In this episode, Dave talks to John Braland about everything from working as an undercover narcotics agent with the Office of Special Investigations in Bitburg, Germany to how Freshwater Church is pivoting their ministry today.
John shares about his time in the Air Force and the Persian Gulf War where he started thinking about his faith (4:30). Dave asks John about how his time in the military shaped his leadership perspective (~11:00) and John speaks about being an observer of people and the jobs that taught him what it meant to serve.
John talks about the beginnings of Freshwater Church and the interesting interactions they had in the early days when they met in the old city hall rec room (~17:30). John explains his belief that people are drawn to authenticity and the importance of sharing his struggles and past while celebrating victories (~22:00).
Dave asks John how his ministry has shifted during COVID and John talks about Freshwater’s pivot to a pastoral driven approach (~26:00). Specifically, John talks about one of Dave’s favorite stories of this season an initiative called “The Village” (~30:00). John explains how the Village, which began with a mission to connect neighbors to help meet the needs of their community, grew to over 500 people overnight. Finally, Dave asks John what he is hopeful for right now (~36:30) and John leaves with some advice for churches in this new digital age.
To learn more about John and Freshwater Church you can visit johnbraland.com and freshwater.church
Both of John’s books are available in the links below:
Wounded to Wonderful - Wounded to Wonderful: A Biblically-Based Approach for Finding Emotional Healing, Hope, and Happiness in Your Life
Find out more about Dave Travis at generis.com/dave-travis and subscribe to the newsletter at churchleaderinsider.substack.com
