Our Urban Voices

About Our Urban Voices

Deep conversations with diverse voices about urban ministry and Christian narratives. In "Our Urban Voices with Dr. Alfonse Javed," we will cover everything from churches and church planting efforts, missions and missions organization, evangelism and unreached people groups, emerging movements and initiatives, justice, current events related to faith and the persecuted church, to author interviews and reviews.

Publisher

Dr. Alfonse Javed

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Nov 2021

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

163 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   #164. Beyond Charisma: What Makes Leadership Truly Matter

   Lasting leadership does not begin with charisma or ambition but with surrender, stewardship, and servanthood. Dr Margaret Diddams and Dr Shirley Mullen coauthored Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership, which draws on John Wesley as a wise and surprisingly relevant leadership tutor for cultivating courage, humility, and hope for leadership that can last a lifetime. Dr Margaret Diddams IVPress Page (https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams) Dr Shirley Mullen IVPress Page (https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen) Book: Tried and True (https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true) Dr Margaret Diddams Amazon Page (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Margaret-Diddams/author/B0GLM4SY8B?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1792459788&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=6e93d4b6-8392-4482-af56-404eac90d871) Dr Shirley Mullen Amazon Page (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shirley-A.-Mullen/author/B0GQJKRH5C?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1792459788&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=319de24c-b977-4afd-a5aa-131a1ff756b7) WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Two Major Ways to Motivate People Where Charisma Goes Wrong Leaders Help People Flourish ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr Margaret Diddams is an industrial-organizational psychologist, leadership consultant, educator, and editor of Christian Scholar’s Review, whose work explores how Christian faith shapes leadership, character, and human flourishing. Having served in higher-education leadership, including as provost of Wheaton College, and in the corporate world at Microsoft, she brings both scholarly depth and practical experience to the question of what faithful leadership requires in complex institutions. She is coauthor, with Shirley Mullen, of Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership, which draws on John Wesley as a wise and surprisingly relevant leadership tutor for cultivating courage, humility, and hope for leadership that can last a lifetime. Dr Shirley Mullen served for four decades in the world of Christian higher education, most recently for 15 years as the President of Houghton University. She has earned doctorates in both history and philosophy. In retirement, she has served on several boards, and continued her mentoring of young leaders, as well as speaking and writing. Her book, Claiming the Courageous Middle, came out from Baker Academic in 2024. RELATED LINKS: Dr Margaret Diddams IVPress Page (https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams) Dr Shirley Mullen IVPress Page (https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen) Book: Tried and True (https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true) Dr Margaret Diddams Amazon Page (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Margaret-Diddams/author/B0GLM4SY8B?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1792459788&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=6e93d4b6-8392-4482-af56-404eac90d871) Dr Shirley Mullen Amazon Page (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shirley-A.-Mullen/author/B0GQJKRH5C?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1792459788&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=319de24c-b977-4afd-a5aa-131a1ff756b7) TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES: 00:39 - Introducing Dr Margaret Diddams & Dr Shirley Mullen 02:14 - Charisma is a Double-Edged Sword 04:16 - Two Major Ways to Motivate People 04:23 - ...authority 04:30 - ...influence 04:44 - ...good leaders do both 05:00 - Where Charisma Goes Wrong 05:19 - ...diffuse hope that is emotionally laden 07:12 - Charismatic Leaders Have Two Choices 07:17 - ...deliver on their promises 07:26 - ...instability and promise a different future 07:44 - Research on Charismatic Leaders 07:51 - ...the perception is better than actuality 08:29 - ...sense of entitlement 08:53 - ...fallenness in leaders 10:54 - Leaders Help People Flourish 11:25 - ...valuing people, not using them 11:56 - ...healthy leaders ensure that people under you are growing and developing 12:34 - ...leadership and calling set within God's kingdom purposes 13:59 - ...a healthy organization has growing people and growing leaders 14:52 - Takeaways from Dr Diddams and Dr Mullen 18:06 - Finding Dr Margaret Diddam and Dr Shirley Mullen: Amazon, LinkedIn DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com (http://oururbanvoices.com/)

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   #163. What If Leadership Isn't About Being in Control?: Surrender, Stewardship, and Servanthood

