As In Heaven

Latest Episodes:

The Next Generation: Forming College Students for Lifelong Faith Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, Jim Davis and Skyler Flowers welcome Derek Rishmawy to discuss engaging upcoming generations, especially college students. They continue the conversation around the missed generational handoff and share practical steps that parents and church leaders can take to disciple and instill a love of the local church and an affection for the gospel among college students.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and guest introduction (0:00)
College ministry and the pressure to succeed (8:06)
Other pressures experienced in college (12:32)
College and the unique opportunities it presents (19:08)
College students are more open to discussing faith than people think (24:18)
The defeatist mentality (31:19)
College as a mission field (32:37)
Having a kingdom mindset and working together (39:31)

This episode is part of As In Heaven’s third season, devoted to The Great Dechurching—the largest and fastest religious shift in U.S. history. To learn more about this phenomenon on which the episodes of this season are based, preorder The Great Dechurching by Michael Graham and Jim Davis.

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The Next Generation: Forming Middle and High School Students for Lifelong Faith Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Skyler Flowers welcome Cameron Cole to discuss the importance of ministering to upcoming generations, primarily middle and high school students. They discuss the idea of "missed generational handoff," where the value of being churched experiences a dramatic decline in teens (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-25.) Cole shares practical steps parents and church leaders can take toward disciplining and instilling a love of the local church and an affection for the gospel among this crucial age range.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and topic introduction (0:00)
Preparing kids for the real world (6:44)
The importance of asking questions (18:48)
Rooted Ministry and gospel-centered discipleship (21:23)
The generational handoff (26:16)
The gospel catechism and theology. (29:12)
Practical ways to make a difference (32:28)
How can parents prepare their kids for a culture they don’t know? (39:27)
Resources for parents and youth. (46:50)

Recommended resource:

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The Next Generation: Forming Kids for Lifelong Faith Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, Jim Davis and Michael Graham are joined by David and Meg Robbins to explore the impact of gospel-centered parenting in the dechurching movement. Parents play a valuable role in reducing the probability of dechurching in their children's future, and this episode offers several practical tips to help parents foster healthier connections with their children and encourage a love for the church.

Episode time stamps:

Introduction David and Meg Robbins (0:00)
How to ask the first question (8:12)
Getting to the heart of our kids (13:57)
Creating a community of believers for our kids (20:56)
Navigating church casualties as a family (26:46)
The role of technology (33:46)
The importance of discipleship (47:25)
How pastors can grow in this area (50:19)
Advice to parents who are struggling (1:01:50)

Recommended resources:

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Why Relational Wisdom Is Essential to Engaging the World With the Gospel Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Michael Graham welcome Sam Chan to discuss the importance of relational wisdom when it comes to dechurching. They explore the idea that we can prevent people from leaving the church by improving our individual and institutional levels of relational wisdom. They also outline six key awarenesses that collectively yield relational wisdom:

God-awareness
Self-awareness
Others-awareness
Awareness of how others experience you
Emotional awareness
Cultural awareness

Episode time stamps:

Introduction to episode topic and guest (0:00)
What God are people dechurching from? (5:14)
A quiet, calm, and curious posture (9:31)
Being aware of others: ask more questions (15:51)
The importance of emotional awareness (19:52)
Emotional awareness as a pastor and minister (25:27)
Teaching and shepherding emotions of lament (31:09)
We need the emotional vocabulary of God (34:13)
Cultural awareness and evangelism in a skeptical world (39:58)
Cultural differences in preaching (45:41)

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How Pastoral Pitfalls and Failures Contribute to Dechurched Casualties Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As in Heaven, Jim Davis and Mike Aitcheson welcome back Justin Holcomb to discuss how pastoral pitfalls and failures can ultimately lead to "dechurched casualties." They'll delve deeper into the topics of malpractice, narcissism, and guarding our kids from sexual abuse.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and topic introduction (0:00)
What is narcissism? (1:16)
The dangers of narcissism in the church (3:52)
Wisdom in leaving a dangerous environment (5:39)
Characteristics of a narcissistic church leader (10:39)
Why do people leave after a pastoral pitfall? (14:37)
What to say to those who have left the church (18:02)
What to look for in a healthy church (20:15)
Resources for parents on guarding our kids from sexual abuse (24:01)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

God Made All of Me by Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb
God Made Me in His Image by Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb
God Made Babies by Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb
Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault by Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb
Is It My Fault?: Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence by Justin Holcomb and Lindsey Holcomb

