The Communitas International Podcast

Fresh Expression of Church: With Andrew Jones

Andrew shares with Geoff and Joy that the church of the future is NOW! Communities of faith are happening in cyberspace and create new environments to process truth for young and old alike. Andrew tells us that online church, or internet church, is real and can be experienced via streaming services or in gaming environments. Virtual Reality and the Metaverse are overcoming distance and provide avenues of access using current technologies.
About Andrew
Andrew Jones – aka Tall Skinny Kiwi – has 30 years’ experience with third sector social enterprises in 70 countries. He’s had a prolific and creative online presence since the birth of the internet, generating social media content on blogging, travel, spirituality and social media trends for more than two decades now. He enjoys discovering and empowering ‘impact entrepreneurs’ for social transformation projects, especially those concerned with justice, financial sustainability, and urban transformation. Andrew has variously been an international aid worker, a church developer and a pastor. He is maverick and mischievous, always concerned to try and figure out what next – for the church, for culture, for community. He is a modern-day ‘missionary’. Always on the move, always in pursuit of truth and understanding.
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 

Ecosystems of God's Love and Grace: With Kent Smith

Geoff and Joy explore with Kent Smith how to find a simpler foundational way to plant churches. His recent book, Relational Revolution, paves a way for birthing networks of joy fueled, Jesus led communities of practice that are equipping spiritual moms and dads to nurture ecosystems of grace. He says that while there is no a franchisable model for creating emotionally safe and healthy communities, a life of love is learned by practicing intergenerationally and interdependently.
 
About Dr. Kent Smith
Dr. Kent Smith is a professor, author, and co-founder of LK10 and the Eden Center for Regenerative Culture. He has been CHARIS Professor at Abilene Christian University, teaching there in the Graduate School of Theology since 1991. His research and training focus explores how people in our time can come to participate in vibrant communities of God's life. Kent directed ACU’s graduate internship in missional leadership and has been a trainer for international mission teams for over twenty-five years with ACU’s Halbert Institute for Missions.
Articles“Economy of Grace, an Early Christian Take on Vulnerable Mission”, An overview of early Christian thought about God’s mission as outlined in Ephesians.
Ecosystems of Grace: An Old Vision for the New Church” What way of life centered in God's own life has the capacity to capture and hold the attention of people in our time?
“Love, Joy and Grace: Formation Together in the Life of God” An essay summarizing a process of human formation centered in God's life of love.
Discipleship Movements and LK10 A response to contemporary approaches to church planting and discipleship movements and an overview of LK10s unique—but ancient—alternative. With John White.
PUBLISHED BOOKS
Joy Fueled : Catalyzing a Revolution of Joyful Communities March 2020
Relational Revolution : 5 Shifts for Rediscovering Church as Heart-to-Heart Connection April 2023
APPEARS ON
Joy Fueled and Joyful Communities
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 

Brain Science and the Immanual Approach Part 2: With Dr. karl Lehman

On this weeks episode we have part one of a two-part interview with Dr. Karl Lehman. Dr. Lehman provides not only a wealth of knowledge and experience from his practice as a psychiatrist, but also a deep understanding from the years of work he has done to create the Immanuel Approach which brings people to a subjective experience of Jesus' tangible presence. He expounds on a wide range of topics including neurological connections, relational skill development and the impact of generations. 
 
