The Thinkorphan Podcast

The podcast is back from our summer break, but we're still in vacation travel mode! We're joined by author and photographer Ashley Campbell who is on the show to share about her new book "I've Never Been Here Before" and what it looks like to lead a big family on a big adventure around the world. From Morocco and Albania to the Philippines and Colombia, Ashley shares insight that isn't just about being a travel guide, but what it looks like to raise children that are truly global citizens. She sits down to talk with Brandon Stiver about the trip, the book and why basketball turned out to be the MVP of the trip. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Join more than 2,000 ministry leaders at CAFO2025 in Houston, Texas from October 1-3, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. Register for CAFO2025 in Houston Take the free Core Elements Self-Assessment from the CAFO Research Center and tap into online courses with discount code 'TGDJ25' Take the Free Core Elements Self-Assess

It has been four years since Phil invited Brandon to take over the podcast and the conversations since then (and all the way back to Phil's founding of the podcast in 2016) have been rich, uplifting and led to the equipping of people throughout the world to care for the vulnerable. In this mid-year episode, we're preparing to take a month off from releasing episodes, but there's an even bigger transition for our podcast community. This is a conversation for those in this community. Join this personal conversation with Phil and Brandon as we pursue God with open hands. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Providence World How Soccer Explains Leadership Podcast Conversation Notes Conversations happening on How Soccer Explains Leadership Updates from Phil's leadership ove

There's no denying that western money in Global South countries has a profound impact, for better or worse. We might assume that spending money on volunteering and caring for orphans would be a net positive in the majority world. That however is not the case. As we dive back into the conversation around orphan care and volunteering, we're joined by filmmaker Barak Laub whose new documentary Volunteers Needed delves into this very dynamic in Nepal. He talks with Brandon Stiver about the film, his travels and the effort to advocate for government policies in the US that would mitigate harm in global orphan care. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities.

Hope is a bit of a buzzword, but at the same time it is a lifeline for those that are experiencing humanitarian crises. What does it look like to experience hope in the midst of forcible displacement or losing your home in a natural disaster? Is it possible to have hope that is disconnected from the truth of Christ? Heath Adamson joins the show to help us think through these big questions. He talks with Brandon Stiver about his new book Hope Breaks Through and the work that Convoy of Hope is doing throughout the globe. Heath brings a wealth of biblical knowledge and on the ground experience that points to the God of hope and how we can partner with Him in bringing His promises to bear on the earth. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual p

It's impossible to ignore the interconnectedness of global justice issues and the complexity of systems that affect societies. Sometimes a system enables people to thrive and other times the system puts people at risk. A clear example of this is looking at food systems and malnutrition in Central America. To help us dive deeper, we have Curt Bowen of Semilla Nueva on the show today. With work that addresses malnutrition through economic development and government partnerships, Curt and his team have turned the region's stable of corn into a driver for social change. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain. Visit Camino Quest Online Resources and Links

James 1:27 has long been a central biblical text from which our podcast community has drawn from. But to what extent have we delved into the depths of the Jewish context in which James wrote? To help us go deeper on this text and the social implications of true religion, we've invited Dr. Andrea Siegel to the show. Dr. Siegel has years of experience in humanitarian work, Hebrew studies and counseling and brings that to the text as the curriculum writer on Helping Children Worldwide's most recent orphan care resource. If you want to hear some things about James 1:27 that you've never heard before, this is a podcast to check out. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools,

War. Famine. Poverty. Violence. Natural Disasters. Working in humanitarian spaces puts us up close and personal with some of the worst kinds of evil and suffering. In the face of it all, we follow a God who is both all good and all powerful. How do those two realities compute? It's a quandary that has been around a long time and we've invited Southeastern University's Dr. Chris Palmer onto the show to help us think biblically and theologically when we're faced with the problem of evil. From the killing fields in Polpot's Cambodia to earthquakes in the Middle East, we wrestle the reality of pain while clinging to God's goodness and embracing the mystery. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient a

The most effective approaches to doing justice will acknowledge nuance and there is wisdom in maintaining tensions in the work God has called us to. Central to the work of global development is how we work among at risk children and youth and there are a lot of principles to balance in that space. In this solo episode of the podcast, Brandon Stiver breaks down a number of paradigms that children's rights advocates and practitioners operate within as we hope to find the right balance that will allow children to flourish and be fully who God created them to be. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Res

There is no doubt that the international development sector has changed drastically and permanently over the last couple of months. Starting with the closure of the vast majority of USAID programming, other donor countries have also withdrawn support from the global poor. Joining the show to guide us through what it looks like for Christians to stay engaged and advocate in this spaces is the Managing Director at Bread for the World, Heather Taylor. She walks us through specific policies that are being advocated for and how Christian practitioners and organizations are collaborating and linking arms during these unprecedented times. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de S

Developing local solutions to complex issues is foundational to global change. When it comes to food insecurity and health services, we recognize the need for local solutions at scale. Joining the show today from Rwanda is Isabelle Kamariza who is the Founder and President at Solid'Africa. She comes on the show to share with us who Solid'Africa works alongside the Rwandan government to improve nutritional outcomes for hospital patients, students and others in the community. We cover a lot of ground in this episode and learn what it looks like actually achieve sustainability when doing work in challenging contexts. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain.

