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