What if the place you’ve written off is the very place God is still writing a story? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Jason and Nate sit down with Alex Lessler, lead pastor of Willamette Christian Church, to talk about growing up in Gresham, watching it change over decades, and discovering that cities—like people—have seasons of promise, disappointment, and renewal.

Alex shares stories from his childhood in Gresham, the economic optimism of the early ’90s, and the deep nostalgia of a city that once felt “up and coming.” From café discipleship that awakened his calling to prayer gatherings contending for revival, what unfolds is a powerful reminder that we are often links in a longer chain, standing on the shoulders of those who prayed before us.

Then the focus widens to the church in the Portland metro—unity across denominations, a rising spiritual hunger, and why hard ground may actually be fertile soil for the gospel. If you’ve ever wondered whether your city is too far gone, your prayers too delayed, or your role too small, this episode will renew your perspective and strengthen your faith.

What if the thing you’re chasing—purpose, clarity, fulfillment—is actually the doorway God uses to lead you to Himself? In Episode 2 of the Rise Up Podcast, we sit down with Kassie Cox to talk about her journey from never imagining she’d be a Christian to helping shape the Discipleship Pathway at Rise.

Kassie shares the honest behind-the-scenes of coming to church post-COVID as a tired mom, feeling out of place, and being drawn back—through something as simple as her daughter loving kids ministry. From anxiety-filled hotel rooms to slow, question-filled faith, you’ll hear how God often meets us through relationship first, then reshapes everything: identity, calling, and the way we see work, family, and purpose.

Then the conversation turns to this cultural moment: why discipleship has to speak to a region that’s not just post-Christian, but increasingly pre-Christian—and how the Pathway exists to help people know where they are, what’s next, and how faith moves from belief into practice.

What really goes into building a church that’s trying to saturate a city with the gospel—beyond what you see on a Sunday? In the very first episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Nate sits down with Lead Pastor Jason and Youth Pastor Jordan to pull back the curtain on the conversations, risks, and small steps of obedience that shaped Rise from the beginning.

You’ll hear the origin stories (Chick-fil-ationships, Dairy Queen blizzards, & trial church services), but this episode quickly moves deeper: how God guides people through peace, provision, and prophetic pictures lead us to take the "next right step.”

Together they reflect on what makes ministry in the Portland metro uniquely challenging—and uniquely fruitful in this cultural moment in time. If you’ve ever wondered how vision becomes a movement, how discipleship becomes a lifestyle, and how ordinary people become everyday missionaries in their own city, this episode will help you see it—and step into it.