This episode is part of As In Heaven’s third season, devoted to The Great Dechurching—the largest and fastest religious shift in U.S. history. To learn more about this phenomenon upon which the episodes of this season are based, preorder The Great Dechurching by Michael Graham and Jim Davis.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Church Abuse Contributes to Dechurched Casualties May 31, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Mike Aitcheson welcome Justin Holcomb to discuss the meaning of "dechurched casualties" and how abuse in a church environment contributes to people leaving the church. They discuss how to better engage those who have experienced abuse, especially spiritual and church abuse, and how the gospel is the ultimate source of healing.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and Justin Holcomb introduction (0:00)
Definitions for spiritual and emotional abuse (4:41)
Spiritual abuse as defined by Michael Kruger and Scott Clark (9:02)
What to do if you suspect spiritual abuse (13:37)
How to biblically handle abuse allegations against church leaders (17:18)
Listen and believe: first steps to reporting abuse in the church (23:12)
Respond well and initiate action (28:00)
How the church should handle abuse in the church (33:43)
How to minister to abuse survivors who have left the church (39:03)
God's protection and questions to ask your new church (44:08)

This episode is part of As in Heaven’s third season, devoted to The Great Dechurching—the largest and fastest religious shift in U.S. history. To learn more about this phenomenon on which the episodes of this season are based, preorder The Great Dechurching by Michael Graham and Jim Davis.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What Is Casual Dechurching and Is There Hope? May 24, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As in Heaven, Jim Davis and Michael Graham welcome Patrick Miller to discuss the meaning of casual dechurching. They address the idea of casual dechurching and provide insights into why roughly three-quarters of those who have dechurched fit this category. You'll learn how we can better engage this group of people and why there is tremendous hope that many of them will return to church.

Episode time stamps:

Episode topic and guest introduction (0:00)
Dechurching and a missional call to Gen Z (4:00)
Who are the casually dechurched and why did they leave? (6:06)
Church size and COVID-19 (10:22)
Re-engaging and what has worked in Miller's context (17:06)
The use of technology in re-engaging the dechurched (19:13)
Six different profiles of churchgoers (24:54)
Four categories of church evangelicals (26:45)
Close friendship and discipleship (28:38)
Trusting the Holy Spirit and being intentional (33:53)
Practically engaging the dechurched through discipleship (41:50)

This episode is part of As In Heaven’s third season, devoted to The Great Dechurching—the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. To learn more about this phenomenon upon which the episodes of this season are based, pre-order The Great Dechurching by Michael Graham and Jim Davis.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Did We Arrive Here? A Philosophical and Historical Journey Toward Dechurching May 17, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Michael Aitcheson welcome Collin Hansen to discuss the historical roots of dechurching. Hansen delves into events like the Enlightenment and the First Great Awakening, biblical criticism, the rise of the internet and technology, and more. You'll learn how these historical moments can inform how we navigate and understand dechurching in America today.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and topic intro (0:00)
Historical factors behind dechurching (1:38)
The Enlightenment (5:30)
The First and Second Great Awakenings (9:18)
The influence of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery (14:48)
The "social gospel" and its criticism (19:04)
Civil religion in American history (26:00)
The rise of the religious right and the decline of Christianity (29:21)
Issues and scandals of the religious right (34:51)
How have the last 20 years changed the church? (40:19)
How to develop a theological vision of the church (46:12)

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Who Are the Dechurched in America and Why Did They Leave? May 10, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, host Jim Davis welcomes guests Ryan Burge and Michael Graham to discuss the dechurched in America—who are they and why did they leave? They discuss detailed insights about the 40 million adult Americans who have dechurched in the last 30 years and talk in-depth about the four different profiles of dechurched evangelicals.

Episode time stamps:

Episode and guest introduction (0:00)
Defining "dechurching" and why it matters (2:36)
The research and how to understand the data (7:36)
Six main profiles of the dechurched in America (14:04)
A deeper look at cultural Christians (17:36)
Understanding mainstream evangelicals (22:15)
Demographics of people leaving the church (28:03)
Opportunities to better engage the dechurched (33:06)
Defining and understanding the BIPOC group (38:18)
Understanding dechurching among the Catholic group (42:22)
The role of education in the dechurching movement (44:49)
College students and religious literacy (47:01)
Closing thoughts and looking forward (48:02)

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Introducing As In Heaven Season 3 May 03, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of As In Heaven, Jim Davis, Mike Aitcheson, Michael Graham, and Skyler Flowers give a preview of the third season of the podcast, which focuses on dechurching in America.

The hosts define key terms used throughout the season and discuss who the decurched are, how we can help, and where we're headed as the church in America.

The bad news is bad—roughly 40 million people have left the church over 30 years. But the good news is good—there's something we can do as the body of Christ to bring people back and love them in a gospel-centered way.

Episode time stamps: