On The Mountain

One of our favorite podcast series, “Meet the Pastors,” is back! Join us as we introduce our Senior Preaching Pastor, Dr. Spencer DeBurgh. He has served in pastoral ministry in California, Washington, and most recently Racine, Wisconsin, before joining our family here at SMCC in December of 2024. Tune into this episode to learn more about Spencer’s upbringing, hobbies, family life, education, and the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry.

It's been a year full of change and growth for SMCC and this episode is a great reflection of that. We had a blast meeting with eleven guests: Genny Rollings, Ryan and Christen Sparks, Ted and Sarah Dower, Octavio and Rosie Samper, Jonathan Owen, Jessica Nicholson, Brian Kult, and Dr. Spencer DeBurgh to review 2024 at SMCC and look ahead at the year to come. As we lean into the Lord's guidance to direct the steps of His church, there's just so much to share! Come join us as we take a look back at the year 2024.

Should the church baptize infants? This 1500-year-old debate remains controversial among Christians. What is the purpose of baptism? What is the relationship between faith and baptism? How important is it to publicly confess your faith? Dr. Peter Goeman, author of “The Baptism Debate,” takes on these questions and more in this episode of our podcast “On the Mountain.” You can purchase Dr. Goeman’s book through the link below or visit our resource center at Shades Mountain Community Church.

In this episode of “On the Mountain”, we will hear from Andrew Spigner as he presents an overview of 1 & 2 Samuel. We are introduced to three major characters: Samuel, Saul, and David. They become vital characters in Israel's search for a King. As we relate to a group of people who knew God's promises but wanted them fulfilled in their own time, we see the importance of waiting on the Lord for His perfect plan.Resources - 1 & 2 Samuel:The Expositors Bible Commentary, Volume 3Everyman's Bible CommentaryResources - Studying God's Kingdom:The New Creation Model by Vlach

In this episode of “On the Mountain”, we interview Ted Dower for an overview of the book of Philippians. Ted spent over a year and a half studying and teaching this book of the Bible. As he walks us through Philippians, we will see an overarching theme of “Jesus magnified, soul satisfied." Visit Precept Austin for additional commentaries and sermons on this wonderful book.

To close out our time with Pastor Rick, we thought it would be fitting to have one more episode with our favorite guest. As we looked back on Pastor Rick's time spent at SMCC, there were a few tears. It's only fitting to say that he certainly considers us family. Join us "On the Mountain" as we discuss Pastor Rick’s time with us, what he looks forward to at his church in Nebraska, and many cherished memories in between.

Join us "On the Mountain" for another episode in our "Top 5" series. A world with countless modes of entertainment can lead to choice-overload. Where do you start with controlling what goes in your mind? Everyone has preferences when it comes to music. How do we find the balance of good music and good lyrics? Listen in as our Worship Pastor, Steven Sivley, discusses his "Top 5" album recommendations.

Join us "On the Mountain" for another episode in our "Top 5" series. A world with countless modes of entertainment can lead to choice-overload. Where do you start with controlling what goes in your mind? On this episode, we navigate resources you can trust. Our Youth Pastor, Andrew Spigner, discusses the "Top 5" resources that he has personally used over the years. We hope that you too can utilize this list to improve your Bible study habits and knowledge of the Word of God.

Join us "On the Mountain" for another episode in our "Top 5" series. A world with countless modes of entertainment can lead to choice-overload. Where do you start with controlling what goes in your mind? Our Children's Pastor, Jonathan Owen, joins us to discuss his "Top 5" movie recommendations. With a deep love for film making, Jonathan walks us through the movies that have stayed with him throughout the years. You might just discover that one of these recommendations makes it onto your own list of favorites.

Join us "On the Mountain" for another episode in our "Top 5" series. A world with countless modes of entertainment can lead to choice-overload. Where do you start with controlling what goes in your mind? Pastor Brian joins us to discuss his "Top 5" podcast recommendations to give insight into news, theology, books, sermons and counseling.

Join us "On the Mountain" as we introduce a series called "Top 5." A world with countless modes of entertainment can lead to choice-overload. Where do you start with controlling what goes in your mind? Pastor Rick joins us to discuss his "Top 5" book recommendations and some tips on how to choose beneficial resources over harmful ones.