About Dr. Lehman
Dr. Lehman is a board-certified psychiatrist with thirty-five years and more than forty thousand hours of clinical experience. He has worked tenaciously throughout his career to integrate his personal Christian faith with medical science, modern mental health care, and his rigorous scientific training; and he has especially worked to integrate faith-based emotional healing with insights provided by psychological and neurological research. Working closely with Dr. E. James Wilder, Dr. Lehman developed the Immanuel Approach. In addition to observations from his clinical work, regular consultation with colleagues, and extensive ongoing study of a wide range of research literature, Dr. Lehman is also deeply committed to his own growth and healing. He is constantly learning through the application of emotional healing principles and tools in his personal journey. Furthermore, Dr. Lehman has been married for more than thirty years, and he and Charlotte work as a team to apply everything they learn about growth and healing in the context of their marriage. This combination of decades of clinical experience, extensive ongoing study, regular collaboration with colleagues, and regular emotional healing work in his own life has provided an especially strong foundation from which to discover important new insights. Karl and Charlotte live in Evanston, Illinois. They have enjoyed many books together as Charlotte reads out loud while Karl washes the dishes, and they have a larger collection of nature documentaries than the local library. Charlotte is a runner and completed the Chicago Marathon in 2008. Karl especially enjoys the beauty of creation as manifested in his salt water aquarium.
Resources mentioned
Life Model: https://lifemodelworks.org/
THRIVE: https://thrivetoday.org/.
www.Immanuelapproach.com
https://www.immanuelapproach.com/getting-started/
(the Getting Started page provides a very rich buffet of options for learning more about the Immanuel Approach, including a wide variety of intro material options.
The Immanuel Approach: For Emotional Healing and for life is available at: https://humble-shack.myshopify.com/products/the-immanuel-approach-1
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 

Brain Science and the Immanual Approach Part 1: With Dr. Karl Lehman

On this weeks episode we have part one of a two-part interview with Dr. Karl Lehman. Dr. Lehman provides not only a wealth of knowledge and experience from his practice as a psychiatrist, but also a deep understanding from the years of work he has done to create the Immanuel Approach which brings people to a subjective experience of Jesus' tangible presence. He expounds on a wide range of topics including neurological connections, relational skill development and the impact of generations. 
 
About Dr. Lehman
Dr. Lehman is a board-certified psychiatrist with thirty-five years and more than forty thousand hours of clinical experience. He has worked tenaciously throughout his career to integrate his personal Christian faith with medical science, modern mental health care, and his rigorous scientific training; and he has especially worked to integrate faith-based emotional healing with insights provided by psychological and neurological research. Working closely with Dr. E. James Wilder, Dr. Lehman developed the Immanuel Approach. In addition to observations from his clinical work, regular consultation with colleagues, and extensive ongoing study of a wide range of research literature, Dr. Lehman is also deeply committed to his own growth and healing. He is constantly learning through the application of emotional healing principles and tools in his personal journey. Furthermore, Dr. Lehman has been married for more than thirty years, and he and Charlotte work as a team to apply everything they learn about growth and healing in the context of their marriage. This combination of decades of clinical experience, extensive ongoing study, regular collaboration with colleagues, and regular emotional healing work in his own life has provided an especially strong foundation from which to discover important new insights. Karl and Charlotte live in Evanston, Illinois. They have enjoyed many books together as Charlotte reads out loud while Karl washes the dishes, and they have a larger collection of nature documentaries than the local library. Charlotte is a runner and completed the Chicago Marathon in 2008. Karl especially enjoys the beauty of creation as manifested in his salt water aquarium.
Resources mentioned
Life Model: https://lifemodelworks.org/
THRIVE: https://thrivetoday.org/.
www.Immanuelapproach.com
https://www.immanuelapproach.com/getting-started/
(the Getting Started page provides a very rich buffet of options for learning more about the Immanuel Approach, including a wide variety of intro material options.
The Immanuel Approach: For Emotional Healing and for life is available at: https://humble-shack.myshopify.com/products/the-immanuel-approach-1
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 

Spiritual Direction: Authentically Experiencing Jesus; With Larissa Marks

Larissa talks with Geoff and Joy about how she engages with others on their spiritual journeys throughout life. She shares the value of caring, belonging and thriving in a safe community. Everyone needs to be seen and secure. Spiritual Direction co-creates a space for those needs to be met.
About Larissa
Larissa Marks is a Spiritual Director and Formation Coach who creates space for people to experience God's presence. She has over 20 years of experience in soul care that includes spiritual direction, spiritual formation coaching, and facilitating group learning experiences. She is part of a vibrant collective of people who are co-creating transformative expressions of faith and community. This includes work with non-profit organizations, businesses, land stewardship, learning communities working toward restorative justice, and faith gatherings in homes and neighborhoods. She was raised on Maui, and now lives on Oahu with her husband and four children. 
Connect with Larissa
https://www.larissamarks.com
https://www.greenlinehawaii.com/
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational

Coaching can Change your Life! With Alan Briggs

On this episode, Geoff and Joy sit down with Leadership Coach, Author, and Speaker Alan Briggs, about how being a coach has changed his life! Plus he shares a number of benefits coaching can bring to those on the receiving end. He values doing the right things well, noting that energy is our most precious asset.
Listen in as Alan encourages us to live from a place of awareness and authenticity in order to bring clarity, calm, curiosity and courage.
 
About Alan
Alan is a mountain guide for the leadership journey. He loves outdoor adventures, but the greatest adventure of his being a father and husband. Alan is crazy about helping hungry leaders conquer overwhelm and navigate with courage. He serves leaders and organizations around the country through coaching, speaking, consulting, designing experiences, hosting mastermind groups, writing his own books and ghostwriting for others. He co-hosts Stay Forth Leadership Podcast and regularly writes for Outreach and Field Notes .  
Connect with Alan
Listen in to practical thoughts on living and leading effectively at Stay Forth Leadership Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-forth-leadership-podcast/id1449683368
Find out more about  coaching at: http://stayforth.com/coaching
Email: alan@stayforth.com if you are interested in participating in an Effective Leaders Cohort 
Social media: @stayforth
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 

How to Embed and Initiate with your deconstructing friends: With David Trautwein

Geoff and David discuss the transition of moving back to the United States after living and serving oversees in Cambodia. David found ways to "be the church" with friends and neighbors back at home by applying what he had learned while away and challenging his preconceived ideas of how to "do church".
About David
David and Ashley with two kids, Jace and Navi, live in Southern CA. They are currently in an emerging microchurch and seeking to live missionally in their community. David also does coaching with different churches around spiritual formation and emotional health.
Connect with David
If people want to connect, they can find David and Ashley through FB or Instagram at david_trautwein or via email at david.trautwein@gocommunitas.org
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational
 
 

Community Culture at The Well: With Mandy Memmel

Mandy Memmel's passion is inspirational and contagious! She shares her story of personal transformation as she followed God's leading to create a safe haven for women living in an urban Baltimore setting. Her non-profit has become a thriving community center that focuses on love, forgiveness, reciprocal learning and hope. Multiple types of mentorship, support and employment are provided through a sustainable vision. She encourages others to do more than "pop and drop" ministry and missional work. She says, "my life was changed forever" when she started living this way.
 
About Mandy
Mandy Memmel is the founder and executive director of The Well and Hon’s Honey, located in the south east corner of Baltimore, MD. She founded the organization in 2013 after being involved in the community as a mentor and small group leader for over 10 years. Her vision was to provide a safe haven in the community for women to be loved and restored. Now, The Well is a thriving organization and life center offering women community, opportunity and responsibility. Mandy has a nursing background. She was also the co-owner of an interior design business for 12 years. She is the proud mom of 3 adult children, each of whom are actively using their gifts to influence the world around them, and two grandbabies. While raising her children, she led women’s ministry at her church, which paved the way for urban ministry in Baltimore.
She has mentored over 20 women. In 2018, she received an award in Anne Arundel County for “Women Making a Difference” and recently received the GameChanger award through Baltimore Magazine. While she much prefers to give awards to others, she is thankful for the opportunity to make a difference and say “yes” to change, for the broken and wounded of her community.
Resources:
https://www.drinkatthewell.org/our-team
https://www.honshoneymarketplace.com/
Connect with Communitas:
Website: https://gocommunitas.org/
Instagram: @gocommunitas
Podcast episodes and more: https://linktr.ee/communitasinternational