In this episode of This Strange Land, Jason sits down with Evangelical Pastor Jeremy Johnson of Village Church to explore why so many people—especially younger generations—are becoming hungry for transcendence and turning toward ancient expressions of faith. Together they examine the limits of modernism, the dangers of consumer-driven Christianity, and what the Catholic and Protestant traditions can learn from each other in recovering a deeper encounter with Christ. A thoughtful, honest ecumenical conversation about discipleship, culture, and the future of the Church.

Guest Bio

Jeremy Johnson is a Senior Pastor at Village Church based in Surrey British Columbia, with locations across Canada. He has spent time teaching and writing about theology and culture and has a specific interest in how theological anthropology intersects with digital technology and spaces. Jeremy studied theology at Regent College where he completed an MA and ThM and has been married to his wife Jennifer for twenty two years and they have two six year old identical twin boys.

Timestamps

00:00 — The Transcendent Center of the Church
00:32 — Welcome to This Strange Land
01:15 — Introducing Jeremy Johnson
01:41 — Why an Evangelical Is Speaking to Catholics
03:45 — From “Convince Me It’s True” to “Show Me It’s Real”
04:55 — The Cultural Shift Toward Transcendence
06:30 — Why Young People Are Turning to Catholicism
08:07 — Liturgy as an Encounter With the Transcendent
10:10 — Village Church: Modern Excellence Meets Mystery
12:28 — Using Modern Tools Without Losing Transcendence
14:26 — The Consumer Christian Problem
17:08 — Bad Questions and Reductionist Faith
21:06 — Wrestling With Faith vs. Control
24:13 — Defining Modernism and Its Limits
29:53 — Technology’s Agenda vs. the Church’s Mission
31:18 — The Mental Health Crisis as a Modernist Failure
35:34 — Post-Postmodernism and Emerging Worldviews
40:29 — Transcending Philosophies, Not Becoming Them
59:13 — “It’s God’s Work, Not Ours”
1:20:58 — Pope Leo and the Power of Transcendence

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Learn more about Glass Canvas ➡︎ https://glasscanvas.io

In this episode of This Strange Land, Jason Simon and Jason Jensen dive deep into what real accompaniment looks like in today’s Church. They explore why traditional ministry metrics are no longer enough, how parishes can cultivate “accompaniment capacity,” and why curiosity, presence, and trust in the Holy Spirit are essential to walking with people far from faith. Together, they unpack the shift from program-driven ministry to people-driven mission — one authentic relationship at a time.

Guest Bio

Jason Simon is the President of the Evangelical Catholic, an organization dedicated to forming missionary disciples and equipping parishes, campuses, and dioceses for evangelization. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Jason has spent decades helping Catholic leaders build cultures of accompaniment, discipleship, and mission. He and his wife, Grace, have been married for 27 years and are parents to six children.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to the Episode
00:53 – Jason Simon Introduces Himself
02:00 – What Excites Jason About the Church Today
03:33 – The Changing Language of Evangelization
04:20 – The New Shift: Equipping the Laity
06:00 – Luis Shares His Parallel Conversion Story
09:00 – The Rise of “Accompaniment” as a Core Concept
10:50 – Introducing the Idea of Accompaniment Capacity
14:45 – Jason Reacts to Accompaniment Capacity
15:40 – A Powerful Example of Real Accompaniment
18:00 – “The Measure Is Love, Not Numbers”
19:45 – Mission Capacity vs. Accompaniment
23:00 – The Fear of Letting Go of Old Metrics
25:00 – Why Current Metrics Don’t Measure Evangelical Vibrancy
30:00 – How Leaders Should Track Actual Mission Stories
33:00 – Why Pastors Must Invest in the 5%
36:30 – The Limits of Programs Like Alpha
38:45 – Luis on the Truth Pastors Must Face
45:00 – What Qualitative Accompaniment Looks Like
47:00 – Curiosity as the Superpower of Accompaniment
50:00 – Compassionate Curiosity & Seeing People as God Sees Them
56:00 – How Being Seen Heals the Accompanier Too
01:00:00 – Why Apologetics Often Short-Circuits Accompaniment
01:05:30 – Identity, Shame Culture, and Evangelization Today
01:14:00 – Apprenticing Under Jesus as the Framework for Discipleship
01:20:00 – Hope + Radical Acceptance
01:33:00 – Helping People See Jesus as Personally Relevant
01:43:00 – Final Reflections on the Slow Work of Accompaniment

Thank you for listening to this episode with Jason Simon. If this episode encouraged you, make sure to subscribe on your favourite streaming platform and follow us on Instagram to be notified about our latest episodes.

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Learn more about Glass Canvas ➡︎ https://glasscanvas.io

In this episode of This Strange Land, Jake Khym joins us to explore how a Gospel worldview can transform our identity, relationships, and spiritual lives. He and Jason unpack how to invite others into Kingdom reality, why identity is central to healing, and how our loves and sins reveal our deepest beliefs about who God is. Together, they reflect on how healing happens, how to pray with expectation, and why even the “crumbs” of God are enough to change everything. This is a deep and honest conversation about discipleship, desire, and discovering who we truly are in Christ.

Jake is a Catholic leader with over 20 years experience in various ministry settings. He has a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology with a concentration in Catechetics. Jake has worked in adult faith formation, seminarian and priestly formation, diocesan evangelization, catechesis, RCIA, retreat ministry, and has a private counseling practice for over 15 years. He is the cofounder of Life Restoration Ministries.

0:00 - Introducing Jake Khym 02:10 - How Jake & Jason see the world 05:11 - Inviting people into a Biblical worldview 13:41 - Who do you follow? 15:41 - How to engage with people 23:00 - What are things that bring us into a Kingdom reality? 34:20 - The power of understanding who you are 50:20 - Discovering your identity enables you to discover God 59:00 - How what we love & where we sin reveals our faith 1:03:57 - What we believe about ourselves is at the heart of why we’re sinning 1:05 - What healing really is 1:14:11 - How to pray & experience the ‘crumbs’ of God 1:32:33 - Last thoughts from Jake & Jason

Restore the Glory Podcast - https://www.restoretheglorypodcast.com/ Life Restoration Ministries - https://www.liferestoration.ca/ Franciscan University - https://franciscan.edu/ Abiding Together Podcast - https://www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com/ Sprints with Glass Canvas - https://www.glasscanvas.io/sprints

Thank you for listening to this episode with Jake Khym. If this episode encouraged you, make sure to subscribe on your favourite streaming platform and follow us on Instagram to be notified about our latest episodes.

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Learn more about Glass Canvas ➡︎ https://glasscanvas.io