Don’t Wait for Community to Come to You!

About The Podcast

Josh Ellison, a fourth-generation faith leader, was born to be a pastor. As a student pastor at Church of the Highlands in Columbus, Georgia, he helped build a community passionate about God and deeply welcoming to struggling teens searching for meaning and hope. Now, as he prepares to take on a lead pastor role in his hometown of Naples, Florida, Josh reflects on what he’s learned, both as the son of an influential minister and as a pastor himself. In a conversation with The Redeemed founder Paul Amos, he shares about the values and vision that will shape his leadership at his new church.

Show Notes

Timestamps

Discussion

1. Growing up, did you feel like your parents set a high bar for you, whether in business, community leadership, academia, or family life? Did you feel pressure to emulate their success? Looking back now, do you think that pressure came more from others, or was it something you mostly put on yourself

2. Josh admires the way his father balanced grace and forgiveness with accountability. How would you describe the balance your parents struck between those values? Did they raise you the way Josh’s dad raised his kids, or did they tend toward one extreme or the other — being overly permissive and hands-off, or being overly harsh and disciplinarian? How do you think that’s shaped you as an adult?

3. If you have kids, do you try to emulate or avoid what your parents did when it came to raising kids?

4. Josh observes that young people today have access to more information about faith and the Bible than any previous generation — but paradoxically, they feel less connected to God than ever before. Does that description resonate with your experience? Did you feel like you lacked a real relationship with God despite being surrounded by information and churchgoing people? If so, what do you think caused that disconnect

5. How would you describe your general attitude toward change as a young man — did it excite you or make you feel worried? How has your attitude toward change evolved as you’ve grown older? If change still makes you anxious as an adult, has that ever kept you stuck in unhealthy habits simply because they are familiar?

6. When it came to your inner thoughts, feelings, and insecurities as a young person, did you trust others enough to share them? If you were willing to be vulnerable and share those thoughts with others, who were the people you were most likely to share with, and what made you comfortable confiding in them? If you weren’t very trusting, what caused you to be reluctant to open up to others? Has your willingness to be vulnerable with others changed as you’ve matured into an adult

7. How intentional are you about seeking community and friendships? Do you eagerly seek them out, or are you more likely to wait for others to come to you? What experiences in your life influence the way you approach community and friendships

8. Continuing with question 7, if you describe yourself as someone who generally waits for community to come to you, has that limited your opportunities in any way? What lead you to depart from that pattern and join The Redeemed?