The Dr. John Stumbo Audio Podcast

John shares an interview this month that he conducted earlier this year with six Alliance pastors he met in the Middle East. In this segment, he has asked them to talk about the Fourfold Gospel. “I wanted to give us a bit of a Christmas gift,” John says, “to hear Middle Eastern leaders speak of Christ our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Give yourself the gift right now of just a few minutes of reflection on the Christ that we love—through Middle Eastern eyes.”

This month, John shares a leadership challenge and an opportunity. A record 60 Alliance workers are trained and ready to be sent overseas—an answer to prayer. Meanwhile, the Great Commission Fund is $1.2 million behind for the fiscal year. John appeals to U.S. local church pastors and individual donors to give generously to the 2018 Year-End Offering to send these new workers to the field. “The God of this universe cares about the people of this planet, raises up people to be His spokespersons, and some of us have been called to be the senders. Let’s rise to that at this moment,” he concludes.

John’s report this month is from his recent trip to see Alliance missions efforts in the Middle East. He expresses great gratitude for how the Alliance family has invested for decades in challenging locations—where the work of God is alive and well. “The fruit continues,” he says, “national church leaders multiplying themselves, local churches vibrant and strong, good partnerships with our international workers, supported by the GCF [Great Commission Fund].” We need to not only remain committed to our local communities, John concludes, but to also support Alliance teams in the most difficult places in the world, including the Middle East—where our teams are serving well.

This month, John addresses this #MeToo, #ChurchToo, time in history, sharing his grief for victims of sexual assault in the Church over the decades and repentance for when the abused were not quickly defended. He expresses gratitude that a greater day of accountability has arrived and maintains that this is not just an issue of sexual misconduct but “how we [leaders] handle and perceive power and what power can do to us.” It’s why “sanctification has to get in our souls.” John cites three factors that contributed to the previous era—naivete, image protection, and lack of soul care. In overcoming these factors, “By God’s grace, may fewer of those stories be told in the future.”

John closes out his summer series on “planned redundancy” this month, calling the Alliance family to own and engage in its calling as one of God’s end-times families raised up to complete the Great Commission. On a local level, this can mean getting to know someone in The Alliance from a different culture, pastors giving their people opportunities to give to the Great Commission Fund, and praying regularly for our 700 international workers. “This is about advancing the name of Jesus, from our neighborhoods to the nations, and the nations that have come to our neighborhoods,” he concludes.

In a follow-up to last month’s “planned redundancy” message on the unique Alliance identity—a Christ-centered, Acts 1:8 family—John shares what God would have us do. He unpacks how the Alliance family is called to love, proclaim, reach, and launch, which requires the Holy Spirit fully at work in our lives. “May we commit ourselves to these kinds of things,” John concludes. “For these are the kinds of things that the Church must be doing as we prepare for, and rejoice in, the return of Christ.”

John’s topic this month falls under the category of “planned redundancy.” During the early months of his presidency (he was elected five years ago this month), consensus was reached about the unique Alliance expression—a Christ-centered, Acts 1:8 family. John has heard a drift in that phrase, so reminds us that The Alliance isn’t just about mission but is a Jesus-centered denomination: “Focused on Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, sent to every segment of human society, and doing it together.”

This month, John addresses eight of the most common leadership mistakes made in meetings. He offers a challenge to take seriously the key moments meetings offer to shape the culture of our teams, which often reflect the leaders they’re under. We have a model in Jesus, whose message and method—the content and tone—came from the Father (see John 12:49). “May all we do move us forward together with greater effectiveness and unity,” John concludes, “because we’re truly moving forward under the direction of our Lord.”

This month, John is joined by Tim Crouch, vice president for Alliance International Ministries (IM), and Mike Sohm, who leads CAMA Services (a.k.a. Compassion and Mercy Associates). The three discuss what God is doing to shape Alliance missions for the future, including organizational restructuring to more effectively lead, manage, and communicate our multi-specialization missions work. One of the first steps is the integration of CAMA into IM to create a more holistic missions ministry, which will also increase opportunities for more people in our churches with varied gifts and callings to serve in Alliance missions.

John addresses the word “complexity” this month, specific to the increasing complexities of life and ministry that are converging upon the church and its leaders. He notes how Jesus entered a complex political environment, well aware of the complexities of spiritual warfare, and was able to avoid wrong conversations. To provide perspective on how to live in our complex world, John unpacks Matthew 10, where Jesus says, “. . . be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

This month, John is speaking from a Caribbean island where he has joined the 23rd anniversary celebration of the C&MA national network of churches there.

This month, John interviews Terry Smith, the new vice president for Alliance Church Ministries.

John brings Christmas greetings from an unexpected setting: a wedding in Colorado Springs. In his message about the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, he explains how the Shepherd’s goodness and mercy, which is said to “follow” us (vs. 6) translates to “chases” us. “Christmas is a fantastic time for us to . . . share the good news that the God who would pursue us all the way from heaven welcomes us to the great wedding feast to come—Joy to the world! The Lord has come!”

John shares the keynote address he recently presented at a conference in Colorado Springs about the Alliance perspective on law and culture. From his PowerPoint titled “Our Fascinating Challenge: A Primer for Understanding Christian Engagement in a Post-Christian World,” John unpacks five points that lead to three applications for the U.S. Alliance family. “Let’s do this well,” he concludes, “living under His authority with all of His love living through us.”

This month John reports from Puerto Rico in the destructive aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. He describes how Alliance people are assisting Puerto Rican churches and calls the U.S. Alliance to be moved with compassion on their behalf.