Podcasts about Saddleback

The Storm does not cover athletes or gear or hot tubs or whisky bars or helicopters or bros jumping off things. I'm focused on the lift-served skiing world that 99 percent of skiers actually inhabit, and I'm covering it year-round. To support this mission of independent ski journalism, please subscribe to the free or paid versions of the email newsletter.WhoGreg Pack, President and General Manager of Mt. Hood Meadows, OregonRecorded onApril 28, 2025About Mt. Hood MeadowsClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: The Drake Family (and other minority shareholders)Located in: Mt. Hood, OregonYear founded: 1968Pass affiliations:* Indy Pass – 2 days, select blackouts* Indy+ Pass – 2 days, no blackoutsClosest neighboring U.S. ski areas: Summit (:17), Mt. Hood Skibowl (:19), Cooper Spur (:23), Timberline (:26)Base elevation: 4,528 feetSummit elevation: 7,305 feet at top of Cascade Express; 9,000 feet at top of hike-to permit area; 11,249 feet at summit of Mount HoodVertical drop: 2,777 feet lift-served; 4,472 hike-to inbounds; 6,721 feet from Mount Hood summitSkiable acres: 2,150Average annual snowfall: 430 inchesTrail count: 87 (15% beginner, 40% intermediate, 15% advanced, 30% expert)Lift count: 11 (1 six-pack, 5 high-speed quads, 1 fixed-grip quad, 3 doubles, 1 carpet – view Lift Blog's inventory of Mount Hood Meadows' lift fleet)About Cooper SpurClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: The Drake FamilyLocated in: Mt. Hood, OregonYear founded: 1927Pass affiliations: Indy Pass, Indy+ Pass – 2 days, no blackoutsClosest neighboring U.S. ski areas: Mt. Hood Meadows (:22), Summit (:29), Mt. Hood Skibowl (:30), Timberline (:37)Base elevation: 3,969 feetSummit elevation: 4,400 feetVertical drop: 431 feetSkiable acres: 50Average annual snowfall: 250 inchesTrail count: 9 (1 most difficult, 7 more difficult, 1 easier)Lift count: 2 (1 double, 1 ropetow – view Lift Blog's inventory of Cooper Spur's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himVolcanoes are weird. Oh look, an exploding mountain. Because that seems reasonable. Volcanoes sound like something imagined, like dragons or teleportation or dinosaurs*. “So let me get this straight,” I imagine some puzzled Appalachian miner, circa 1852, responding to the fellow across the fire as he tells of his adventures in the Oregon Territory, “you expect me to believe that out thataways they got themselves mountains that just blow their roofs off whenever they feel like it, and shoot off fire and rocks and gas for 50 mile or more, and no one never knows when it's a'comin'? You must think I'm dumber'n that there tree stump.”Turns out volcanoes are real. How humanity survived past day one I have no idea. But here we are, skiing on volcanoes instead of tossing our virgins from the rim as a way of asking the nice mountain to please not explode (seriously how did anyone make it out of the past alive?).And one of the volcanoes we can ski on is Mount Hood. This actually seems more unbelievable to me than the concept of a vengeful nuclear mountain. PNW Nature Bros shield every blade of grass like they're guarding Fort Knox. When, in 2014, federal scientists proposed installing four monitoring stations on Hood, which the U.S. Geological Survey ranks as the sixth-highest threat to erupt out of America's 161 active volcanoes, these morons stalled the process for six years. “I think it is so important to have places like that where we can just step back, out of respect and humility, and appreciate nature for what it is,” a Wilderness Watch official told The New York Times. Personally I think it's so important to install basic monitoring infrastructure so that thousands of people are not incinerated in a predictable volcanic eruption. While “Japan, Iceland and Chile smother their high-threat volcanoes in scientific instruments,” The Times wrote, American Granola Bros say things like, “This is more proof that the Forest Service has abandoned any pretense of administering wilderness as per the letter or spirit of the Wilderness Act.” And Hood and the nation's other volcanoes cackle madly. “These idiots are dumber than the human-sacrifice people,” they say just before belching up an ash cloud that could take down a 747. When officials finally installed these instrument clusters on Hood in 2020, they occupied three boxes that look to be approximately the size of a convenience-store ice freezer, which feels like an acceptable trade-off to mass death and airplanes falling out of the sky.I know that as an outdoor writer I'm supposed to be all pissed off if anyone anywhere suggests any use of even a centimeter of undeveloped land other than giving it back to the deer in a treaty printed on recycled Styrofoam and signed with human blood to symbolize the life we've looted from nature by commandeering 108 square feet to potentially protect millions of lives from volcanic eruption, but this sort of trivial protectionism and willful denial that humans ought to have rights too is the kind of brainless uncompromising overreach that I fear will one day lead to a massive over-correction at the other extreme, in which a federal government exhausted with never being able to do anything strips away or massively dilutes land protections that allow anyone to do anything they can afford. And that's when we get Monster Pete's Arctic Dune Buggies setting up a casino/coal mine/rhinoceros-hunting ranch on the Eliot Glacier and it's like thanks Bros I hope that was worth it to stall the placement of gardenshed-sized public safety infrastructure for six years.Anyway, given the trouble U.S. officials have with installing necessary things on Mount Hood, it's incredible how many unnecessary ones our ancestors were able to build. But in 1927 the good old boys hacked their way into the wilderness and said, “by gum what a spot for snoskiing” and built a bunch of ski areas. And today 31 lifts serve four Mt. Hood ski areas covering a combined 4,845 acres:Which I'm just like, do these Wilderness Watch people not know about this? Perhaps if this and similar groups truly cared about the environmental integrity of Mount Hood they would invest their time, energy, and attention into a long-term regional infrastructure plan that identified parcels for concentrated mixed-use development and non-personal-car-based transit options to mitigate the impact of thousands of skiers traveling up the mountain daily from Portland, rather than in delaying the installation of basic monitoring equipment that notifies humanity of a civilization-shattering volcanic eruption before it happens. But then again I am probably not considering how this would impact the integrity of squirrel poop decomposition below 6,000 feet and the concomitant impacts on pinestand soil erosion which of course would basically end life as we know it on planet Earth.OK this went sideways let me try to salvage it.*Whoops I know dinosaurs were real; I meant to write “the moon landing.” How embarrassing.What we talked aboutA strong 2024-25; recruiting employees in mountains with little nearby housing; why Meadows doesn't compete with Timberline for summer skiing; bye-bye Blue double, Meadows' last standing opening-year chairlift; what it takes to keep an old Riblet operating; the reliability of old versus new chairlifts; Blue's slow-motion demolition and which relics might remain long term; the logic of getting a free anytime buddy lift ticket with your season pass; thoughts on ski area software providers that take a percentage of all sales; why Meadows and Cooper Spur have no pass reciprocity; the ongoing Cooper Spur land exchange; the value of Cooper Spur and Summit on a volcano with three large ski areas; why Meadows hasn't backed away from reciprocal agreements; why Meadows chose Indy over Epic, Ikon, or Mountain Collective; becoming a ski kid when you're not from a ski family; landing at Mountain Creek, New Jersey after a Colorado ski career; how Moonlight Basin started as an independent ski area and eventually became part of Big Sky; the tension underlying Telluride; how the Drake Family, who has managed the ski area since inception, makes decisions; a board that reinvests 100 percent of earnings back into the mountain; why we need large independents in a consolidating world; being independent is “our badge of honor”; whether ownership wants to remain independent long term; potential next lift upgrades; a potential all-new lift line and small expansion; thoughts on a better Heather lift; wild Hood weather and the upper limits of lift service; considering surface lifts on the upper mountain; the challenges of running Cascade Express; the future of the Daisy and Easy Rider doubles; more potential future expansion; and whether we could ever see a ski connection with Timberline Lodge.Why now was a good time for this interviewIt's kind of dumb that 210 episodes into this podcast I've only recorded one Oregon ep: Timberline Lodge President Jeff Kohnstamm, more than three years ago. While Oregon only has 11 active ski areas, and the state ranks 11th-ish in skier visits, it's an important ski state. PNW skiers treat skiing like the Northeast treats baseball or the Midwest treats football or D.C. treats politics: rabid beyond reason. That explains the eight Idaho pods and half dozen each in Washington and B.C. These episodes hit like a hash stand at a Dead show. So why so few Oregon eps?Eh, no reason in particular. There isn't a ski area in North America that I don't want to feature on the podcast, but I can't just order them online like a pizza. Relationships, more than anything, drive the podcast, and The Storm's schedule is primarily opportunity driven. I invite folks on as I meet them or when they do something cool. And sometimes we can connect right away and sometimes it takes months or even years, even if they want to do it. Sometimes we're waiting on contracts or approvals so we can discuss some big project in depth. It can take time to build trust, or to convince a non-podcast person that they have a great story to tell.So we finally get to Meadows. Not to be It-Must-Be-Nice Bro about benefits that arise from clear deliberate life choices, but It must be nice to live in the PNW, where every city sits within 90 minutes of a ripping, open-until-Memorial-Day skyscraper that gets carpet bombed with 400 annual inches but receives between one and four out-of-state visitors per winter. Yeah the ski areas are busy anyway because they don't have enough of them, but busy with Subaru-driving Granola Bros is different than busy with Subaru-driving Granola Bros + Texas Bro whose cowboy boots aren't clicking in right + Florida Bro who bought a Trans Am for his boa constrictor + Midwest Bro rocking Olin 210s he found in Gramp's garage + Hella Rad Cali Bro + New Yorker Bro asking what time they groom Corbet's + Aussie Bro touring the Rockies on a seven-week long weekend + Euro Bro rocking 65 cm underfoot on a two-foot powder day. I have no issue with tourists mind you because I am one but there is something amazing about a ski area that is gigantic and snowy and covered in modern infrastructure while simultaneously being unknown outside of its area code.Yes this is hyperbole. But while everyone in Portland knows that Meadows has the best parking lot views in America and a statistical profile that matches up with Beaver Creek and as many detachable chairlifts as Snowbasin or Snowbird and more snow than Steamboat or Jackson or Palisades or Pow Mow, most of the rest of the world doesn't, and I think they should.Why you should ski Mt. Hood Meadows and Cooper SpurIt's interesting that the 4,845 combined skiable acres of Hood's four ski areas are just a touch larger than the 4,323 acres at Mt. Bachelor, which as far as I know has operated as a single interconnected facility since its 1958 founding. Both are volcanoes whose ski areas operate on U.S. Forest Service land a commutable distance from demographically similar markets, providing a case study in distributed versus centralized management.Bachelor in many ways delivers a better experience. Bachelor's snow is almost always drier and better, an outlier in the kingdom of Cascade Concrete. Skiers can move contiguously across its full acreage, an impossible mission on Balkanized Hood. The mountain runs an efficient, mostly modern 15 lifts to Hood's wild 31, which includes a dozen detachables but also a half dozen vintage Riblet doubles with no safety bars. Bachelor's lifts scale the summit, rather than stopping thousands of feet short as they do on Hood. While neither are Colorado-grade destination ski areas, metro Portland is stuffed with 25 times more people than Bend, and Hood ski areas have an everbusy feel that skiers can often outrun at Bachelor. Bachelor is closer to its mothership – just 26 minutes from Bend to Portland's hour-to-two-hour commutes up to the ski areas. And Bachelor, accessible on all versions of the Ikon Pass and not hamstrung by the confusing counter-branding of multiple ski areas with similar names occupying the same mountain, presents a more clearcut target for the mainstream skier.But Mount Hood's quirky scatterplot ski centers reward skiers in other ways. Four distinct ski areas means four distinct ski cultures, each with its own pace, purpose, customs, traditions, and orientation to the outside world. Timberline Lodge is a funky mix of summertime Bro parks, Government Camp greens, St. Bernards, and its upscale landmark namesake hotel. Cooper Spur is tucked-away, low-key, low-vert family resort skiing. Meadows sprawls, big and steep, with Hood's most interesting terrain. And low-altitude, closest-to-the-city Skibowl is night-lit slowpoke with