAVICH: INSTAGRAM: @rudy_pavichWEBSITE: www.rudypavichcomedy.comLIVE SHOWS: January 16 - Grants Pass, ORJanuary 17 - Bend, ORJanuary 29 - New York, NY (2 shows)January 30 - Chester, NYJanuary 31 - Washington, DCThank you for supporting our sponsors:BetOnlinehomes.comoreillyauto.com/adamPluto.tvsimplisafe.com/ADAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

ASSIMILATION AND THE SALME SHIP MYSTERY Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough highlights how the Norse assimilated into Eastern cultures, adopting Slavic names and gods within generations. The focus then turns to a major mystery: the Salme ship burials in Estonia, discovered in 2013. These burials, dated to around 750 AD, predate the Lindisfarne raid and contain warriors buried with high honors, including gaming pieces and falcons, despite having died violently. Barraclough suggests this might have been a diplomatic mission gone wrong. A key artifact mentioned is a King piece from the board game hnefatafl found in a leader's mouth, adding to the mystery of who buried them. NUMBER 3

Western civilization is being tested like never before. Victor Davis Hanson argues to the contrary, saying that while much of Western Europe and America's blue states continue down a failing path, signs of renewal are emerging in unexpected places—Eastern Europe and America's red states. These countermovements are pushing back against cultural nihilism, restoring free speech, reinforcing the nuclear family, and demanding legal immigration with full assimilation. He breaks down these emerging trends on today's episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.” “'It's a verdict for the future of Western civilization. We've had the revolution for 50 years, but we haven't seen a counterrevolution to the degree that's taking place. Western European elites in the former British Commonwealth and blue state elites all are very critical of the Yahoos in Eastern Europe and the Yahoos in the red states. But only for a while because their paradigm is collapsing as we speak. And the people who are gonna save Europe are the people who they thought they were embarrassed of. It's quite ironic, but it's also a hopeful time for Western civilization.” (0:00) Introduction (0:48) Symptoms of Decline in the West (1:58) The Impact of Ideological Choices (2:47) Open Borders and Assimilation Issues (3:32) Counterrevolutions (4:40) A New Paradigm for Renewal We need your help to ensure The Daily Signal can continue to counter the liberal media's lies with the truth. Support The Daily Signal's work today by becoming a Signal Elite Supporter.    Your tax-deductible monthly gift will help: 

 THE ABANDONMENT OF THE MELTING POT IDEAL Colleague Victor Davis Hanson. Hanson asserts that America is abandoning the "melting pot" ideal of assimilation—where diverse people integrate to become Americans—in favor of tribalism and identity politics. He claims this regression into racial and group classifications threatens the country's stability, as elites prioritize "equality of result" over the traditional American promise of "equality of opportunity." Furthermore, Hanson warns that this shift resembles a totalitarian attempt to control language and history, creating a society obsessed with racial essentialism rather than character. NUMBER 3