Wondering about the name? It's from Jesus' parable in Luke 17:7-10 and reminds us that the essence of missions is service to others. The Worthless Servants podcast is a product of the Church of the Nazarene that emphasizes God’s mission, culture, and healthy church. Join us for 30 minutes every two weeks as missionaries and missions leaders serving in Latin America and the Caribbean provoke learning and conversation on a local and global level.
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In this episode, we talk about the growing urbanization of the world, and what difference that should make for us as Christians. The future is truly urban. But maybe the present already is as well.
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After 6 consecutive years of sharing topics about missions, culture, and healthy church, the Worthless Servants say goodbye to this version of the podcast and announce some changes that might take place in the future.By NazPodcast
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164. Scripture Spotlight: Ezekiel 37:1-14
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Have you ever had to prophesy victory, healing, or life over a situation where there was none? This week's passage tells us of Ezekiel's classic vision of dry bones and shows us God's power to restore and bring new life.By NazPodcast
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How can we pray for missionaries and believers in Creative Access areas around the world? In this episode the cast gives us some clues. Also, without revealing names, they share stories and realities that some of these missionaries face.By NazPodcast
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The exploitation and enslavement of people is nothing new. This week's passage leaves us with a series of teachings on how obedience to God's will and the testimony of his servants brought liberation to a girl, a jailer, and an entire family.By NazPodcast
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This week the Worthless Servants reflect on how urbanization and globalization are helping to re-imagine the global missions context. What are the challenges and opportunities provided by a society in constant movement?By NazPodcast
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In Acts 16, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke encounter significant opposition as they share the gospel. But this time it’s God himself blocking their ministry path! Have you ever felt “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word” or minister? What could this story teach us about obedience and fulfilling God's mission?…
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Does society today give importance to being humble? Why is humility so essential for a Christian? In this episode, the Worthless Servants talk about this quality and share some characteristics and examples of humility, helping us to think of practical steps or actions that can help rid us of pride.By NazPodcast
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158. Speed-boat Leadership and “Forced” Evangelism
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In this episode, Nathalie shares how she was challenged recently to push, “force”, and never get tired of sharing the gospel. Then, Scott somehow leads us to reflect on our leadership styles using different images of aquatic transportation.By NazPodcast
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This week Dario helps us see family time through the lens of a busy missionary travel schedule. And look out! Emily wonders when current events can be interpreted through “end times” theology and when we just need to say an earthquake is an earthquake.By NazPodcast
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A big change has taken place in the ministry that Discovers, Develops, and Deploys missionaries in the Mesoamerica Region. The Worthless Servants address the reasons behind the change of name and logo and share some thoughts about the advantages and new opportunities this transition will provide.By NazPodcast
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This week the Worthless Servants examine perhaps one of the most misinterpreted passages of Scripture: Psalm 22. Did God the Father really forsake Jesus on the cross? What does this psalm say to us as we approach Holy Week? As you might expect, we highlight several missional implications as well.By NazPodcast
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154. Level 5 Leadership and “Discover Missions”
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In this episode, two members of our cast share what’s been on their minds lately. Nathalie received a training on the famous book “Good to Great” and her main takeaway was the concept of Level 5 Leadership. Scott is excited about a new event taking place in the Dominican Republic in a few months that could have historic ramifications.…
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We didn’t plan it this way, but two members of our crew have been dealing with some very similar things recently. Emily starts the discussion with an analogy of how she is learning to have balance between work, family, and more. Then Dario explores what seasons and stages of life have to do with us personally and in ministry.…
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As a continuation of our previous episode, this time we share testimonies of transformation through "Play and Witness” and other sports initiatives. Listen to stories of people who have come to know Christ and communities impacted, and also testimonies of many who've grown in their discipleship and leadership.…
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A huge benefit of having Dario Richards as a part of our cast is that he is an expert in Sports Ministry! Why is this field so important? What can ministry with sports and gaming look like and what can it achieve? Why are sports uniquely positioned to reach the masses?By NazPocast
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Scott and Emily attended and greatly enjoyed the MissioNexus Conference in 2022, and came back with some new vocabulary and insights. Join them as they highlight workshops dealing with involving Gen Z in missions and much more.By NazPodcast
