Should Christians in the West redirect their giving towards where the gospel is least reached? Can business experience be the very thing that equips someone for the mission field? JD explores this theme with David Johnson, co-founder of Doulos Partners, a non-profit that vets and funds six world-class indigenous church planting movements across nearly 200 countries. David spent 14.5 years in business before serving as executive pastor at Hunter Street Church, Birmingham, and lead pastor at Dayspring Baptist Church, Mobile. He then co-founded Doulos which has put over $36 million in the field in a single year, planting churches in villages that had none, for as little as $258 each.

🔗 Full Transcript And Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/david-johnson

🔗 2026 D.C. Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-dc

🔗 2026 London Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-london

Can a Christian follow the way of Jesus inside one of the world's most powerful and cynical institutions? And what does faithful public service actually look like when the stakes are millions of lives? JD explores this theme with Santiago Gonzalez, a former legislative director and top policy staffer in the US Senate, who recently joined a government affairs firm after years working on Capitol Hill. Santiago's journey began with a failed attempt at medicine, a global health class that changed everything, and a fellowship he stumbled into almost by accident. Along the way he worked to reauthorise federal programmes reducing premature births, championed legislation on antimicrobial resistance, and wrestled daily with what it means to negotiate, network, and legislate as someone formed in the way of Jesus. He draws on the stories of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther to argue that the most powerful thing a Christian can bring to politics is not strategy or connections, but a deeply formed life.

🔗 Full Transcript And Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/santiago-gonzalez

🔗 2026 Congressional Staffer Report: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/should-you-be-a-christian-congressional-staffer

🔗 2026 D.C. Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-dc

🔗 2026 London Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-london

Can one in five people worldwide really be reached with God's word in their lifetime, and what does it take to make that happen? JD explores this with James Poole, Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators UK & Ireland, whose unlikely journey from computer programmer to Church of England vicar brought him to one of the most significant roles in global Bible translation. James unpacks the race to reach 130 million people with zero scripture, the shift from Western-led translation to locally-owned movements, and why the most urgent thing the global church can offer is simply the willingness to listen.

🔗 Full Transcript And Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/james-poole

🔗 2026 D.C. Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-dc

🔗 2026 London Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-london

Can a civil servant really shape billion-pound budgets and shift national policy? JD explores this with Kirsten Horton, a middle manager in the UK civil service, whose journey from prairie schoolteacher in Edmonton to policy insider in Westminster, brought her to one of the most underrated high-impact career paths in the effective altruism world. Kirsten unpacks the painstaking work of navigating government bureaucracy.

🔗 Full Transcript And Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/kirsten-horton

🔗 2026 D.C. Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-dc

🔗 2026 London Conference Sign-Up: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/2026-conference-london

In this short episode, JD shares what's next for the Christians for Impact podcast, which is relaunching at a steady bi-weekly pace. JD also shares a few things the podcast has taught him along the way. The next episode releases on July 1st.

Should Christians earn as much money as possible in order to give it to the poor? How much good could you do? Is this path dangerous? JD explores this theme with Tommy Kumpf, a quantitative trader at Susquehanna International Group in Philadelphia.

🔗 Full-Transcript-And-Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/tommy-kumpf

🔗 Earning to Give Profile: www.christiansforimpact.org/earning-to-give-profile

Samuel Dupret, Research Manager at the Happier Lives Institute, discusses why improving wellbeing in global development can be a highly effective career choice, and why using evidence-based research to measure impact is key. He also talks about how pursuing a career in this field can lead to both personal fulfillment and global impact.

🔗 *Links/Transcript*

All Links: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/episodes/samuel-dupret Samuel's Org: https://www.happierlivesinstitute.org/ World Happiness Report: https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/giving-to-others-how-to-convert-your-money-into-greater-happiness-for-others/

⏳ *Topics*

00:00 – Intro

02:30 – Does Money Actually Buy Happiness?

04:50 – The Science of Measuring Happiness: Meet the "Welby"

21:20 – Should Christians Care About Happiness—or Embrace Misery?

34:20 – The World's Best (and Worst) Charities for Your Dollar

43:20 – Critiques of Measuring Happiness (HLI's Methodology Under Fire) 44:20 – Can We Really Compare Happiness Across Cultures?

47:20 – Spillovers: Is Happiness Contagious?

48:50 – GiveWell vs. Happier Lives Institute: Who's Right?

52:10 – Are Happiness Units Really Created Equal?

56:20 – What Did Jesus Mean by "Blessed Are the Poor"?

58:05 – Does Measuring Happiness Mean Some Lives Are Worth More? 1:02:50 – Why Christians Might View Happiness Differently

1:05:05 – Careers That Actually Make the World Happier

1:07:40 – Why "Follow Your Passion" Is Terrible Advice