   Lasting leadership does not begin with charisma or ambition but with surrender, stewardship, and servanthood. Dr Margaret Diddams and Dr Shirley Mullen coauthored Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership, which draws on John Wesley as a wise and surprisingly relevant leadership tutor for cultivating courage, humility, and hope for leadership that can last a lifetime. https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams (https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams) https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen (https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen) https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true (https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true) WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Relevancy of John Wesley's Leadership Style Healthy Organizations Need Healthy Leaders Lasting Leadership Begins with Surrender, Stewardship, and Servanthood ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr Margaret Diddams is an industrial-organizational psychologist, leadership consultant, educator, and editor of Christian Scholar’s Review, whose work explores how Christian faith shapes leadership, character, and human flourishing. Having served in higher-education leadership, including as provost of Wheaton College, and in the corporate world at Microsoft, she brings both scholarly depth and practical experience to the question of what faithful leadership requires in complex institutions. She is coauthor, with Shirley Mullen, of Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership, which draws on John Wesley as a wise and surprisingly relevant leadership tutor for cultivating courage, humility, and hope for leadership that can last a lifetime. Dr Shirley Mullen served for four decades in the world of Christian higher education, most recently for 15 years as the President of Houghton University. She has earned doctorates in both history and philosophy. In retirement, she has served on several boards, and continued her mentoring of young leaders, as well as speaking and writing. Her book, Claiming the Courageous Middle, came out from Baker Academic in 2024. RELATED LINKS: https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams (https://www.ivpress.com/margaret-diddams) https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen (https://www.ivpress.com/shirley-a-mullen) https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true (https://www.ivpress.com/tried-and-true) TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES: 00:37 - Introducing Dr Margaret Diddams and Dr Shirley Mullen 04:38 - Collaboration on their new book, Tried and True 06:34 - Relevancy of John Wesley's Leadership Style 08:07 - Mission and Organization Beyond John Wesley 09:35 - Healthy Organizations Need Healthy Leaders 10:27 - ...cultivate mission continually 11:37 - ...drift or unhealthiness when the leader look for affirmation 13:08 - ...healthy leaders have to care for themselves and their families 15:35 - Lasting Leadership Begins with Surrender, Stewardship, and Servanthood 16:27 - ...grounded in surrender to the Holy Spirit 16:42 - ...caretaker entrusted with a treasuer 17:10 - ...servant leadership 18:30 - Surrender in Everyday Leadership 19:08 - ...the opposite of surrender 19:28 - ...why am I leading? 20:00 - ...leading for a purpose 20:27 - ...we don't add to God's glory 20:59 - ...doing things FOR God vs time WITH God 21:23 - ...Lead in such a way that increases dependence on God 23:12 - Thinking Like a Steward 24:00 - ...past into the present into the future 24:52 - ...humility 25:37 - ...knowing when to let go 27:20 - ...freeing role of stewardship 28:11 - Living Out Biblical Servanthood 28:38 - ...what is the leader a servant to? 29:29 - ...servant to a larger mission and nurture the people 29:53 - ...passivity masquerading as empowerment 30:16 - ...focus on what needs to be done; give away the credit 30:52 - ...leadership is US 32:34 - ...servant-prophet 38:02 - Surrender, Stewardship, and Servanthood Work Together DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com (http://oururbanvoices.com/)

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   #162. When Communication Gets Hard: Conflict, Forgiveness, and Following Jesus

   Every day we give and receive communication. But good communication doesn’t always come naturally. Strengthening our skills is vital not only for those who specialize in communication but for everyone who wants to have healthy relationships, love our neighbors, and shape the world around us for good. In Authentic Communication, educators Tim Muehlhoff and Todd Lewis offer a wealth of resources from both communication studies and the Bible. This textbook unpacks the essential elements of communication and applies them to common challenges, offering a unique look at biblical principles of communication such as loving our enemies and blessing those who insult us. Dr Tim Muehlhoff's website (winsomeconviction.com) Dr Tim Muehlhoff at Biola University (https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/timothy-muehlhoff) Dr Tim Muehlehoff on IVPress (https://www.ivpress.com/tim-muehlhoff) Book: Authentic Communication, Christian Speech Engaging Culture (https://www.ivpress.com/authentic-communication) WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Living Out Authentic Communication Biblical Forgiveness and Communication Communication Reflects Discipleship ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola) in La Mirada, CA. He is the senior director of the Winsome Conviction Project that seeks to open lines of communication, not close them. His newest book, Authentic Communication: Christian Speech Engaging Culture, written with Todd Lewis, blends biblical wisdom with communication research to help Christians become better listeners, wiser speakers, healthier peacemakers, and more faithful witnesses. RELATED LINKS: Dr Tim Muehlhoff's website (winsomeconviction.com) Dr Tim Muehlhoff at Biola University (https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/timothy-muehlhoff) Dr Tim Muehlehoff on IVPress (https://www.ivpress.com/tim-muehlhoff) Book: Authentic Communication, Christian Speech Engaging Culture (https://www.ivpress.com/authentic-communication) TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES: 00:38 - Introducing Dr Tim Muehlhoff 01:48 - Living Out Authentic Communication 02:22 - ...destructive conflict vs conflict that helps relationships grow 03:06 - ...compromise 03:55 - ...latent conflict 04:22 - ...setting ground rules 04:36 - ...it will take time 04:50 - Conflicts Within the Church 05:16 - ...expect conflict 06:06 - ...advancing Jesus' kingdom 06:39 - ...the danger of choosing not to engage in conflict 09:23 - Biblical Forgiveness & Communication 10:00 - ...authentic forgiveness 10:19 - ...giving up your right to get even 10:39 - ...not the same as reconciliation 13:12 - ...not forgiving is not an option 14:33 - Being persuasive without manipulation, marketing, and winning arguments 16:00 - ...the most persuasive thing is your reputation 16:45 - Christians Engaging in Popular Culture 17:29 - ...being part of the community 18:17 - ...help our enemies 19:43 - Communication Reflects Discipleship 20:15 - ...Jesus only overturned the tables once... 21:02 - ...but what did Jesus mostly do? 22:06 - A Few Habits to Incorporate Authentic Communication 22:27 - ...talk is cheap 23:14 - ...how you start a conversation 23:39 - ...believe the best about a person 24:02 - Finding Dr Muehlhoff - winsomeconviction .com DID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com (http://oururbanvoices.com/)

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