Summer Programs 2026 is coming!

In this catch-up and course preview conversation, Claire and Rachel reconnect with Dr. Elizabeth Sung, who shares her journey through systematic theology to moral theology and questions of spiritual formation. She shares her reflections on the good life and how biblical principles from the gospel can transform our understanding of flourishing here and now. She shares her lived experience and perspectives on the depth and breadth of salvation, love, shalom, and spiritual formation. Lisa offers reflections on the particular pitfalls of "false gospels," the expansiveness of agape love, and the delusions of the false self. Lisa shares her insights and takeaways from the Scriptures, the writings of Dallas Willard, and other key theologians and spiritual writers in ways that have touched and formed her own life.

Lisa's Bio

Elizabeth (Lisa) Sung, PhD, is a systematic theologian and spiritual director. She served as Visiting Associate Professor of Theology at Regent College from 2022 to 2025, and continues to teach courses for Regent as a Faculty Teaching Fellow. She now serves as Theologian-in-Residence at The InterVarsity Institute, where she brings her life and her ministry and academic experience 15 years as a full-time theology professor at 3 major seminaries in the US and Canada, preceded by 13 years as a campus minister, mostly serving graduate students at The University of Chicago, to her work. Lisa’s primary specialization is theological anthropology, and secondarily (in connection with it), soteriology. Currently, she is writing two books: Race, Racism, and Christian Moral Identity and a volume on theological anthropology. She also speaks on these topics at churches, conferences, and professional development workshops. We are glad to say that Lisa will be back with us this summer from June 8-12, teaching “The Good Life and Christ: A Theological Reframing of the Gospel of Salvation.”

Previous Podcast Appearances

Do Racial Categories Contribute to Racism? (August 2022)

Regent College Podcast

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In this conversation, we catch up with our friends at Strathcona Vineyard, a small, vibrant, multi-ethnic, mixed-socio-economic congregation in the heart of Vancouver's DTES, Canada’s poorest urban postcode. Dawn Humphreys, Jamie Hellawell, and James Witwicki share what incarnational ministry means, emphasizing the importance of presence, relationship, and community engagement that levels inequalities and invites people to participate. They share their experiences living in the DTES, and the challenges and rewards of long-term commitment to a community. We touch on the significance of kinship, the need to challenge power dynamics, and the transformative nature of living in proximity to suffering. If you've ever wondered what living in inner city Vancouver will do to your ecclesiology and how you measure success in ministry, listen in, and perhaps embrace the risk of following God's call into this community, or another community like it.

Guest Bios

Dawn Humphreys helped plant Strathcona Vineyard Church 20 years ago and has served as lead pastor for the past 17 years. She was also on the founding team for Jacob’s Well, a relationally focused ministry in the DTES, and served on staff there for 11 years until 2012. Dawn is passionate about inspiring and equipping others to engage with God’s heart for the poor and oppressed. She has supervised Regent Interns for many years, including during her time at Jacob’s Well and at Strathcona Vineyard, and worked part-time as a Pastoral Representative for the M.Div. Program at Regent College for just over two years. She also works as the Engage Catalyst for Vineyard Canada, helping unify efforts in justice and societal impact so Vineyard Churches and the people who belong to these communities can flourish. Before her life in Vancouver, Dawn spent eight years living in various parts of Southeast Asia with St Stephen's Society, an incarnational missional community based in Hong Kong, where she learned the rhythms of faithful presence and how God moves in everyday life. Dawn brings a vital challenge and encouragement to the Church regarding current paradigms of ministry and the empowerment of people on society’s margins.

Jamie Hellawell has lived in Vancouver’s DTES for over 20 years, during which he completed a PhD in philosophy. He served as Associate Pastor at Strathcona Vineyard Church for over 8 years. After completing a master’s in counselling, Jamie began working as a counsellor at the end of last year. Jamie loves connecting with people from diverse educational, cultural, and life experiences. Over the years, he has overseen Small Groups, led Bible studies, and discussions exploring the intersection of faith, philosophy, and theology, among many other initiatives. He was also a key part of Strathcona’s Housing Project, where derelict houses were renovated into liveable homes for community members, allowing the church to continue offering hospitality. In this work, he drew on his skills as a professional painter, his love of working with his hands and seeing a project through to completion. Jamie is married to April, who has her own counselling practice, and together they have three daughters. Jamie brings a compassionate and steady leadershi

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In this wide-ranging, holistic conversation, we catch up with theologian and practitioner, Dr. Ruth Padilla-DeBorst, who discusses her experiences living between cultures and her understanding of justice and peace from a biblical perspective. She emphasizes the importance of integral mission and evangelicalism's struggle to integrate evangelism and justice work, as seen in her experience at the Lausanne Global Conference in 2024. She also reflects on how peace and justice go hand in hand. A member of the newly formed A Rocha Costa Rica, Ruth reflects on Casa Adobe's engagement with ecological justice and the impact of climate migration. She advocates for a Latin(o/a) perspective in reading Scripture and theology, reflecting on the fact that all theology is contextual. Finally, she calls for the Western church to learn from the resilience of global communities in our particular historical moment.

Note: This podcast was recorded on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026.

Ruth's Bio

Dr. Ruth Padilla DeBorst is a theologian, scholar, and advocate for global justice, with a focus on mission, community development, and social engagement. Originally from Argentina, Ruth has dedicated much of her career to integrating the gospel with issues of poverty, inequality, and human dignity. She is the author of several key publications, including Reading the Bible Latinamente, and has contributed to numerous academic journals and books on faith, justice, creation care, and mission. Through her work, Ruth continues to shape global conversations around the intersection of faith and justice, with a particular focus on marginalized communities.

Previous Podcast Appearances:

Wise Leadership #3: Becoming Leaders in Community (March 2022)

Regent College Podcast

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