The Surge Network Podcast

In this episode of the Surge Podcast, John DelHousaye introduces Surge School’s new Ardor curriculum by exploring one of the three transcendentals: goodness. Joined by artists Travis Mullen and Jyll Ethier-Mullen, the conversation dives into the intersection of art, faith, and the creative process. Together, they reflect on how goodness is expressed not only in finished artwork, but in the rhythms of practice, the role of community, and the posture of the artist. From early creative influences to rediscovering artistic identity, Travis and Jyll share personal stories of formation, struggle, and renewal. The discussion also explores how concepts like harmony, composition, and even “negative space” reveal deeper truths about reality—and what it means to create in a way that reflects the nature of God. Along the way, they wrestle with questions of intrinsic vs. instrumental goodness, the tension between skill and vision, and the subtle pull of ego and idolatry in artistic work. Whether you’re an artist or simply someone drawn to beauty and meaning, this episode offers a thoughtful and grounded look at how creativity can point beyond itself to something greater.

In this episode, we flip the script as John Talley III joins us on the other side of the mic to share his story and vision for the Church in our city. John, a pastor, professor, and self-described “servant trying to tell everybody about somebody who can save anybody,” invites us into the heart behind Neighbor’s Table, an initiative of Surge Network focused on mobilizing believers to love their neighbors in real, tangible ways.   We talk about what it means to move from proclamation to demonstration, not just talking about Jesus, but living it out. From foster care and refugee support to justice, advocacy, and the arts, this episode paints a vision for a unified Church marked by mercy, action, and neighbor love.

In this episode of the Surge Network podcast, Aaron Dailey sits down with longtime pastor and leader Caleb Campbell to talk candidly about friendship, faith, and the fractures many churches and leaders have experienced in recent years. Caleb shares his personal journey through pastoral burnout, political polarization, and the loss of community, including how those experiences led him to write about engaging Christian nationalism as a mission field rather than an enemy.    Together, they explore why relationships between pastors matter, especially in seasons of conflict, fear, and division. The conversation is honest, reflective, and grounded in the hope that healing and unity are still possible when leaders choose to stay connected.

Hosted by Dr. John DelHousaye, Director of Surge School+, this episode explores one of the three transcendentals— beauty —and why it may be the most compelling doorway in our current cultural moment. Joined by guests Charith and Michael Denson, the conversation examines how truth, goodness, and beauty are deeply connected, and why beauty has a unique power when a culture grows resistant to arguments about truth. When debates stall, beauty has a way of holding everything together, awakening desire, inviting reflection, and opening hearts where logic alone may no longer persuade.

Our vision begins and ends in prayer. In a time when polarization runs deep, we continue to pray that the Church — in all its diverse expressions — would stay anchored in Christ and committed to one another. Our first All-Surge Gathering centered on vision and prayer. We revisited our shared commitments and launch into a guided season of prayer for our city, our churches, and our communities — both online and in neighborhoods throughout the Valley. Alignment is not achieved by strategy alone but by shared surrender to the presence of Christ. These five prayers will shape our hearts, guide our actions, and unite our churches as we seek to live from the center of Jesus.

History is clear: Whenever the church has aligned itself with worldly, coercive power, it ends up on the wrong side of important justice issues. But when the church cooperates with God's power through his presence among the least powerful, its witness for Jesus transforms the world into a better place. Every quarter Surge Network holds a gathering for anyone in Phoenix to attend. This quarter, we had the honor of hearing from David Fitch with Gavin Linderman.

Every quarter Surge Network holds a gathering for anyone in Phoenix to attend. This quarter, we had the honor of hearing from John O. with Dennae Pierre on the essential practice of solidarity.

We wanted to get under the hood of what we mean when we say Jesus Centered. Dr. Meghan Good and missiologist Alan Hirsch join Gavin in a discussion on this, and much more.

On September 28th, 2024, Surge hosted an All-Surge Lunch featuring special guest speaker Ronnie Lillard, also known as Reconcile. Ronnie delivered an inspiring presentation about We the Revolt and the impactful work they are doing in South Florida to drive criminal justice reform. He challenged us here in Phoenix to not only engage in this critical movement but also to mobilize together as a united force for change. Here is the presentation from that day for those who could not attend or want to revisit the powerful message shared.

Surge had Renee Worcester Speak at the All surge event this podcast is a recap and a recreation of the event. Renee is a Spiritual Coach and has a heart for developing people and cultures. She is a retreat speaker and mentor to men and women in leadership positions.