After reading a book of the Bible, have you ever been left with more questions than when you started? We are bringing you the second episode of our two-part series that looks closely at the book of Revelation and the events of the end times. For this episode of "On the Mountain", we will be joined by our lead pastor, Dr. Rick Goertzen, to discuss “The End Times in a Nutshell.” Within this topic, there are many questions regarding the sequence of future events that are described in Scripture. Where do believers fit into this timeline? When will the Tribulation happen? What will take place during the millennium? What are signs of the Antichrist? As we discuss the book of Revelation, we hope this will answer some of your pressing questions and perhaps some you didn’t know you had.

After reading a book of the Bible, have you ever been left with more questions than when you started? We are bringing you a two-part series that looks closely at the book of Revelation and the events of the end times. For the next two episodes of "On the Mountain", we will be joined by our lead pastor, Dr. Rick Goertzen, to discuss “The End Times in a Nutshell.” Within this topic, there are many questions regarding the sequence of future events that are described in Scripture. Where do believers fit into this timeline? When will the Tribulation happen? What will take place during the millennium? What are signs of the Antichrist? As we discuss the book of Revelation, we hope this will answer some of your pressing questions and perhaps some you didn’t know you had.

To close our Missions Conference, we this bonus episode we'll discuss challenges impacting global with missionaries Steve and Kyehee Taylor. While ministering to a country with residual tension between their citizens, we will see how Asian culture can vary. We will also discuss the impact that strong cultural values can have on evangelism. 

To close our Missions Conference, on this week's episode we'll discuss major challenges impacting global missions with Juan and Eva Barrientos. The insider movement and contextualization have greatly impacted their mission field. We will hear about present day social, cultural, and religious complications and how this poses a threat to the church. 

In this episode of "On the Mountain," we get to meet the voice behind the mic, Stonewall Nicholson. As we dive into his story and discuss what brought about the podcast ministry, we get to know our host, and look to the future of "On the Mountain.” We have some new series ideas brewing that we’re really excited about. We’ll be discussing hot topics on how to navigate our faith in a world of opposition, and introducing resources to help ground us in our faith - there is so much in store. We hope you will join us every other Tuesday as we go LIVE at FIVE!

This week, 'On the Mountain', we are hosting our largest episode yet with seven special guests. We invited the young adult missions team to join us in the studio. This group went to Honduras at the beginning of the year to do some small construction projects and minister to families connected with local churches. Expect to hear individualized takeaways on what the Lord is doing in the hearts of SMCC's young adults and in the country of Honduras. There will also be tokens of advice for anyone with a desire to go on a short-term missions trip!

One ministry that we've been blessed to watch grow is Shades Mountain All-Stars. This ministry started in 2018 and has tripled in size for their 7th season. Come join us "On the Mountain" with our three guests: Chris Algee, Andrew Spigner and Anna Tanner. We will walk through the mission mindset of All-Stars, ways to use sports to evangelize, and opportunities this ministry creates for you to serve your community. We will be in season till February 24th, so come join us on basketball Saturdays. Our games run from 8am all the way to 5pm – admission is free!

For this week's podcast, we go on the road with our High School ministry for their annual Winter Retreat. Retreat speaker, Ted Dower, tells us the reason behind teaching in Titus and what this book of the Bible has meant to him. This episode discusses the qualities of a good leader, how to navigate finding a new church, and responding to a world that doesn't share your same views or beliefs. Ted closes this discussion with the heartbeat of our church, "our duty and doctrine... all of it is born out of a saving relationship that we could not have engaged in". Check out this episode now!

It's been a very full year at SMCC with a lot of exciting changes. For this episode, we meet "On the Mountain" with three guests: Andrew Spigner, Anna Squires, and Anna Tanner to review 2023 at Shades, and we'll talk about things to look forward to in the coming year! We've had the joy of introducing new ministries, brand new hires, a new website and first-time app, as well as watching our church grow. What a year of being constantly pointed back to the Word of God. There's just so much to share! Come join us as we take a close look at the year 2023.

