The Starfish and the Church

About The Starfish and the Church

The Starfish and the Church podcast is a mix of interviews and storytelling where hosts Rob Wegner and Lance Ford explore a paradigm shift away from modern, hierarchical structures of leadership to a radical Jesus-centered, starfish approach. Like the podcast, check out more at thestarfishandthespirit.com

Publisher

Starfish Initiatives

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Feb 2021

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

50 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Alan Hirsch on AI, Idolatry, and the Future of Discipleship

   Alan Hirsch joins me for a conversation about AI, discipleship, human vocation, and what this moment may be revealing about the church. Alan believes we are living through an unusually disruptive, even “apocalyptic,” moment, not simply because AI can do remarkable things, but because it is exposing deeper questions about knowledge, creativity, truth, formation, and what we should never outsource. We talk about the ethical tensions beneath AI, what happens when words and expertise become almost infinitely available, why embodied discipleship matters more than ever, and Alan’s conviction that Jesus must remain the center. We also explore his new platform at AlanHirsch.com and the emerging Movemental.ai network, where roughly 100 missional leaders will contribute from within their own areas of calling and lived expertise. Finally, Alan shares why discernment may become one of the church’s most important spiritual practices in the years ahead. Alan and Brad Brisco will also be with us in Kansas City this November for The Church on Mission, a day exploring Jesus at the center, the church as a sent people, and the movemental future of the church. Details are in the show notes. For a deeper dive into the conversation, including my reflections on AI, formation, vocation, and what the church must never outsource, read the companion article and join the StarfishyoU Substack for free at https://starfishyou.substack.com (https://starfishyou.substack.com/).

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Stay Close to the Bear: Hugh Halter on surrender, his next big move, the back thirty, and following Jesus into the wild

   What does it look like to keep following Jesus when the shape of the invitation changes? In this conversation, Rob sits down with longtime friend, mentor, and missional pioneer Hugh Halter to talk about Hugh and Cheryl’s surprising move from Alton, Illinois, to the mountains of Idaho—and what Hugh is discovering as he enters what he calls “the back thirty” of his life. They explore calling and surrender, becoming a “sage friend,” and Hugh’s new work with The Journeyman Society, a simple and reproducible approach to forming men who can lead other men toward Jesus. Hugh unpacks the disciple-making DNA underneath Journeyman: incarnational mission, the priesthood of all believers, ordinary people making disciples, and an ecclesiology where church can emerge anywhere people are learning to follow Jesus together. The conversation also gets deeply personal. Hugh talks about Cheryl’s health, the recent death of his father, his own need to keep being spiritually formed, and why formation and mission belong together. It all leads to one unforgettable image: the difference between seeing a grizzly safely behind glass and encountering the bear in the wild. Hugh doesn’t want the domesticated version of Jesus. He wants to stay close to the bear. Read the companion article, “Stay Close to the Bear,” at: https://starfishyou.substack.com (https://starfishyou.substack.com/) Learn more about Hugh’s new work with The Journeyman Society: https://thejourneymensociety.com (https://thejourneymensociety.com/)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Making Disciple-Making Common Again: What Molly Soderstrom and The Brook Are Learning About Disciple-Making, Hospitality, and the Future of the Church

   What would it look like to make disciple-making common again? In this episode of Starfish and the Church, Rob sits down with Molly Soderstrom, leader of The Brook, a growing grassroots disciple-making movement among young professionals in Denver. The Brook has grown into a network of around 55 simple churches, but the story begins much smaller: a dance teacher who noticed Molly, shared Jesus with her, and modeled the simple idea that what we receive from Jesus is meant to be passed on. Molly shares how following the breadcrumbs of calling led her from campus ministry into the loneliness and spiritual curiosity of Denver’s young professionals. They talk about hospitality as mission, why happy hours and Instagram can become unlikely doorways into spiritual family, the power of simple and reproducible disciple-making practices, and what happens when ordinary people hear someone say, “I see this in you.” They also wrestle with a timely question: If we are praying for revival, are we prepared to disciple the people who respond? This is a hopeful conversation about calling, hospitality, multiplication, and recovering disciple-making as an ordinary way of life. Want to go deeper? Rob wrote a companion article for this conversation, “Make Disciple-Making Common Again,” exploring Molly’s story, The Brook, and what their experience may be teaching us about the future of disciple-making in North America. Read it on StarfishyoU on Substack (https://starfishyou.substack.com/). You can also find The Brook at thebrook.city and on Instagram at @thebrook.city.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

29

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact The Starfish and the Church

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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