New People // New Ways

In this episode, Juan Pablo Herrera shares a deeply personal story of searching for belonging, healing from trauma and spiritual harm, and discovering a faith rooted in grace, justice, and belovedness. Raised in Chicago and shaped by years of community organizing around education, gentrification, and immigration, Juan reflects on how the struggles and resilience of his city have formed his vision for ministry. He also invites us in...

Lynee Harrison's story is one of lifelong service, deep faith, and a calling to accompany people in their most vulnerable moments. In this episode, we hear how a simple welcome at Elderslie-St. Andrews UMC as a child led to a lifetime of leadership in the church, public service in Baltimore, and compassionate care for others. Lynee has spent her life helping people know that they are not alone. That same calling has now taken fresh...

What does a distinctly Wesleyan, Spirit-led movement that reaches people neglected by the church look like? Join the Fresh Expressions Florida team as they explore missional mischief-making with everyday people who are cultivating Christian communities of love and grace that serve those outside the typical church.

Hosted by Michael Adam Beck and Isaiah Park, New People // New Ways is a show in...

What does a distinctly Wesleyan, Spirit-led movement that reaches people neglected by the church look like? Join the Fresh Expressions Florida team as they explore missional mischief-making with everyday people who are cultivating Christian communities of love and grace that serve those outside the typical church.

Hosted by Michael Adam Beck and Isaiah Park, New People // New Ways is a show in...

What does a distinctly Wesleyan, Spirit-led movement that reaches people neglected by the church look like? Join the Fresh Expressions Florida team as they explore missional mischief-making with everyday people who are cultivating Christian communities of love and grace that serve those outside the typical church.

Hosted by Michael Adam Beck and Isaiah Park, New People // New Ways is a show in...

What does a distinctly Wesleyan, Spirit-led movement that reaches people neglected by the church look like? Join the Fresh Expressions Florida team as they explore missional mischief-making with everyday people who are cultivating Christian communities of love and grace that serve those outside the typical church.

Hosted by Michael Adam Beck, Jessica Taylor, and Isaiah Park, New People // New Ways&...

What does a distinctly Wesleyan, Spirit-led movement that reaches people neglected by the church look like? Join the Fresh Expressions Florida team as they explore missional mischief-making with everyday people who are cultivating Christian communities of love and grace that serve those outside the typical church.

Hosted by Michael Adam Beck and Isaiah Park, New People // New Ways is a show in...

Matt Willis-Goode is a punk rock, neurodivergent pastor with 20 years of ministry experience and a passion for breathing new life into small churches. After co-founding The Vine in Haverhill, MA, he spent the next decade serving Peoples UMC and Merrimacport UMC in the Merrimack Valley. Through the Fresh Expressions pathway, Matt discovered language for what he’d been living all along—the Loving First Journey.

By startin...

Born and raised at Friendship UMC, Kelli Rae Merritt has lived a life as colorful as her tattoos—from studying agriculture and working as a professional piercer to serving as a certified lay minister and chair of her church’s Board of Stewards. She leads the PEZ (Public Education Zoo) ministry, serves with the local food pantry her father helped build, and brings church to places many wouldn’t expect—like ta...

In this episode we welcome Fresh Expressions practitioner Pastor Marlon Mack. New ways, same Gospel. Pastor Marlon Mack joins us to talk about faith, leadership, and the power of building the Kingdom together.

Born in Dallas and raised in Gary, Indiana, Pastor Marlon Mack has spent his life helping others discover purpose through faith and formation. From serving as a youth minister and educator to founding The Ecclesia, Inc. and K...

In this episode of New People, New Ways, we welcome Dr. Monika Ardelt—renowned sociologist, wisdom researcher, and pioneer in the study of spiritual aging. Dr. Ardelt is Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida and the creator of the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS). Her work explores what it means to live and die well, offering deep insights into the roles of wisdom, spirituality, and meaning thr...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Rob Hutchinson. 

Rob has been in full-time pastoral ministry for over 27 years, serving in diverse settings that range from bustling church plants to intimate congregational gatherings. Currently, he is the Director of Church Development, where he pioneers new strategies to adapt and grow church communities in meaningful ways.

Rob's journey in faith is as uniq...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Christopher Wells. 

Christopher Wells is a seasoned technologist and strategy consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in AI and machine learning, specializing in generative AI, NLP, and data-driven transformation across industries like finance and aviation. He established Chatham Financial's data science division and later advanced Indico Data Solution...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Bishop Tom Berlin. 

Tom Berlin serves as Bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Prior to being elected Bishop, he served as lead pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in suburban Washington, D.C. Tom is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of numerous books...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome a true pioneer adventurer and a key figure in the Fresh Expressions Movement, Rev Leslie Newton. Born and raised in Lancaster, in the north of England,  Leslie studied Accountancy & Law at University before training and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. His local Methodist Church nurtured his faith through the years and encouraged him to grow and devel...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome a true pioneer adventurer in church planting and a key figure in the Fresh Expressions Movement, Rev Graham Horsley. Graham began his ministry journey in 1980, and by 1992, he had taken on the role of British National Church Planting Officer while simultaneously leading a church that successfully planted two new congregations.

In 2000, he fully embraced his calling...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we are joined by Reverend Thea Curry-Fuson, an ordained elder in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Reverend Thea's journey is a testament to transformative faith and ministry. Growing up unchurched with only a nominal faith and relational exposure to God overseas, she entered into a transformative relationship with Jesus at the age of 28. Almost imme...

In Episode 34, we are joined by Lori Jennings, Vice-President of American Baptist Churches of PA and DE (ABCOPAD), Head Coach of the Leadership Team, and Home Church leader for GraceCrossing Community Church in Phoenixville, PA. Lori also serves as a short-term missionary in Uganda, where she combats the prosperity gospel by sharing truth with pastors and teaching children about the real living God and the hope in Chr...