From Failure to Fire: Mike Erre on Reimagining Church for the World

What happens when a pastor leaves three churches in six years but still feels a burning desire to serve the church? In this deeply personal and powerfully visionary episode, Mike Erre and Andy continue the Box Series with a vulnerable exploration of failure, passion, and the compelling dream of creating a new kind of Jesus-centered community. Reflecting on his own pastoral journey, Mike shares the drive behind planting a church born not of perfection, but of authenticity—a community centered on grace, honesty, radical inclusion, and service to the world. He outlines three foundational fires that continue to burn in him: becoming a church that exists to love and serve the world, creating the safest space to wrestle through anything, and investing in and empowering the next generation. Perfect for anyone who's ever felt disillusioned with church yet still longs for something real, this episode offers a compelling call to reimagine what it means to follow Jesus in community today. Key Takeaways: • The Church Exists for the World – A passionate argument for reorienting the church away from consumerism and toward sacrificial love and service. • A Safe Place to Be Real – The need for the church to be a place where people can talk honestly about anything—from sexuality to addiction—without fear of judgment. • A Vision for the Next Generation – Why mature believers must sacrifice preferences and traditions to pass on faith meaningfully to the next wave of Jesus-followers. • Learning from Failure with Hope – Mike's honest reflection on pastoral missteps and why he hasn't given up on the church—because he hasn't given up on Jesus. Resources Mentioned: • Learn more about the vision and upcoming community gathering: voxoc.com • Follow & engage with Mike online: subversivekingdom.com • Twitter: @MikeErre • Voxology Podcast YouTube Channel – VOXOLOGY TV • Voxology Merch Store – Etsy Shop Be a part of the conversation as we wrestle honestly with how to follow Jesus today. Subscribe to Voxology Podcast, leave a review, and follow us on Instagram @voxologypodcast and Facebook to stay up to date and connected. Have thoughts, questions, or reactions? Shoot us an email at [email protected]—we'd love to hear from you. Support the mission by joining our community on Patreon and help Voxology continue to create space for honest Jesus-centered dialogue. Music by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Voxology Radio on Spotify: Click Here As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy