The Saturate Podcast

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt unpacks the “spiritual young adult” stage of the disciple-making pathway, where mentoring and apprenticeship become essential.

Jeff Vanderstelt continues to examine the stages of the Disciple-Making Pathway. In this episode, he unpacks how to lead spiritual children to grow up in their faith through learning to obey the commands of Jesus and practicing the “One Another's” in community. During this stage, spiritual children also learn to feed themselves through prayer and Bible study, grow in gospel fluency, and take responsibility to serve others in their spiritual family. You’ll be encouraged to consider your own personal faith journey while you also contemplate how you might develop others in their own journey. If you’d like to explore your own journey as a disciple of Jesus, check out the free Disciple’s Pathfinder here.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt explores what it means to establish spiritual newborns in their faith, drawing powerful parallels to caring for a physical infant. He unpacks five essential practices—from affirming identity in Christ, to nurturing growth through community, being spiritually fed, and learning to give voice to one’s spiritual needs—that help new believers become rooted and thriving disciples. Listeners are invited to reflect on their own spiritual foundation and consider how to better support others in this vital stage of the disciple-making journey. If you’d like to explore your own journey as a disciple of Jesus, check out The Disciple’s Pathfinder here.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt unpacks the very beginning of the Disciple-Making Pathway, focusing on those who are spiritually unborn. He emphasizes the power of radical hospitality—creating non-pressured, authentic spaces where people can experience God’s love through listening, presence, and tangible acts of service. This lifestyle of welcome and care naturally opens the door to sharing the hope of Jesus and inviting others to follow Him. If you’d like to explore your own journey as a disciple of Jesus, check out The Disciple’s Pathfinder here.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt gives an overview of the Disciple-Making Pathway. More like a journey up a mountain than a linear pipeline, this is the process by which people move from being "spiritually dead," to being born again as "spiritual infants," and eventually growing up to become "spiritual grandparents," raising up new generations of disciples. As you listen, consider your own journey and what you may need for your current stage on the Pathway. It may also provide some insight around how to frame up the developmental stage and needs of those you are leading as well. If you'd like to explore your own journey as a disciple of Jesus, check out The Disciple's Pathfinder here.

In this episode of the Saturate Podcast, Jeff Vanderstelt and Chuck DeGroat explore the profound journey of healing spiritual and emotional trauma. Chuck offers a reframing of God’s questions in Genesis 3 as compassionate invitations to self-reflection and growth. Discover practical insights on vulnerability, self-compassion, and the restorative power of God's presence to address trauma holistically.

Join Jeff Vanderstelt and Doug Paul this episode of the Saturate Podcast as they explore the art of kingdom innovation and its transformative impact on Christian leadership. Discover how to overcome barriers like fear and the "curse of knowledge" through practical, time-bound experiments that drive change. Learn actionable steps from Paul’s five-phase innovation process to help leaders adapt, grow, and embrace cultural relevance.

Discover how churches can ignite true spiritual growth by engaging both the mind and heart in this conversation with Michel Hendricks and Jeff Vanderstelt. Learn why joy is essential for character formation and how a discipleship model can help communities thrive. Packed with practical insights, this episode will inspire you to cultivate a culture of love and emotional maturity that mirrors Jesus.

Join Jeff Vanderstelt and Mindy Caliguire of Soul Care as they explore how leader health fuels gospel saturation, and share insights from Mindy’s new book, Ignite Your Soul. Discover how to thrive amidst burnout, embrace spiritual formation, and foster collaboration in ministry. This powerful conversation will inspire you to balance soul care with impactful leadership.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt sits down with Neal McGlohon and Craig Tuck to explore the powerful vision of gospel saturation in Charleston, South Carolina. Together, they discuss the Cypress Project’s mission to equip church leaders and planters for Kingdom work that extends beyond their individual churches, fostering collaboration across the city. This conversation dives into the five key initiatives driving gospel city movement in Charleston, from citywide prayer to new Kingdom initiatives, and the transformative impact of a unified, city-wide effort to bring the gospel to every woman, man, and child.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt and Jennie Allen dive into the topic of emotional health, revealing why true vulnerability and processing emotions in community are essential—especially for leaders. Jennie opens up about her personal journey toward emotional wholeness, sharing insights from her book Untangle Your Emotions. She also sheds light on a remarkable movement among college students and young adults, showing how God is powerfully at work in this generation. Plus, Jennie extends an exciting invitation to Gather 25, a transformative 25-hour global church event on March 1, 2025, focused on prayer, worship, repentance, and uniting to make a lasting impact in the world. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on emotional healing, leadership, and what God is doing today!