It's March and the madness extends far beyond college basketball. In this episode, we look at the ramifications of losing Ukrainian child data through recent federal budget cuts and why upholding these children's humans right should matter to American Christians. Then we look at a new city development in Kenya that has some unique aspects that give both promise and pause. Lastly, Brandon Stiver shares a book recommendation on cross-cultural leadership that can help equip us for the ministries that God has led us into. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Join Camino Quest for a spiritual pilgrimage with other pilgrims on the ancient and amazing Camino de Santiago in Spain. Visit Camino Quest Online Resources and Links from the show NPR : Trump Administration Cuts

We talk a lot about global action on behalf of the vulnerable, but what about global engagement that looks like deepening our discipleship and spiritual formation? We've welcomed Randy Gonzales from Camino Quest on the show today to share with us how pilgrims travel (or even travail) the Camino de Santiago in Spain and what it looks like to connect with God through Christian pilgrimage. In a world that seems a bit wild, this is a reminder of the opportunities that God provides for us to slow down, connect and get in touch with what He's doing in our lives. Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Camino Quest Online

In 2025, there are still people in the world, even entire people groups, that have never heard the Good News. What's more is that access to distant places and global migration has never been higher. Is it possible to finish the Great Commission in our life time? We've got questions on how to reach more with the Gospel in word and deed and joining us for the conversation is Lisa Pak who is a leader with Finishing the Task that is focused on mobilizing the whole church to fulfill all of Christ's commands. Lisa shares with us what it's like to grow up and worship in a diaspora church, how global coordination and new technologies can help us reach more people and what it means to be a church that is not easily shaken. Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerab

It's been a whirlwind of a month for global development practitioners. We've heard a lot of the 30,000 foot view of what the shuttering of USAID means and today we're talking with a practitioner from our community that was working on a USAID-funded project in El Salvador and what it was like to receive the stop order. After that, we'll be looking at a recent Christianity Today article that discusses the rise of cyberscam trafficking. Lastly, Brandon Stiver will be sharing a word of encouragement for all those that find themselves disheartened after recent blows to the work that so many in this podcast community are called into. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools,

We live in a world of tremendous conflict and as Christians, we are called to welcome those that have been forced to flee violence in their communities. For those of us called into this space, how do we mobilize Christians and advocate to the government for compassionate responses to such crises? We have long-time friend of the podcast Dr. Krish Kandiah on the show today to share what this has looked for him and the spaces God has called him into in recent years. Krish is an author, advocate and the Director of Sanctuary Foundation in the UK. We bounce around from Hong Kong and Ukraine to Sudan and Gaza to pursue God's justice for these global neighbors. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsors The M.A. in Global Development and Justice program at Jessup University prepares students to work across the nexus of justice, community development, and peacebuilding. Learn More About The MAGDJ Online Program Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into

Being an active follower of Christ will always lead us to find things that are incongruent with God's Kingdom and we'll want to do something about it. To do justice, we have to address injustice and that might require us to start something (and our community is full of people that start things). Starting something is hard though so we've invited author and pastor Bryan Halferty to walk us through the spirit and the tenacity it takes to undertake a new Kingdom venture. Bryan also shares about his upcoming book "Terrible Beauty" which is a memoir of his own journey towards starting a church in the most unchurched metropolitan area of the country. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsor Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Link to Bryan's Substack "Table" Conversation Notes Engaging other cultures as a means of lea

In our end of January episode, Brandon Stiver is walking through a few current issues as well as a Bible word study that offers a more robust understanding of what it means to do justice and how looking at the word in the Septuagint underscores the inextricable connection to to righteousness. Brandon welcomes Spencer Reeves to the show to share what the team at Child Hope International is seeing in the midst of the conflict within Haiti which has displaced more people than at any other point in the country’s history. Lastly, we revisit a conversation we had with Medard Ngueita earlier this month and how to understand the sweeping executive actions by President Trump that has suspended refugee resettlement, canceled legal asylum seeking and pausing USAID support globally. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsor Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Reso

There are so many needs within the work of anti-trafficking and orphan care, but what happens when people that are engaging as helpers are actually doing harm. Ego, poor practice and a desire for appearances can corrupt organizations that purport to be doing good. As a practitioner and journalist working in Southeast Asia, Erin Foley has been around the block working in organizations and comes onto the show today to share some of what she's seen and learned doing missions and nonprofit work over the years. She also shares about some of the great organizations she's worked with and about her most recent project, the recently published book "Where They Belong" which chronicles the movement of family care in Cambodia. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsor Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resources and Links from the show Book : Where They Belong

As we anticipate the inauguration of President-Elect Trump later this month, we take a moment to consider how some of his public comments and proposed policies will affect global neighbors that are fleeing violence and seeking refuge in the US. To guide us through this conversation, we have Medard Ngueita on the show. Medard is the Executive Director at World Relief Western Washington. He has a vast knowledge on refugee resettlement not only as a long time team member at World Relief, but also because he was once an asylum seeker himself. Medard talks with Brandon Stiver about the ramifications of the first Trump administration on refugee resettlement and how organizations are preparing for the prospective policies that will be enacted in the upcoming administration. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Podcast Sponsor Alliance for Children Everywhere is on mission to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools, and communities. Visit Alliance for Children Everywhere Online Resource

Happy New Year's Eve! We have so much to be thankful for as we reflect on the last year of nonprofit ministry, podcasting, family and everything else! In this end of 2024 episode, Brandon and Phil will catch up our listeners on what is happening in their personal lives and ministry. Most importantly to you, dear listener, we share about the state of the podcast, how it's been since we did some rebrand/rescope and what the future of the podcast is. This is an episode for those listeners that want a peek behind the curtain and are looking for more ways to go deeper with Think Global, Do Justice. Conversation Notes Phil and Brandon share about how God has been moving in their respective organizations in 2024 (Providence World and CarePortal) (0:30) The hosts share their top books and movies from the year (13:00) They share their favorite episodes from Think Global, Do Justice(22:20) Brandon shares the state of the podcast, where we're going (if we're going), how we're doing internally and what traction we