Send a text

What if inclusion is only the starting line—and belonging is the finish we’re called to run toward together? We sit down with a special guest, Emily Enockson, to explore how a life shaped by foster care, medical fragility, and a steadfast sister named Josie became a vocation at Zachariah’s Acres, a 175-acre sanctuary where people with disabilities don’t just attend events—they help design the experience. Through stories that are equal parts tender and funny, we unpack the daily practices that turn good intentions into genuine community.

Emily walks us through the quiet tug of calling—how it rarely arrives like a spotlight and more like a series of faithful steps. She shows how inclusion often keeps a hidden power gap in place, while belonging invites mutuality: not “we serve them,” but “we do life together.” From a volunteer who learns to embrace imperfection in the kitchen to students who grow and package produce for the farm store, we see dignity thrive when people are seen, named, and invited to shape the space. We talk eye contact, assumptions, processing time, and why speaking directly to the person (not only the parent) is a baseline act of respect toward those with special needs.

You’ll leave with four practices to try this week: be present, connect, keep showing up, and be courageous. Whether you’re a pastor, parent, volunteer, or someone unsure where to start, this conversation offers a pathway from awkwardness to authentic relationship. Along the way, we ground the journey in a simple theology of belonging: people are not projects; they are co-creators of community who reveal something of the Creator to us.

Ready to move beyond comfort and into connection? Listen now, share it with a friend, and tell us one step you’ll take this week. If the episode resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and help more people discover a vision of church where everyone belongs.

Send us a text

What if “all are welcome” still leaves people standing alone? Statistically, chances are high that either you or someone close to you lives with a disability. Yet far too often, people with disabilities find themselves pushed to the margins. This special episode comes from The Leader's Journey Podcast, where Mac and Josie open up about parenting their son Griffin, who has Down syndrome and likely autism. His life has forced them to rethink ability, achievement, and what church is for.

They further explore how ableism shows up in ordinary moments: the rushed band tryout, the inaccessible bus plan, the Sunday greeting time where some are always left out. They talk candidly about the limits of inclusion, the harm of disability blindness, and why pity and programs can’t create the mutuality needed. Instead, they point to Jesus’ pattern of noticing, honoring dignity, and disrupting the crowd’s anxious order—and what that means for pastors, volunteers, and anyone who wants their community to reflect the kingdom.

If you’re a tired leader wondering how to start, take a breath. You don’t need another ministry to manage. You need a fresh lens and an asset-based posture that surfaces the gifts already in your congregation, especially from people with lived experience. Practical ways to guide attention, reduce anxiety, and build real friendships are shared. Along Mac and Josie's journey, Griffin has taught them that persistence opens doors, belonging transforms rooms, and joy can be loud, off-beat, and exactly what the body needs.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, leave a review, and be sure to check out The Leader's Journey Podcast for more great content.

Send us a text

What if the only true measure of spiritual maturity is love—and not the easy versions? We bring our series on mental models for missional discipleship to a close by naming love as the plumb line that aligns everything: discipleship, mission, leadership, and daily life. Not the Hallmark fuzzies, not constant affirmation, not Midwest nice. We look to Jesus who had grace and truth in full measure, self-giving at the cross as the standard that straightens what our culture and our churches often bend.

Together we build a thicker vision of “God is love.” Love isn’t one attribute balanced against holiness, justice, or power; it’s the very nature through which God expresses all of them. That reframe changes how we read the Bible, how we think about divine power at Christmas, and how we set goals for our churches. From hospitals and universities to abolition and peacemaking, we celebrate the quiet, steady legacy of cruciform love. Then we tell the truth about our failures: empire-chasing politics, us-versus-them religion, judgmentalism, and scandals that misuse God’s name and wound the vulnerable.

Finally, we get practical. We share simple practices to receive before we try to give, because loved people love people. Try a daily examen of love to notice where God met you and where love flowed through you. Then, each morning, choose one person to intentionally love with words and actions calibrated by grace and truth. Over time, these small, steady moves align our lives to the straight edge of Jesus-shaped love and deepen our witness in a world hungry for the real thing.

If this conversation challenged or encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it. What’s one way you’ll measure your day by love this week?