On January 11, 2023 Robert Guerrero shared a powerful message to our all Surge event.  It was speaking to the power of the spirit to confront the powers of this world.  Asking How do we do life and mission in the midst of the powers of this world? 

This episode is the recording from our All-Region gathering in the first week of May 2022 when Dr. Christina Edmondson shared with us on Disciplining the Church: The Bottom Up Perspective of Accountability. Christina holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University, an M.S. degree from the University of Rochester in Family Therapy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hampton University.  "For many, Church Discipline is too often an avoided, misapplied, misunderstood, and feared topic. This is likely because the necessary components of power-sharing, protection of the vulnerable, and restorative justice are absent in practice. Together, we will reimagine church discipline with a holy imagination as a witness to the safety and inclusion of Christ's Church."  Dr. Edmondson

Winn Collier from the Eugene Peterson Center The road before us is beautiful, yet treacherous. Though there will be many joys and graces, we will inevitably face vexing questions, oppressive enemies, and unexpected seductions. We will be assaulted by suffocating shame and hidden fears---and when things go well, we will tangle with oversized ego and the allure of success. What words do we need for this arduous journey? What words did Jesus need? Winn Collier, a pastor for 25 years, was the founding pastor of All Souls in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is now the director of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Winn is the author of multiple books, including Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small town Church and A Burning in My Bones, the biography of Eugene Peterson.

Our world has been torn asunder by racial, ethnic, and ideological differences. It is seen in our politics, felt in our families, and ingrained in our theology. Sadly, the church has often reinforced these ethnic and racial divides. To cast off the ugliness of disunity and heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community. In this webinar, Rev. Irwyn Ince will unpack the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. The gospel imperative to pursue the beautiful community—unity in diversity across lines of difference—is rooted in reflecting the beautiful community of our triune God.   Rev. Dr. Irwyn Ince serves as a pastor at Grace DC Presbyterian Church and Director of the Grace DC Institute for Cross-Cultural Mission. The Institute is a church-based entity dedicated to equipping churches with the confidence and competence to welcome others the way Jesus welcomes us.  He is the author of  The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity and the Church at Its Best, published in 2020 with InterVarsity Press. He has also contributed to the books Heal Us Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church, and All Are Welcome: Toward a Multi-Everything Church.

Teena Dare is joined by Aaron Dailey and Warren Williams to discuss how the pandemic has changed the conversation around faith and work especially related to marginalized communities.

Covid-19, economic uncertainty and reckonings with race and justice are pressing big questions of life upon us all. People are asking questions that really matter. And Christians must be ready to listen and to engage our neighbors in ways that serve them and point to Jesus. Join Jennifer Chan from Redeemer City to City for a discussion on how to cultivate and sustain spiritual conversations in such a time as this.   Jennifer is the Missional Church Director City to City NYC. In this role, she trains and supports leaders in activating people to love and serve the city in all its beauty and complexity. Prior to joining the CTC team, she oversaw a discipleship initiative for the Redeemer family of churches. She has also managed a national human trafficking awareness campaign, and worked to prevent violence against women in East Africa. She and her husband have twin daughters.

As followers of Christ, we are unified in Jesus and who he is. We are part of the multiethnic family of God. What does it look like as multiethnic family to live out what Dr King and the Fellowship of Reconciliation called the Beloved Community? Join us for a time of learning and discussion on the multiethnic family of God and Beloved Community.  Pastor Efrem Smith is an internationally recognized leader who uses motivational speaking and preaching to equip people for a life of transformation. He consults on issues of multi-ethnicity, leadership, and community development. He is the current co-lead Pastor of Bayside Church, Midtown and is the author of several books, including his latest, “Killing Us Softly.” Rev. Kimberly Deckel is a pastor and church planter at All Souls Phoenix. She is on the Surge leadership team and helps with operations along with regional gatherings, faith and work, church planting, and women in leadership.

By this point in 2020 it’s become almost cliche to say that we are in a divided country. Americans have split into various groups and tribes, more zealously attached to their selected group and tribe and more hostile to those outside their group or tribe than ever before. Christians too often have been complicit in contributing to this growing polarization. This seminar will lay out different path for believers. We will explore how we can be faithful and prophetic as citizens and voters today not out of today’s polarized social identities but out of our common identity in Christ.

Join us for a conversation with Dennae Pierre & Gavin Linderman about praying together and processing our conversational life with God in midst of this historic moment.

Join Elisa & Caleb Mitchell (Phoenix Counseling Collective) in this episode to learn how we can attempt to parent our kids more generously and lovingly as well as find the grace for our own selves in the process.

Kimberly Deckel interviews Dr. Esau McCaulley about his book Reading While black.

This talk was by Biola's New Testament Theology Professor, Michelle Lee-Barewall, based on her book Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian.   Michelle Lee-Barnewall Biography - Trained in New Testament studies, Dr. Lee-Barnewall's desire is to help students develop their relationship with Christ through an informed and application-oriented understanding of Scripture. She is an Associate Professor of New Testament Theology at Biola University. She is the author of several books including “Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ” and "Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian: Reframing the Gender Debate." Dr. Lee-Barnewall has published articles in New Testament Studies and Novum Testamentum and has presented papers at the national meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature. She is the author of several books including "Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian."

Kit Danley  Kit Danley is the founder and president of Phoenix, AZ based Neighborhood Ministries, Inc. – a comprehensive, holistic outreach that combines evangelism and church planting with many forms of community development and social justice engagement. Kit has a sociology degree from Northern Arizona University, continued her education with Fuller Theological Seminary and finished her DMIN with Bakke Graduate University. Kit and her husband Wayne have four awesome adult children and four grandchildren.   "The Way of the Peacemaker” Talk Description: “What if” our followership of Jesus moved us to become co-creators of peace in our troubled world? “What if”, in turn, churches throughout the world produced millions of peacemakers?  What if … we took each other by the hand and said boldly, “lets go together, lets go straight into the places which are suffering and oppressed and join the work of the kingdom of God.”  Let’s imagine this morning, the way of the peacemaker. 

Waging Peace in a Hostile World: A Peacemaking Conference Main Speaker October 18th: Lisa Jernigan  Lisa is an advocate, speaker, and trainer for global engagement. She is Co-Founder of Amplify Peace, a global movement that promotes the principles of peacemaking through trainings and transforming encounters, both locally and globally. Focusing on leadership empowerment for women, she travels frequently to the Middle East and Africa to meet and collaborate with faith and community leaders. Lisa lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband, Cal, who is the Lead Pastor at Central Christian AZ. Their greatest joy is their two grown children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren. Connect at: amplifypeace.com

Flourishing in Mission In the Christian tradition, flourishing in mission for Jesus always and inevitably involves dark nights of the soul, seasons of spiritual desertion that challenge our sense of spiritual and emotional stability and health. What role do these seasons play in our personal and ecclesial growth, and how do we navigate them wisely and well? Join us to explore this further! Chuck DeGroat Chuck is a Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary  Holland MI, and Co-Founder and a Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. He is a licensed therapist, author, retreat leader, and spiritual director. Chuck has been married to Sara for 25 years and has two daughters.

Spiritual Formation in the Local Church Spiritual formation is a growing interest among pastors, leaders, and laity and as pastors and church leaders we have an opportunity to create space to understand and learn from the spiritual formation movement. Join us for a time to consider how culture is longing for richer spiritual encounters and how to meet that desire in ways that point others to Jesus. It is our hope that this will be a time that stretches and encourages you to seek Jesus and experience Him more fully while also finding intentional ways for your church members to do the same. Speaker: Gavin Linderman Gavin spent 6 years in the music industry traveling, before beginning vocational ministry. Since beginning in ministry, he developed a longing for a deeper more authentic experience of Jesus; this longing unexpectedly led him into the Anabaptist stream of the Christian Church where he learned the riches of the Gospel of the Kingdom and began his theological training. Additionally, he well spent another 5 years focusing on the role of Spiritual Formation in Christian Life. In the midst of exploring life with Jesus, Gavin and his wife planted Axiom Church n Peoria AZ where he currently serves as Lead Pastor.

Communicating the Beauty of Christian Sexual Ethics Sex is everywhere in our culture, yet an intimidating subject for many Christians to talk about. We may be convinced God's vision for sex is true but is it also good and beautiful? We'll explore some fresh language, imagery, and concepts from Scripture, to help us communicate biblical sexual ethics winsomely, narratively, and beautifully to a culture that is highly skeptical of the Christian vision.   Josh Butler Joshua Ryan Butler is Pastor of Teaching and Direction at Redemption Church (Tempe, AZ) and author of The Skeletons in God’s Closet: The Mercy of Hell, the surprise of Judgment, the Hope of Holy War and The Pursuing God: A Reckless, Irrational, Obsessed Love That’s Dying to Bring Us Home. Joshua enjoys helping people who wrestle with tough topics of the Christian faith, as well as reading, hiking, and playing guitar. Joshua's wife Holly, daughter Aiden, and sons James and Jacob enjoy spending time with friends over great meals and exploring the scenic beauty of the romantic Southwest.

Blessings and Curses of Social Media As church leaders, how do we cultivate faithfulness in our congregations around the right stewardship of social media? From vitriolic tirades to yummy cookie recipes, we seem to be sharing pieces of ourselves on social media in ways that are at times true reflections of who we are, and at others, mere projections of who we desire to be. In this gathering, we have invited Dr. Stephen Carradini (assistant professor at ASU) to join us for a conversation regarding the theological significance of social media, its impact on our communal psyche, and to offer us some directions forward in the proper stewardship of this technological tool for faithful Christ-centered living. Dr. Stephen Carradini is an assistant professor of technical communication at Arizona State University. He has a doctorate from the Communication, Rhetoric and Digital Media program at North Carolina State University. He also co-hosts a podcast called Winning Slowly (winningslowly.org) about the ethics of technology (including social media) as seen through a Christian lens. He lives in Gilbert with his family and is a part of New Valley Church in Chandler.

In this episode, Tyler Johnson talks about leadership development as a lifelong relationship in which the mentor helps the protegee reach his/her potential.

Three things we can learn from the global/immigrant church in Arizona

Unity and Reconciliation - Jason Turner - East Valley Breakfast

Team building, creating a culture of shared leadership, and developing cohesion around mission is essential for leaders. Strong churches and teams also need vision and direction from leaders. Sometimes these realities feel in tension with one another. We are all gifted differently as well as have different philosophies of ministry and yet whether we thrive more as independent leaders or within a team, shared leadership is important.

Team building, creating a culture of shared leadership, and developing cohesion around mission is essential for leaders. Strong churches and teams also need vision and direction from leaders. Sometimes these realities feel in tension with one another. We are all gifted differently as well as have different philosophies of ministry and yet whether we thrive more as independent leaders or within a team, shared leadership is important.

"Our aim as Christ’s Social Body is to “follow in his steps” (1 Pet 2:21); to “walk in love as Christ loved” (Eph 5:1); “to speak and do the truth” (4:15, 21; 1 John 1:6); to “grow up together” (Eph 4:15) in the One who embodies “mature humanity” (4:13).  In the drama of discipleship, the local church “puts on” Christ’s pattern of covenantal fidelity, not with the definitive weight of Christ’s unique fulfillment, but in his ways, after his likeness." -Dr. Greg Perry

Dennae Pierre talks with Fran Switzer about the challenges and opportunities of pastoring people well in the age of social media. 

In this book, Pastor Jamin Goggin and theology professor Kyle Strobel invite readers on a journey to uncover Jesus’ seemingly contradictory way to power: weakness. Why do so many rock-star pastors implode under the spotlight? Why do modern-day churches become so entangled in growing their brand that they lose sight of their true purpose? Because, according to Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel, Christians have succumbed to the temptations of power and forgotten Jesus’ seemingly contradictory path to power—first giving it up. In The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, Goggin and Strobel paint a richly biblical vision of power through weakness and offers a compelling vision of the way of Jesus that will challenge both individual believers and the church as a whole. Our prayer and hope is that churches in Arizona would be full of leaders and pastors who are committed to the Jesus-way of power and that pastors would recognize where the idols of power and prestige have gotten a foothold into our affections for Christ and leadership decisions so that we might turn toward embracing weakness.

Partnering with the churchAt this Surge lunch, we will be hearing from Anna Ho, President of Reconciled World. This lunch is intended to provoke questions and ideas for what it looks like to be pastors and leaders who are seeking the Spirit’s help to identify lies that trap us as leaders that keep us from being light in the midst of darkness and seek God’s power to embrace all areas of mission he has called us to. Anna has spent over 20 years in ministry internationally and has sharp insights into how God’s word calls us to effectively address brokenness, walk with the vulnerable, mobilize local resources, and, above all, depend on God. Anna speaks with deep theological insight to the capability of the local church around the world to see their communities transformed by Jesus and a biblical worldview when they are freed from lies that cripple the church. Anna desires to see the church respond to God and watch as he brings healing to brokenness and builds His church in both numbers and depth. Speaker: Anna Ho Anna Ho, together with her husband Nam are the co-founders of Reconciled World. Originally from New Zealand, Anna Ho has lived and worked in Asia since 1995. Anna joined Food for the Hungry in 1996, working with them until 2013. In 2004 Anna started a program, Truth-Centered Transformation to see if people could really move out of poverty as they understood and applied a Biblical Worldview. The results were beyond anything they ever imagined, with hundreds of communities moving out of poverty. In 2013, Nam and Anna followed God’s leading to launch Reconciled World–based on bringing transformation by applying Biblical truth to all areas of brokenness. Anna currently holds the position of Executive Director of Reconciled World. She is based in Asia but spends at least half the year on the road.

