Can You Belong Without Believing Everything? A Conversation with Rev. Adam Arends

Coming up on the Together 4 Good podcast, Pastor Nate sits down with his longtime friend Adam Arends, a pastor in the Buffalo, NY area. They’ve known each other for years, and this conversation goes right to the heart of a question a lot of people are quietly asking: what is church actually supposed to be about? Adam shares his story—growing up in the church, stepping away, questioning a lot of it, and eventually finding his way back. Not with perfect answers, but with a deeper sense of what really matters.

What You’ll Learn:

Why people still show up to church—even with doubts

How grace matters more than getting everything “right”

What Jesus actually prioritized over rules

Why community can carry your faith when you can’t

How church can be a space for truth, not certainty

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Why This Conversation Matters

01:30 Life as a Pastor in Multiple Churches

04:00 Growing Up in the Church (Pastor’s Kid Life)

06:00 Doubt, Logic, and Questioning Faith

08:00 What Keeps People Coming Back to Church?

10:00 What Is Truth? Faith Beyond Facts

13:00 Rules vs. Grace: What Jesus Actually Taught

16:00 Power, Humility, and Who “Gets It”

18:00 Why We All Fall Short (and Why That Matters)

21:00 Why Church Still Matters Today

24:00 What We Hope for the Next Generation

27:00 What Brings People Back to Church

30:00 Faith Isn’t Solo: Doing Church Together

33:00 Final Thoughts: A Different Way Forward

If this conversation resonates with you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it.

Connect with Bethany:

📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO

🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org