Podcast
Think Global, Do Justice
Hosted by Canopy International · EN
The podcast and community for globally minded disciples seeking God's justice, mercy and shalom throughout the world.
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Formation, AI and Finding Community in Christian Humanitarian Work
Nov 2500:38:46Tap to summarize*Brandon's Note: In step with the topic at hand, I've turned over all show notes and interview audio editing to AI for this week's episode. In this conversation, Brandon Stiver and Michael Cerna reflect on the challenges and changes faced by non-profit organizations in 2025. They discuss the importance of community, the impact of funding changes, and the role of AI in shaping the future of non-profits. The conversation emphasizes the need for spiritual formation and collaboration among leaders in the sector, as well as the ethical considerations surrounding AI usage. Ultimately, they highlight the significance of building relationships and fostering a supportive community in navigating the complexities of non-profit work. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code 'TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assessment Resources and Links from the show Join the Accord Network Email brandon@canopy.international if you're interested in a community of practice or one-on-one or team support. Takeaways 2025 has been a year of significant change and uncertainty for non-profits. The need for physical presence and community is more important than ever. Funding changes have left many organizations in a precarious position. Leaders must navigate conflicting narratives about growth and success. AI is a major disruptor that organizations must learn to leverage. Community groups are vital for support and collaboration among non-profit leaders. Ethical considerations around AI usage are crucial for organizations. Spiritual formation should be integrated into non-profit work. The delineation between home and office has become blurred in remote work. Building relationships is essential for effective non-profit work. Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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Discipleship is About Taking Jesus Seriously with Alan Hirsch
Nov 1800:58:17Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to be a gospel-centered church and should we be a gospel-centered church? As we think through taking the Gospel into the world and fulfilling the Great Commission, have we short changed discipleship by making Matthew 28 all about evangelism? In this conversation with Brandon Stiver, author and missiologist Alan Hirsch joins the show to discuss the current state of discipleship within the church, emphasizing the disconnect between modern practices and the teachings of Jesus. He argues that without true discipleship, churches risk producing a form of religion that strays from Christ-likeness. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code 'TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assessment Resources and Links from the show Disciplism : Reimagining Evangelism Through the Lens of Discipleship (Amazon) Reframation : Seeing God, People, and Mission Through Reenchanted Frames (Amazon) Alan's Substack Conversation Notes What we're experiencing now in America is a trend in the church. Alan's experience growing up as a Jewish person in apartheid South Africa If the churches that we lead do not disciple, we will produce bad religion. We are not producing Christ-likeness in our churches. The image of God is reflected in Jesus' way of being human. Modern churches need to align more closely with Jesus' teachings. The consequences of poor discipleship can be detrimental to faith communities. Examples of modern Christians that are getting discipleship right. Churches must focus on producing genuine followers of Christ. Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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Understanding the History Behind Gaza with Dr. Ben Norquist
Aug 12, 202501:07:26Tap to summarizeThere is no more salient, no more pressing global event right now for the Church to engage than what is happening currently in Gaza. Gaza presents not just a lightning rod for conversation (or controversy), but also serves as a moral compass for all humankind. The global Church is wrestling with questions like, "is Israel justified in their offensive?" "how do we understand the theology and politics in play?" and "are we watching a genocide unfold before our eyes?" To help us understand the broader history and context around Gaza, we've invited Dr. Ben Norquist from Churches for Middle East Peace to the show. He sits down with Brandon Stiver to discuss all things surrounding the conflict and most importantly the decades leading up to what we see in 2025. Join us in this conversation and join us in praying and acting for peace. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Join more than 2,000 ministry leaders at CAFO2025 in Houston, Texas from October 1-3, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. Register for CAFO2025 in Houston Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code 'TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assessment Resources and Links from the show Churches for Middle East Peace Online Church at the Crossroads Conference Information Christ in the Rubble by Munther Isaac UN Definitions of Genocide and Related Crimes Conversation Notes The difference between a 'thin' Gospel and a 'thick' Gospel Growing up in evangelicalism and what that means for supporting modern day Israel Understanding the historical context of Gaza What is the Nakba? What were the Intafadas? How the Balfour Declaration laid a framework for the land that continues to reverberate over a hundred years later Comparing the current conflict and humanitarian crisis to the UN definition of genocide Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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A Year of Discovering the World as a Family with Ashley Campbell
Aug 5, 202500:51:17Tap to summarizeThe podcast is back from our summer break, but we're still in vacation travel mode! We're joined by author and photographer Ashley Campbell who is on the show to share about her new book "I've Never Been Here Before" and what it looks like to lead a big family on a big adventure around the world. From Morocco and Albania to the Philippines and Colombia, Ashley shares insight that isn't just about being a travel guide, but what it looks like to raise children that are truly global citizens. She sits down to talk with Brandon Stiver about the trip, the book and why basketball turned out to be the MVP of the trip. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Join more than 2,000 ministry leaders at CAFO2025 in Houston, Texas from October 1-3, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. Register for CAFO2025 in Houston Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code 'TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assessment Resources and Links from the show "I've Never Been Here Before" by Ashley Campbell (Amazon) Conversation Notes Taking a family of 7 through 21 countries on 5 continents in 365 days The fifteen year preparation for a year-long global trip Learning Cold War history from a country that was behind the Iron Curtain Building relationship with a Palestinian refugee living in Jordan A dual narrative approach to visiting Israel-Palestine Basketball as a cross-cultural bridge builder Turning an epic family trip into a book by a first time author Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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Summer Break, Updates and Honoring Our Founder Phil Darke
Jul 1, 202500:43:40Tap to summarizeIt has been four years since Phil invited Brandon to take over the podcast and the conversations since then (and all the way back to Phil's founding of the podcast in 2016) have been rich, uplifting and led to the equipping of people throughout the world to care for the vulnerable. In this mid-year episode, we're preparing to take a month off from releasing episodes, but there's an even bigger transition for our podcast community. This is a conversation for those in this community. Join this personal conversation with Phil and Brandon as we pursue God with open hands. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Providence World How Soccer Explains Leadership Podcast Conversation Notes Conversations happening on How Soccer Explains Leadership Updates from Phil's leadership over Providence World The history and origins of this podcast Brandon's call towards flexibility in ministry The transition of podcast hosting for Think Global, Do Justice
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Money, Orphan Care and Voluntourism with Barak Laub
Jun 17, 202501:02:23Tap to summarizeThere's no denying that western money in Global South countries has a profound impact, for better or worse. We might assume that spending money on volunteering and caring for orphans would be a net positive in the majority world. That however is not the case. As we dive back into the conversation around orphan care and volunteering, we're joined by filmmaker Barak Laub whose new documentary Volunteers Needed delves into this very dynamic in Nepal. He talks with Brandon Stiver about the film, his travels and the effort to advocate for government policies in the US that would mitigate harm in global orphan care. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Volunteers Needed Film Online The Westerner Abuse and Child Protection Conversation (Think Orphan Podcast) Conversation Notes The connection of volunteering to care for wild animals and canned hunting The importance of bringing and teaching skills when volunteering abroad The country conflict that led to the proliferation of orphanages in Nepal The relationship between corruption, poverty and caste in certain Asian countries The experience of kids that grow up in care in Nepal Misinformation told to volunteers that leads to exploitation Spending money in a way that reflects your values Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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The Power of Hope in Humanitarian Crises with Heath Adamson
