Jesus in the Upper Left
"Jesus in the Upper Left" is a Portland-based, thought-provoking podcast that explores the unique challenges and opportunities of ministry, church planting and Gospel multiplication in the Pacific Northwest. Packed with inspiration, ideas, and connections, each episode delves into topics like racism, the history of movements and renewal, mistakes made, lessons learned, creative ideas and more. With a focus on personal stories and honest conversations, "Jesus in the Upper Left" offers a fresh look at what it's going to take to saturate our region with the love and community of Jesus. Whether you're a leader, a learner or a skeptic, this podcast will challenge you to engage with the culture around you in a more intentional and compassionate way.
BONUS CONTENT: Don't miss the behind-the-scenes, raw comments & extras at https://www.togetherpdx.org/multiplypdx.
Episodes
113 episodes
He Lost 90% of His Church on Purpose (And Still Works at a Bank) | Chris Snodgrass
This pastor deliberately dismantles his own Sunday gathering, gives his church building to a theater company, and loses 90% of his congregation over five years.Chris Snodgrass moved from a Dallas mega church staff role to Portland in 20...
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He Turned $500 Into a Million Meals with No Degree and No Plan | Jacobsen Valentine
Jacobsen Valentine had $500 in his nonprofit account, a high school diploma, and a pandemic that had just shut down his cooking classes. So he bought as much food as he could, made 150 meals, and told people to come to a parking lot.Six...
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Agnostic Dad, Gay Son, Catholic PhD: Why This Professor Stopped Arguing | Brad Harper
What happens when a theology professor realizes the arguments he built his career on don't actually reach the people he loves most?Brad Harper grew up in the Bay Area with a devout Christian mom and an agnostic rocket scientist dad. He c...
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Planting a Church With My Brother, Losing Him, and 17 Years of Staying
Two brothers planted a church together in Vancouver, WA. Seven years later, they merged with another congregation, and within months, one brother stepped away from ministry entirely. The other stayed. That was 2018, and he's still there....
They Shut Down Multnomah. Now There’s a $30M Moral Problem | Dr. Gary Friesen
What happened to Multnomah Bible College, its Portland campus, and the legacy built by generations of students, faculty, donors, and churches?In this episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, Oshawa Hawthorne sits down with longtime Multnomah...
Why Most Pastors Can't Reproduce Disciples
Tim Osborne started asking one question in every lead pastor interview: "Who's mentored you?" The answers shocked him enough to keep asking, and keep being disappointed.That question sits at the center of this conversation with Naomi Fed...
There Is One Church in This City — Lessons from 30 Years of Gospel Saturation | Nick Harding
What would it look like to actually reach every man, woman, and child in your city with the gospel? Not as a slogan — as a strategy.Nick Harding has spent 30 years trying to find out. As the leader of KX City Reaching in Liverpool, UK, h...
The Bar Pastor: How Matt Bowen Stopped Hiding Behind the Pulpit | Matt Bowen Pt. 2
What does it look like to actually live the mission you preach — not just talk about it from a stage?In part two of our conversation with Matt Bowen, lead pastor of Emmaus Church in Beaverton, we get into the real work of building someth...
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He Nearly Quit Ministry — Then Built a Church from the Wreckage - Matt Bowen
Matt Bowen didn't set out to plant a church. He didn't think he had the gifts for it. He wasn't the big personality. He just felt God say it was time to go — and said yes.What followed was one of the more remarkable stories you'll hear ...
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Why Most Church Failures Have Nothing to Do With Theology — with Tammy Dunahue
What actually causes pastors and churches to fall apart? After 20 years of denominational leadership and more interventions than she wants to count, Tammy Dunahue has a clear answer — and it's probably not what you'd expect.In this conve...
Called Back to Portland: How Imago Dei's New Lead Pastor Stepped Into a 25-Year Legacy
What does it look like to follow a founder — especially one who built something that shaped an entire city?Chris Nye is the lead pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon. In this conversation, he shares the unlikely story ...
