The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.
In today's episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, Holly talks with Jon Ritner, Lead Pastor of Ecclesia Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Jon Ritner is the Lead Pastor of Ecclesia, a community-centered church nestled in the heart of Hollywood. Ecclesia has a unique ministry focus because of its location, striving to help people forge deep relationships despite being in a transient, busy, and often "skin-deep" city.
Before serving at Ecclesia, Jon was familiar with the ministry context of a large city, having served as Pastor of The Well, a multi-site church in Brussels, Belgium. Prior to being called to Belgium, Jon served for ten years at the intergenerational Williamsburg Community Chapel.
Holly talks with Jon about:
In a de-churched culture, you have to cross the cultural barrier & go to them.
Live more like Jesus & less like "Christians."
Invest in individual people, not programs.
Inhabit spaces where you can encounter nonbelievers & live out the kingdom of God around them.
In a big city, you have to be adaptable. You can't come in with a pre-fab ministry model that works somewhere else.