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt and John Mark Comer discuss what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. True discipleship of Jesus is a relational process of deep, loving attachment with God and others. People can tend to emphasize one aspect of being a disciple, whether that is correct theology, spiritual practices, small groups, or church attendance, but at its most basic level, it's about being formed through deep relational connection with God and healthy, meaningful, vulnerable relationships.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt and Hugh Halter discuss Brave Cities, a way of being the Church in a small, covenant community of friends who live in close proximity, who build works of justice, and whose businesses bless the city they are in. The conversation centers around what it means to build a kingdom ecosystem rather than Sunday-centric, formulaic versions of church. They emphasize the importance of understanding the context, cultivating relationships, and organically developing structures over time.

In this episode, Daniel Yang and Jeff Vanderstelt discuss the need for the Church to make shifts in light of changing demographics and the unique needs of younger generations. Daniel believes that the traditional approach to church planting, while effective in the past, may no longer be sufficient to reach the next generation. They talk about the importance of embracing new models and perspectives, with emphasis on attachment and connection. Daniel Yang's new book, Becoming a Future-Ready Church, can serve as a guide for leaders seeking to equip and empower the next generation with wisdom and hope.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt talks with Sharon Hamill about the story of Pray Seattle, a movement that seeks to transform the heart of the city through prayer. Sharon describes how they've seen God leading and going before them, uniting the Church in the city through times of prayer, and moving in beautiful and unexpected ways.

In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt and Nic Harding, Director of Kairos Connexion City Reaching, a network in the UK, discuss the importance of unified gospel city movements and explore how churches can work together to reach every person in their communities with the gospel. Nic also shares his personal experience establishing a church in Liverpool, where he saw the vital role of missional communities in fostering community and living on mission. Ultimately, Nic encourages us to believe in the possibility of completing the Great Commission through intentional collaboration and shared vision, highlighting the importance of humility, honesty, and a shared passion for the gospel.

What does it look like to create simple, Kingdom expressions of Jesus that form into disciple-making microchurches? How do we lead people to be on mission in their unique context? How can you create space at your table for people to meet Jesus in community? Steven Barr was led by Jesus to help Disney cast members around the globe develop Kingdom expressions where people get to meet Jesus in the context of their everyday life. In this episode, join Jeff Vanderstelt and Steven Barr down imagination lane. What might Jesus be calling you to discover right where you live, work, learn, or play?

Paul instructed Timothy to keep a close watch on his life and doctrine so that he would save both he and his hearers. Today we are seeing both a growing awareness and openness from leaders to care for their own soul. In this episode, Jason Kovacs, Executive Director and Counselor with the Gospel Care Collective, shares with Jeff Vanderstelt some very helpful and practical processes. He uses these to engage with leaders and churches to help them both care for their own soul and create cultures of care in the church, centered on Jesus.

Has the mission of Jesus ever felt more like striving and less like thriving? The culture we create is connected to the kinds of leaders we are. If we are not emotionally and relationally healthy, we will make disciples who are emotionally and relationally unhealthy as well. In this last episode of the 180 Series, Jeff Vanderstelt shares some of his own personal journey toward emotional and relational health with the hope that you will take your journey seriously as well.

Have you ever found yourself getting worn out and weary trying to live out the mission of Jesus? Continuing with our 180 Series, one of the shifts we need to make back to disciple-making is from striving to thriving. In this episode, Jeff Vanderstelt considers how this involves moving from flesh to Spirit, from working with only our power and skills to living from the power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.