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The Thread, from Alpha

The Thread, from Alpha

Alpha International 57 Episodes Oct 20, 2026

The Thread is a podcast that offers fresh perspectives on Christian leadership, global culture, and evangelism in a changing world. Produced by Alpha, it features timely talks, relevant insights, and open conversations with diverse leaders from around the globe. The show is hosted by Stephen Foster.

Episodes

LC26 Bonus Episode: Renaissance: A Conversation on Spirit-Led Creativity
LC26 Bonus Episode: Renaissance: A Conversation on Spirit-Led Creativity Oct 20, 2026 00:47:27 Content note: Due to technical issues on site, this episode does not include video content. We're sorry! Al Gordon and Farida Matthews interview creatives who are leaving a mark and making space for the Creator Spirit in their work: Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week; DC3, the Northampton-raised artist fusing hip-hop, gospel, and jazz with an unashamed faith; and Steve Chao, Emmy-n
LC26 Bonus Episode: The Redemptive Frame: A Model for Social Transformation
LC26 Bonus Episode: The Redemptive Frame: A Model for Social Transformation Oct 13, 2026 00:57:42 Frequently our imagination for cultural change is limited by narrow views of calling and influence. In this episode, Andy Crouch introduces Praxis’s ‘redemptive frame’, helping Christian leaders identify and pursue redemptive opportunities in their spheres. He shares on how to apply a redemptive design to the goods and services we offer, to operations and systems, and to our personal scripts for s
LC26 Bonus Episode: Alive in the Trinity: Nurturing the Prayer Life of the Christian Leader
LC26 Bonus Episode: Alive in the Trinity: Nurturing the Prayer Life of the Christian Leader Oct 6, 2026 00:51:49 Theologian and pastor Darrell Johnson reflects on communion with God as the only foundation strong enough to sustain transformative leadership. As we live in Jesus’ relationship with His Father, we are more and more drawn into and caught up in His praying and we find ourselves liberated from "prayer-as-work" to "prayer-as-breathing", thereby experiencing fresh joy and freedom a
LC26 Bonus Episode: Knowing the Times: How Should We Respond to This Cultural Moment?
LC26 Bonus Episode: Knowing the Times: How Should We Respond to This Cultural Moment? Sep 29, 2026 01:02:25 To lead people through the complexities and opportunities of this cultural moment, we desperately need to understand them. In this episode, Stephen Foster, Louise Perry, author of The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, and Jon Tyson, Pastor of Church of the City New York, discuss how we can lead with wisdom, discernment, vision, and boldness in this fascinating time.
LC26 Bonus Episode: Knowing Who We Are: Has Gen Z Caused an Identity Crisis for the Church?
LC26 Bonus Episode: Knowing Who We Are: Has Gen Z Caused an Identity Crisis for the Church? Sep 22, 2026 01:01:33 This episode explores whether Gen Z has exposed an identity crisis for the Church and its relationship to culture. Drawing on theologians who have wrestled with the question of what the Church is during times of social and political upheaval, Jack Driver-Szekely, Fr Peter Wojcik, and Rachel Wooldridge consider how the Church can offer a hopeful witness without starting from anxiety about cultural
LC26 Bonus Episode: The Drama of Leadership: Authority, Vulnerability, and Power
LC26 Bonus Episode: The Drama of Leadership: Authority, Vulnerability, and Power Sep 15, 2026 00:54:18 Healthy leadership combines authority and vulnerability. This episode considers the complex dynamics of living and leading with both, including the particular challenges when leaders experience vulnerabilities that others do not see. Andy Crouch will help you recognise redemptive opportunities in your current sphere of influence, providing a practical tool for charting a healthy course through lea
LC26 Bonus Episode: Leading Churches: Building Healthy, Growing Local Churches
LC26 Bonus Episode: Leading Churches: Building Healthy, Growing Local Churches Sep 8, 2026 00:58:53 Leading in a church environment requires particular skills and expression. In this episode, HTB's Archie Coates, Mexico's Andrés and Kelly Spyker, leaders of MásVida, and Canada's Father Simon Lobo, General Superior of the Companions of the Cross, discuss how to navigate the different seasons of church life, how to build a diverse team and draw out the best in others, and how to set an
LC26 Bonus Episode: Breaking Strongholds: Spiritual Warfare in the Life of a Leader
LC26 Bonus Episode: Breaking Strongholds: Spiritual Warfare in the Life of a Leader Sep 1, 2026 00:55:16 This seminar from the Leadership Conference explores how spiritual warfare uniquely affects those in positions of influence. Jon Tyson considers how unseen strongholds can surface in life and ministry, and how the way of Jesus leads us to seek genuine freedom and power from God. You will be encouraged to pursue God afresh and lead with dependence, courage, and spiritual resilience.
LC26 Bonus Episode: An Interview with the Koleoso Family
LC26 Bonus Episode: An Interview with the Koleoso Family Aug 25, 2026 00:18:41 Nicky Gumbel interviews the leaders of Jubilee Church London, Tope and Kemi Koleoso, alongside their musician sons Femi and TJ from Ezra Collective. They discuss parenting well while leading in ministry, representing Christ in secular spaces, and growing up on mission together as a family.
LC26 Bonus Episode: Archie Coates, Treasure in Jars of Clay
LC26 Bonus Episode: Archie Coates, Treasure in Jars of Clay Aug 18, 2026 00:14:37 Vicar of HTB, Archie Coates, turns to 2 Corinthians 4:7 in this message from LC26: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Reminding us that God's power is made perfect in weakness, he shares that though the containers of our lives are ordinary, the treasure we carry is extraordinary and that the way you walk in
LC26 Bonus Episode: Digital Reset - Developing a Digital Rule of Life and Making AI Work for You
LC26 Bonus Episode: Digital Reset - Developing a Digital Rule of Life and Making AI Work for You Aug 11, 2026 00:56:20 We all live by a rule of life – including with digital devices which come with default settings that are poorly designed for genuine spiritual, mental, and emotional health. As AI expands, intentional personal and communal practices become more urgent. This episode will help you redesign life rhythms to use technology fruitfully while growing in wholeness, freedom, and deeper humanity.
LC26 Bonus Episode: Unusual Suspects: Lessons in Leadership from Strange Corners of the Bible
LC26 Bonus Episode: Unusual Suspects: Lessons in Leadership from Strange Corners of the Bible Aug 4, 2026 00:57:36 When thinking about biblical examples of leadership, we often turn to the usual suspects for wisdom and inspiration. But what might we discover if we mine the scriptures for leadership examples that are less commonly spotlighted? Join Tim Mackie from The Bible Project and The Orchard's Rachel and Amy Hughes, as they highlight a handful of unlikely leaders in the Bible.

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