a vintage all-Riblet lift fleet. Your Epic and Ikon passes are no good here, though Indy gets you Meadows and Cooper Spur. Walk-up lift tickets (still the only way to buy them at Skibowl), are more tier-varied and affordable than those at Bachelor, which can exceed $200 on peak days (though Bachelor heavily discounts access to its beginner lifts, with free access to select novice areas). Bachelor's $1,299 season pass is 30 percent more expensive than Meadows'.This dynamic, of course, showcases single-entity efficiency and market capture versus the messy choice of competition. Yes Free Market Bro you are right sometimes. Hood's ski areas have more inherent motivators to fight on price, forge allegiances like the Timberline-Skibowl joint season pass, invest in risks like night and summer skiing, and run wonky low-tide lift ticket deals. Empowering this flexibility: all four Hood ski areas remain locally owned – Meadows and T-Line by their founding families. Bachelor, of course, is a fiefdom of Park City, Utah-based Powdr, which owns a half-dozen other ski areas across the West.I don't think that Hood is better than Bachelor or that Bachelor is better than Hood. They're different, and you should ski both. But however you dissect the niceties of these not-really-competing-but-close-enough-that-a-comarison-makes-sense ski centers, the on-the-ground reality adds up to this: Hood locals, in general, are a far more contented gang than Bachelor Bros. I don't have any way to quantify this, and Bachelor has its partisans. But I talk to skiers all over the country, all the time. Skiers will complain about anything, and online guttings of even the most beloved mountains exist. But talk to enough people and strong enough patterns emerge to understand that, in general, locals are happy with Mammoth and Alpine Meadows and Sierra-at-Tahoe and A-Basin and Copper and Bridger Bowl and Nub's Nob and Perfect North and Elk and Plattekill and Berkshire East and Smuggs and Loon and Saddleback and, mostly, the Hood ski areas. And locals are generally less happy with Camelback and Seven Springs and Park City and Sunrise and Shasta and Stratton and, lately, former locals' faves Sugarbush and Wildcat. And, as far as I can tell, Bachelor.Potential explanations for Hood happiness versus Bachelor blues abound, all of them partial, none completely satisfactory, all asterisked with the vagaries of skiing and skiers and weather and luck. But my sense is this: Meadows, Timberline, and Skibowl locals are generally content not because they have better skiing than everyplace else or because their ski areas are some grand bargain or because they're not crowded or because they have the best lift systems or terrain parks or grooming or snow conditions, but because Hood, in its haphazard and confounding-to-outsiders borders and layout, has forced its varied operators to hyper-adapt to niche needs in the local market while liberating them from the all-things-to-everyone imperative thrust on isolated operations like Bachelor. They have to decide what they're good at and be good at that all the time, because they have no other option. Hood operators can't be Vail-owned Paoli Peaks, turning in 25-day ski seasons and saying well it's Indiana what do you expect? They have to be independent Perfect North, striving always for triple-digit operating days and saying it's Indiana and we're doing this anyway because if we don't you'll stop coming and we'll all be broke.In this way Hood is a snapshot of old skiing, pre-consolidation, pre-national pass, pre-social media platforms that flung open global windows onto local mountains. Other than Timberline summer parks no one is asking these places to be anything other than very good local ski areas serving rabid local skiers. And they're doing a damn good job.Podcast NotesOn Meadows and Timberline Lodge opening and closing datesOne of the most baffling set of basic facts to get straight in American skiing is the number of ski areas on Mount Hood and the distinction between them. Part of the reason for this is the volcano's famous summer skiing, which takes place not at either of the eponymous ski areas – Mt. Hood Meadows or Mt. Hood Skibowl – but at the awkwardly named Timberline Lodge, which sounds more like a hipster cocktail lounge with a 19th-century fur-trapper aesthetic than the name of a ski resort (which is why no one actually calls it “Timberline Lodge”; I do so only to avoid confusion with the ski area in West Virginia, because people are constantly getting Appalachian ski areas mixed up with those in the Cascades). I couldn't find a comprehensive list of historic closing dates for Meadows and Timberline, but the basic distinction is this: Meadows tends to wrap winter sometime between late April and late May. Timberline goes into August and beyond when it can. Why doesn't Meadows push its season when it is right next door and probably could? We discuss in the pod.On Riblet clipsFun fact about defunct-as-a-company-even-though-a-couple-hundred-of-their-machines-are-still-spinning Riblet chairlifts: rather than clamping on like a vice grip, the end of each chair is woven into the rope via something called an “insert clip.” I wrote about this in my Wildcat pod last year:On Alpental Chair 2A small but vocal segment of Broseph McBros with nothing better to do always reflexively oppose the demolition of legacy fixed-grip lifts to make way for modern machines. Pack does a great job laying out why it's harder to maintain older chairlifts than many skiers may think. I wrote about this here:On Blue's breakover towers and unload rampWe also dropped photos of this into the video version of the pod:On the Cooper Spur land exchangeHere's a somewhat-dated and very biased-against-the-ski-area infographic summarizing the proposed land swap between Meadows and the U.S. Forest Service, from the Cooper Spur Wild & Free Coalition, an organization that “first came together in 2002 to fight Mt. Hood Meadows' plans to develop a sprawling destination resort on the slopes of Mt. Hood near Cooper Spur”:While I find the sanctimonious language in this timeline off-putting, I'm more sympathetic to Enviro Bro here than I was with the eruption-detection controversy discussed up top. Opposing small-footprint, high-impact catastrophe-monitoring equipment on an active volcano to save five bushes but potentially endanger millions of human lives is foolish. But checking sprawling wilderness development by identifying smaller parcels adjacent to already-disturbed lands as alternative sites for denser, hopefully walkable, hopefully mixed-use projects is exactly the sort of thing that every mountain community ought to prioritize.On the combination of Summit and Timberline LodgeThe small Summit Pass ski area in Government Camp operated as an independent entity from its 1927 founding until Timberline Lodge purchased the ski area in 2018. In 2021, the owners connected the two – at least in one direction. Skiers can move 4,540 vertical feet from the top of Timberline's Palmer chair to the base of Summit. While Palmer tends to open late in the season and Summit tends to close early, and while skiers will have to ride shuttles back up to the Timberline lifts until the resort builds a much anticipated gondola connecting the full height, this is technically America's largest lift-served vertical drop.On Meadows' reciprocalsMeadows only has three season pass reciprocal partners, but they're all aspirational spots that passholders would actually travel for: Baker, Schweitzer, and Whitefish. I ask Pack why he continues to offer these exchanges even as larger ski areas such as Brundage and Tamarack move away from them. One bit of context I neglected to include, however, is that neighboring Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl not only offer a joint pass, but are longtime members of Powder Alliance, which is an incredible regional reciprocal pass that's free for passholders at any of these mountains:On Ski Broadmoor, ColoradoColorado Springs is less convenient to skiing than the name implies – skiers are driving a couple of hours, minimum, to access Monarch or the Summit County ski areas. So I was surprised, when I looked up Pack's original home mountain of Ski Broadmoor, to see that it sat on the city's outskirts:This was never a big ski area, with 600 vertical feet served by an “America The Beautiful Lift” that sounds as though it was named by Donald Trump:The “famous” Broadmoor Hotel built and operated the ski area, according to Colorado Ski History. They sold the hotel in 1986 to the city, which promptly sold it to Vail Associates (now Vail Resorts), in 1988. Vail closed the ski area in 1991 – the only mountain they ever surrendered on. I'll update all my charts and such to reflect this soon.On pre-high-speed KeystoneIt's kind of amazing that Keystone, which now spins seven high-speed chairlifts, didn't install its first detachable until 1990, nearly a decade after neighboring Breckenridge installed the world's first, in 1981. As with many resorts that have aggressively modernized, this means that Keystone once ran more chairlifts than it does today. When Pack started his ski career at the mountain in 1989, Keystone ran 10 frontside aerial lifts (8 doubles, 1 triple, 1 gondola) compared to just six today (2 doubles, 2 sixers, a high-speed quad, and a higher-capacity gondy).On Mountain CreekI've talked about the bananas-ness of Mountain Creek many times. I love this unhinged New Jersey bump in the same way I loved my crazy late uncle who would get wasted at the Bay City fireworks and yell at people driving Toyotas to “Buy American!” (This was the ‘80s in Michigan, dudes. I don't know what to tell you. The auto industry was falling apart and everybody was tripping, especially dudes who worked in – or, in my uncle's case, adjacent to (steel) – the auto industry.)On IntrawestOne of the reasons I did this insane timeline project was so that I would no longer have to sink 30 minutes into Google every time someone said the word “Intrawest.” The timeline was a pain in the ass, but worth it, because now whenever I think “wait exactly what did Intrawest own and when?” I can just say “oh yeah I already did that here you go”:On Moonlight Basin and merging with Big SkyIt's kind of weird how many now-united ski areas started out as separate operations: Beaver Creek and Arrowhead (merged 1997), Canyons and Park City (2014), Whistler and Blackcomb (1997), Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley (connected via gondola in 2022), Carinthia and Mount Snow (1986), Sugarbush and Mount Ellen (connected via chairlift in 1995). Sometimes – Beaver Creek, Mount Snow – the terrain and culture mergers are seamless. Other times – Alpine and the Palisades side of what is now Palisades Tahoe – the connection feels like opening a store that sells four-wheelers and 74-piece high-end dinnerware sets. Like, these things don't go together, Man. But when Big Sky absorbed Moonlight Basin and Spanish Peaks in 2013, everyone immediately forgot that it was ever any different. This suggests that Big Sky's 2032 Yellowstone Club acquisition will be seamless.**Kidding, Brah. Maybe.On Lehman BrothersNearly two decades later, it's still astonishing how quickly Lehman Brothers, in business for 158 years, collapsed in 2008.On the “mutiny” at TellurideEvery now and then, a reader will ask the very reasonable question about why I never pay any attention to Telluride, one of America's great ski resorts, and one that Pack once led. Mostly it's because management is unstable, making long-term skier experience stories of the sort I mostly focus on hard to tell. And management is mostly unstable because the resort's owner is, by all accounts, willful and boorish and sort of unhinged. Blevins, in The Colorado Sun's “Outsider” newsletter earlier this week:A few months ago, locals in Telluride and Mountain Village began publicly blasting the resort's owner, a rare revolt by a community that has grown weary of the erratic Chuck Horning.For years, residents around the resort had quietly lamented the antics and decisions of the temperamental Horning, the 81-year-old California real estate investor who acquired Telluride Ski & Golf Resort in 2004. It's the only resort Horning has ever owned and over the last 21 years, he has fired several veteran ski area executives — including, earlier this year, his son, Chad.Now, unnamed locals have launched a website, publicly detailing the resort owner's messy management of the Telluride ski area and other businesses across the country.“For years, Chuck Horning has caused harm to us all, both individually and collectively,” reads the opening paragraph of ChuckChuck.ski — which originated when a Telluride councilman in March said that it was “time to chuck Chuck.” “The community deserves something better. For years, we've whispered about the stories, the incidents, the poor decisions we've witnessed. Those stories should no longer be kept secret from everyone that relies on our ski resort for our wellbeing.”The chuckchuck.ski site drags skeletons out of Horning's closet. There are a lot of skeletons in there. The website details a long history of lawsuits across the country accusing Horning and the Newport Federal Financial investment firm he founded in 1970 of fraud.It's a pretty amazing site.On Bogus BasinI was surprised that ostensibly for-profit Meadows regularly re-invests 100 percent of profits into the ski area. Such a model is more typical for explicitly nonprofit outfits such as Bogus Basin, Idaho. Longtime GM Brad Wilson outlined how that ski area functions a few years back:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

