New Waters

"The church lives and has its being in a particular place and time ... [and] is always called to respond to the 'new waters' in which it finds itself." The New Waters podcast gathers thoughtful leaders to hold a discerning lens over the church in Canada. Our mission? To promote bigger conversations in your church or personal ministry, and to help you engage with the new things God is doing. For show notes, more information and ways to participate in our work through The Alliance Canada, visit newventurescanada.com

Trusted Markers: Belonging and Acceptance 07/18/2023

Trusted Markers: Belonging and Acceptance There are two words that seem to get a lot of attention these days and it feels like we’re talking about them more than ever: acceptance and belonging. Join Vijay and Dom as they unpack the differences between the two, discuss healthy spiritual practices and explore the radical acceptance of Jesus which leads to a transformed life in community together. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/27491994

Embodied Worship 06/20/2023

Embodied Worship Highly personalized, privatized, internal, non-material, emotional, understood by and authorized by the individual. As the tides of our culture shift and become increasingly personalized and technologically advanced it is more important than ever for the Church to live out its calling; to be an embodied people that lives out the mysteries of the Gospel together. This is what it means to say yes to Jesus and follow Him. Join Vijay and Dom as they talk about the current spiritual climate in Canada, Modern Gnosticism, the beauty of walking with a community of people over a long period of time and the wonder of the rooted and ancient Church. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/27207696

Power and Authority 05/09/2023

Power and Authority Being the Church in sea of change requires followers of Jesus to have a healthy understanding of authority. Why? Because power and authority are not the same thing. "Power is something that we grasp for ... but authority is given." ~ VIJAY KRISHNAN Join Dom and Vijay as they dive deep into Church history and discuss Biblical imagery, 1st and 21st century power plays, organic vs organized church, and what it means to be an enticing visible embodiment of healthy authority. Listen here or read along at /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/26783307

Why Church? 04/11/2023

Why Church? There are so many ideas and definitions of what the Church is and what it should be. As followers of Jesus it is more important than ever that we clarify existing thoughts and establish new language as we ask the question: what does it mean to be the Church in a sea of change? Join Vijay and Dom as they kick off season 4 by discussing church/culture climate, institutional structures, and how the mystery of God and his Church draw people together. For show notes and transcription visit: /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/26457903

People of Peace 03/16/2022

People of Peace “World peace” is often thought of as a far-fetched aspiration tacked on to a beauty pageant contestant’s list of hopes for the world, but does it need to be that way? When Jesus promised His followers a kind of peace that the world can’t give, what did He actually mean? For the Canadian church in particular, how do we ensure that our reputation as a peaceful people doesn’t prevent us from receiving the powerful kind of peace that Jesus offers? In this episode, Sonia leads the New Waters cast through an inspiring conversation on what it means to be people of peace. Together they discuss not only how to become individuals but a church where people can encounter a kind of peace they have never seen before. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/22460030

Truth and the Anchor of Scripture 10/06/2021

Truth and the Anchor of Scripture In this episode of the New Waters podcast, Sonia leads the cast through an animated conversation about how to discover and remember the complexity and richness of the Christian Bible. The cast discuss questions like how can Scripture be considered accessible to everyone, and what is the value and role of trained teachers? Together they home in on our responsibility as leaders to help people build an appetite for an experiential, rich engagement with God’s Word. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/20721902

Saints and Prophets 08/22/2021

Saints and Prophets Saints & prophets can conjure up some obscure religious imagery. But the truth is, both are essential to discerning our place in God’s work in the world today. In this conversation on the New Waters podcast, Alicia Wilson leads the cast through a discussion about the role & value of voices from unexpected & forgotten places. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/20220911

Sinking Ships 07/15/2021

Sinking Ships In the last few years, we have seen a number of high profile church and faith leaders fall or tap out. What factors in church ministry or our cultural environment make leaders more vulnerable to unwise choices? The cost of falling is so high⏤we can't afford not to have this conversation. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/19812029

Simplicity, Trust, and the Goodness of Jesus 06/01/2021

Simplicity, Trust, and the Goodness of Jesus When we face seasons of uncertainty in our own lives or as leaders, our tendency can be to swing between over-reacting (think: seizing control, planning, and a stack of Post-Its) and under-reacting (think: apathy, naive optimism, and an extra nap). /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/19306166

Shift Happens 05/11/2021

Shift Happens The church has always had to adjust in light of dramatic historical and cultural shifts and this past year has been no different. Not only was COVID-19 a central disruption but many other shifts and changes have been amplified on the global stage. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/18997364

Seas of Uncertainty 06/08/2020

Seas of Uncertainty Join our Season 2 cast in this challenging conversation, as they talk about fear, doubt, assurance, anchor points, essentials & finding wonder & meaning in the grey areas of life. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/14740292

Unlearning and Relearning 04/21/2020

Unlearning and Relearning Join the conversation with our Season 2 cast as they share personal experiences of relearning and explore other unprecedented times in history when the church needed to unlearn and reform. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/14075030

Misread Conditions 02/18/2020

Misread Conditions We're halfway through Season 2! Using Generation Z has a conversation starter the New Waters cast explore such topics as generational & developmental divides, the limitations of cultural analysis, the power of presence & Jesus’ ability to “bridge” any person, people group or demographic to Himself. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/13188680

