Homepage / Pivot Podcast /#49: Learning to Ask ‘God Questions’: Transforming an Inherited Church
In today’s episode, our co-hosts talk with guest Blair Pogue, the canon for vitality and innovation in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, who continues to work across the state to cultivate discipleship and missional engagement for the 94 Episcopal faith communities in Minnesota.
Tune in as we dive into the pivot from membership to discipleship. Discover how to facilitate conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of God, shifting from church to God-focused questions.
The Rev. Blair Pogue is the Canon for Innovation in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. In that capacity, she helps congregations all over the state go deeper in their practice of the Christian faith, and learn how to join up with spiritually curious neighbors Jesus loves who don’t go to church. Before joining Bishop Loya’s staff, she was the rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul for 16 ½ years, and before she served rural and suburban congregations in Virginia, with a special focus on Christian formation. She has a Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.
Dr. Dee Stokes is an entrepreneurial minister, educator, consultant, author, and podcaster. With 30 years of experience in education, Dr. Stokes understands what it means to be co-vocational and serve God in the Church and in the marketplace.
She has worked at every level of education and has also served as a Senior Pastor, Formation and Connections Pastor, and Teaching Pastor. She has a passion for God and His Church and to see people walk in divine destiny. Her degrees are in Sociology (B.A. from UNC Charlotte), Public Administration (M.P.A. from Devry University), Biblical and Theological Foundations (M.B.T.F. from Asbury Theological Seminary), and Educational Leadership (Ed.S. & Ed.D. from Liberty University). Dr. Stokes’s research interests include Cultural Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Burnout, Transformational Leadership, unconscious bias, and spousal responsibility.
Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest books are The Starter’s Way (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) and Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue).
Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.
Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.
Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.
Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.
The Rev. Blair Pogue is the Canon for Innovation in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. In that capacity, she helps congregations all over the state go deeper in their practice of the Christian faith, and learn how to join up with spiritually curious neighbors Jesus loves who don’t go to church. Before joining Bishop Loya’s staff, she was the rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul for 16 ½ years, and before she served rural and suburban congregations in Virginia, with a special focus on Christian formation. She has a Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.
Dr. Dee Stokes is an entrepreneurial minister, educator, consultant, author, and podcaster. With 30 years of experience in education, Dr. Stokes understands what it means to be co-vocational and serve God in the Church and in the marketplace.
She has worked at every level of education and has also served as a Senior Pastor, Formation and Connections Pastor, and Teaching Pastor. She has a passion for God and His Church and to see people walk in divine destiny. Her degrees are in Sociology (B.A. from UNC Charlotte), Public Administration (M.P.A. from Devry University), Biblical and Theological Foundations (M.B.T.F. from Asbury Theological Seminary), and Educational Leadership (Ed.S. & Ed.D. from Liberty University). Dr. Stokes’s research interests include Cultural Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Burnout, Transformational Leadership, unconscious bias, and spousal responsibility.
Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest books are The Starter’s Way (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) and Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue).