When Church Meets Business: Unlocking the Power of PartnershipJoin host Justin Forman as he reunites with Mark Grunden, who brings a unique perspective from both the business world and pastoral ministry. Their unexpected connection at the DMZ in South Korea leads to a compelling conversation about why society trusts entrepreneurs twice as much as pastors—and how this presents an unprecedented opportunity for Kingdom impact.Drawing from groundbreaking research with Barna Group, this episode reveals how 70% of entrepreneurs believe that when churches and business leaders partner together, they can solve the world's greatest problems. Mark shares practical insights from his journey through missions, entrepreneurship, and ministry at Saddleback Church, offering a roadmap for churches ready to empower their entrepreneurial members.Key Topics:Why society respects entrepreneurs 2x more than pastors (and why that's an opportunity, not a threat)The faith and work movement goes mainstream: Insights from Lausanne 2024How Saddleback Church pioneered faith and work ministry since the 1990sBreaking the "parking jacket and coffee" ministry trap for high-capacity leadersWhy entrepreneurs are the natural first step for churches entering faith and workBuilding sustainable church networks that empower business leadersPractical tools: Foundation Groups and annual conferences that transform communitiesNotable Quotes:"Society at large, they respect entrepreneurs two times more than pastors of the community." - Mark Grunden"The way that we're gonna make a positive contribution or impact in the communities that our churches sit within, is really by empowering the entrepreneurs, business leaders of our communities and of our congregations to take that front row leadership voice." - Mark Grunden"Nearly seven out of 10 entrepreneurs believe that when the church and when business leaders and entrepreneurs kind of come together that man, there's a really good chance of solving some of the big problems of the world." - Justin Forman

