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Imagine a vibrant movement of passionate urban youth that are living out the Gospel in cities around the world and leading the next revival and iteration of the Church. The time for that is now. We welcome you to The Future Is Here Podcast where UYWI's CEO Tommy Nixon, along with many relevant leading voices, dive deep into what the future of the church looks like—future that is here, young, multi-ethnic, and a reflection of God's Kingdom.
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EP. 27: How To Give Power Away - Radical Middle Edition
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We are at a time and point in history where there are white power structures and because of this we have a demographic shift. Don’t look at it as a loss, but rather as the most Christian thing to do because that’s what Jesus did. We can actually lay down our power for the benefit of others. It’s a dub. We need to create a new leadership for a new w…
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EP. 26: Is Social Justice a Sin? - Radical Middle Edition
24:44
24:44
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Is Social Justice a Sin? We have seen our Urban Brothers and Sisters go through social justice issues like abortion, immigration, racism, but we fail to wrestle with this tension because we care more about being on the “right side.” So what happens when we embody the values of others as opposed to that of Scripture? We miss the mark. We can’t be a …
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EP. 25: Is The Church Full Of Hypocrites? - Radical Middle Edition
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22:53
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Is The Church Full Of Hypocrites? The answer may shock you. It’s important that we recognize our hypocrisy and come with a posture of “I do not always live out what I believe.”The most Christian thing you can say is “I was wrong.” Why is it so hard to accept this? When we allow idolatry to play a part in our lives, of course it’s going to be hard t…
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EP. 24: A Shared Suffering - Radical Middle Edition
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22:52
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We have experienced a tremendous amount of suffering these past couple of years, but with this comes polarization. As followers of Christ, how can we learn to share the suffering of others? And how can we learn how to do this well? What if suffering is imposed? Can we change the “they” narrative of suffering to a “we” narrative? Join Tommy Nixon & …
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EP. 23: Power Dynamics - Radical Middle Edition
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Time and time again, we have seen “whoever controls the Book, holds the Power.” This leads to a toxic Church AND Christian Leadership. We are going through the tension of how we read scripture and how we use it as a weapon to control people. How do we control the narrative when Pastors and Church Leaders are controlling the narrative to fit the Gos…
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EP. 22: Identity - Radical Middle Edition
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“Who am I?” You might’ve asked yourself this question once, twice, maybe more. We have lost the piece that makes us who we are. As leaders, we have a crisis. We are called to serve the marginalized, but the color of our skin disqualifies us. What happens when your Christian Community is not fighting for the injustices within our country? Do you lea…
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EP.21: The Army of God? - Radical Middle Edition
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How much of American Nationalism has seeped into the Church? We as Christians are in a spiritual battle against the evil forces of this world. When you add American nationalism to this battle, it creates enemies out of other people, and reality is, those people are created in the Image of God. In this current reality we see key groups of people who…
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EP.20: The Gray of Relationships - Radical Middle Edition
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What would it cost for the church to abandon its position on the left and the right? What if you didn't have to choose sides? What if the gray is actually where Jesus led from? Jesus was a paradox and wasn’t afraid to embrace the tension. In The Future Is Here Podcast | Radical Middle Edition Tommy Nixon and Co-Host Fredy Romero break down the fund…
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EP.19: The Third Way: Navigating The Pitfalls of The Right and The Left w/ Justin Giboney
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In the Season 2 Finale of The Future Is Here #Podcast titled The Third Way: Navigating The Pitfalls of The Right and The Left, our esteemed host and CEO Tommy Nixon talks to Atlanta-based lawyer, political strategist, Co-Founder, President of the AND Campaign, Justin Giboney about what it looks like to live as a Christ-follower in the tension of ou…
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EP. 18 : The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict w/ Alexis Qumsieh Bonilla & Eli Bonilla
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The Israel-Palestine conflict has persisted through history for what seems like forever now, and with its ceaseless nature and the amount of information out there because of how long it has lasted, this issue is becoming an increasingly sensitive subject to approach, but for good reason. It must be approached with nuance and consideration of lenses…
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EP. 17: Black Evangelicalism w/ Sho Baraka
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Last year after the presidential election, we got to talk to Sho Baraka of the And Campaign about the importance of Christians being nvolved in the political arena. We loved our discussion so much, we invited him back for The Future Is Here #podcast to talk to him about what he sees as the future of #evangelicalism and why the Black Church is centr…
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EP. 16: Why I Left The Church w/ Alma Lizzette Cardenas-Rodriguez
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In this episode of The Future Is Here Podcast, we are bringing into focus our #pursuethemillion campaign. So we invited a talented and inspirational individual who decided to leave the Church, not once but twice. Her name is Alma Lizzette Cardenas-Rodriguez and her ever-evolving story must be heard. Alma is a Mexican-American-born author and poet, …
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EP. 15: Harnessing the Power of Millennials w/ Grant Skeldon
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More than any other generation, Millennials are some of the most misunderstood and misconstrued individuals within the context of human history, yes even as a new generation — Gen Z’s — continue to rise to the forefront as society’s new leaders. Gen Z’s represent a beacon of hope as we slowly emerge from a history-altering pandemic. But millennials…
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EP.14: Reaching the Next Generation of Latino/a Youth w/ Eli Bonilla, Sammy Rodriguez, Manny Dominguez