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In this brief episode, Scott and Emily fill us in on new sites that we are entering with the Genesis initiative, and new missionaries who are being sent there this very month! They also take us behind the curtain to see what training and sending missionaries looks like post-pandemic.By NazPodcast
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The Church of the Nazarene recently celebrated its first Mesoamerica Regional Conference since before the pandemic, and many of the Worthless Servants were there. Listen to some of what God did in Panama, and enjoy insights from our special guest, Timmeon Spencer, as well.By NazPodcast
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147. Scripture Focus: Philippians 4:10-13
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This week's passage helps us to reflect on the attitude that Christians should have in the face of the difficult situations that come at us in life. The apostle Paul learned the secret of contentment in the midst of persecution, suffering, and prison. We invite you to listen to this full episode and learn what the Worthless Servants discovered as t…
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146. Why Missionaries Should Never Just Show Up
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In this episode the Worthless Servants share 7 reasons why missionaries (or any speaker) should never just show up at the worship service. Benefits such as spiritual formation, opportunities to serve the sending church, valuable time with children and youth, and the ability to engage with the community as much as possible are unlikely to be produce…
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In this episode we focus on a thought-provoking article written by missionary Amy Medina. She describes a trend she has seen in the Church to unconsciously categorize missionaries into different classes based on their assignments. Are some roles more mission critical than others? Is it right to value certain missionaries more for the work they do o…
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144. Spiritual hygiene + Diaspora missions
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This week, Nathalie brings some unconventional tips that Lucas Leys recommends to any Christian desiring to maintain their "spiritual hygiene." In addition, Scott causes us to reflect on the dispersion of foreigners around our Mesoamerica Region and the great opportunity that the Church has to strategically promote the gospel throughout the world, …
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143. Caribbean Church Health + Discipling our Families
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This week we open up the mics to hear what some of our cast has had on their minds (and hearts) recently. Dario explores where our evangelical churches in the Caribbean are bearing fruit and where we still have work to do. Then, Emily reveals a personal project she has been involved in for the last year and how it has taught our entire family about…
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Have you ever had evangelistic conversations that aren't just "formally presenting the gospel" with people you connect with casually, like an Uber driver, for example? Do you make Jesus sound interesting, like your friend, your hero, your teacher, your savior, your king? In this episode, The Worthless Servants talk about this approach that Mike Fro…
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Author Micah Davis has published an article titled, “How Church Leaders Can Empower and Reach Millennials and Gen Z,” and in this episode we reflect on his suggestions. Some notable takeaways include: Don't Generalize, Really Listen, Adapt to their Lives, and more. Hear us out and let us know if you can identify other valuable strategies for equipp…
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In this episode the Worthless Servants share their stories about missionary experiences in Haiti, miracles they have seen serving in the field, how culture influences sports, and more!By NazPodcast
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139. Scripture Spotlight: Philippians 4:2-9
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Have you ever found yourself in situations where, as a leader, you know that your role is to exhort or to serve as the intermediary? How do you deal with conflicts in the church? This week's passage makes us reflect on this, taking as a reference the life of Paul, who also exhorts us to “always rejoice” even in the midst of discouraging circumstanc…
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138. Post-Pandemic Challenges for the Global Church
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What challenges will face the Church after the COVID-19 pandemic? In our previous episode, we explored how we might answer that question while thinking specifically about the local church. In this episode we pull back the curtain and give a glimpse into how this question might be answered on regional and global levels.…
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137. Post-Pandemic Challenges for the Local Church
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An interesting and important question was posed to us several weeks ago: What do we see as the challenges that the church will have after the pandemic? In this episode we look towards the local church and formulate some initial answers. After listening to our conversation, what did we leave out? How would you answer that same question?…
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136. Ineffective Leadership + Two Unlikely Lessons from Paris
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In this episode, Nathalie has been thinking about ineffective leaders and their effect on those around them. How can we assure that our actions and example will end up producing more Christ-like followers? Also, what might Reuben and Judah have to do with this? Scott has been thinking about something very different: what he surprisingly learned fro…
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This week Dario shares his thoughts about how to create a culture of generosity in the Church and Emily shares what she’s been thinking about her own Third Culture Kid.By NazPodcasts