I think we'd probably all agree that digital distraction is at an all time high. News from around the world is at our fingertips at a moment's notice. We get real-time updates on, well, everything. We can play any sort of game imaginable anywhere in the world and we can post our own thoughts and musings for anybody to see. Smartphones are truly an incredible innovation, but they come with a cost. Instead of engaging with the world right around us, we engage in a digital world filled with avatars and algorithms. Instead of looking up to God or out to the people directly in front of us, we look down into the screen of a metal rectangle. This past weekend at Saddleback, Pastor Darren Whitehead spoke on his book, The Digital Fast. Darren was kind enough to join this podcast to follow-up on his message. In this conversation we talk about how to fill the gaps in our time if not on our phones, spiritual practices and rhythms, reading the Bible, the difference between Australians and Americans, the calling of a generation to re-engage in the spiritual, and much more.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.thedigitalfast.com/Watch Darren at Saddleback: https://welcome.saddleback.com/watch/Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Falling in Love with Jesus with J.D. Lyonhart - https://youtu.be/4eIbcYXm288Choose to Move In - https://youtu.be/R53X8JG5QKUHow Your Identity Impacts Your Self-Esteem - https://youtu.be/mVjJUfr2T2EMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

We talk about shame a lot in the recovery process, but what does it look like to have a posture of shamelessness in our share time through open share, small, and step study small groups? Is there a line between being real and reckless? In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will unpack some things to consider when we are sharing in small groups with Celebrate Recovery, and how dangerous it can be moving from a posture of humility, honor, and truth spoken in love to a posture of shamelessness for the sake of shock value or self-promotion.

Sometimes, in the deepest pits of our dysfunction, we don't realize how much our heart is longing for a safe place to call home in recovery. What is the impact of finding a safe place to process our hurts, hang-ups, and habits while moving toward health and recovery? In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews a sister in Christ, Christina. Listen as she walks us through her important life-change story about her journey toward health and growth.

One of the blessings of CR is partnering with incredible ministries like Prison Fellowship's "Angel Tree." In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews John Brennan of Prison Fellowship to help us understand the incredible blessings of partnering with Angel Tree and loving the kids of the incarcerated. Learn how to get involved in this world changing ministry!

Six hundred episodes. Over a decade of laughs, lessons, and legendary missteps. For this milestone moment, Church Planter Podcast flips the mic—Chestly Lunday interviews the duo who started it all: Peyton Jones and Pete Mitchell.From their earliest interviews using Google Hangouts (complete with digital Dr. Seuss hats), to the infamous “TomTom cougar voice incident” at Saddleback, nothing is off-limits. They swap war stories from the church planting trenches, revisit the wildest guest moments, and reflect on what they've learned after 600 episodes of keeping it real for planters everywhere.Expect laughter, unexpected wisdom, a few inside jokes, and a reminder that church planting doesn't have to be lonely...or uptight.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Reliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We're here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

What keeps people from stepping into the much needed space and ministry of CR Inside? What are some fears we may be facing that keep us from the blessing of serving inside? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews national CR Inside Directors, John and Shirley Molina, to help us understand what happens inside the prison walls through CR.

7 Ways to Encourage and Empower Small Group Leaders This SummerIn this exciting episode of SG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church, along with co-host Derek, discuss seven practical and creative ways to encourage and build into small group leaders during the summer. From handwritten cards and spontaneous drop-bys to fun ideas like hosting a pool party or tour of a local stadium, Steve offers actionable tips to help small group leaders feel appreciated and motivated. This episode aims to help small group point people make lasting memories and strengthen relationships with their leaders, ensuring vibrant and healthy small groups throughout the year.CP Olympics PrintCP Olympics 04:29 Tip 1: Send a Card for Coffee or Dinner07:02 Tip 2: Drop By with a Summer Kit11:20 Tip 3: Send a Heartfelt Text14:22 Tip 4: Host a Pool Party or Olympic Games17:22 Tip 5: Organize a Car Wash19:23 Tip 6: Mail a Summer T-Shirt22:42 Tip 7: Plan a Stadium or Museum Tour ★ Support this podcast ★

In recovery, we face our hurts, hang-ups and habits, but also have to understand the underlying issues related to our character defects. Where do character defects come from? How do we face them and, ultimately, how do we replace them? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, unpacks this important topic to help us grow forward in our recovery.

Watch or listen to George and Tondra Gregory, the founders of Journey for Life being interviewed by Joanna la Fleur. George and Tondra have been married for 29 years and founded Journey for Life, a national marriage ministry. In this episode, George and Tondra discuss how they navigated a difficult marriage by learning how to do it God's way. Reflected in their new book, The Marriage Game Plan: Developing a Winning Strategy for Marriage Success, George and Tondra share about God's plan for marriage, and how getting on the same page changed their marriage and has led them to equip couples to build successful relationships and marriages. Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s10-ep11---Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.caHelp people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donateConnect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesocietyWhether you're well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world's best-selling book. This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. --- George and Tondra Gregory have been married for 29 years and are the proud parents of two adult children. They are the founders of Journey for Life, a national marriage ministry dedicated to equipping and educating couples to build successful relationships and marriages. For the past eight seasons, the Gregorys have served as the official chaplains for the Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. Before relocating to Los Angeles, they provided marital support, seminars, retreats, pre-marriage and marriage counseling, and mentorship to the New York Jets and New York Giants for six seasons. With over 16 years of experience, they have offered life and marriage coaching to hundreds of professional athletes, coaches, and their families. They also previously led the Marriage ministry at Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA.  The Gregorys served as pastors of regional churches on the East Coast for 20 years and planted a church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan while living in New York City. George holds a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School, and Tondra earned her Master's in Counseling from North Carolina State University. Tondra is a New York State Licensed Counselor who successfully ran a private practice in Times Square for eight years, specializing in relationship counseling and assisting individuals with emotional and behavioral challenges. The Gregorys have been featured as guest speakers at some of America's most influential churches, including Lakewood, Saddleback, and Gateway. Their influence extends to various platforms such as Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in New York City, Christian Broadcasting Network (The 700 Club), 100 Huntley Street (Canada), Marriage Today's XO Conference, the NBA All-Star Breakfast, the NBA Legends Conference, and Professional Athletes Outreach. Learn more about George and Tondra Gregory: journeyforlifenow.org

As leaders, it's tempting to buy into the false narrative that once we've been in recovery for a while, or stepped into leadership, we somehow have "arrived" and Open Share is no longer needed. That's for "those people" and not for me. But, as leaders, what are the things that we need to be aware of and what's the value of our being active and wise participants in Open Share? How does this correlate with shepherding those God has called us to? In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, walks us through some things to consider if we struggle in this area as a leader.

What comes to mind when you think about surrendering? Do you feel like it's showing weakness? Giving up? Failure? Join Andy Petry, Landing Director for Celebrate Recovery, as he and a CR brother explore this critical component of our recovery.

