dPod

Fred and Deborah join DP on the pod to share newlywed stories, what they’ve learned about conflict and communication in marriage, and how their team navigated a huge transition—moving 30+ staff into one building in Morton Grove to better reach all of Chicagoland!

In this ... perhaps final episode of dPod from Chicago, I talk to Nicholas & Jeanette (whom I have affectionally named "Jicholas") talk about their learnings from marriage, and how they learned to rejoice in all circumstances and experience the church as family through some of their health challenges this past year.

This episode with Agape and Marie has a little bit of everything—from fighting about laundry to leading a last-minute mission trip. They open up about the miscarriage they experienced and how God used a vision to bring about a powerful moment in the Dominican Republic. Along the way, they reflect on why they’re learning to believe that God really does want to use them—even in weakness.

In this episode of dPod, I sit down with Genji and Hyuna to talk marriage, ministry, and everything in between. We kick things off with a round of the Newlywed Game. Then we dive deep: Genji talks about how he's a "control freak" and Hyuna shares how she went from a “slacker” to embracing hard work and ministry with joy. We also get into the behind-the-scenes challenges of leading big events like Good News, and wrap up with thoughts of how they've grown through it all.

In this episode of dPod, I talk with Tof and Bia about their dating journey, lessons from marriage and ministry, and how God has been growing them over the past year. Whether you’re curious about how Tof got Bia’s number or what Bia really thought the first time she saw him, listen in for a candid conversation about how God has been shaping their lives this past year.

In today's BTS episode, we dive into Hao's faith journey. Hao shares his experiences from growing up in a non-Christian background in China to his eventual conversion to Christianity during his graduate studies in the U.S. We talk about the pivotal moments that led to his decision, including intellectual struggles with evolution and creationism, personal reflections on sin, and the church community that helpedh im grow. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:28 Hao Chen's Name Confusion 01:02 Funny Story: Car Registration Mix-Up 01:35 Hao Chen's Faith Journey Begins 01:50 Family and Spiritual Background 03:35 Debating Evolution vs. Creationism 04:25 First Church Experience in Singapore 06:23 Exploring Christianity in China 06:58 University Life in Toronto 14:09 Grad School and Church in Minnesota 20:02 Science and Faith Talk 25:43 Intellectual Barriers to Faith 33:55 Confession and Conversion 37:06 Living with the Bros 38:57 Challenges of Living Alone 41:53 Spiritual Highs and Lows 55:52 Joining the Team 01:03:27 Combining Ministries 01:06:16 Final Thoughts and Reflections

"Hey, can you keep me accountable?" is a common phrase amongst Christians. In today's episode, I talk with Percy, Stephen, and Tofunmi about the place of "accountability" in Christian friendships. What is it? What's been its role in our own spiritual formation over the years? We get practical and talk about ways we've done accountability to fight lust and to develop spiritual disciplines. Hope you enjoy this candid discussion about an important aspect of Christian relationships. NOTE: We do talk about lust, pornography, sexual immorality in this episode, in case you need to be mindful of how and where you're listening. Have any questions you want me to answer on an Ask Me Anything episode? Or have any suggestions for topics or people to interview on dPod? You can always fill out you would want addressed on dPod? You can always send me your thoughts at ⁠bit.ly/dpod-ama⁠

BTS ("behind the staff") is back! In today's episode, I talk with Josh, who leads our International Student Fellowship, which is the international ministry within Voyage. We talk about how his background in church growing up eventually helped him come back to the faith after a couple of years of running away from it in college. We talk about his experience with missions and how it has been leading the ISF ministry in a very different context this past year. Have any questions you want me to answer on an Ask Me Anything episode? Or have any suggestions for topics or people to interview on dPod? You can always fill out you would want addressed on dPod? You can always send me your thoughts at bit.ly/dpod-ama

Loren, Luke, and Neil are upperclassmen in our ministry who've known our church since we were a much smaller congregation in Hyde Park. What are their initial reactions to and questions about our move to downtown now that they've experienced it? Have any questions you want me to answer on an Ask Me Anything episode? Or have any suggestions for topics or people to interview on dPod? You can always fill out you would want addressed on dPod? You can always send me your thoughts at ⁠bit.ly/dpod-ama⁠

In this episode of dPod, Neil, Loren, and Luke share their experiences from the Servant Leadership Training (SLT) program offered by the Acts2 Network. They discuss the the highs and lows of the SLT experience and their lessons learned. Have any questions you want me to answer on an Ask Me Anything episode? Or have any suggestions for topics or people to interview on dPod? You can always fill out you would want addressed on dPod? You can always send me your thoughts at ⁠bit.ly/dpod-ama⁠

Two episodes in one day?! We've run 8 Sunday services and completed 6 weeks of outreach in "The Loop" (aka Downtown Chicago). Join the "Loop Pod" as we talk about what we're thankful for, what we're learning, and what we're hoping for as we look to the future of our ministry! Have any questions you want me to answer on an Ask Me Anything episode? Or have any suggestions for topics or people to interview on dPod? You can always fill out you would want addressed on dPod? You can always send me your thoughts at ⁠bit.ly/dpod-ama⁠

So what's going on with dPod? Is this podcast dead? Where's DP been? Eden, Gisselle, Hyuna and DP attempt to bring dPod back to life! If you want us to keep publishing dPod episodes, tell us what kinds of episodes you'd be interested in! Please fill out this form to help shape the future of dPod: https://bit.ly/dpod-suggestions

In this follow-up to Ep.16 The Dating Episode, Tof, Percy, Agape, and I reflect on marriage. We discuss surprises of married life, biblical principles that guide us, and how our spouses have helped us to grow. We talk about advice we'd give our younger selves, the joys of marriage, and talk also about how marriage has helped us to become more Christ-like. We're no marriage experts, but we can share with you our honest perspectives!

I'm joined by Temi, Tiffany, and Eden, and we recount our mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Filter of Hope. We discuss memorable people, standout conversations, personal takeaways, and why everyone should go on a mission trip!

In this episode, I talk with Tof, Genji, and Hyuna about Project Loop, aimed at expanding Voyage's ministry to college students in the Chicagoland area. We discuss our first downtown service, the strategic reasons behind targeting new campuses, and the challenges of initiating outreach in a new location. We also delve into overcoming awkwardness in evangelism and engaging in spiritual conversations. Finally, we reflect on the journey of building the Chicago church and our excitement of seeing students embrace the mission.

Continuing our Alum series with Matthew, who's a UChicago grad ('23) and is now a member of the Acts2 Network. We discuss his experience of growing up in the church and how that formed him, some of the formative events from his college years, and how postgrad life has been treating him!

Chizara and Jazmine are both students at Voyage and UChicago c/o 2025, and we have a conversation about how their friendship has grown over the past 3 years, as well as their experience of Voyage, which was very different from the churches they grew up in.

Some of our Voyage College Church members sent in audio from wherever they are this break, reflecting on what they're thankful for from this past quarter and what they're looking forward to next year! I hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas!

Jason just graduated from UChicago ('23) and Voyage College Church and is now a member of the Acts2 Network. We talk about his experience as a Marine and talk about his journey from agnostic to Christian once he came to the University of Chicago.

Jeff is an alum of UChicago (‘21) and Voyage College Church. Jeff and I reconnect on the pod to remember his former frat boy days at UChicago and how some of the toughest years of his life ended up opening him up to spiritual truths.