Latest / The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast / Passion Prayer Purpose | A conversation with Radiant Church Pastors Dan and Amy Perkins

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Passion Prayer Purpose | A conversation with Radiant Church Pastors Dan and Amy Perkins · The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast

• 0:00
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• 0:03
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• 0:12
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• 0:34
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• 0:38
  SPEAKER_03: Hi friends, welcome to the Simply Wholehearted Podcast.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_03: I am so excited to introduce you today to Dan and Amy Perkins.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_03: They are a fantastic couple that have moved all the way from Colorado to join Dan's brother, David Perkins, and his wife Renata out here in Kansas City to help with a new church plant called Radiant Church.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_03: We've loved getting to be a part of it.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_03: We got to be part of the kind of the praying and the dreaming and the planning before their first launch Sunday on September 18th of 2016.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: And along the way, it's just been really neat to see who the Lord has brought to help join in this adventure of growing a new church in Kansas City and reaching more people in this town as big as it is.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_03: We can use all the churches that we can get.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: So anyway, Dan and Amy left a lot.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: They've been in ministry for 16 years, and for as young as they are, they had a lot of favor in their positions back in Colorado Springs, but they left it all behind and went on a grand adventure out here to Kansas City to start what is now Radiant Intensive.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: They are just about to finish their first year and are already accepting applications for next year's 2017-2018 year of Radiant Intensive.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_03: I have gotten to meet some incredible young men and women who are really giving their lives wholeheartedly to not only this church plant, but to how they can advance the kingdom in their workplace and at school and just in the day-to-day around this city.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: I think you'll love the conversation and enjoy hearing from Dan and Amy about their faith adventure, their big leap of faith in moving out here to Kansas City, and also some of their vision and their passion for radiant intensive.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_03: I'm young too, and I'm not that far ahead of you.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um and Ashley is the young no, whatever.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_03: Stop it.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_03: I'm the elder.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: Not by that much.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: So but um so there's a lot of things, but I kind of wanted to start off the beginning because some of it, like Dan, you and I got to help your brother David launch this crazy thing called desperation.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_03: And the furnace, which then became DLA, right?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: So um, and we were just like young kids.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_03: I think we were fresh out of high school, maybe a year after.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I did a year of school in Seattle.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's right.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_03: Seattle.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_03: So we were all in Colorado building this crazy thing, working for like, I don't know what,$200 a month.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Barely.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe not, maybe room and board.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but we had a lot of fun.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_03: And then um I had to kind of go off a different direction.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I kind of want I want you to fill in some of the blanks there.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, you know, ministry continued to happen and it changed a lot in those years.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't know, a little bit of your guys' story and all of that fun stuff.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, I think for me, so let's see, that was a long time ago.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: I had a lot spikier hair, probably more puka shells.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and probably you know you were from Seattle after all after you're there.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah, I that's kind of where I've been.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: We've been in Colorado with uh with Desperation and uh so jumped on board early there and uh we had our first Desperation conference that summer that you helped put on.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I remember officing together with Paige, yeah, with Paige and Cole and the whole crew, and so that was fun.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and really just um I I think that was really where uh I began to feel just this call to reach a generation and di I should say develop the language, okay, you know, of of what it looks like that young people uh would live with passion for Jesus.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that had been a part of my story uh and and kind of a desire to be a part of what God was doing.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but I think what the beautiful thing of uh gathering together, I just remember that first conference uh was seeing it firsthand kind of start.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: I I think our our our theme that first year, I know I know, was putting feet to the revolution.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Who knows what that even means?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: But it we saw it, you know, when all of a sudden hundreds, we didn't know.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I remember we didn't know if it was gonna be us and 10 yeah.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: And all of a sudden the room starts filling up and they're there just to worship and pray and and go after God with passion.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: And um so that was exciting to be a part of.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and uh, and that's actually, you know, Amy had had come up to conferences uh in Colorado before that, and then and then started coming as a as a high school student to our conference every summer and uh and then moved up to be a part of essentially the furnace.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh back then.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, all right.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I mean I picked up a brochure on the furnace.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: So the furnace was this uh part-type program for students who were going to college or trying to figure out their career, but was a part of a fellowship of burning hearts was the phrase.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember being a junior in high school picking up this flyer about it and sitting on a bus on the way to a ban competition and starting to weep.