Creativity vs. Consistency One of the most significant tensions that leaders must manage is that balance between creativity and consistency. On one hand, we were created in the image of a creative God who invites us to engage the complex problems of the world with creativity. On the other hand, God is faithful, unchanging, and consistent. We display his character when our work is marked by a long obedience in the same direction.  For the April Surge lunch, we will explore the tension between creativity and consistency, we will address questions such as:  When do you choose creativity? When do you choose consistency?   How do we cultivate a creative mindset in life and leadership? How can we approach problem-solving with greater imagination? How does the Gospel sustain faithfulness in a world that esteems newness?  Join us for a free meal, time of fellowship, panel discussion and an important conversation about the tension between creativity and consistency.    Speaker: Ken WytsmaKen Wytsma is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur respected for his insight and collaborative spirit. He is the president of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice. He is the founder of The Justice Conference—an annual international conference that introduces men and women to a wide range of organizations and conversations relating to biblical justice and God’s call to give our lives away. Ken is a consultant and creative advisor to nonprofits and a sought after speaker on justice, church, and culture. A church planter and lead pastor at Antioch Church, Ken lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters. Ken’s is the author of, Pursuing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things, The Grand Paradox: The Messiness of Life, the Mystery of God and the Necessity of Faith, and Create vs. Copy: Embrace Change. Ignite Creativity. Break Through with Imagination.

When Soong-Chan Rah planted an urban church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his first full sermon series was a six-week exposition of the book of Lamentations. Preaching on an obscure, depressing Old Testament book was probably not the easiest way to launch a church. But it shaped their community with a radically countercultural perspective. Lament is a missing, essential component of prayer that can be found throughout the Bible, but is often absent from our communities. It recognizes struggles and suffering, that the world is not as it ought to be. Lament challenges the status quo and invites us to cry out for justice. Soong-Chan Rah will help us understand the importance of lament and how we, as leaders in our communities, can create space for the church to lament the brokenness of the world.

Dennae Pierre talks about God's heart for the vulnerable and how that relates to mission

Surge School Quarter 3 Intensive - Panel discussion

Did you miss the Surge School Quarter 3 Intensive?  You can listen to it all on your way to work using the the audio recordings on this page or by subscribing to our Podcast.

East Valley Breakfast for Church Leaders (Jan. 2017) - Zack Eswine talks about Discovering Joy in Our Limitations - Hosted by Via Church in Mesa, AZ.

As pastors and church leaders, we desire to “do great things for God.” This seemingly good desire can actually lead to lives that are imbalanced and affections that are grossly misplaced. Do our lives point to the fact that we are “not the Christ”? Are we comfortable when people around us see that we are merely human? If we’re honest, there is a very real temptation to portray ourselves as super-human–priding ourselves on our ability to be everywhere at once, fix every problem, and know everything.

We live in times where the Bible is undervalued and undermined both inside and outside of the church. For this December’s Surge lunch Pastor Tyler Johnson addressed Scripture as the means in which churches, communities, and individuals will experience the abundant life Christ promised. Tyler talked about tangible ways to personally, congregational, and culturally engage the Word of God.

As the election season continues to intensify, America is facing an unprecedented wave of cynicism, discouragement, and polarization. Many people are ready to give up on politics.Some are struggling to understand how the Gospel should shape their political engagement. Other people struggle to know how to tangibly get involved with politics beyond the election in November. Our churches are filled with people who are weary, frustrated, and confused. But, what if we could imagine a different way? 

Quarter 2 Surge School Intensive from Surge Network on Vimeo. For this intensive, Tyler Johnson unpacks the topic of how people change when confronted with Gospel truths.

The Leader and the Pursuing God As leaders, we often feel like we need to be pace setters in pursuing God. But, if we’re honest, God can often feel distant, even as we seek to lead others. We search for books, methods, tools and practices to help us pursue God with more intentionality.   But what if we have it backward and God is the one pursuing us? What if our job is not to go find God, but to stop running and hiding? Not to discover the light, but step out of the shadows? Not to earn God's love, but simply receive it?  Jesus reveals a God who comes after us, who is on the prowl, hunting down his world for reconciliation. And the question we're left with is not whether we've been good enough, jumped high enough, or sought hard enough... 

Surge School Intensive - Quarter 1 - Dr. Michael Goheen