{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Shock Absorber","title":"Preparing for God to grow us, and be ready if He does","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4241,"description":"Joel and Tim explore Soul Revival Church’s 2025 Planning Day — and how the church can prepare for God to grow them, being ready if He chooses to do that.\nThey begin by talking about writing, storytelling, and collective memory — how churches pass down faith through shared stories that shape who they are. Tim reflects on his recent work about how intergenerational communities strengthen faith by remembering together.\nThe conversation then turns to independent media and creativity, drawing lessons from writers like Ryan Holiday and Jonathan Wilson. Joel and Tim reflect on how Christians can balance curiosity with focus — doing a few things well, recognising that God made people finite so they can’t chase every idea.\nAt the heart of the episode is Soul Revival’s collaborative Planning Day, where the whole church community — not just leaders — comes together to reflect, celebrate, and plan for the year ahead. It’s a unique approach that embodies their belief in the church as a family, where every generation contributes.\nFinally, they look forward to the 2025 Planning Day and the church’s 2030 Double Up Vision, discussing what it means to grow deeply in discipleship and mission, not just in numbers. The episode closes with a reminder to keep telling the stories of God’s faithfulness — because those stories shape who the church is and who it will become.\n🕓 Timestamps\n00:00 Writing, independent media & being finite beings\n20:00 Why have a Planning Day?\n27:38 Benefits of collaboration & community input\n40:01 Preparing for growth and God’s work\n45:45 What’s happening at the 2025 Planning Day\n1:06:05 Keep telling your church’s story\nDiscussed on this episode\nRyan Holiday Reading Recommendation Email\nThe Painted Porch bookstore\nBrass Check\nDaily Stoic podcast\nBookmarked\nIt Was What It Was podcast\nWilson's World (of football)\nThe Blizzard\nLibero podcast\nBreaking Points\nTim's Substack\nSo Good They Can't Ignore You, by Cal Newport\nMensch: Beyond the Cones, by Jonathan Harding...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Xefvzfzzrkbs1GjU01qCch0kUaJzwBthG2qO_sgqCm8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/Lzg4NjYvMTU4NTEz/OTEyOS1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}