The Thriving Family

What does it take to pastor a church in an unchurched metropolis? Passion, conviction, love, and most importantly, the right kind of support system.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast. Today’s episode features Jason Ballard. Jason is a pastor at The Way Church in Vancouver, BC. He also serves as the Executive Director of The Pastorate and hosts The Pastorate podcast, engaging in conversations that strengthen the hearts of pastors and tell the story of the church in Canada. When he is not serving his church and working to inspire and equip pastors, you can find him at home with his wife, Rachael, and three kids.

Today’s interview is facilitated by Len DenBraber, chief operating officer at Focus on the Family Canada.

Kerith Ministry Leader Retreats

Free, one-time phone consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada. Give our team a call at 1.800.661.9800 to book a consult.

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© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Diversity in the arts may draw criticism from some, but for followers of the ultimate Creator, diversity is a celebration of God’s beautifully complex creation.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast. Today’s episode looks at the beauty of diversity in the arts. Since we have a creative God who values variety in his own creation, we should likewise find joy in cultural works that express multiple experiences and points of view. Unfortunately, there is some division around this topic, but when approached with the Gospel in our hearts and minds, we can see the value of diversity in the arts, as God intended.

Article: Imago Dei and diversity in arts and entertainment

.Focus on Faith and Culture e-newsletter

Free, one-time phone consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada. Give our team a call at 1.800.661.9800 to book a consult.

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© 2024 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Gen Alpha is growing up in an age of artificial intelligence, but this generation already is reigniting a passion for spiritual truth. Today, we bring you the research that shows how, and why.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast. For today’s episode, it’s our pleasure to introduce Pamela Aramburu. Pamela serves as the Associate National Director at Alpha Canada. Her career reflects a strong focus on leadership in faith-based communications and technical operations. Pamela shares from her heart as a mother, a wife, a professional, and an advocate for empowering the next generation to discover the truth of God’s word in a world of AI and noise.

Today’s interview is facilitated by Len DenBraber, chief operating officer at Focus on the Family Canada. I hope you are inspired by this conversation with Pamela.

Alpha Canada - https://alphacanada.org

Raising Your Kids to Defend Their Faith video series - info.focusonthefamily.ca/raising-your-kids-to-defend-their-faith

Free, one-time phone consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada. Give our team a call at 1.800.661.9800 to book a consult.

Support the podcast

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome back to The Thriving Family, a podcast from Focus on the Family Canada. Whether you’re new to the show or have followed our Christian content since the beginning, we are so glad you’re here. Our first collection of faith-based episodes explored communication and conflict in relationships. Then, we looked at how our Heavenly Father heals our scars. In our last set of conversations, we talked about God’s full life for you. Since The Thriving Family is the place where family, faith, and culture intersect, these latest episodes explore this very intersection of faith and culture. Thank you for tuning in to this faith-based podcast, designed to encourage you with support for marriage, parenting, mental health, and more.

.Focus on Faith and Culture e-newsletter

Free, one-time phone consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada. Give our team a call at 1.800.661.9800 to book a consult.

.Support the podcast

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today’s episode is a powerful testimonial of healing through rest and boundaries. When Dave went to Kerith Ministry Leaders Retreats with his wife, Staci, he thought everything was fine. As a rural pastor and father of five, he knew he was tired but believed he just needed a breather. Once at the retreat centre, though, Dave realized how truly exhausted he was. The name “Kerith” comes from First Kings 17 when the Lord sent Elijah to the Kerith Ravine after he made a prophetic declaration to the kingdom of Ahab. God knew Elijah’s calling would consume his energy and leave him weary, so he provided him times of rest, solitude, and renewal. Like its biblical namesake, Focus on the Family Canada's Kerith Retreats values this stillness and provides care to those who are weary. These retreats are offered at our Canadian retreat centres in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.
Now, let’s hear from Dave.

Episode notes:

Kerith Retreats Ministry Retreats
www.kerithretreats.ca

Stress and Burnout digital booklet
https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/stress

.Work-Life Balance digital booklet

Understanding Healthy Boundaries digital booklet
https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/understanding-healthy-boundaries-pdf

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

© 2023 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.