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About

In this heartfelt episode of the Resilient Pastor Podcast, hosts Glenn, Rich, and Sharon discuss how churches can move beyond their walls to engage both locally and globally. Glenn sits down with Jeannie Stevens, co-lead pastor of Soul City Church in Chicago and author of What's Here Now, to explore practical, dignifying approaches to community impact, child sponsorship, and the power of being fully present as leaders. From foster care and public school partnerships to pioneering the innovative "Chosen" sponsorship model with World Vision, this conversation offers pastors fresh vision for mission that is relational, sustainable, and rooted in presence.

Key Takeaways

• Effective local engagement begins with a mindset that the church exists for its community, not itself—starting from the very first days of a church plant.
• Partnership over ownership leads to more sustainable impact: supporting existing organizations doing excellent work in schools, refugee care, foster care, and anti-trafficking ministries.
• Global missions is shifting from short-term "send-to-send" trips toward dignified, mutual partnerships led by local indigenous leaders.
• The "Chosen" sponsorship model flips traditional child sponsorship—children choose their sponsors—creating powerful experiences of mutuality and dignity.
• Leadership presence is foundational to healthy mission: pastors must learn to stop rehashing the past and rehearsing the future to be fully available to God and people in the now.
• Outward-focused mission does not diminish discipleship—it actually fuels spiritual growth and transformation in the congregation.

Highlights

• “To be part of this community means that we are all gonna pick up a towel and serve one another and serve our neighbors.” — Rich
• “Having a mindset that you do not exist unto yourself from the very beginning was really critical to who we are as a church.” — Jeannie Stevens
• Jeannie’s powerful story of 600 people getting their pictures taken so children in Kenya could choose them, launching a movement now impacting over 100,000 children.
• “The greatest gift that I can offer back to God and to the people he’s asked me to shepherd is a present person.” — Jeannie Stevens
• Practical presence exercise: What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What are you sensing in your body? Bring it all to the Lord right now.
• Beautiful closing prayer reminding leaders that “if it’s not happening now, it’s actually not happening” and that God is our ever-present help.

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