What does it look like to plant a church inside a famous honky-tonk bar on the Gulf Coast? Ben & Julie Ragsdale are doing it every Sunday.

Dan Ehrman sits down with Ben and Julie Ragsdale, lead pastors of Worship on the Water — a thriving congregation that meets under an open-air tent at the world-famous Flora-Bama, right on the Alabama-Florida line. With 8 million tourists passing through their community each year, this couple has built a church in the wild where the gospel goes out every week — and baptisms happen right in the Gulf.

In this episode of the Church Around the World podcast, Ben and Julie share:

• How they balance local church discipleship with a constant stream of first-time visitors from across the country
• What it means to co-lead in ministry as a married couple — including the real challenges of family life and church planting
• Why they believe the next great revival will happen in the marketplace, not the four walls of a church

"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." — Acts 2:47 (NLT)

If you're a pastor or ministry leader thinking about gospel-centered leadership in unconventional spaces, this episode is for you. Visit them at worshiponthewater.com.

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What would it look like if your church committed to reaching every home within five miles — by prayer, personal invitation, and a Bible on every doorstep? That's exactly what Cross Points Church in Shawnee, Kansas set out to do.

In this episode of the Church Around the World podcast, Dan Ehrman sits down with Pastor David Jones and lay leader Shannon Jensen to unpack the 3-for-30 initiative — a three-year, whole-church outreach effort to pray for, invite, and deliver 30,000 New Living Translation Bibles to every home in their community. Their story is full of unexpected conversions, hard-won logistical lessons, and the kind of fruit that only comes through patient, gospel-centered leadership.

3 things pastors and church leaders will take away:

• A replicable outreach model — low barrier, high impact, and easily adapted for churches of any size
• What happens when the Word of God does the work — real stories of lives changed through Bible distribution and community care events
• The long game of discipleship — why commitment to a multi-year vision matters, and how to disciple new believers starting from zero

"It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." — Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

This episode is an encouraging resource for any pastor thinking about church planting and evangelism, discipleship in the local church, or how to mobilize a congregation around a shared mission.

Travis & Heather's conversion story
Cross Points Church

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What does it look like to lead a ministry organization for decades and never lose sight of the fact that it belongs to God? That question sits at the heart of this conversation with Mark Taylor.

Dan Ehrman and Tyndale House Foundation's Caroline Curry sit down with Mark Taylor — former President and CEO of Tyndale House Publishers and longtime Chairman of Tyndale House Ministries — for a rich conversation spanning six decades of gospel-centered leadership, Christian publishing history, and sacrificial generosity. Mark shares the story behind the founding of the New Living Translation Bible, Tyndale House Foundation's global grant-making, and the stewardship convictions that shaped his entire career.

Key takeaways for church leaders:

• Stewardship over ownership — How Mark's father Ken Taylor modeled holding ministry resources with an open hand, and what that looks like in practice for pastors today
• Generosity as a leadership discipline — Why Tyndale House Foundation has given away over $150 million and why that commitment must be built into organizational leadership from the start
• Developing leaders patiently — The decade of formation Mark received before stepping into the CEO role, and why gradual leadership development matters in the local church

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." — Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)

This episode is an encouragement for any pastor or ministry director navigating the tension between organizational success and faithful stewardship — and a reminder that God-honoring leadership leaves a legacy far beyond what any one generation can see.

Church Connect
Church Connect – Access trusted resources from leading Christian publishers to strengthen your church. Enjoy everyday bulk discounts of up to 45%, free shipping on orders over $50, and more. Every purchase supports the Tyndale Foundation, funding Christian ministries and global mission organizations.

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What does it actually take to translate the Bible — and is the New Living Translation really just a paraphrase? If you've ever heard that criticism, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of Church Around the World, Dan Ehrman sits down with Dr. Andrew Abernethy — professor of Old Testament and assistant dean at Wheaton College's Divinity School, and a member of the New Living Translation Bible committee — to pull back the curtain on the NLT translation process and what it means to make Scripture genuinely accessible without sacrificing accuracy.

Three takeaways for church leaders:

• The NLT is not a paraphrase. It comes from a team of top evangelical scholars wrestling simultaneously with original-language accuracy and understandable English — a rigorous, two-stage process most readers never see.
• Translation is always interpretation. From the word "redeemer" in Ruth to a contested phrase in Matthew 1, every translation choice involves asking: what would this have meant then, and how do we communicate that clearly today?
• Scripture transforms whole families. Dr. Abernethy's own story — from a basketball family with no Bible background to an NLT committee member — is a reminder that God works powerfully through faithful engagement with His Word.

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." — Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

This episode is a rich resource for any pastor or ministry leader who wants to understand — and confidently recommend — the New Living Translation Bible to their congregation.

Learn more about Dr. Abernethy and the NLT:
Dr. Andrew Abernethy - Wheaton College
New Living Translation
NLT Scholars
God's Messiah in the Old Testament
Andrew Abernethy - LinkedIn

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What happens when the Church shows up—not just with programs, but with people—in the lives of children growing up in under-resourced neighborhoods?

This week, Dan is joined by guest co-host Caroline Curry (Development Specialist, Tyndale House Foundation) and two leaders from By the Hand Club for Kids: Peter Hanson, VP of Volunteer Development, and Stephen Fernandes, Chief Development Officer.

