What You Set in Motion

In this episode, I’m joined by my really good friend Jem as she shares her powerful journey of faith, family, and purpose. From growing up in a home transformed by her parents’ radical encounters with God, to experiencing her own life-changing moment with the Holy Spirit, Jem’s story is one of surrender and bold obedience.
We talk about her decision to walk away from a successful fashion business to start Jesus Studio, how small acts of faith can have a huge impact, and why she and her family felt called to foster vulnerable teenagers.
Jem’s story is a reminder that God often prepares us years in advance for the things He calls us to do.

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This episode feels really special to me.
Today I’m talking to a mother and son I’ve known for over thirty years which means I haven’t just heard their story, I’ve watched it unfold.
It’s a story of healing. Of stepping out prophetically. Of the quiet, steady impact of decades of faith.
Judy is extraordinary, widowed with two small boys, building and running a hugely successful recruitment business, navigating grief and resilience with courage and humour.
Bill is her son, now the father of grown-up boys himself. He’s been a teacher, an ordained church leader, a therapist, and has written two books - Catching His Breath . But at the heart of it, he’s someone who loves people deeply and isn’t afraid to take risks for them.
Talking to them reminded me how lucky I’ve been, to grow up surrounded by people like this. And it reminded me of the beauty of the church when it truly loves others well.
Here’s Judy and Bill.

Bill's books -
Catching His Breath https://muddypearl.com/product/books/discipleship/catching-his-breath/
That Gentle Whisper - https://muddypearl.com/product/books/prayer-and-spirituality/that-gentle-whisper-hardcover/

Calum moved to Vietnam to escape a life that looked good on paper but felt empty inside. After years of chasing meaning through work, travel, self-improvement, and spiritual experiments, a serious motorbike accident left him temporarily blind and completely shaken.
In that moment, he prayed for the first time . What followed changed the direction of his life. This episode traces Calum’s journey from corporate burnout and scepticism to faith, church, and eventually Bible school in the Philippines.

This is someone who added so much fun and joy to my childhood.
In this episode, I sit down with Tricia Neill, President of Alpha International, to talk about what it really looks like to trust God one step at a time. Trish shares her journey from the corporate world into an unknown calling, how a simple invitation changed the direction of her life, and what it’s like to say yes before you feel ready.
Along the way, we talk about legacy, the power of small decisions, and how faithfulness in ordinary moments can end up impacting millions of people around the world.

This episode sits you right at the family table as I interview my own mum and dad Nicky and Pippa Gumbel about their wild, winding journey of faith, calling, and building community from a converted garage to a global movement. It’s an honest, funny, and deeply personal look at how two very normal people learned to follow God one small step and (one leaky gas cooker) at a time.

3 Main Takeaways
1. Big callings usually start in tiny, messy rooms.
The real beginnings were homemade soup in a garage, a leaky gas cooker, and thirty people squeezed into a single room because they said yes to what was in front of them.
2. How to discern what is next
They made lists, prayed, asked wise friends, tried things that flopped, tried things that flew, and learned to follow the fruit. The Holy Spirit often leads by blessing what works and quietly closing what doesn’t.
3. The front line is wherever you already stand.
Whether you’re a lawyer, a barista, a musician, a parent, or a plumber, you’re already in ministry.