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Once again we are talking about numbers and metrics of the Mesoamerica Region (has it already been a year?). A few of the questions we ask are, “How many new Nazarenes were received in the region, in the middle of the pandemic?” and “How did the support of the mission change?” Don’t miss out on the end and celebrate with us the districts in the Mes…
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This week we welcome Pastor Dario Richards from Barbados to the Worthless Servants’ cast. He has been with us in previous episodes, but this time we interview him about his family, his ministry, his calling, his passions, and more. Stay tuned at the end for a description of why we are called The Worthless Servants (hint: it’s biblical)!…
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After 5 years and 132 episodes, AJ and Chelsea say goodbye to the Dominican Republic. Although their ministry in Latin America comes to a close, they will be starting a new chapter in another urban district. The Worthless Servants asked them to reflect on their time in the D.R. as well as what they have enjoyed or will miss the most. They may be le…
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This week we share our thoughts on how to improve our Bible study, how we can become genuine servants, how prayer has changed in recent times, and much more. What about you? What have you been thinking?By NazPodcast
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130. Scripture Spotlight: Philippians 3:12 - 4:1
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This week's passage challenges us to see ourselves as true athletes. The apostle Paul likens the Christian life to a great race that requires focus, perseverance, and effort to reach the finish line. What are some tips we found to successfully run this spiritual race? What is the grand prize that we will get when we win? Paul's decision to persever…
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This time the Worthless Servants reflect on an article written by Stephen Mattson. If proclaiming the good news of the gospel is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, why are more and more Christians uncomfortable sharing their faith? Is it enough to believe that God exists and ¨do good¨? What are some misperceptions that keep Christians from…
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In this episode we share our observations on the 2021 statistical report of the Church of the Nazarene globally. How has COVID-19 impacted our denomination? What are some areas or findings that potentially alarm us or that we may need to improve? We dive into this and a whole lot more, so enjoy this episode!…
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In this episode, the Worthless Servants share stories about some home assignment complications, gum samples, a baby dedication gone awry, and much more.By NazPodcast
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126. 5 Leadership Questions about the Future
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This week we look at an article by Carey Nieuwhof that proposes five important questions that any leader should ask when looking to the future. We talk about leadership structure, self-evaluation, multidimensional relationships, and much more.By NazPodcast
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This week's passage paints a powerful image of the Kingdom of God. What truths jump out, and what did we notice? How do our personal experiences help us to apply these verses? We wrestle with these questions, even exploring what good can come from exile and how the chapter propels us in mission, as well.…
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Scott and Emily have recently spent a week with the missionaries sent in 2019 to plant churches in Monterrey, Mexico and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. They have heard some amazing stories of God’s faithfulness and of community impact, and they now convey those to us. What were some of the missionary strategies that worked or didn’t work? How was it so…
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As we enter the new year, what do we want to take into 2022? The cast has definitely been thinking about transition, calling, risk, and the smallest mammal in the world.By NazPodcast
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As we look back on 2021, we want to recognize how we’ve seen God at work. This week we share some stats from the past year and also what God has been doing in our ministries, even in the midst of a pandemic. We share exciting stories from Mission Without Limits, the School of Leadership, and much more!…
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As we start the Advent season, we want to share an older episode that we still find relevant today. Enjoy! (Episode originally aired November 30, 2017)By NazPodcast
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120. Scripture Spotlight: Matthew 25:31-46
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This week’s passage holds some uncomfortable truths. Who are we as Christ-followers and what should our actions look like as such? The Worthless Servants discuss the differences between being saved by works and being saved for works. Can faith be divorced from action? Can we even “get into heaven” if we do not do good to others? What are some examp…
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We’re back with more stories from the mission field! Grab a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and relax while we share about wedding culture, sawdust carpets, and impromptu tours.By NazPodcast
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Ever wonder how to pray for a missionary more specifically? Do you ever fall into a rut as you pray for their protection and health over and over? This week we offer some tips on how to be more focused and creative in your prayer life for missions. We share a list of seven specifics to pray for or against including pride, stagnation, loneliness and…
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This week we share about what’s been on our minds, including Strengths Finders, grape vines, the call to serve, and more. Don’t miss out - this one went in some very interesting directions!By NazPodcast
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