Jun 3, 202500:57:01Tap to summarizeHope is a bit of a buzzword, but at the same time it is a lifeline for those that are experiencing humanitarian crises. What does it look like to experience hope in the midst of forcible displacement or losing your home in a natural disaster? Is it possible to have hope that is disconnected from the truth of Christ? Heath Adamson joins the show to help us think through these big questions. He talks with Brandon Stiver about his new book Hope Breaks Through and the work that Convoy of Hope is doing throughout the globe. Heath brings a wealth of biblical knowledge and on the ground experience that points to the God of hope and how we can partner with Him in bringing His promises to bear on the earth. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain. Visit Camino Quest Online Resources and Links from the show Hope Breaks Through by Heath Adamson (Amazon) Convoy of Hope Online To Transform a City by Eric Swanson and Sam Williams Conversation Notes The work of Convoy of Hope and their four pillars of development Having hope in the midst of dire situations throughout the world What is hope and how it relates to the story of Rahab in Joshua 2 The centrality of Christ in having true hope Understanding spiritual poverty and the difference between poverty in the Sermon on the Mount and the letter to the church in Laodicea in Revelation Having hope in the midst of current humanitarian crises right now through tornadoes in Missouri, flooding in Africa and typhoons in Asia The opportunity that we have to "turn aside" and join God's redemptive work Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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Biofortified Corn, Food Security and GMOs with Curt Bowen
May 27, 202501:03:21Tap to summarizeIt's impossible to ignore the interconnectedness of global justice issues and the complexity of systems that affect societies. Sometimes a system enables people to thrive and other times the system puts people at risk. A clear example of this is looking at food systems and malnutrition in Central America. To help us dive deeper, we have Curt Bowen of Semilla Nueva on the show today. With work that addresses malnutrition through economic development and government partnerships, Curt and his team have turned the region's stable of corn into a driver for social change. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain. Visit Camino Quest Online Resources and Links from the show Semilla Nueva Online Conversation Notes Understanding malnutrition and food insecurity in Central America The importance of taking a systems approach when addressing malnutrition Navigating public policy and legislation in a libertarian environment The intersections of economic development, climate change, forced displacement and malnutrition The difference between biofortified crops and GMOs Are GMOs always bad or do they just get a bad rap? Earned income is not always possible and doesn't fit every nonprofit operation Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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A Jewish Understanding of James 1:27 with Dr. Andrea Siegel
May 20, 202501:03:42Tap to summarizeJames 1:27 has long been a central biblical text from which our podcast community has drawn from. But to what extent have we delved into the depths of the Jewish context in which James wrote? To help us go deeper on this text and the social implications of true religion, we've invited Dr. Andrea Siegel to the show. Dr. Siegel has years of experience in humanitarian work, Hebrew studies and counseling and brings that to the text as the curriculum writer on Helping Children Worldwide's most recent orphan care resource. If you want to hear some things about James 1:27 that you've never heard before, this is a podcast to check out. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show One Twenty-Seven by Dr. Andrea Siegel and Helping Children Worldwide Conversation Notes The Old Testament backdrop of caring for orphans and widows The collective nature of James 1:27 and what it means to be guarantors of one another in caring for the vulnerable in society The connection with Exodus 22:21-23 and parsing out singular and plural pronouns for collective responsibility Not forgetting what we look like in the mirror and how that keeps us aware of our Genesis-selves A number of different Hebrew words and applications that enrich the understanding of the passage Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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Wrestling with the Problem of Evil with Dr. Chris Palmer
May 6, 202500:47:15Tap to summarizeWar. Famine. Poverty. Violence. Natural Disasters. Working in humanitarian spaces puts us up close and personal with some of the worst kinds of evil and suffering. In the face of it all, we follow a God who is both all good and all powerful. How do those two realities compute? It's a quandary that has been around a long time and we've invited Southeastern University's Dr. Chris Palmer onto the show to help us think biblically and theologically when we're faced with the problem of evil. From the killing fields in Polpot's Cambodia to earthquakes in the Middle East, we wrestle the reality of pain while clinging to God's goodness and embracing the mystery. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain. Visit Camino Quest Online Resources and Links from the show Dr. Palmer's Bio at Southeastern University Online Conversation Notes Chris being confronted with the evil of the killing fields in Cambodia How do we describe and define what evil is substantively Juxtaposing suffering that takes place in the natural world with the suffering caused by human agency The differing theodicies in seeking to understand God's justice The imperative of prayer to have our hearts conformed to God's heart Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License
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