From a 50-Year Sentence to Pastor | Clifford Jones’ Story of Redemption
Pastor Clifford Jones shares an unforgettable testimony of meeting Jesus while serving a 50-year sentence in Louisiana State Penitentiary, one of the most violent prisons in America. What followed was a radical transformation, seminary training...
Church Planting, COVID Shutdown, Pastoral Isolation & the Cost of Multiplication with Cameron Heger
Cameron Heger moved from Arkansas to Portland with no ministry plan — just a seminary enrollment and a love for the city. After years embedded at Door of Hope, he felt called to plant a new church. Door of Hope sent him with a core team of 100 ...
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Portland Is More Open to Jesus Than Anyone Expected | Ed Stetzer
New research on Portland reveals something most church leaders wouldn't guess — the city is far more spiritually open than its reputation suggests. Missiologist Ed Stetzer joins Tim Osborne and Gabe Colstatt to unpack major findings from a mixe...
Brotherhood That Builds Men (Ending Isolation) | Biblical Manhood Series: Part 4
What happens when men stop sitting on the bench and start showing up for each other?In this episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, Tim sits down with three Men’s Alliance leaders from Westside Community Church (Aloha, Oregon): Stev...
Why Men Avoid Spiritual Leadership | Biblical Manhood Series: Part 3
Why do so many men hesitate to step into spiritual leadership, even when they want to? In Part 3 of our Men & the Gospel in the PNW series, we sit down with psychologist and coach Nancy Castile to talk about the internal barriers men...
Rebuilding Biblical Manhood | Biblical Manhood Series: Part 2
What does it actually mean to be a man who follows Jesus in the Pacific Northwest?In this episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, we continue a multi-part conversation on men, masculinity, and the gospel. Drawing from Scripture, cultural ob...
What’s the Deal with Dudes? | Biblical Manhood Series: Part 1
In this new-year episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, Gabe, Tim, and Ahshuwah unpack a pattern Brilliant Labs keeps seeing across Portland: the majority of ministries serving “downstream” needs are serving at-risk women and children
How Portland Churches Can Partner With the City | Nicole Larson
In this episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, Gabe and Tim sit down with Nicole Larson from Together PDX to talk about how churches in Portland can partner with the city in meaningful, practical ways.Nicole shares ...
God Is Still Moving in Portland: 4 Encouraging Signs Every Church Leader Needs to See
It’s easy to feel discouraged leading a church or ministry in the Pacific Northwest. The season is long, the headlines are heavy, and the challenges are real.But in this episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, we pause to do something...
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Funding the Mission in Portland Oregon
Money is one of the biggest realities every ministry leader faces, especially in the Portland metro and the Pacific Northwest. In this episode, Tim and Gabe welcome Ahshuwah back to the show, then jump into a practical conversation about fundra...
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Rising Back Up in Rockwood: Scott Bradley’s Story of Hope & Grit
Rising Back Up in Rockwood: The Story of As Is Church with Pastor Scott BradleyIn this powerful episode of Jesus in the Upper Left, Gabe and Tim sit down with Scott Bradley, pastor of As Is Church and founde...
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What the UK Taught Us About Revival, Collaboration & Church Leadership
What happens when two pastors from the Pacific Northwest take a trip to the UK and accidentally walk straight into worship at Westminster Abbey, visit thriving churches in Liverpool, Bristol, and London, and learn from global lead...
Coffee, Community & Jesus w/ Brett & Taylor (Genesis Project PDX)
What happens when a neighborhood church opens a donation-based coffee shop and commits to long-haul presence in Portland’s South Tabor? Meet Brett Prior (lead/founding pastor) and Taylor Bolan (associate pastor) from The Genesis Project Portlan...
A Surprising Opportunity for the Church in Portland
"We want to work together to see new churches started in and around the greater Portland area." Join Gabe Kolstad as he sits down with his friend Virgil Brown, pastor of Redemption Church and the new SEND City Missionary for the Portland Metro....
