In part 1 of this inspiring interview, Dr. Kara Powell, Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, shares stories from her own faith journey, her passion for reaching young people, and practical advice for professors navigating doubt, boldness, humility, and transformation in academia and in the Church.
Main Takeaways:
- Christian professors are in full-time ministry, even on non-faith-based campuses.
- Building community is essential for courage and clarity, especially in a culture of fear around faith.
- Doubt is not toxic—silence is. Making room for students' tough questions can strengthen faith.
- Professors can prioritize young people in their churches by asking, “How does this decision affect the next generation?”
- Leading with humility includes being quick to apologize—even for the 10%.
- You don’t have to have all the answers. Ask questions instead of making statements.
By: Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang
Kara Powell, PhD, is the chief of leadership formation at Fuller
Theological Seminary, the executive director of the Fuller Youth
Institute, and the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration. Named by
Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to Watch," Kara speaks
regularly at national parenting and leadership conferences. Kara has
authored or coauthored numerous books, including Faith Beyond Youth
Group, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, 3 Big Questions That
Change Every Teenager, Growing With, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith
Guide for Your Family, and the entire Sticky Faith series. Kara and her
husband, Dave, are regularly inspired by the learning and laughter that
come from their three young adult children.
Christian professors, submit your profile at https://meettheprof.com/create-profile/
Students & parents, find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
Resources:
- Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
- A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV
- EveryStudent.com – https://www.everystudent.com/
Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos
Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/6kizp6klascdMj1nqaj6LD Listen on Apple Podcasts– https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-the-prof-with-shane-and-spence/id1733311320
Support Shane Hartley's ministry with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry at: https://give.cru.org/0424344
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.