Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions—where we gather for honest, down-to-earth conversations about ministry and the life of the church, straight from a Baltimore stoop.

What does it actually mean for someone to be converted? And how can a local church know whether someone has truly been changed by the gospel?

In this episode of The Stoop Sessions, Joel, Akin, and Stephanie talk about the importance of rightly understanding conversion in the life of the local church. They begin by asking what biblical conversion actually is and why churches need to be careful not to confuse a profession of faith, a prayer, or a desire to be baptized with genuine saving faith. The conversation emphasizes that the church has been given the gospel message, but only God can truly make disciples.

The conversation then turns toward some of the ways churches can misunderstand conversion. What does it look like when someone's testimony centers on being a good person, believing for a long time, giving, or doing the right things rather than on Christ and his saving work? Joel, Akin, and Stephanie discuss why a person's understanding of their own sin, their need for Christ, and their inability to save themselves are essential when discerning a credible profession of faith.

They also talk about baptism and church membership, particularly the responsibility of the local church to look for evidence of genuine conversion. What should pastors do when someone desperately wants to be baptized but may not yet understand the gospel? How should churches think about the age and maturity of children who profess faith? And how can we patiently walk with people while still taking conversion seriously?

Finally, the conversation turns toward discipleship and the evidence of conversion. Rather than simply teaching people to imitate a pastor or follow a set of Christian behaviors, the goal is to help people know God's Word, depend on the Holy Spirit, and see the gospel transforming the way they think and live.

True conversion is not simply making a decision for Jesus. It is God making a new creation in Christ.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why churches need to rightly understand biblical conversion

What genuine conversion actually looks like

The difference between a profession of faith and evidence of true conversion

Why our stories must begin and end with Christ How churches can discern whether someone is ready for baptism

How pastors should respond when someone desires baptism but may not understand the gospel

Why baptism is a church's affirmation of a person's credible profession of faith

How churches can patiently walk with children and young people toward baptism

The role of God's Word and the Holy Spirit in discipleship

Why discipleship should produce genuine spiritual transformation rather than mere imitation

How evidence of conversion can encourage Christians in their faith

Joel Kurz is the Lead Pastor at The Garden Church and Director of ONE HOPE.

Akin Omisanmi serves as Pastor at Southwest Baptist Church, a ONE HOPE church.

Stephanie serves with The Garden Church and alongside ONE HOPE, laboring for rooted discipleship in the city.

📍 Learn more about The Garden Church: thegardenbaltimore.com

📍 Learn more about Southwest Baptist Church: swbcbaltimore.com

🌱 Learn more about ONE HOPE: onehope.gives

❤️ Support the show: onehope.gives/donate

More than a Decision: What Does True Conversion Look Like?

ONE HOPE

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Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions—where we gather for honest, down-to-earth conversations about ministry and the life of the church, straight from a Baltimore stoop. What does it actually mean for a church to get the gospel right? And why does it matter so much—especially in the context of urban ministry?

In this episode of The Stoop Sessions, Joel, Akin, and Stephanie talk about why the Gospel must remain at the center of everything the church does. They discuss what the gospel actually is, why it is more than a prayer, a to-do list, or “fire insurance,” and why churches can easily drift from the good news even when they would affirm the right doctrine.

The conversation gets especially practical as they consider ministry in neighborhoods marked by poverty, addiction, violence, homelessness, and other visible needs. How do we care for people's physical needs without losing sight of their deepest spiritual need? How can the church serve its community while making sure the gospel remains the reason and purpose behind that service?

The conversation also explores several false gospels that can creep into the church, including the prosperity gospel, syncretism, and a newer form of prosperity teaching centered on personal purpose, dreams, success, and self-fulfillment.

