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

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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

Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions, where we have casual, down-to-earth conversations about ministry—straight from a Baltimore stoop. Each episode unpacks topics around healthy church ministry in the inner city. In this episode, Joel and Akin continue a conversation on ecclesiology in the inner city. They turn to the topic of preaching.

In a culture of entertainment, where the task of preaching becomes nothing more than religious self-help, churches must maintain and grow in expositional preaching. Why does preaching matter? What is the difference between expositional preaching versus mere entertainment? How do pastors prepare to preach and how can church members be most ready for the Word?

Together, they make the case that preaching is not an optional ornament in an otherwise successful ministry—it’s the fountain from which spiritual life flows through the church. 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.

📍 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

Ecclesiology in the Inner City: Preaching

ONE HOPE

Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions where we have casual conversations about ministry on the Baltimore stoop. In each episode, Joel, Stephanie, and Eric talk through different topics and occasionally bring on a friend.

In this episode, the Stoop crew wraps up a conversation on evangelism on the topic of church confirmation. Practically speaking, what do we do when someone makes a profession of faith? We baptize. However, Baptism is not merely the decision of an individual (an individual can’t baptize herself), and it is not merely the decision of a pastor. Baptism is a congregational act of confirmation and union.

Join us as we consider the topic of baptism and church membership in our evangelism. Listen as the crew explains why they would be concerned if someone made a “profession of faith” but never joined a church. Learn how the Body of Christ is given as fruit inspectors for new believers, and how this helps our personal evangelism.

Learn more about ONE HOPE: www.onehope.gives

Support the show: www.onehope.gives/donate

Evangelism: Fruit Inspection

ONE HOPE

Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions where we have casual conversations about ministry on the Baltimore stoop. In each episode, Joel, Stephanie, and Eric talk through different topics and occasionally bring on a friend.

In the last two episodes, we’ve highlighted “personal evangelism”—the individual Christian’s role and work in taking the Gospel to the lost. This episode asks the question: How does the church together evangelize? For some, they have unfortunately disconnected their personal ministry from the broader community of the gathered saints. For us, it’s not an either/or but a both/and. While we evangelize personally, we also evangelize together.

In today’s episode, Joel and Stephanie talk about the church’s role. Because the church feels different or irrelevant to our friends, it’s often hard to imagine how this church can help me reach my friends. Yet, we forget the power of the Gospel through the testimony of God’s people. If we combine our efforts and work together, we can make a bigger impact. Stephanie and Joel talk about the importance of starting with who actually shows up to your church services; How membership interviews can turn into evangelistic opportunities; The importance of asking professing Christians for their understanding of the Gospel; and How to tell someone they’re not a Christian (in a winsome and Biblical way). The episode closes with a look back to the need for personal evangelism and why being part of an “evangelistic church” doesn’t mean that I am personally doing any work.

Joel Kurz serves as the pastor of The Garden Church and director of ONE HOPE. Stephanie Greer is a Gospel Worker funded through ONE HOPE serving with The Garden Church.

Learn more about ONE HOPE: www.onehope.gives

Support the show: www.onehope.gives/donate

The Church's Evangelism

ONE HOPE