Influence Podcast

Some time ago, a pastor called Chris Sonksen and confessed, “Our church is stuck, and I feel empty. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this.” A lot of pastors feel this way. One Lifeway Research study found that six in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining. More than half of churches saw fewer than 10 converts in the previous year. Another Lifeway Research study reported that more than 60% of pastors say that stress weighs heavily on them, with at least half reporting that their burdens have robbed them of joy in ministry. These pastors and the churches they lead seem like trains stuck on the tracks. What can they do to gain traction and get moving again? That’s the question I ask Chris Sonksen in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Chris Sonksen is founding pastor of South Hills Church, a multi-state, multi-campus church based in Southern California, CEO and founder of Church Boom, and

“The best days of the church are ahead,” write Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang. “Don’t get us wrong. We are under no illusion that churches have it easy in this season. These days the church can feel … So fractured, So distracted. So divided and politicized. So exhausting. So hard to lead. Like everything is an uphill battle.” So why are these authors confident about the future of the church? That’s the question I ask Kara Powell in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Kara Powell is chief of leadership formation and executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a credentialed Assemblies of God minister. She is coauthor, with Mulder and Chang, of Future-Focused Church: Leading Through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow, published by Baker Books. ————— This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy C

“God could have spoken the heavens and earth into existence with a single word on a single day,” writes Rick DuBose. “He did not need seven days in which to do His work.” “But that is not how Genesis records it. God, for all His creative power, intentionally chose to work through seven days of creation. God worked in seven creative stages. Our world exists because of that process. And it’s in that process you can begin to better understand how God continues to work in your life.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to DuBose about why God uses a process to transform our lives, and what the stages of that process are like. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Rick DuBose is assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and author of The Creator’s Wheel: 7 Phases of Godly Transformation, published in January by Chosen Books. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life

“Pentecostal historians have always acknowledged the miraculous stories accompanying the Azusa Street revival as an integral part of the Pentecostal experience,” writes Ruthie Edgerly Oberg. “However, the pressing question is whether the dubious and exaggerated claims of [author Tommy] Welchel will overshadow the genuine stories of ordinary men and women transformed by the Spirit, who carried the Pentecostal message into towns, cities, and nations, sparking a global movement.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Oberg about numerous problems with the histories of the Azusa Street Revival authored by Tommy Welchel. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Ruthie Edgerly Oberg is an ordained Assemblies of God minister and a conference speaker for the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri. Our conversation is based on an academic paper Oberg presented at the 53rdAnnual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, which was titled, “The Myt

If you are a Christian, chances are you know someone who has deconstructed their faith or is doing so right now. You want to help them reconstruct their faith in Jesus, but you don’t know how to act or what to say. “The truth is that we can’t control someone’s reconstruction,” writes Ian Harber. “What we can do is create environments — both in our interpersonal relationships and in our churches — that help minimize the intensity of someone’s deconstruction by being a non-anxious presence, creating healthy relationships and churches full of trust and care, and having a more robust understanding of our faith to talk through with them.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Harber about what deconstruction is and how to be a better Christian friend and church community for someone who is experiencing a crisis of faith. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Ian Harber is author of Walking Through Deconstruction, published by InterVarsity Press. A writer and Christ

In Matthew 12:38–40, Jesus compared himself to Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” That comparison got Gerad Strong thinking about other points where Jonah and Jesus present a study in contrasts. He recently spoke about those contrasts at the biweekly chapel service of the Assemblies of God national office. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Strong about those contrasts. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Gerad Strong is the director of Training and Church Health with the Church Multiplication Network of the Assemblies of God. Formerly lead pastor of a rural church, Strong led a revitalization effort, resulting in the establishment of seven new church campuses in two years. He is author of The Forgotten Field: Using Multisite Models to Reach and Revive Rural Communities with the Gospel, published in 2022 by Baxter Press. ————— T

“Extensive research reveals that only 10 percent of people possess the raw talent to manage,” writes Stephen Blandino. “And while there are clear differences between leading and managing, Gallup merges the two by defining a manager as ‘someone responsible for leading a team toward common objectives.’” Blandino goes on to say that while most people are not “natural leaders,” they can become “learned leaders.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to him about learning to lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influencemagazine and your host. Stephen Blandino is lead pastor of 7 City Church in Fort Worth, Texas; a leadership coach, blogger, and host of the Leader Fluent Podcast; and author of Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others, published by Avail. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult sm

“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Larry Henderson about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Europe. Larry Henderson serves as AGWM’s Europe Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 504 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region. —————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group reso

“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Jeff Hartensveld about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Asia Pacific. Jeff Hartensveld serves as AGWM’s Asia Pacific Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 505 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult sma

“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Greg Beggs about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Africa. Greg Beggs serves as AGWM’s Africa Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 350 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that

“We tend to think of miracles as the exceptions to the rule, and that’s one kind of miracle. There are miracles that defy the laws of nature, but the laws of nature are miraculous and mysterious in and of themselves. ‘We should always endeavor to wonder at the permanent thing, not the mere exception, said G. K. Chesterton. ‘We should be startled by the sun, and not by the eclipse.’” So writes Mark Batterson in his new book, A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good, published by Multnomah. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Batterson about developing what he calls “holy curiosity” in light of these truths ab out God. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Mark Batterson is pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C., an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and a best-selling author. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of