Finally, the conversation turns toward what it practically looks like for a church to get the gospel right: teaching every member to articulate the gospel, clearly preaching Christ and calling people to repent and believe, and remembering that the gospel isn't merely how we become Christians—it is how we grow as Christians. The gospel that saves us is the same gospel that sanctifies us. If we lose the gospel, we lose Christ.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why churches need to continually ask whether they are getting the gospel right

What the gospel is—and what it is not

Why the gospel must remain central to urban ministry

How churches can balance meeting physical needs with proclaiming spiritual truth

The danger of prosperity, syncretism, and “purpose”-centered false gospels

Why every church member should be able to articulate the gospel

How the gospel shapes sanctification, not just conversion Why we should never stop preaching the gospel—even to Christians

______________

Joel Kurz is the Lead Pastor at The Garden Church and Director of ONE HOPE.

Akin Omisanmi serves as Pastor at Southwest Baptist Church, a ONE HOPE church.

Stephanie serves alongside ONE HOPE, laboring for healthy churches and rooted discipleship in the city.

📍 Learn more about The Garden Church: thegardenbaltimore.com

📍 Learn more about Southwest Baptist Church: swbcbaltimore.com

🌱 Learn more about ONE HOPE: onehope.gives

❤️ Support the show: onehope.gives/donate

Getting the Gospel Right

ONE HOPE

After a hiatus, The Stoop Sessions is back, coming to you from an (actual) stoop in Baltimore. Join Joel, Stephanie, and guests as we discuss all things related to healthy church ministry in the inner city. This episode is just a quick hello. New episodes to come soon. Like, subscribe, share, and do whatever you do. It helps!

We're Back on an (Actual) Stoop [2 minute intro]

ONE HOPE

How did Joel, who is white, end up pastoring in a predominantly black neighborhood in Baltimore? Is that a good idea? Should church planters be looking to put roots down in a neighborhood within, or apart from, their own ethnic culture? In this episode, Eric asks the question, “Can we talk about the fact that Joel is white?” From that point, the stoop discussion takes place on this question, asking Joel why he planted in the first place, and what landmines may be present. Topics of discussion include impure motives why anyone would desire cross-cultural work; how having black members can be twisted into a mere a marker of “success” in some evangelical circles; whether it is necessary for churches to be cross-cultural in order to be Biblical; and how partiality for our own culture can subtly sabotage table fellowship. The crew also shares wisdom and encouragement, on the importance of authenticity and humility for potential pastors and church members navigating the tides of racial discourse within the body.

Support the Show: www.onehope.gives/donate

Can We Talk About the Fact that Joel is White?

ONE HOPE

Is seeing community change a good thing? Absolutely. Can “Change the Community” become a false gospel. Absolutely. While “Transform the Community” is a tag used by many non-profits, churches, and developers alike, is that the “good news” of the church? Is bettering the community be the mission of the church? Is a blighted, unchanged community a sign that the church is not loving their neighbors? How should Christians think of Gospel-centeredness and community transformation? Listen as this final episode on “false gospels” examines how a “Change the Community” false gospel can be stumbling block to truly reaching the community.

Change the Community

ONE HOPE

This week’s episode looks at another common excuse used to reject the gospel: God knows my heart. Many cling to the belief that salvation can be found in having good intentions, in being “less wicked” than your neighbor, in the hope that good deeds will outweigh the bad. God does know our heart, but do we? Are we autonomous and good intentioned, or actually in bondage to sin? To recognize our guilt without hope is a burden that crushes the spirit, overwhelmed with the reality that we are never going to be good enough. Listen as Eric, Joel, and Stephanie examine the phrase “God knows my heart” through a theological and Biblical worldview. But they don’t stop with a critique. The Stoop crew presents a Savior who can remove our hearts marred by sin, and replace in us, a heart that holds the promise of eternal life.

God Knows My Heart

ONE HOPE

“I’ve gotta get myself together,” is a refrain which aptly marks our present culture. It can be a point of pride, and a stumbling block for any who believe they have to “arrive” before meeting to Jesus. Must we reach a certain standard, accomplished by their own power, before coming to God? We think outward to appearances, when change can only come through the inward work of Christ. And while “I gotta get myself together” can be a works-based salvation, it can also simply be an excuse. In this episode, Joel, Eric, and Stephanie discuss some of the narratives that drive this false gospel, the barriers we put up, and excuses we make to put off the clear call of the true Gospel.

I Gotta Get Myself Together

ONE HOPE