Mental health challenges are real and they're common. It has been reported that 1 in 5 adults experience some form of mental illness in a given year, and nearly 1 in 5 children have some type of serious mental illness. Kay Warren discusses how we can support individuals struggling with mental health challenges and their loved ones. Kay cofounded Saddleback Church with her husband, Rick Warren.  After the death of her son, Matthew, who lived with serious mental illness for most of his life, she founded Saddleback's Hope for Mental Health Initiative as a way to support individuals and family members of loved ones with mental illness and suicidal ideation. In 2019, Kay started BREATHE, a ministry to support parents of children with serious mental illness. She is the author of several books including, Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough.

In leadership, the lines can get blurry when it comes to shepherding, loving, and guiding those that God has called us to lead through ups and downs of ministry seasons. In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will guide us through a conversation to help us understand the difference between leadership and guiding people toward the wholeness of health versus enabling codependency. Keeping things in the right order and not getting in the way of what God wants to do is so critical. Listen in and be encouraged. 

Enhancing Small Group Ministry: Insights from the Lobby GatheringIn this episode of SG Squared, Steve Gladden and James Browning discuss the annual Lobby Gathering event in Southern California, which brings together small group pastors from around the world. The conversation highlights the inception of the Lobby Gathering, emphasizing the importance of practical networking over traditional conference sessions. The episode features insights from Brad Shank of Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV), who outlines four key rhythms for creating vibrant small groups: eating together, doing life together, growing together, and serving together. Shank stresses the significance of these rhythms in fostering genuine relationships and spiritual growth, offering practical advice for making groups the best part of members' weeks by embodying the spirit of the early church. The episode encourages listeners to reevaluate their small group practices to foster environments filled with joy, generosity, connection, and mission.To take advantage of the early bird discount, head to https://smallgroupnetwork.com/events00:00 Introduction to the Lobby Gathering00:33 The Origin of the Lobby Gathering00:59 Mistake #1: Wrong Assumptions02:56 Mistake #2: Impatience04:29 Mistake #3: Defensiveness06:35 Insights from the Lobby Gathering08:12 Best Part of Your Week: Building Life-Giving Groups15:56 Four Key Rhythms for Small Groups19:32 Practical Tips for Group Leaders31:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts ★ Support this podcast ★

Have you ever wondered about the purpose and mission of our one day training conferences? Sometimes we forget that it's more than just gathering information, and it's bigger than just training in our craft in ministry. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, takes the microphone on the road to talk to people just like you at a local training conference. Be encouraged as you listen to some life-change stories and little nuggets of hope . 

Honesty is one of the biggest components of a sound, lasting recovery. If the enemy wanted to sabotage my recovery, one of the ways that he would get to me is by convincing me that honesty will lead to destruction in my life. Listen in as Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews two Celebrate Recovery leaders - Andy and Hudson - as they unpack this important topic.

What do we do when we find ourselves in a dark, hopeless and helpless place? Can change really happen even from the inside of a prison cell? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews Patrick as he shares part of his powerful story from hopelessness in prison to a life full of hope and purpose through Celebrate Recovery Inside and, now, outside. Patrick is a part of Calvary Christian Church in Lynnfield, MA, where Celebrate Recovery meets on Tuesdays at 6:30pm. Childcare provided. Be sure to visit him and his local CR!

One of the most lethal ways the enemy might sabotage our recovery is through isolation. But what are some of the specific ways we isolate and what are the costs? How can we be harmed through isolation? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will unpack the ways that isolation can cost us and keep us from living the newfound life in Christ as we celebrate our recovery.

3 mistakes to avoid with your Lead or Supervising PastorMistake #1: Wrong assumptionsIn the middle of a difficult moment with leadership relationships, it is very easy to assume the worst about them. A Christian counselor friend once said, “When we assume the motives of someone else we are wrong most of the time.” I have learned this is very true.We often forget is what it's like to be in their shoes. Remember when others misjudged you? What did you want from them? What did you wish for? It might be a good exercise to make a list of what you remember as a starting point for making changes in your relationships.The danger of assigning motives, of assuming someone's intent, is we never know all the facts. They maybe new to the church? To the role? To you? They come with their own often un-named values, beliefs, and assumptions about what we, their leadership, should or should not do. It's very complicated.The temptation is always to side with your own beliefs, to assume you are correct, because we know them…or think we do. But God is clear when He says, “You shall not be partial in judgment … For the Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God, who is not partial …” (Deuteronomy 1:17; 10:17). Meaningful relations can't happen if we are assuming the worst or assigning blame without knowing all the data. And we will rarely have all the facts.Conclusion: Choose to believe the best. Ask God to give you His love and grace and to help you give grace, expecting nothing in return. You will never know the full impact of the Lead Pastor world! Help them see you as a “friend” not a “foe”.Mistake #2: ImpatienceWe've had a lifetime to get to know our ministry, but when it comes to being the Lead Pastor…not so much. It's all too easy to impatiently expect these relationships to gel perfectly. Relationships take time … lots of time with many investments of grace, love, and patience. There are so many factors to consider—working styles, age gaps, passion gaps, interest gaps, etc.Often what helps me in impatience is to know, that through PRAYER, God can make things go far faster than I can. Simple, huh? Along with that, you need to be good for your church. You are part of the team to help, not just have your way. You need to show up, but not throw up!Basically, be what a friend taught me, “Be a good General, not a bad General”. A bad General takes their assignment and does whatever higher ups tell them. A good General will assess the situation, give their advise and then execute on whatever leadership decides. If you feel it is wrong, PRAY, God will course correct.Conclusion: We are only responsible to suggest and pray.. God is more than able to work His will in their lives without our help. Our job now is to be patient with the process and trust Him to do the work. SOMETIMES God is working in the background and doesn't tell us! LOLMistake #3: DefensivenessWhen a Lead Pastor points out a flaw he or she sees in us, it hurts. Our natural inclination is to be defensive, to explain our position and how hard we tried to do our best rather than just apologize and say, “I'm so sorry that hurt you so much or wasn't done the way you expected.” We forget so easily that we are all flawed, broken people and no pastor is perfect. So why are we surprised when stuff happens and people give us issues?This next statement isn't natural but … instead of having defensiveness of those of we serve (our Lead Pastor), we should be grateful for the opportunity to mend and apologize for the mistakes we make! Even if it was 100% unintentional. Modeling an apologetic heart and seeking forgiveness will open the door for you to do the same with those that serve under you (staff or volunteer). A friend once said, “Seeing a flaw in ourselves is a joy because we now have the opportunity to be rid of it.” It takes maturity and humility to see our shortcomings this way, but it's liberating.Only when we own our mistakes and admit where we failed leadership will we grow rich relationships with them and church leadership. The truth is always your friend.Only humility produces the beauty of meaningfully deep relationships. And continually acknowledging our own shortcomings and failures before God makes beautiful our lives in the greater body of Christ. It's been quite a journey at Saddleback Church since March of 1998. I've known lots of misunderstandings and mistakes. Thankfully I've known forgiveness too. I love our church so much, including the staff and people LOL. Each difficulty brings uniqueness which challenges us to a greater faith, and that is always good.He's got us, He's got our ministry and He's got our Lead Pastor too!  ★ Support this podcast ★

Medications can sometimes be necessary for overall health, and we should never shame one another for this. Sometimes it can be a necessity for many people struggling with a variety of different mental health and physical complications and struggles in their lives. Consulting and following a doctor's recommendations - along with listening to and knowing your own body is an essential part of our journey. But what do you do when your body is saying it's time to move away from medication? In this episode we will hear from Keith as he takes us through his own journey of moving away from benzos (a common shorthand for benzodiazepines). Listen in as Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews Keith about his life-change story and journey through detox and recovery from benzos.

In today's episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, continues his discussion with Andy regarding the different tactics the enemy uses to try to sabotage our recovery through our relationships. Part 2 of this series takes us deeper into how we can be more aware of the enemy's schemes and how to combat them with Jesus' power.