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you couldn't let that part out.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: I know so great, but starting to weep going, you know, I wanted to, you know, go straight from you know high school into college, but uh wanted that like-hearted friends who were who were passionate for Jesus because I think in high school I felt alone so much at the time, and to see that there was a community forming around like heart and mission, though they were going all different directions with their education and career.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's what drew me to the furnace.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so fast forward 15 years, yeah, um, that's what kind of has now led us to Kansas City to establish that same concept in Kansas City.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: So that was my story too.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, even when I came at 19, I had done a year uh of college and um it was it was one of the tougher years for me uh spiritually.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was you know, where I felt in high school I was kind of like the crazy radical Christian kid.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then all of a sudden graduate and I was away from home.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh all my friends went off to different places, and the community that I had built around going after Jesus uh wasn't there.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I just found it was really easy to become lethargic.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so that was what drew me to the furnace.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know what we're talking about.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh was I was like, man, I want to get around that fellowship of burning hearts.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: I want people that that believed the same thing.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Not not that we all believe the exact same way, but that there's a uh the direction of our life is going after we're gonna give everything to to go after Jesus.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so so I think the same thing pulled us both to be a part of that.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_03: So, all right, so you guys had continued to stay on.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, you got married a few years later, and there I'm sure there's a whole nother story there.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: And we'll we'll we'll not go there, we'll skip over the details there.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and then I know you've been on staff pretty much the whole time, and Amy, you went through the furnace and then hopped on staff.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_03: So um, for you guys working together and and you've been like pretty solely like solely running DLA.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yep there.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_02: So we got married in 2008 and I jumped on staff that month.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so for how many years I was I on how many years have we been married now?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: Eight years, for eight years we we ran uh Desperation Leadership Academy, which was it it and in encompass both a part-time program and a full-time program.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so we we oversaw that for eight years.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I'd been doing that for a couple years while we were dating as well.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we've given a good chunk of time to internships.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, internship.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: The amount of experience, like hands-on, and they're doing it a lot of different ways, it's evolved from where we started, you know, back in 2001 to what you're doing here.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, you've learned a lot, and I love it.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_03: I bet you've learned a ton.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_03: We know all things, not internships.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_03: Don't ever do that again.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Good, the bad, the ugly, we've seen it all.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: Totally.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I do have a real passion for it because personally, having been a part of an internship, that really needed some refining.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the furnace was like a came out of that for me.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: So just to put it nicely.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_03: It was the best way to say it.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, the Lord redeems all things.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: So um the furnace was a big piece of like, oh yeah, this is really balanced.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_03: We're getting the comradeship, but we're also out in the world.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I was like working at Starbucks and doing school and doing that and leading and mentoring and and you know, just you know, kind of doing the whole thing.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_03: And that was a really healthy um place for me.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_03: And I I just love that model to see how that's happening of just that well-rounded, you know, person.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: So now, now you guys like okay, so let's let's tell this part of it.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_03: Because your brother, sister-in-law, you know, it they're gonna come out here, they choose Kansas City to play in a church.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: You already sort of followed him, but you're really rooted in Colorado.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: And you're like, no way.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_03: We're you guys have fun.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, so that was your that was your stance for the beginning, yeah.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: We were just fine here.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we loved it.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: We were excited for them.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, we'll come visitable.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we'll see Kansas City.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I mean, bottom line, we just were waiting on the Lord.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, we weren't gonna just move and just because uh yeah, yeah.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh yeah, we had a we had a conversation on uh Christmas Day.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, great.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: We were avoiding it, and then of course it's family get together.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: And David's like, I'm gonna drop the bomb now because you can't leave.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: No, like you guys need to move to Kansas City.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: And here's why.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it was really great.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, even in that conversation where uh you know, I think part of wanting to avoid the conversation, I didn't want to tell my brother, hey, no, I'm excited for you, but but we're not gonna be joining.