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

Stay Connected

Thank you for listening to this episode with Jeremy Johnson. 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, 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

In this episode of This Strange Land, we sit down with members of the Brotherhood of Hope to explore how we can live faithfully in today’s postmodern, often pagan, culture. We talk about the core beliefs of the Brotherhood, the deep hunger people have to be seen, to know their identity, hear truth, and be in authentic community. We also dive into the prophetic role of the Church today—what it means to speak truth in love, the risks involved, and hear stories from the Brotherhood’s experience on college campuses. From conversations about sin to living in the Spirit and expecting God to speak, this is a rich and stirring look at what it means to follow Christ with courage and hope in this strange land.

0:00 - Introducing Brotherhood of Hope 01:52 - BoH core beliefs 03:33 - The pagan culture we find ourselves in 08:27 - Postmodern vs. modernism 12:46 - What are people actually looking for? 17:00 - The actual value of community 21:40 - Shame, guilt, and identity 25:07 - How to approach a conversation about sin 31:12 - The prophetic gift of BoH 50:00 - Reacting to the Second Vatican Council 56:00 - What does risk have to do with being a prophet? 1:11:45 - How can we start living this? 1:25:13 - How to remain living in the Spirit 1:29:26 - Expecting God to speak

“We’re no longer in Jerusalem. We’re in Babylon. We’re a Christian people no longer living in Christendom – we’re living in a foreign land.” – Brother Clinton

Brotherhood of Hope – https://brotherhoodofhope.org/life Dallas Willard – https://www.amazon.ca/Hearing-God-Dallas-Willard/dp/0830835695 Eric Chow – https://weareproclaim.com/

Thank you for listening to this episode with the Brotherhood of Hope. 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, Father Elsbett from Vienna shares insights on rebuilding ministry, making Mass meaningful, and evangelizing in today’s culture. He discusses relational evangelization, reaching young people, and shifting worldviews, offering wisdom on leading with vision and adapting to a changing spiritual landscape.

TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Introducing Father Elsbett 1:35 – The first steps to seeing fruit in a diocese 10:15 – If the ministry in Vienna burnt down, how would Fr. rebuild? 17:52 – Father’s unique ministry 29:00 – Should Mass be a sensational and emotional experience? 33:30 – What does Mass in Father’s community look like? 40:44 – Pushback to Father’s methods 45:10 – New ideas for bringing the Gospel to the new culture 48:34 – Relationship as the first point in evangelization 53:20 – The best methods for reaching young people 58:24 – Is Mass a means for evangelization? 1:07:00 – How does worldview shifting occur? 1:11:00 – Why communicating your vision to your people matters 1:14:00 – The missional nature of giving 1:17:00 – The evangelistic opportunity of Ash Wednesday 1:20:00 – Old school atheism isn’t in anymore 1:25:00 – Encouragement from Father Elsbett

NOTEWORTHY QUOTES "There’s never a hopeless situation for a Christian." – Father Elsbett "God is so great that even out of great evil, He can bring about great good. That doesn’t make evil good, it just makes God great." – Father Elsbett

MENTIONED Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley Preaching on Purpose: A Divine Renovation Handbook for Communicating the Gospel Today by Divine Renovation The Alpha Course Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter by Michael White and Tom Corcoran

STAY CONNECTED Thank you for listening to this episode with Father Elsbett. 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.

CONNECT WITH US https://www.instagram.com/thisstrangeland/

WHO WE ARE ➡︎ https://www.glasscanvas.io/

In this episode, Jason Jensen sits down with Pete Burak to discuss what true fruitfulness looks like, the role of the Holy Spirit in transformation, and how charisms shape the Church. They also explore the balance between strategic planning and spiritual surrender, the importance of mythic narrative, and the urgent need for strong spiritual leadership today.

Pete Burak is the director of id, the young adult outreach of Renewal Ministries. He is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and has a Master’s Degree in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. Pete is a frequent speaker on discipleship, evangelization, and young adult topics, and he is the co-director of Pine Hills Boys Camp. Pete and his wife, Cait, have four children.