Send us a textThis week's episode we recap the lessons we learned from the 2025 racing season. We reflect on the progress we made and the challenges we faced along the way. With one final race left, we're excited to see who will be crowned King of the Mountain this weekend at Saddleback, Maine. WWR Intro #1 W/ Music

The enemy can be deceiving and very sneaky in finding different ways to try to sabotage our recovery. It's interesting and scary to think about how the enemy might scheme to get us off track from the health and growth of our recovery process through a variety of different means. We're beginning a series talking about different ways the enemy might try to do this. In today's episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, visits with Andy on different tactics of the enemy we need to be aware of and how we can combat them in God's power.

In this episode of The Make, Trevor DeVage welcomes back guest John Cassetto—former Saddleback pastor, worship leader, and Kingdom builder—to talk about what happens when Jesus ruins your ordinary and invites you into extraordinary purpose. From preaching four services to spontaneous moments of worship and real conversations about revival, church culture, and the freedom found in following Jesus, this episode captures the heartbeat of Pantano and the power of surrender. Whether you're a seasoned believer or new to faith, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to keep asking: “What's my next step?”Instagram @johncassetto

What is the purpose behind Step 3 & Principle 3? Coming to this place of "making a decision" or consciously choosing to commit all of our life to His care and control is a life-changing step for all of us. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews a brother in Christ, Andy, to hear the direct impact of applying this important step of the process to our heart and life. What is the fruit that can come from applying this principle and step to our recovery journey? You'll discover the answer as you hear's Andy's story.

Sign up for the Lobby Gathering: Small Group Conference May 13-15th in Southern California at https://smallgroupnetwork.com/conferences/Food and lodging are included! Spring Cleaning for Small Group Ministry: The 5 Ks with Steve GladenIn this episode of FG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups from Saddleback Church, shares insights from his 25+ years of experience to help listeners enhance their small group ministries. Joined by Derek, Steve discusses 'The 4 Ks of Small Group Ministry Spring Cleaning': Kinship with leaders, Keeping clean data, Knowing your playbook, Kindling leadership, and Kicking spiritual butt. They emphasize the importance of building deeper relationships with leaders, maintaining accurate data, ensuring everyone understands the group's playbook, fostering leadership pathways, and ultimately achieving ministry victories. Tune in for practical advice to rejuvenate your small group ministry.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:25 Personal Updates and Moving Challenges01:46 Spring Cleaning in Small Group Ministry03:02 The Four Ks of Small Group Ministry03:20 Kinship with Leaders07:42 Keep Clean Data10:50 Know Your Playbook12:50 Kindle Leadership16:56 Final Thoughts and The Fifth K18:30 Conclusion and Farewell ★ Support this podcast ★

The Bible talks a lot about salvation, or our need to be saved. Jesus is the promised savior and the central tenet of the Gospel is it is faith in Jesus that saves you from your sin. All of this is, of course, true, and if you were to ask the average Christian what it means to be saved they would likely say that their faith in Jesus saves them from hell and gives them an eternity in heaven. Again, this is not wrong. But, it is incomplete. Salvation is far deeper, far more encompassing, and far more miraculous than we typically consider it. This is the goal of this “mysteries of the faith” series: to take a topic that we think we understand and dig a little deeper. To help guide us in the topic of salvation is Pastor Buddy Owens. Buddy is a teaching pastor at Saddleback and has been on this podcast many times. In this conversation Buddy and I talk about what happened on the cross, how salvation is more than just a saving from something, what it means to live out your salvation, and look to answer some of the most pressing questions people have about salvation. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:Buddy Owens: The Filling of the Holy Spirit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uNk38Sug12hMTG4vrlbwmRGaW9Edn8Q6/view?usp=drive_linkRelated Doable Discipleship Episodes:Easter Eternal - https://youtu.be/OGxyaR2jl0oMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxIMysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcMusic, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7TwNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasALiving Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0sLiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI

So, I've had a spiritual experience. Now what? Are Principle 8 and Step 12 just as critical as the other 11 Steps and 7 Principles in the recovery journey? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, walks us through answering the question, “Why should I work these principles?” Is it “busy work” or far more important than we think?

In this Episode Derry Breaks down 3 principles to avoiding burnout. From Self-Awareness, to Working Genius to Sabbathing Well this episode has it all! Derry's take on Vacationing is worth the entire episode.

Is working these Steps just a bunch of busy work? Why should we live out and practice Step 11 and Principle 7 of the recovery journey? In this episode Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will walk us through some important reasons why this Step and Principle are so essential to the recovery process in Celebrate Recovery.

We continue our series answering the question, “Why should I carry out these Principles and Steps?” Step 10 is such a vital part of the recovery journey. It blends beautifully with Principle 7 to help us build and grow some roots to help keep us from going back to what we came from. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will walk us through some important reasons why we should carry out this important Step and Principle of recovery.

In this episode, Jason sits down with Reward Sibanda, a pastor, speaker, and writer, a leading voice on fasting and a Pastor at Saddleback Church. Reward is known for his contagious joy, his deep love for the church, and his ability to bridge cultural gaps in ministry.In this conversation, Jason and Reward explore:How different cultural perspectives shape our understanding of church, community, and discipleship.The tension around megachurches and why large-scale ministry can still be redeemed for kingdom expansion.The recent Return Gathering at Saddleback and signs of revival across the global church.The spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of fasting—and why this ancient discipline is crucial for leaders today.No matter your context, our hope is you would be strengthened and encouraged by this conversation today.BiographyReward Sibanda is a dynamic speaker, writer, pastor at Saddleback Church, and the Senior Director of National Church Engagement at World Vision, the world's largest Christian humanitarian organization. Renowned for his unique perspective and transformative insights that challenge conventional thinking, Reward thrives on empowering and challenging people from all walks of life to transcend limitations and pursue God's best for them. His ministry inspires many, and his book, How to Fast, offers a powerful guide to rejuvenation. Reward resides in California with his wife Pam and son Silo.We couldn't do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and ⁠give⁠ towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.Join our Emerging Leaders Lab to connect with fellow pastors in their 20s and 30s, foster resilience and effectiveness in ministry, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the Church today. Applications close on April 1st!Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bible Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Guest NotesReward's WebsiteSaddleback ChurchHow To Fast—Reward's New BookReward's InstagramShow NotesWebsite⁠⁠Blog and Episode Write Up⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠Instagram⁠

In Step 8, we made a list. Now, in Step 9, we move into carrying out amends through direct communication with those who we've offended and we learn how to forgive and walk in grace toward those who have offended us. Why in the world would we want to carry out this important step? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrity Recovery, walks us through some important reasons why we need to carry out this important part of the recovery journey.

As we work principle 6 and step 8, one of the hardest parts of the recovery process is leaning into the space of grace through forgiveness and making amends. But one of the greatest keys to sustainable recovery and growth is the application and living out of this important part of the recovery journey. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, interviews a sister in Christ, Renee. She shares an important part of her story and how this principle and step became life-changing and life-giving for her.

Equipping Small Group Leaders: Insights from Saddleback ChurchIn this episode of SG Squared, Steve Gladen, the global pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church, shares his extensive experience to encourage and equip small group leaders. The episode includes the 'Saddleback Scoop,' highlighting the church's shift from fruitfulness to faithfulness, an approach to combat COVID-induced depletion by focusing on all four aspects of personal refreshment: physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. The 'Network Nugget' segment introduces Saddleback's first online training course, Align, and discusses its positive impact on participants. Additionally, the podcast touches on new course releases, upcoming events, and the importance of maintaining various forms of personal well-being. The show wraps up with a focus on five emotional refreshments essential for small group leaders and members: support, stability, self-expression, significance, and satisfaction.00:00 Welcome to F G Squared00:19 The Saddleback Scoop: Refreshment and Recalibration07:03 Network Nugget: Align Learning and Cohort Strategy13:42 Leadership Learning: The Replenishment Cycle21:45 Trending Topic: Five Emotional Refreshments32:08 Closing Remarks and Resources ★ Support this podcast ★

In episode 272 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Philip Chase of  @PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy  and he schools me on J.R.R. Tolkien's philosophy of fiction, fantasy, faerie, speculative fiction, and more! Read Tolkien's essay here and you'll be supporting my podcast: https://amzn.to/3XvsEfi→Sponsors/Discounts Check out https://murdycreative.co/PARKERNOTES and use promo code PARKERNOTES at check out for 10% off your entire order!!Grab a Field Notes notebook or memo book wallet like the one from the video from my affiliate link here to support my work and use promo code PARKERNOTES for 10% off your entire order: https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/daily-carry-leather-notebook-cover?aff=44I'm finally a Saddleback affiliate so if you like their stuff buy something from my link and you can also support my work! Check out the catalog here: https://saddlebackleather.com/leather-moleskine-cover-medium/?ktk=d0pac01BLWJmZWY1MmZiYTFiJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA/joinJoin the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_penseesIf you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspenseesSub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/

This step is perhaps one of the scariest parts of the recovery journey. It can honestly feel like too much to face on our own. So, why should we practice Step 8 and Principle 6 in the recovery journey? Is it really worth it? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will give us reasons why we should carry out this important step and principle for sustainability and longevity in our recovery journey toward healing and freedom.

