Show notes
How do you know when you're actually called to something?
Steven Schwarz is a biblical teacher at Home Church and the artistic director for The Chosen, the most watched show about the life of Jesus ever made. Before any of that, he was leading a young adults ministry in Red Deer that grew into one of the largest in Canada, running a wedding photography business with his wife Stephanie on the side (over 100 weddings shot across Alberta and BC), and figuring out, piece by piece, what it actually means to be called to something rather than just good at it.
In this conversation, Steven walks through the full arc of that calling: the "still small voice" and the practical signs that pointed him toward ministry as a kid who wasn't cut out for the traditional classroom, the moment he felt God tell him a season was ending before he knew what came next, and the entrepreneurial itch that has moved him through three major transitions in his career. He gets honest about the years spent shooting weddings every Saturday while also serving at church on Sunday, the realization that he only had 10 summers left with his oldest child, and the "sacred things" he and Stephanie built into their week to reclaim that time.
We also get into the deeper stuff: why Disneyland works as a metaphor for real happiness (and where that metaphor breaks down), the thin line between mourning and joy after losing someone close, what it's like to help shepherd a project as weighty as The Chosen, and why he believes nothing with God, not the failures, not the random branding gigs, not the hundred weddings, is ever wasted.
🔹 CALLING — The mystical and practical signs that pointed Steven toward ministry
🔹 ENTREPRENEURSHIP — Why he gets a "five year itch" to build something new
🔹 FAMILY — The 10 summers realization and the sacred rhythms that followed
🔹 SUFFERING — What a year spent on the crucifixion story taught him about grief and joy
🔹 CALLING, PART TWO — How every past season, good or bad, prepared him for The Chosen
Connect with Steven Schwarz:
Home Church → myhomechurch.ca
The Chosen → thechosen.tv
⏱️ What's Inside:
00:00 - What does a season of life look like for you?
02:00 - The current dichotomy: quiet homeschool mornings and flying around the world
05:00 - How did you know you were actually called to ministry?
08:00 - The switch that made him dig into scripture academically
11:00 - Building one of the largest young adult ministries in Canada
13:00 - The entrepreneurial itch and the move into a creative pastor role
21:00 - Running a 100+ wedding photography business with his wife
27:00 - "You only have 10 summers left": reclaiming family time
30:00 - Why Disneyland works as a metaphor for happiness
38:00 - Grief, joy, and the thin line between them
39:00 - Joining The Chosen and the phrase "nothing with God is wasted"
44:00 - Preparing for the crucifixion season
46:00 - What does happiness look like to you?
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