Our surprise guest is none other than Ms. Genny Rollings! From her 45 years spent serving our church, she would like to share some of her story. This is an episode filled with wise advice. Genny tells us how she met her late husband, her first experiences at SMCC, learning to submit in the home, and how to serve your church with a joyous attitude. In the words of Ms. Genny, “I want everything to go to the Lord, it’s the only reason I do what I do.”

This week 'On the Mountain', we are bringing our 'Meet the Pastors' series to a close with the big man himself Rick Goertzen. Rick has been our lead Pastor at SMCC for the past 8 years. On this episode you can expect to hear about Rick's early stages of pursuing ministry, hobbies, hardships, leading a church in a modern world, and so much more! Check out this episode to go behind the scenes with Stonewall and Pastor Rick Goertzen!

Most of you know him by the name Jawoo, it's time to meet our Children's and Middle School Pastor!‘On the Mountain’ we are met with Jonathan Owen, a man who wears many hats here at SMCC. He oversees a vibrant children's ministry as well as running our largest community outreach program called Camp Adventure. He has served in church at various capacities since his youth and felt a natural pull towards ministry. You can hear Jonathan talk all about summer camp and what he's learned working with children over the years. Listen to his full story here with our host Stonewall Nicholson!

Come meet the 'new kid on the block' our Adult Ministries Pastor, this is Brian Kult!‘On the Mountain’ we are met with Brian Kult who has been on staff with SMCC for two years now. We hear about his upbringing, his career in banking and what led him to ministry. Brian delves into his first experience with person to person discipleship and how meaningful that relationship was to him. We see how Brian’s long-lasting relationship with our Lead Pastor pulled his heart towards SMCC and where he is today. You can listen to his full story here with our host Stonewall Nicholson.

We are thrilled to play a role in introducing a new ministry, Iglesia La Fe, which will be coming to SMCC on November 5th!Join us 'On the Mountain' as we sit down with the couple that started Iglesia La Fe Hispanic Church back in 2004. In this episode we learn the story of how Octavio and Rosie Samper met, their history with SMCC, the growth of their ministry and ways at which our church can serve them. !¡! Warning !¡! This was one fun episode to participate in, so prepare your hearts for some obnoxious laughter.

Let's meet our High School and Young Adult Pastor, this is Andrew Spigner!Join us 'On the Mountain' as we hear from another Pastor who didn't originally envision working in ministry. From a desire to earnestly know the Word of God, Andrew discovered the Lord working in his heart towards ministry. With a degree from Troy in Communication Studies, we now hear how the Lord called Andrew to seminary at the West Institute. Ultimately this path led him back home to serve at SMCC shepherding the hearts of our youth. You can listen to his full story here with our host Stonewall Nicholson.

Join us 'On the Mountain' as Stonewall sits down with our Administrative and Missions Pastor, Gary Kennedy. Gary is one of our longest standing members of 53 years and has been a part of our family from the very beginning. If you're interested in how a CPA came to be a Pastor, give this week's episode a listen. We will discuss all things missions, how finances affect the church, and the growth of our church from a one of a kind perspective.

This week 'On the Mountain', we are kicking off our 'Meet the Pastors' series with Steven Sivley. Steven has been our Worship Pastor for 8 years. He also oversees our communications ministry and our building and grounds crew. Check out this episode to go behind the scenes and hear how the Lord guided Steven to ministry!

Missions Conference continues with our next guest missionary, Tiago Albuquerque. Stonewall and Tiago discuss all the work that Tiago is doing in Brazil as well as his family life.

Missions Conference continues with our next guest missionary, Ed Casteel. Stonewall and Ed discuss Ed’s involvement with Ethnos360 and the work he is doing in the Asia-Pacific region.

In the last episode of Missions Conference, Stonewall wraps things up with Daniel Gomez. Daniel gives us an update on his family and all the work he is doing in his home country, Honduras.

It’s Missions Conference at SMCC! In today’s episode, Stonewall sits down with Bobby Wilson, the current CEO of World Reach Ministries right here in Alabama.

Welcome to the very first episode of the new SMCC Podcast series! In today's episode, Stonewall sits down with pastor Brian Kult to talk about his recent visit to Israel and why you should consider making the trip yourself.