In episode 271 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined once again to by Dr. Selmer Bringsjord. This time we discuss his argument for God's existence from the existence of a particular type of AI which has already been achieved. We then get into his Irreversibility argument against the idea that "cognition just is computation" which has implications for the project of phenomenally conscious machines. It's an awesome episode! Find Dr. Bringsjord's published papers here: http://kryten.mm.rpi.edu/scb_vitae_072024.pdf→Sponsors/Discounts Check out https://murdycreative.co/PARKERNOTES and use promo code PARKERNOTES at check out for 10% off your entire order!!Grab a Field Notes notebook or memo book wallet like the one from the video from my affiliate link here to support my work and use promo code PARKERNOTES for 10% off your entire order: https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/daily-carry-leather-notebook-cover?aff=44I'm finally a Saddleback affiliate so if you like their stuff buy something from my link and you can also support my work! Check out the catalog here: https://saddlebackleather.com/leather-moleskine-cover-medium/?ktk=d0pac01BLWJmZWY1MmZiYTFiJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA/joinJoin the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_penseesIf you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspenseesSub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/

What does it look like to humbly ask God to help remove all of those shortcomings and character defects that may have been revealed through the recovery journey? Is there a purpose behind this important step, or is it just another part of the process to keep us busy? Why is this step essential toward the ongoing process of allowing God to purify us from all unrighteousness? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will unpack Step 7, and give us the important reasons behind the “why” in working this step. 

As someone who has experienced Jesus Christ's transformative power, it's amazing to see the difference it makes in our life! But what do we do once we've experienced it? Is the journey over? Or, does God have a bigger plan in the process for our life in what He does with that freedom? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will unpack this important topic regarding the things we need to be aware of as someone who has been set free, and the actions and tendencies that result in the life of someone who has experienced such an incredible gift.

How do we break generational dysfunction in our own family system? Are there things, mindsets, patterns, or habits that have been passed down to us that we have been repeating that we may be passing down to the next generation? Through Celebrate Recovery we have tools to face our family dysfunction and take responsibility for ultimately developing a new legacy and path toward freedom. Facing these things starts with us so that we can walk in true transformation and redemption through Christ. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will walk us through a great conversation around healing from family dysfunction toward healing.

This episode is a very special cross post from the Group Answers podcast. We are sharing in honor of the passing of Chris Surratt, a friend and brother in Christ who has impacted thousands of small group point people around the world. Thanks for taking the time to listen, and don't forget to check out Group Answers podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.Original Description:On this episode of Group Answers, Chris talks to Steve Gladen about why we should go after hard and soft data to know if our small groups are healthy and creating disciples. Steve Gladen has been the pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church since 1998 and serves as an elder of the church. The post Group Answers Episode 235: Steve Gladen on Knowing Hard and Soft Data in Your Small Group Ministry appeared first on Adult Ministry.CLICK HERE to read the report from Lifeway Research about the state of groups. ★ Support this podcast ★

Kareena first heard about Step 10 in Principle 7 and was full of fear. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will invite us into a life-change story interview with Kareena as she walks us through the process of moving her heart to a posture of vigilance and growing into an understanding of the necessity of working this step and principle for ongoing growth and health in her life and recovery.

