In this episode of Losing the Way, Preston Ulmer is joined by spiritual formation director Jake Smith for a conversation about the hidden metrics that have shaped modern Christianity. Together they explore how churches and leaders have slowly become formed by attendance, influence, growth, and success, and ask what happens when the numbers we celebrate begin discipling us more than Jesus himself.

Drawing from years of ministry experience, Jake reflects on life both inside and outside traditional church leadership, while Preston wrestles with the pressures pastors and ministry leaders face in a culture obsessed with performance and measurable impact. This honest and thoughtful conversation invites listeners to reconsider what faithfulness really looks like and challenges us to return to the simple question: what if we started with Jesus and stayed there?

Whether you’re leading in ministry, recovering from church hurt, or simply trying to rediscover the heart of your faith, this episode offers a hopeful and deeply formative conversation about losing the way in order to find it again.

What happens when the faith you inherited no longer fits the reality you’re living, especially when you’re responsible for passing it on to your kids?

In this episode of Losing the Way, Preston Ulmer sits down with author and faith guide Meredith Miller to explore the tension many parents feel between the Christianity they grew up with and the one they hope their children experience. Together, they dive into the “invisible fine print” of faith certainty over curiosity, fear over love, and answers over honest questions and what it looks like to unlearn those patterns in real time.

Meredith shares insights from her upcoming book Wonder, offering a fresh, life-giving approach to engaging Scripture with kids, one rooted in curiosity, imagination, and openness rather than rigid rules. The conversation gets personal as Preston wrestles with parenting decisions, from explaining difficult Bible passages to navigating youth group influences and redefining what faith practices look like at home.

This episode is an honest, nuanced exploration of deconstruction, parenting, and the courage it takes to model a faith that’s still evolving. If you’ve ever wondered how to nurture a spirituality that’s resilient, compassionate, and big enough for questions this conversation is for you.

In this conversation, Jesus Collective and Marty Solomon explore the concept of mission within modern churches, questioning its biblical roots and examining how cultural pressures have shaped contemporary understandings. They discuss the dichotomy between right-handed and left-handed power, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and relationship over conquest. The dialogue also touches on the nature of the Kingdom of God, the restoration of shalom, and the need for a critical examination of the church's mission in light of Jesus's teachings.

Losing the Way is an investigative podcast from Jesus Collective in collaboration with The Jesus Experience, hosted by Preston Ulmer.

It explores a provocative question: has modern Christianity, especially evangelicalism, drifted from the original “Way” of Jesus?

Through honest and thoughtful conversations with scholars, pastors, and practitioners, each episode traces where that shift may have happened, why it matters today, and what it could look like to rediscover a faith rooted more deeply in the life and teachings of Jesus.

This is not a podcast about tearing down the church. It is about asking better questions, wrestling with uncomfortable truths, and seeking a path back to the kind of faith that once made the message of Jesus truly good news.