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, in that conversation, hearing their heart for Radiant Church and Kansas City, something stirred in us.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and uh, and so we left with uh saying, Hey, you know, we'll we'll pray about this, you know, like where maybe we came in.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: So both of you kind of felt something.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I think so for sure.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um we prayed about it and said no.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so about two weeks later I told him no.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: I said, Okay, because specifically, so specifically he did say, Hey, I want to have a discipleship program at Radiant Church from day one.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: You guys, this is your passion, this is what you do, you know, would you consider it?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so um I said, Hey, we can't do it.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: We haven't felt you know the green light from the Lord, if you want to say that way.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and uh I totally like that way.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh so I said, Here's some here are some people that I think would be great, have some conversations that you know.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh anyway, we were i i it was probably you know a couple months later where we really felt the Lord give us uh kind of the invitation uh to risk and to step out and get out of the boat.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, get out of the boat and uh and I don't think you've been somewhere for 15 years, 12 years, yeah, climbed this ladder of even just staying steady, but to lay it all down.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um but we felt it was this invitation that we always want to say yes to.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: And uh being extravagant, wholehearted, devoted in every season of life, and not just relegating that to oh, in my early 20s I could do that.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: But no, now okay, we're in our 30s, we now have a family.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: But I want it to be said that in every season of my life I said yes to wholeheartedness to Jesus, even when that means right here leaving the the comfort uh and security of all that we had built, you know.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: But there's actually a lot of the comforts that made it so obvious that it was time to go.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, yeah.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because it was like everything that in me wants to stay comfortable.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so it was like, okay, it's time to jump out, you know.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so I had this moment, so some of our friends uh when we were leaving, uh, they got us uh like tickets to go skydiving.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, thank you.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: I never would go, but now it was a gift, so I had to.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um I would turn that gift right now.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: It was great.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: I loved it, Amy endured it.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you didn't.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: And she did it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: She was she was great.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: She was the first out the plane.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: She was like, if I wait, I can't.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, I know I didn't do it.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I can see Dan jump out.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: Somebody else dropped the other.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: I beat her to the ground.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: I beat her to the ground somehow.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: So she jumped out first and I got down to the ground first.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I was using that even in just praying, like, okay, God, yeah, like we're jumping, we're going.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and I just felt like the Lord kind of gave me this.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: So when you go, you know, I don't maybe you haven't, uh, but uh we did it in such a way, so you're there's someone like strapped to your back.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you're yeah, you're not by yourself.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh I'm not just praying and like, all right, God, I'm gonna trust you and parachute open and kind of the whole metaphor.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I just felt like the Lord basically just said, Dan, like you do realize I'm not the parachute that you're waiting to open.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm the pro that if everything goes wrong, I still know how to get you down.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm still gonna take care of you.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'll keep you alive.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we just felt like this invitation to risk, to to to jump.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and so a couple, you know, the the there were different things we talked about doing.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but at the end of the day, I knew that for both of us, what we are called to do, what God's put in our heart would flourish under David and Renata and at Radiant Church.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and add on top of that that, you know, kind of this, you know, when your brother's taking the big biggest risk of his life, yeah, what do brothers do but help?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_03: You know, a good brother though.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_03: Not every brother, a good brother.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that's awesome.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: So it's been fun.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so that that's kind of what brought us here.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the day I called him.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: I was actually in Wichita, Kansas, when I called him, standing on Kansas ground, saying we're coming to Kansas City.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: So uh and it's been at first it was hard, but to start over.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like when you've built something, it's like, why did I leave this and I'm doing this?
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Like nothing.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I remember the first few days going, I don't have a printer.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, like the frustration that's the rah, yeah.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_02: But but now, I mean, starting over, it has been so I know it's just from the ground up.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the things that, okay, what do I really believe?
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: What do I really want this to be?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: What things do I I've now realize are more valuable?