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Jan. 22. It dropped for free subscribers on Jan. 29. To receive future episodes as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:Who* Travis Kearney, General Manager* Aaron Damon, Assistant General Manager, Marketing Director* Mike Chasse, member of Bigrock Board of Directors* Conrad Brown, long-time ski patroller* Neal Grass, Maintenance ManagerRecorded onDecember 2, 2024About BigrockOwned by: A 501c(3) community nonprofit overseen by a local board of directorsLocated in: Mars Hill, MainePass affiliations: Indy Base Pass, Indy Plus Pass – 2 days, no blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Quoggy Jo (:26), Lonesome Pine (1:08)Base elevation: 670 feetSummit elevation: 1,590 feetVertical drop: 920 feetSkiable acres: 90Average annual snowfall: 94 inchesTrail count: 29 (10% beginner, 66% intermediate, 24% advanced)Lift count: 4 (1 fixed-grip quad, 1 triple, 1 double, 1 surface lift – view Lift Blog's inventory of Bigrock's lift fleet)Why I interviewed themWelcome to the tip-top of America, where Saddleback is a ski area “down south” and $60 is considered an expensive lift ticket. Have you ever been to Sugarloaf, stationed four hours north of Boston at what feels like the planet's end? Bigrock is four hours past that, 26 miles north of the end of I-95, a surveyor's whim from Canadian citizenship. New England is small, but Maine is big, and Aroostook County is enormous, nearly the size of Vermont, larger than Connecticut, the second-largest county east of the Mississippi, 6,828 square miles of mostly rivers and trees and mountains and moose, but also 67,105 people, all of whom need something to do in the winter.That something is Bigrock. Ramble this far north and you probably expect ascent-by-donkey or centerpole double chairs powered by butter churns. But here we have a sparkling new Doppelmayr fixed quad summiting at a windfarm. Shimmering new snowguns hammering across the night. America's eastern-most ski area, facing west across the continent, a white-laced arena edging the endless wilderness.Bigrock is a fantastic thing, but also a curious one. Its origin story is a New England yarn that echoes all the rest – a guy named Wendell, shirtsleeves-in-the-summertime hustle and surface lifts, let's hope the snow comes, finally some snowguns and a chairlift just in time. But most such stories end with “and that's how it became a housing development.” Not this one. The residents of this state-sized county can ski Bigrock in 2025 because the folks in charge of the bump made a few crucial decisions at a few opportune times. In that way, the ski area is a case study not only of the improbable survivor, but a blueprint for how today's on-the-knife-edge independent bumps can keep spinning lifts in the uncertain decades to come.What we talked aboutHuge snowmaking upgrades; a new summit quad for the 2024-25 ski season; why the new lift follows a different line from the old summit double; why the Gemini summit double remains in place; how the new chair opens up the mountain's advanced terrain; why the lift is called “Sunrise”; a brief history of moving the Gemini double from Maine's now-defunct Evergreen ski area; the “backyard engineering degree”; how this small, remote ski area could afford a brand-new $4 million Doppelmayr quad; why Bigrock considered, but ultimately decided against, repurposing a used lift to replace Gemini; why the new lift is a fixed-grip, rather than a detachable, machine; the windfarm at Bigrock's summit; Bigrock in the 1960s; the Pierce family legacy; how Covid drove certain skiers to Bigrock while keeping other groups away; how and why Bigrock became a nonprofit; what nearly shuttered the ski area; “I think there was a period in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s where it became not profitable to own a ski area of this size”; why Bigrock's nonprofit board of directors works; the problem with volunteers; “every kid in town, if they wanted to ski, they were going to ski”; the decline of meatloaf culture; and where and when Bigrock could expand the trail footprint.Why now was a good time for this interviewIn our high-speed, jet-setting, megapass-driven, name-brand, social-media-fueled ski moment, it is fair to ask this question of any ski area that does not run multiple lifts equipped with tanning beds and bottle service: why do you still exist, and how?I often profile ski areas that have no business being in business in 2025: Plattekill, Magic Mountain, Holiday Mountain, Norway Mountain, Bluewood, Teton Pass, Great Bear, Timberline, Mt. Baldy, Whitecap, Black Mountain of Maine. They are, in most cases, surrounded both by far more modernized facilities and numerous failed peers. Some of them died and punched their way out of the grave. How? Why are these hills the ones who made it?I keep telling these stories because each is distinct, though common elements persist: great natural ski terrain, stubborn owners, available local skiers, and persistent story-building that welds a skier's self-image to the tale of mountain-as-noble-kingdom. But those elements alone are not enough. Every improbably successful ski area has a secret weapon. Black Mountain of Maine has the Angry Beavers, a group of chainsaw-wielding volunteers who have quietly orchestrated one of New England's largest ski area expansions over the past decade, making it an attractive busy-day alternative to nearby Sunday River. Great Bear, South Dakota is a Sioux Falls city park, insulating the business from macro-economic pressures and enabling it to buy things like new quad chairlifts. Magic, surrounded by Epkon megaships, is the benefactor of marketing and social-media mastermind Geoff Hatheway, who has crafted a rowdy downhome story that people want to be a part of.And Bigrock? Well, that's what we're here for. How on earth did this little ski area teetering on the edge of the continental U.S. afford a brand-new $4 million chairlift? And a bunch of new snowmaking? And how did it not just go splat-I'm-dead years ago as destination ski areas to the north and south added spiderwebs of fast lifts and joined national mass-market passes? And how is it weathering the increasing costs of labor, utilities, infrastructure, and everything else?The answer lies, in part, in Bigrock's shift, 25 years or so ago, to a nonprofit model, which I believe many more community ski areas will have to adopt to survive this century. But that is just the foundation. What the people running the bump do with it matters. And the folks running Bigrock have found a way to make a modern ski area far from the places where you'd expect to find one.What I got wrongI said that “hundreds of lifts” had “come out in America over the past couple of years.” That's certainly an overcount. But I really had in mind the post-Covid period that began in 2021, so the past three to four years, which has seen a significant number of lift replacements. The best place to track these is Lift Blog's year-by-year new lifts databases: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 (anticipated).I noted that there were two “nearby” ski areas in New Brunswick, the Canadian province bordering Maine. I was referring to 800-vertical-foot Crabbe Mountain, an hour and 20 minutes southeast of Bigrock, and Mont Farlagne, a 600-ish-footer an hour and a half north (neither travel time considers border-crossing delays). Whether these are “near” Bigrock is subjective, I suppose. Here are their trailmaps:Why you should ski BigrockFirst, ski Maine. Because it's gorgeous and remote and, because it takes work to get there, relatively uncrowded on the runs (Sunday River and Pleasant Mountain peak days excepted). Because the people are largely good and wholesome and kind. And because it's winter the way we all think winter should be, violently and unapologetically cold, bitter and endless, overcast and ornery, fierce in that way that invigorates and tortures the soul.“OK,” you say. “Saddleback and Sugarloaf look great.” And they are. But to drive four hours past them for something smaller? Unlikely. I'm a certain kind of skier that I know most others are not. I like to ramble and always have. I relish, rather than endure, long drives. Particularly in unknown and distant parts. I thrive on newness and novelty. Bigrock, nearly a thousand feet of vert nine hours north of my apartment by car, presents to me a chance for no liftlines and long, empty runs; uncrowded highways for the last half of the drive; probably heaping diner plates on the way out of town. My mission is to hit every lift-served ski area in America and this is one of them, so it will happen at some point.But what of you, Otherskier? Yes, an NYC-based skier can drive 30 to 45 minutes past Hunter and Belleayre and Windham to try Plattekill for a change-up, but that equation fails for remote Bigrock. Like Pluto, it orbits too far from the sun of New England's cities to merit inclusion among the roster of viable planets. So this appeal, I suppose, ought to be directed at those skiers who live in Presque Isle (population 8,797), Caribou (7,396), and Houlton (6,055). Maybe you live there but don't ski Bigrock, shuttling on weekends to the cabin near Sugarloaf or taking a week each year to the Wasatch. But I'm a big proponent of the local, of five runs after work on a Thursday, of an early-morning Sunday banger to wake up on the weekend. To have such a place in your backyard – even if it isn't Alta-Snowbird (because nothing is) or Stowe or Killington – is a hell of an asset.But even that is likely a small group of people. What Bigrock is for – or should be for – is every kid growing up along US 1 north of I-95. Every single school district along this thoroughfare ought to be running weekly buses to the base of the lifts from December through March, for beginner lessons, for race programs, for freeride teams. There are trad-offs to remoteness, to growing up far from things. Yes, the kids are six or seven hours away from a Patriots game or Fenway. But they have big skiing, good skiing, modern skiing, reliable skiing, right freaking there, and they should all be able to check it out.Podcast notesOn Evergreen Valley ski areaBigrock's longtime, still-standing-but-now-mothballed Mueller summit double lift came from the short-lived Evergreen Valley, which operated from around 1972 to 1982.The mountain stood in the ski-dense Conway region along the Maine-New Hampshire border, encircled by present-day Mt. Abram, Sunday River, Wildcat, Black Mountain NH, Bretton Woods, Cranmore, and Pleasant Mountain. Given that competition, it may seem logical that Evergreen failed, but Sunday River wasn't much larger than this in 1982.On Saddleback's Rangeley doubleSaddleback's 2020 renaissance relied in large part on the installation of a new high-speed quad to replace the ancient Rangeley Mueller double. Here's an awesome video of a snowcat tugging the entire lift down in one movement.On Libra Foundation and Maine Winter SportsBacked with Libra Foundation grants, the Maine Winter Sports Center briefly played an important role in keeping Bigrock, Quoggy Jo, and Black Mountain of Maine ski areas operational. All three managed to survive the organization's abrupt exit from the Alpine ski business in 2013, a story that I covered in previous podcasts with Saddleback executive and onetime Maine Winter Sports head Andy Shepard, and with the leadership of Black Mountain of Maine.On Bigrock's masterplanWe discuss a potential future expansion that would substantially build out Bigrock's beginner terrain. Here's where that new terrain - and an additional lift - could sit in relation to the existing trails (labeled “A01” and A03”):On Maine ski areas on IndyIndy has built a stellar Indy Pass roster, which includes every thousand-ish-footer in the state that's not owned by Boyne: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

We've done the hard work of Principles one through five, and now we come to the conclusion of identifying some of the character defects that may be keeping us from moving forward - fully and sustainably - toward healthy recovery. Working Step six & Principle five of Celebrate Recovery is a critical point in our journey. What does it look like to become entirely ready to remove those character defects? In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will continue the conversation in answering the “why“ to working the Steps and Principles of Celebrate Recovery. 

As we walk this road to recovery, it is important to understand that the season we are in now will not last forever. God is doing something in us regardless of whether we see it or not. Learning how to organize and honor the season we are in - while holding onto hope for the bigger NEW season that God has in store for us - is so critical. In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, unpacks some of the differences between old and new seasons of recovery, and ultimately turns the corner on embracing and understanding the greater benefits of a new, purposeful season of recovery.

When we come to this part of the process where we admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, it can be very scary and overwhelming. We've been answering the question, "Why would we ever do this?" In this podcast Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will unpack this important topic to give us oxygen for carrying out this step along with principle 4 to move us forward to the “what” of the recovery process.

Today, we sit down with Jay Kranda, the online pastor of Saddleback Church since 2013. As one of the pioneers of online ministry since the early 2000s, Saddleback has developed unconventional approaches to online church—challenging the conventional wisdom in fascinating ways.   IMPORTANT LINKS - Jay Kranda: https://www.jaykranda.com/ - Alpha Omega Digital Tool To Help Your Church: https://bit.ly/3DdCyLX - Online Church Is Not the Answer by Jay Kranda: https://www.jaykranda.com/mybook   THE 167 NEWSLETTER