0:00 – Introducing Pete Burak 2:04 – What does fruitfulness look like? 10:09 – What is the Charismatic Movement? 17:01 – Is transformation without the Holy Spirit possible? 26:20 – Charisms in the Church 38:33 – How to receive gifts from the Lord & live out what we’re called to do 45:10 – How an organization can be strategic while being led by the Spirit 55:50 – The need for an understanding of Mythic Narrative & a divorce from world ideas 1:03:00 – The problem with centering ourselves on our feelings 1:08:45 - People want truth in a loving way 1:25 - Being attuned to the Spirit in our accompaniment 1:30 - The biggest gap in the Church right now is spiritual leadership 1:40 - An encouragement to church leaders

“What could be more dangerous than ignoring part of the Trinity? . . . To minimize or ignore the Spirit is to ignore God.” – Pete Burak “Feelings make wonderful servants but terrible masters.” - Viktor Frankel “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:14

Clothed with Power from On High: A Short Catechesis on Charisms in the Life and Mission of the Church by Scott McKay Charismatic – It’s the baptism of the Spirit and living by the Spirit. Sometimes there is a more outward expression of those gifts. But it’s a leading of the promptings of the Spirit. Mythic Narrative – “A return to biblical worldview and the deepest reality that is.”

Thank you for listening to this episode with Pete Burak. 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, Jason Jensen and Eric Chow sit down to discuss the Proclaim Movement in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, the missionary potential of Catholic parishes, and principles for powerful transformation. Together they break down Proclaim’s Parish Transformation Framework, and share what they’ve seen bears fruit in the local church.

Guest Bio

Eric Chow currently serves as Director for Proclaim and Associate Director for Ministries and Outreach at the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He has been in mission and leadership for almost 20 years. As a lay missionary, involvement in his local parish, school, and mens ministry, Eric finds life in roles of leadership, strategy, and mentorship. He loves working through others, seeing them succeed, and mentoring/coaching people in their gifts and talents. Eric loves being a husband to Vanessa, and father to Eva, Isabel, Sophie, Samuel, and Francis. You can usually find Eric climbing a mountain, fishing, or roasting coffee.

Learn more about the Proclaim movement ➡︎ https://weareproclaim.com/

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction to Eric
15:30 - What inspired the Proclaim movement?
16:30 - What did the pandemic change about evangelization?
24:00 - The most important skill a missionary disciple needs to have
28:40 - The call of every disciple
32:40 - The Parish Transformation Framework
43:50 - What Proclaim is not
50:50 - What program is best for parish renewal?
56:00 - How do the other activities of the parish fit in the framework?
1:01:55 - What about the liturgy?
1:06:42 - Things are not as rigid as we think they are
1:09:03 - When things need to change
1:10:30 - Why aren’t healing & way of life included in the Framework?
1:19:30 - The consequences of separating holiness & mission
1:22:42 - The need to be laser focused

Breaking down the Parish Transformation Framework
1:23:18 - Prayer & Discernment
1:40:57 - Mission & Values
1:52:45 - Leadership & Operations
1:58:21 - Spiritual Gifts Discernment
2:15:32 - Accompaniment
2:27:53 - Evangelize Your Community & Evangelize Beyond

Noteworthy Quotes

• “I dream of a 'missionary option', that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.” - Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (27)
• “The Church exists, and we as part of the Church – our deepest identity – is to evangelize.” - Eric Chow
• “Parishes need to know what they’re about.” - Eric Chow
• “Holiness & mission are two sides of the same coin.” - Pope Benedict XVI
• “Meaningful formation and a way of life should always lead to mission & self-gift.” - Eric Chow

Thank you for listening to this episode with Eric Chow. 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 Tilma ➡︎ https://tilmaplatform.com/

Who we are ➡︎ https://www.glasscanvas.io/