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so now it uh it's been a year and and have I can't believe it the first year about I think I I I know I will look back and say this is one of my most favorite years in ministry of like my whole life.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: I mean one of the hardest but most beautiful.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_02: And um so yeah, well, give us some of the highlights.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so you guys moved out here in faith, and I remember when David said, I mean, like his like the emotion behind it of how much I you know, I I could feel that sense of just having siblings and knowing that if they came along to support me in whatever crazy thing I was doing, how I would feel that.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_03: And I just saw that, you know, in him.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_03: And I know that he's still like he still conveys that appreciation really well.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_03: But um yeah, so you guys not only just you know moved here, but you're starting a brand new church and a brand new intern program, which is brilliant.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: I absolutely think it's brilliant, but crazy, and how has it gone?
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it seemed from my perspective, it's I mean, you guys have 12 students?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we had 12 students this year.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um very fitting, by the way.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: I'm looking, I'm trying to figure out who's Judas, but uh no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_03: So this is after the Ascension.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, great.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, what did we reverse?
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_04: Who is it?
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_04: No, yeah.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there's there's so many highlights, so many great things.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, so what we had what we'd been a part of in Colorado had gotten pretty big.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh in in I I I guess comparatively, you know, not sure, you know, whatever, but uh one of the things that I've realized is that there are things that we were able to do when we had, you know, a hundred people that we just can't with 12.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um but there's been things that we've been able to do with 12 that I haven't felt like we've been able to do for years.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh just and so I you know, I just love uh this season that we're in, that we've been in this year as we're building and growing and uh it and recognize it may not always be like this.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Right, you know, and so and that's okay, you know, but uh just the real relationships, seeing each person, getting to know them, uh discipling them, uh really, I mean, doing life in in such a way of uh kind of this like, hey, let's go somewhere together and let's follow Jesus together and let's become more like him as best we can.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh tons of I mean I I think from you know prayer meetings in our living room to classes in our living room to Yeah, you like no you like host a lot of the things because we don't have we meet in a school and we can't just you know go and crash the school and use their facilities all week long.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_01: So you get to host that that's challenging, but I love that.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: Having been part of a a church the church we came from, having been part of it when it was small, and then it getting big and now being back at small, I really like small.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: And small, uh you don't necessarily say, oh well, let's just stay small.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: But like you said, there's things you can do with small and the relationships and the interactions that you can have that you can get when they're big.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: So and now move now this year you still have the model where they worked if they needed, wanted.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um not necessarily time for school.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh probably if they, you know, most of them were working, yeah.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Not many of them were going to school.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: They could have done maybe if they had done online or something like that.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but a little bigger.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: The the nature of our schedule this year was primarily to give them time to work.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_03: Gotcha.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh going forward, we really want to facilitate students going to school or working.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: And that's what I was noticing like with the the evolution of that kind of the model going forward.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: Again, it's really what what both of us at 19 separately, you know, uh experienced.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh for me, it was there was something intriguing and that I I liked about not kind of pulling out of everything.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um but still being plugged in, still working and still, you know, I mean, I I I took a long time to get through school, but I did, you know.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_04: Right, you didn't did it, exactly.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and so so really when we were kind of sitting down and went having a conversation, okay, Lord, what are you leading us to?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: And and uh kind of really returning to the spirit of that furnace idea uh was really what weighed heavily on us.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: And what does that look like today?
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like at Radiant Church?
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like with us and you know the resources that you have?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: I mean that's a that was a huge piece, you know.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um over the years the the part-time program morphed into this ministry training school.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I think us realizing in this in this next season and what we're doing with the church plant, we're not gonna be a ministry training school in the sense of having all of these different tracks.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um but who who can we be right now in this season.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so I think we we want to be for those students who could be called to ministry or could be called to the marketplace.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um and that we want this to be a season where they can kind of taste test and sample that.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um and and we want to be there to help them process, okay, what God are you calling me to do?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um the other thing that that I think, you know, that you can speak to maybe I I felt when I did uh kind of this program that allowed me to go to school and work, and then as I've been a part of leading uh other ones where you don't, there's actually an intensity when you are splitting time.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: There's a difficulty.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: It takes even a higher level of of all in, you know, because you are yeah, because you are getting up early to work, or you are you do have homework still.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's like really this like all in factor that uh that I love.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah and uh and it's more true to what it looks like to follow Jesus for the rest of our life.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, um and it is real life because we get kind of used to the school schedule and this really breaks that mold where we're like, oh yeah, we don't everything set out for us, and like I have to, if I want this group of of people who have the same vision for life, and I also want to complete my degree and I also need money to buy food and pay the rent, then I mean that's life from here on out.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's a really great opportunity to balance all of that.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: At the same time, I I so value uh kind of the idea of taking a year, maybe two, of of intentional learning, intentional discipleship.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Intentional serving in ministry, uh, kind of what Amy said, kind of that taste test.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I do think uh these years for young adults are so uh it's so possible to to be to give.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Amy used the word earlier of extravagance, and yeah, uh certainly we don't want it to only be in our 20s that we can be extravagant, but in your twenties there is such the capacity for extravagance and serving the Lord.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: And so we want to really see that take off and and where that becomes uh even a a norm for the young adult to in these so much.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we so many conversations of what's going on with young adults and following Jesus and the church and all those things.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I've seen many use this season to go deep in God uh and to really establish themselves rather than running from the Lord in this time, it actually becomes the thing that sets them so that they can go forward, yeah, the better off for the rest of their life.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: And have more clarity of what the future holds for them.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_03: That's great.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_03: So you are like opening up the doors now for next year already, and you haven't quite finished this year because they're here through like June 10th or something.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, okay.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_03: And then um, when's the next year begin and how does the application process and all that?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we'll we'll put like you know, the website and people can find out more and all that, but because in that process, I think I'd like to share what kind of the things that you're looking for, what might be a good fit, or if you maybe you can't come to Kansas City and be a part of Reading Intensive, but maybe you look to see if there's something similar in area.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so new year will start in September.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, like you said, applications are on our website now, and uh so students apply there and uh begins a process where you know we we start a conversation with them and and really see if this is a good fit.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um we do have students coming from all over the country to be a part, uh, which is fun.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's fun to to get all of that.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so um so we'll start in September and uh really kind the kind of student uh I I I would say that that should do this is really the one that one that is hungry for the Lord.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: I know that sounds maybe too simple, but there's there's a hunger and a willingness to to say, okay, here I am, Lord, send me, use me.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh I want to grow in my relationship with Jesus.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then also really wants to maybe just this weight on man, I want to see God move in my generation.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: And what does it take for that to happen?
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: And uh whether that is the hours spent in the place of prayer uh to see that happen, or whether that is serving to see that happen, or whether that is leading uh teenagers, or what what does that be?
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: What would that be?
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so I would say hunger for the Lord, yeah, and then just a willingness and a desire to see God move uh in this generation would be the kind of the key components of what we're looking for.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_02: And I think I think we desire to see cultural influencers who are rooted in their identities in the Lord, uh, who have a conviction uh about prayer being the primary, um, and then that have been equipped with tools to go into the world with uh a mission, but also that that intellectual development as far as what is the battle that our generation is in, and be able to go into the secular workplace or go into the secular college campus, know what they believe, uh have their worldview clearly established, and uh be be a a cultural influencer for Jesus.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um Yeah, I love it.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_03: No, I think that's so good.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_03: Because I think I mean, even though your statement was simplistic in a way, that it kind of narrows down the field uh you know a little bit because um I think you know you don't ask anything crazy, but you ask for an all in.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and those who have said yes, yes Lord, I want to do, and if you just had don't have any other really clear direction, this is a great way to to give a yes that is just intention all the way, you know, all covers all the arenas of life, um you know, spirit, mind, and body, if you will.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: And and then kind of can help open up doors and give clarity from there for sure.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_03: That's awesome.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I'm excited.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think one of the passions that Deanna and I have is we love getting underneath people and helping them figure out how God made me and helping bridge and make connections for them.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, this is where you would best fit.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_02: Let us let us be a launch pad into the people that we know, um, the places you should go serve and work.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_03: And um, yeah, because it doesn't look the same for everybody, it doesn't look like a vocational, um, you know, right ministry position, you know, just kind of all those things, or even a mission field or anything like that.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: It looks like all these different, you know, practical um the body of Christ idea.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: And validating every single role and finding fulfillment in that and knowing this is where I'm going.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think uh when I was in junior high, I heard a quote.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: It may or may not have been Keith Green.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, hey, I quote Keith Green all day long.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: The idea of that you're either a missionary or a mission field.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: And the idea really is that we are all in ministry, we're all missionaries no matter where we're at.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we really believe that.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: I I certainly believe that some uh of our students will go into full-time ministry, uh vocational ministry.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: And we want to prepare them for that and get them ready for that.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: And we have many that will go into all sorts of different spheres.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and we want to get them ready for that as well.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and so, like Amy said, uh, getting to know them and then say and helping them discover what God's called them to do and where that can best be expressed, and then uh how they can do ministry, meaning how can they can advance the kingdom in that field, uh, is is one of our greatest passions.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh that's one of the things that we love to do.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's a great way to spend a year after, say, high school or whatever, you know, because there's that pressure.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: I have a college-age daughter, and so there's the pressure sometimes of I've got to figure this thing out now.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so I've got these classes that I have to choose, and every choice counts.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, well, if I go down this path, I can't now turn around and go all right, because it's gonna cost me a lot of money and time.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so just to be able to take a year and say, you know, not everybody's gonna be called to ministry, but like what am I supposed to be doing here?
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: And it just gives you just a gap of to get clarity.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'll be really helpful.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, thousands of dollars of loan debt.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, totally our goal.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks, you guys.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_03: I know um, I think you know, hopefully you'll come back again and um share other things.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_03: So this is super fun.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_03: You can see I'm having a blast.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_03: But I I'm I'm just excited to see just maybe what it encouraged people.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe someone will come to mind that they should share this specific internship um with, but then also, you know, maybe just stir something in you.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that even if you're past the age of what you think you can do in internship, um, there's just that idea of like there's churches in your area that can really use people to um just find a way to serve and get involved.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_03: And just because you have a really busy life doesn't um mean that you can't still serve the body of Christ in some way.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: So this is really great.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you, Dan and Amy.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Our pleasure so fun.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_03: Well, friends, I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as Ashley and I did.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_03: Loved getting to hear their hearts, their adventure, and their journey out here to Kansas City and all that the Lord has been doing this year, the first year of Radiant Intensive.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_03: I hope that if you know a young college student or someone just graduating from high school who's looking for maybe something untraditional in this next school year, I hope that you will afford this podcast, share this podcast with them, and just let them know about an opportunity here in Kansas City, whether it's in between years of college education, maybe they've already graduated college, or maybe they've graduated high school and are just not sure what's next.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_03: If Kansas City is too far for you, be sure and look around at some of the churches in your community.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: There is probably lots of places that a young person could jump in and serve and take a year to grow their faith and deepen their walk with Jesus.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_03: And you are never too old and never past the age to step in and help serve the local body.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_03: All over churches are looking for people who would be all in helping to serve in some capacity with their giftings, whether it's serving with kids in the church or helping lead a small group.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_03: I encourage you to find some way to serve the body of Christ.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_03: Now, if you enjoyed this conversation, you might enjoy podcast episode number eight with Sarah Hagerty.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about adoration and also Sheila Qualls, episode number six, and we also talked about the topic of shame and how can we retrain some of those negative thoughts that we have in our head.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm excited to share with you next week.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_03: We're going to have how to create a Simply Summer.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_03: I have a conversation with Jessica Griffiths, her three kids, and also my three kids get to share about how Super Summer Challenge has been a lot of fun for them.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_03: We are going to be opening our online workshop Simply Summer here in just a few days, so be looking for updates on how you can also create a super summer challenge for your family.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_03: In the meantime, I hope you plan on living simply wholehearted, finding more ways to live unplugged, purposeful, and intentional.