“One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing shepherds say, ‘Ministry would be great if it weren’t for the people,’” writes Craig T. Owens. “In essence they are saying, ‘I am happy to do this, as long as there aren’t any difficult sheep to deal with.” He goes on to conclude: “Sheep are your ministry! Even the sheep that bite you, kick you, betray you, and abandon you.” The question pastors need to ask is how to minister to people who cause them pain. That’s the question I ask Owens in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Craig T. Owens is pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Cedar Springs, Mich.; cohost of The Craig and Greg show, a leadership podcast; and author of When Sheep Bite. ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project. The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resourc

Happy Reformation Day! On this date in 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and theology professor at the University of Wittenberg, posted his famous “Ninety-five Theses” protesting the sale of indulgences on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church. Luther intended to reform the Catholic church from the inside. His critique of the church went beyond its corrupt practices to the bad theology underlying them, however. Over time, this critique led Luther and like-minded reformers to break with Catholicism and form new churches — Protestant churches. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with church historian Charlie Self about the Protestant Reformation, why there are in fact five Reformations, and what Pentecostals should make of the event. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Charlie Self, Ph.D., is visiting professor of church history at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and co-author

“Evangelical giving is down. Way down. Nearly every measure. Across the board.” So states The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity, a new report from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts. The report goes on to say: “The numbers paint an increasingly bleak picture of evangelical generosity — a situation which has the potential to impact every church, every denomination, every parachurch ministry, and even many secular nonprofits.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with Ron Sellers about the details of the report, as well as what ministry leaders can do in response to the trend of declining generosity. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influencemagazine and your host. Ron Sellers is president of Grey Matter Research & Consulting, a firm that regularly serves Christian ministries, denominations, and churches to solve their information needs. He wrote “How Evangelicals Come to Faith” for the summer 2024 issue of Influence. ————— This episode of the Influence podcast is bro

“Today, we see real trouble in America’s churches, and many wonder whether Christianity can survive,” writes Joseph Castleberry. “I believe that we will not only survive, but we will see our greatest numerical growth, our greatest season of anointing, and our most important time of influence in the next 30 to 40 years — if Jesus tarries.” Impressive revivals will come to American churches over the next 25 years, setting the stage for the next Great Awakening —the sixth such Awakening in American history.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Castleberry about why he thinks generational theory predicts a Great Awakening in the coming decades, as well as what Christian churches must do to prepare for it. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Joseph Castleberry, Ed.D., is president of Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., and author of The Sixth Great Awakening and the Coming Renewal of the American Church. ————— This episode of the Influence podcast is broug

“Despite the Western church’s slow pace developing women leaders, Western culture is increasingly producing women leaders in business, the academy, entertainment, medicine, and government,” writes Anna Morgan. “If we do not provide leadership development opportunities for gifted young Christian women inside our local churches, then they may well pursue leadership opportunities outside the church, thus weakening it.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Morgan about how egalitarian denominations such as the Assemblies of God can better develop the women leaders God has called and empowered for ministry. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Anna Morgan is an ordained minister with the Australian Christian Churches, a member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. She earned her Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. She is vice president of academics at Ascent College and copastor with her husband, John, of Word of Life, an A

“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. During the fall of 2024, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Joe G. about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Eurasia. Because of the sensitive nature of AGWM work in this region, I won’t be using Joe G’s last name in this podcast. Joe G. serves as AGWM’s Eurasia Regional Director. In that role, he oversees ministries in 44 nations within seven distinct areas: India, Southern Asia, Arab World, Central Eurasia, Eurasia Northwest, Russia/Belarus, and Israel/Palestine. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fe

“As parents and followers of Christ, few areas of our lives can prompt more guilt, insecurity, and anxiety than discipling our children,” writes Brian Dembowczyk. “We want to disciple. We try to disciple. But more often than not, we fail to disciple.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Dembowczyk about why we fail to disciple our kids and how we can begin to do so effectively. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Brian Dembowczyk, Ph.D., is associate publisher for Thomas Nelson Bibles. He was previously the managing editor of The Gospel Project, a Bible study curriculum used by over 1.6 million adults, teens, and children each week, and he has also been a pastor, discipleship pastor, and family pastor. He is author of Family Discipleship That Works, published by InterVarsity Press, as well as “No Place Like Home: Equipping families for children’s discipleship” in the fall 2024 issue of Influence. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and three children. ————

“Studying the Bible is of essential importance in our Christian discipleship; therefore, we need to take seriously the interpretive enterprise.” So write Jacqui Grey and Paul Lewis in their new book, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, part of the Foundation for Spirit-Empowered Christianity series published by BakerAcademic. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to them about what Pentecostals bring to the task of biblical interpretation, and how to do it well. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast. Jacqui Grey, Ph.D., is professor of biblical studies at Alphacrucis University College in Sydney, Australia. She is also a research fellow with the University of South Africa and the Centre for Pentecostal Theology and an ordained minister with Australian Christian Churches. Paul Lewis, Ph.D., is professor of historical theology and intercultural studies at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Evangel University, i

“History is, paradoxically, unalterable and in constant need of revision. The past does not change, after all, but we can change our understanding of it based on new facts or better interpretive frameworks. Daniel Isgrigg carefully examines stories (and myths) of Assemblies of God origins in this book, providing the kind of revision AG history needs today.” That’s what I wrote in a back-cover blurb for Isgrigg’s forthcoming book, Aspects of Assemblies of God Origins. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with him about why it’s important to revisit what we think we know about the history of the AG. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Daniel Isgrigg is associate professor of History of Spirit-Empowered Christianity at Oral Roberts University and an ordained AG minister. His forthcoming book is Aspects of Assemblies of God Origins, out later this month from Pickwick Publications. He is currently writing a popular history of the AG.  ————— This episode of the Infl