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Episode 14 marks the first time we’ve had 3 Guests on our podcast, at once, and we’re so excited for you to hear this conversation. In this episode, our wise and forward-thinking host Tommy Nixon talks to three amazing and diverse Latino leaders, Eli Bonilla, Sammy Rodriguez, Manny Dominguez, about what the future of the Latino/a Church could look …
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EP. 13: The Youth Pastor is the Most Important Person in Your Church w/ Vince Parker
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As youth leaders, you probably already know from personal experience that the youth pastor is one of the most, if not, the most underappreciated individuals within the church. Not only does UYWI believe this to be the case, but so does the person who runs the largest youth group in America, Vince Parker, the Central Ministry Leader for Switch at Li…
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EP.12: Women Are the Future w/ Nicole Smithee
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The second season of The Future Is Here #Podcast has finally arrived! In episode 12 titled "Women Are the Future," we talk with Nicole Smithee, CEO and Co-Founder of Iridescent Women, a digital media company and membership program committed to awakening and championing the brilliance of every woman through honest conversations and authentic connect…
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EP. 11: Christ-Centered Politics w/ Eugene Cho
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We invited our good friend and expert of many things, Eugene Cho, to talk about the importance of being involved within the sphere of #politicaldiscussion now more than ever, even after the election season has passed us by. Needless to say, he talks about how we must engage with grace—without being a jerk—hence the title of his new book titled “Tho…
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EP.10 : A Framework for Community Transformation w/ Alexia Salvatierra
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Micah 6:8 "The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God." Have you ever wondered how to create change in your city through grassroots community organizing? Have you ever wondered if there is a biblical…
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EP. 9: An Incarcerated Faith w/ Dominique Gilliard
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Our Kingdom citizenship doesn’t allow us to be content with injustice, and neither does the future of the Church. In this episode of The Future Is Here podcast, our host and CEO Tommy Nixon sits down with pastor, author, speaker, activist, racial justice educator, Dominique Gilliard to discuss why we must remember incarcerated people the way script…
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EP. 8: Reclaiming Mission w/ Erica Schimelpfenig
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In a world where "Evangelical" has become a dirty word, we as believers in the future of The Church must ask ourselves, "How do we reclaim evangelism?" UYWI believes we must lead this next generation to be on fire for Jesus, and excited about sharing the beautiful and powerful truth of Christ. But what does that look like and how do we separate it …
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EP. 7: Art & The Gospel w/ Thomas Terry of Humble Beast
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UYWI believes some of the best art comes from suffering and pain—that it is most affecting when created from the margins of the urban contexts that we are involved with. It is no coincidence then that Christian tradition was birthed out of suffering, that spirituals and many worship songs come from slavery. Even modern music, such as rock & roll an…
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EP. 6: The Evangelical Industry w/ George Moss & Shuree Rivera
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The evangelical industry is a $1.2 trillion dollar industry that includes megachurches, book deals, television deals, movies, music, and curriculum—all put together. With an institution this large and flowing with dollar signs, we've got to be critical of the things we've built. We must open up this conversation to uncover what needs to be correcte…
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EP. 5: The Peacemaking Church w/ Jon Huckins
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Peacemaking is not just a good idea, it’s the mission of God and the vocation of God’s people. So what would the world look like if the Church took seriously, our call to be peacemakers? In pursuit of the answer, our guest Jon Huckins from The Global Immersion Project talks to our host Tommy Nixon about how he immerses himself into conflicts around…
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EP.4: The Reconciled Church w/ Efrem Smith
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In this episode, our guest Dr. Efrem Smith breaks down how the Evangelical Church has orphaned reconciliation away from repentance and restorative justice. Everything changes when we understand that there's no reconciliation, unity, nor right relationship with God and others without repentance and restorative justice. It's a great cost to be a reco…
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EP. 3: The Trauma-Informed Church w/ Dr. David Wang
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The Church of the future must be trauma-informed. The World Health Organization has found that approximately 70% of individuals worldwide have been exposed to some type of traumatic event in their lifetime. This figure is even more pronounced in urban populations. In fact, one study found that nearly 90% of individuals who reside in low-income urba…
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EP. 1: The End of The Megachurch As We Know It…I Hope w/ Steve Carter
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Our host Tommy Nixon speaks to Steve Carter, pastor, author, and co-host of The Home Team Podcast, about what the future of church-going looks like and how megachurches who are not embracing this new normal through the digital age, will suffer heading into #thefuture, a future that is young, urban, & multi-ethnic. Support the show…
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EP. 2: The Future Of The Church is Brown w/ Robert Chao Romero
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In this episode, Tommy Nixon speaks with UCLA Professor, Pastor, and author of “The Brown Church,” Robert Chao Romero to unravel the multi-ethnic reality of the Kingdom of God and discuss why it is so important to have the WHOLE body of Christ contribute to the Church and Kingdom. This means embracing the beautiful inevitability of the future of th…
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TRAILER: What does "The Future Is Here" mean?
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We can no longer hold on to old paradigms while millions leave and disengage with the Church. The future is young, urban, and multi-ethnic. Jesus challenged the power structures of religion while on Earth and instituted the movement of the Church using a band of young radicals that were so moved by their experience with Christ that they died tellin…
