Stuck in a Valley Surrounded by Trees! What does it take to turn an angry kid in detention into a lifelong disciple and pastor? In this episode of the Small Town Pastor Podcast, host Erik Nielsen and co-host Tony Coulombe sit down with longtime friend Sam Hough (Vernonia Christian Church) to trace the roots of his faith journey.
Sam shares his candid, unfiltered story—from growing up in Rochester, New York, in a home where Christianity wasn't welcomed, to smuggling a Bible into his room just to read 1 Samuel.
He opens up about how a persistent church community, a youth pastor who didn’t give up on him, and an intensive high school discipleship challenge completely rewired his life, leading him from hallway fights to Bible college at Ozark Christian College.
In this episode, we talk about:
Growing up independent, angry, and finding Christ unexpectedly in high school; how intentional, high-commitment discipleship reshapes young leaders.
Why Sam gave up high school sports to sit down with a pastor every week.
Memories from Ozark Christian College, mentors like Mark Scott, and learning the foundations of ministry.
Early ministry lessons from Welch, Oklahoma, to upstate New York.
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11 Sept 2026
67. Jason Ham (part 2)
“I WANT MY FRUIT TO GROW ON OTHER PEOPLE’S TREES.” Jason Ham joins us again today to talk about planting churches in one of America's most post-Christian cities. See links below:
www.thegatheringma.org
https://www.barna.com/research/post-christian-cities-2019/
www.churchproject.org
www.housechurchnetwork.com
28 Aug 2026
66. Jason Ham (part 1)
“I WAS A CULTURAL CHRISTIAN…LOOKING FOR GOD’S BLESSING PIXIE DUST.” Today we're joined by Jason Ham of the Gathering in Springfield, Massachusetts. Topics include the West Point band, euphoniums, the Christian rock band Petra, and Jason's road to church planting in New England. For more information, visit www.thegatheringma.org
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