By the Hand Club for Kids has been walking alongside children in some of Chicago's most challenged communities for over two decades—offering not just after-school programming, but something rarer: the sustained presence of caring adults who refuse to let a child's zip code define their ceiling.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why diverse social connections matter enormously for kids growing up in geographic and economic isolation
• The irreplaceable role of adult presence and attention in forming a child's sense of value and purpose—especially in our distracted, screen-saturated world
• How By the Hand helps students see their own neighborhoods through the lens of God's abundance rather than human scarcity
• What By the Hand's work says to the broader Church about what we truly value

Learn more about By the Hand Club for Kids:
By The Hand History and Stories
Giving to By The Hand
Volunteer Interest Form
ByTheHand.com
Facebook
LinkedIn

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Church Connect – Access trusted resources from leading Christian publishers to strengthen your church. Enjoy everyday bulk discounts of up to 45%, free shipping on orders over $50, and more. Every purchase supports the Tyndale Foundation, funding Christian ministries and global mission organizations.

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In this episode, Dan Ehrman sits down with Steve Macchia and S.K. "Suz" Skinner to explore their new book, Praying the Parables of Jesus: A 40-Day Devotional Journey in Word and Image (NavPress/Tyndale). Steve is the founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), an author of 17 books, and a leading voice in spiritual formation and discipleship for Christian leaders. Suz is an artist and spiritual director who serves on LTI's Emmaus faculty and helps others encounter Christ through Scripture and art.

Together, Steve and Suz discuss their unique collaboration — pairing written devotional reflections with original artwork — and how the ancient practices of Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture) and Visio Divina (prayerful reflection on sacred art) can open fresh encounters with the parables of Jesus. They share about LTI's broader mission of cultivating vibrant spirituality and attentive discernment among Christian leaders and churches, and how this book grew naturally out of that discipleship work.

With 40 devotions perfectly suited for the season of Lent, this conversation explores how believers can use the parables as a framework for slowing down, recalibrating their hearts, and drawing closer to Jesus during the 40 days leading to Easter. Whether used individually or in a small group, Praying the Parables of Jesus offers a rich, multisensory path into the Kingdom stories Jesus told — and an invitation to let those stories reshape how we live, pray, and follow.

Lenten Prayer Experience
Steve Macchia
S.K. Suz Skinner
Godspeed Movie

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Church Connect – Access trusted resources from leading Christian publishers to strengthen your church. Enjoy everyday bulk discounts of up to 45%, free shipping on orders over $50, and more. Every purchase supports the Tyndale Foundation, funding Christian ministries and global mission organizations.

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How do you lead a congregation into deeper engagement with Scripture—and sustain it together? Pastor Andrew Forrest joins Dan Ehrman on The Church Around the World to share how Asbury Church in Tulsa is guiding the entire church through The One Year Bible in 2026 with a “Year Through the Bible” initiative built around shared rhythms, joy-filled discipleship, and practical tools pastors can adapt in their own contexts.

Andrew also reflects on the difficult leadership transition of leaving the church he planted and pastored for over a decade to serve Asbury following its disaffiliation from a denomination. Along the way, he offers wisdom for shepherding people through change, grounding ministry identity in faithfulness rather than outcomes, and leading with love in an anxious and divided age. The conversation includes insights from Andrew’s book, Love Goes First, and practical ideas for cultivating spiritual habits that shape a church’s life together.

Church Connect

Church Connect – Access trusted resources from leading Christian publishers to strengthen your church. Enjoy everyday bulk discounts of up to 45%, free shipping on orders over $50, and more. Every purchase supports the Tyndale Foundation, funding Christian ministries and global mission organizations.

Episode Links:
Asbury Church - Tulsa
Andrew Forrest
Love Goes First: Reaching Others in an Age of Anxiety and Division

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In this episode of The Church Around the World, host Dan Ehrman is joined by Alex McElroy—pastor, author, and founder of Proof For The Truth—for a thoughtful conversation on how apologetics strengthens local church ministry, shapes discipleship, and equips believers to engage culture with confidence and grace.

Alex shares how apologetics is not merely an academic exercise, but a pastoral tool that helps congregations address doubt, disciple the next generation, and remain grounded in biblical truth amid cultural pressure. The conversation also explores the landscape of African-American apologetics, highlighting its unique voice, historical context, and growing influence within the broader evangelical church.

In addition, Alex reflects personally on navigating vocational change, the challenges of redefining calling outside of traditional ministry roles, and the importance of rooting identity not in titles or platforms, but in who we are in Christ. His story offers encouragement to pastors, ministry leaders, and believers discerning new seasons of calling while remaining faithful to God’s purposes.

This episode will resonate with anyone interested in: • Using apologetics as a discipleship and evangelism tool in the local church • Understanding the role and contribution of African-American voices in apologetics • Walking through vocational transition with spiritual clarity and confidence • Finding lasting identity and purpose grounded in God, not role or profession

A timely and encouraging conversation for church leaders, educators, and believers seeking to lead faithfully in a changing world.

Learn more about Alex McElroy: • https://www.proofforthetruth.org/ • https://www.alexrmcelroy.com/ • https://www.facebook.com/pastoralexmcelroy/

Church Connect

Church Connect – Access trusted resources from leading Christian publishers to strengthen your church. Enjoy everyday bulk discounts of up to 45%, free shipping on orders over $50, and more. Every purchase supports the Tyndale Foundation, funding Christian ministries and global mission organizations.

Episode Links:
New Living Translation
NLT Scholars

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