Our Gospel Lens 01/14/2020

Our Gospel Lens In this episode, we explore the grand narrative & cosmic implications of the Gospel through the following lens: God is restoring all things—including you and me! With thoughtfulness and vulnerability, our Season 2 cast members confess where mis-framed views have affected how they follow Jesus and their ability to disciple others. They also consider the implications of a more involved and expansive understanding of the Gospel and its effect on the Canadian Church's ability to navigate the future. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/12704297

In The Wake 12/03/2019

In The Wake Every generation of the church has asked similar questions, it just happens to be our turn. What can we learn from historical missteps and genuine moves of the Holy Spirit? What does revival and renewal look like in Canada as we navigate faith and the future? Join the conversation as Raja, Dom, Lydia, Rob, Milissa and Nathan share from personal experience and consider significant moments and movements throughout history that have shaped how the church responds to culture and change. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/12221564

On The Horizon 10/22/2019

On The Horizon Welcome back to Season 2 of the New Waters podcast! We’re kicking off a new season looking at navigating faith and the future in a sea of change. Listen in as topics range from the hopeful, Jetsons-inspired optimism of childhood, to questions of what it means to be successful as followers of Jesus, to a deep discussion around what it means to become people of character. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/11740925

Spirit-Led Course Corrections: How Well Are We Listening? 09/27/2019

Spirit-Led Course Corrections: How Well Are We Listening? In this bonus episode, we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the topics explored in Season 1. We're sharing some outtakes, side conversations, and even additional ideas and observations that for many different reasons didn't make the final cut of Episodes 2-6 (we’re skipping the first episode, which was featured prominently in our previous bonus episode). So if you haven't listened to those episodes yet or missed a couple along the way, we highly recommend going to check them out first. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/11409041

Church and Culture: Are We Floundering in Fear or Anchored in Hope? 08/27/2019

Church and Culture: Are We Floundering in Fear or Anchored in Hope? The themes of this bonus episode revolve around how the church engages with culture. What are some best practices when it comes to the church’s role in culture? Where has the church been most effective throughout our history? What did Jesus seem to recommend? Whether it’s hope-filled optimism or fear-driven hiding out until Jesus comes again, every church has to choose how to engage with the culture we find ourselves in. Listen in and continue the conversation in your own circle. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/11012210

This Spiritual Moment: Are We Sinking or Swimming? 04/23/2019

This Spiritual Moment: Are We Sinking or Swimming? We live in a spiritually-charged culture. From TV shows to mindfulness apps, spirituality is no longer a foreign topic, but deeply embedded in everyday life. So, how do Christians make sense of speaking about being Spirit-led in a post-religious world? How does Christian spirituality set us apart in this pluralistic landscape? In this episode, our participants dive into themes of spirituality, pluralism and secularism as the church advances into a religious territory we’ve never seen before. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/9500357

Sails of Discipleship: How Do You Steer This Thing? 03/26/2019

Sails of Discipleship: How Do You Steer This Thing? Discipleship isn’t just a Christian thing, but a human thing. We all surround ourselves with the things and people we want to be like. In other words, we are “discipled” by what we are closest to. So, for a Christian, what does keeping close to Jesus look like in this cultural moment? Are we in a discipleship crisis and what exactly is the problem? In the fifth episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants discuss discipleship. Listen in and continue the conversation in your own context. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/9149531

An Individual's World: What Does the Church Have to Offer? 02/26/2019

An Individual's World: What Does the Church Have to Offer? It is safe to say that the value and rights of the individual have never mattered more within our culture than they do today. So, how does the message of Jesus and affirm and challenge individualism? How do we bring the Biblical value of interdependence to bear on the lives of those who join our churches? In the fourth episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants reflect on the place of the individual in the life of faith and the church. Listen in and see where you fall in the conversation. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/8788760

A Fuller Gospel: Is Ours Too Small? 01/22/2019

A Fuller Gospel: Is Ours Too Small? In the third episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants tackle the subject of the gospel. Many evangelical Christians grew up understanding the gospel as the good news of going to heaven when you die, neglecting to see how it is meant to share the reality that God has done a new thing and that we are called to live in a new way. Touching on topics of mission, justice and eschatology, our conversation will invite you to ask yourself if you may be embracing a gospel that is simply too small. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/8353232

Unity in Diversity: Taking a Stand or Having a Stance? 11/20/2018

Unity in Diversity: Taking a Stand or Having a Stance? In the second episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants work through seven principles of discernment as they engage with the idea of church unity. In an age where a church member can cut themselves off from a church body at the first sign of disagreement, what are some best practices for moving towards the larger purpose of unity? How can a mature person discern which hills to die on and which issues to pursue? How do we cultivate an appreciation of complexity in the church? This episode will help you learn how to best posture yourself as you consider unity in the church today. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/7628168

Our Cultural Moment: Missing the Mark or Missing Out? 10/23/2018

Our Cultural Moment: Missing the Mark or Missing Out? In the first episode of the New Waters podcast, our participants discuss our cultural moment: the complicated relationship of the church and culture, the kinds of questions people are asking today, and the extent to which the church’s voice is valued in society - if at all. Pulling in issues of identity, gender, and technology, this episode will help you pursue better conversations about how to be the church today. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/7284137

Preview 10/02/2018

Preview Check out a brief preview of the New Waters podcast, gathering thoughtful leaders to hold a discerning lens over the church in Canada and helping you engage with the new things God is doing. /episode/index/show/newventurescanada/id/7118623

New Waters

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