In our conversation, Reegie talks more about Abolitionist Theology, how his passion for freedom and abolition drives his work, and what he is working on right now to bring about Black liberation. Reegie is the Amos Project Organizer for the northeast area of Ohio where he builds power with faith leaders across Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, and Erie Counties. He came home to Ohio in 2020 after years of organizing in Nashville, TN and Los Angeles, CA. Rev. Reegie Bunch has a Master of Divinity from Vanderb...
Jul 20, 2021•52 min•Season 6Ep. 52
Chris shares what she has been doing to help churches during this time, what the biggest challenges they are experiencing, and what advice and ideas she is offering to churches post-Covid. Rev. Dr. Chris S. Davies is Team Leader of Faith Education, Innovation, and Formation, Justice and Local Church Ministries at the national setting for the United Church of Christ . In her position, Chris connects with faith leaders across the country and has served with churches at the local, regional, and nat...
Jul 14, 2021•45 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Douglas Powe, author of the book The Adept Church , talks about how churches can move from slow and stagnant to nimble and adept. In the podcast, Doug shares important thoughts and insights from his book, especially how churches can move from stagnation to transformation. Douglas Powe, Jr. is an ordained elder in the Baltimore/Washington Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. He is the Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and professor of evangelism and of urban ministry...
Jun 22, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 50
Rev. Mark Elsdon joins the pod to talk about his new book, We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry. He talks about how the book was inspired by his own church’s journey from decline and decay into vital mission and ministry by uncovering hidden resources and strategically utilizing them to advance mission. Mark also shares ideas about how we can begin to see these resources for ourselves and how we can overcome the scarcity mindset. Mark Elsdon lives and works at th...
Jun 15, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 49
In the interview, Tim walks through the nine important questions he asks the perspective church planter to consider. For anyone who as ever considered starting a church, leading a church through revitalization, or even whether or not to enter pastoral ministry these are questions you need to consider beforehand—lest it cost you your soul! Tim Morey is the author of Planting a Church Without Losing Your Soul: Nine Questions for the Spiritually Formed Pastor. Tim is founding and lead pastor at Lif...
Jun 08, 2021•55 min•Season 5Ep. 48
In our podcast interview, Daniel walks through the song, sharing his thoughts and feelings behind the words of the songs. He talks about his early experiences in which growing up and why he does not simply want to leave the Church, but rather invite those he believes to be wayward to “come home.” Daniel Deitrich is a singer/songwriter based in South Bend, Indiana. His honest, heartbreaking, yet hopeful writing finds a home in massive Americana anthems, catchy Indie rock hooks, as well as intimat...
Jun 01, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 47
Crow Eddy joins the pod to talk about integrating Christianity with Native Spirituality. We talk about the work of the Center for Indigenous Ministries (DOC), the ways he's incorporated Native Spirituality into his church community, and the way that Christianity has been--and still does--oppress indigenous populations. He also talks about his art! Crow Eddy is an artist, drum carrier, and Mi’kmaq person living in Novia Scotia, Canada. Crow regularly writes and lectures on Mi’kmaq spirituality an...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 46
Ryan Panzer, author and hybrid ministry consultant, joins the pod to talk about his new book, Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech Shaped World . In the book, Panzer talks about why being church is not about technology but engagement and why churches are not failing to adapt to technology, but rather are failing to adapt to meaning making. Ryan is a learning and leadership development professional in the technology industry. A student of digital media and its influence on our lives, he is...
May 18, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 45
Author and podcaster Jared Byas talks about his new book Love Matters More , which talks about how fighting to be right keeps us from loving like Jesus. In our conversation, we talk about theological trauma, why truth is a poor guide to love, and why if it doesn't set you free--it isn't truth. Jared Byas is cohost of the popular podcast The Bible for Normal People and coauthor of the book Genesis for Normal People . A former teaching pastor and professor of philosophy and biblical studies, Jared...
May 11, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Bethany Dearborn Hiser, trauma-informed soul care provider and author of From Burned Out to Beloved: Soul Care for Wounded Healers joins the pod to talk about overwork, burnout, and knowing when to stay or when to go. For many in "caring professions" like counselors, activists, social workers, and pastors, taking time away to recharge and renew oneself can be seen as unnecessary and privileged. Bethany shares why this attitude not only is wrong, but it's also dangerous. Bethany currently works a...
May 04, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 43
Kathy Escobar joins the pod to tell the story of The Refuge , a Christian community and resource center, while also sharing some insights on future models of church and what churches can and should do to respond to the changes brought on by Covid. Along with being a co-pastor at The Refuge, Kathy is a trained spiritual director, speaker, writer, group facilitator, and advocate, her passion is for those on the margins of life and faith and creating brave, safe spaces for healing and transformatio...
Apr 27, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 42
Brian McLaren joins the pod to talk about his new book Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It. We talk about the book, the disruption taking place with culture and Christianity, and what future church might look like. Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the co...
Apr 20, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Rev. Dr. Josѐ Francisco Morales Torres, joins the pod to talk about the less-white future of Christianity, LatinX Christianity, and why he doesn't like the term LatinX itself. Josѐ is an Assistant Professor of Latinx Studies and Religion at Chicago Theological Seminary . He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). His ministry experience is broad, including congregational pastorate, advocacy, community organizing, wider denominational leadership, and education. He i...
Apr 06, 2021•57 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Karen Rohrer joins the pod to talk about the church planting in mainline churches, different church planting models, and whether or not there is an "ideal" church planter. Rev. Karen Rohrer is the director of the Church Planting Initiative at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary where she teaches and mentors cohorts on how to be wise, thoughtful, and relevant leaders. Rohrer is co-editor of the new book Sustaining Grace: Innovative Ecosystems for New Faith Communities. Rohrer is a graduate of Univers...
Mar 30, 2021•49 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Terrell McTyer joins the pod to talk about how to overcome gaps in funding and imagination to be innovative and creative in new church and church re-vitalization ministry contexts. He also shares his thoughts on how Covid will affect church and church-planting efforts in the future. Pastor Terrell McTyer serves as the Minister of New Church Strategies for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada . He works to teach, equip, assist and multiply leaders and congreg...
Mar 23, 2021•45 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Jennifer Knapp joins the pod to talk about theology, LGBT inclusion, and the evolution of the Christian music industry over the last 20 years. Oh, and we talked just a little bit about music! Find more about her music here: Jennifer Knapp is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, author, speaker and advocate. Her impressive history includes selling over one million albums with her first three releases Kansas (debut 1998, Gold-certified), Lay It Down (2000), and The Way I Am (2001). As the first m...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 37
Thomas Jay Oord joins the pod to talk about Open and Relational Theology, which asserts that God’s primary characteristic is love, Theology involves humble speculation about who God truly is and what God really does, and Creatures – at least humans – are genuinely free to make choices pertaining to their salvation. Read more about Open Theology here : Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Oord is a best-selling and award-winning author, having w...
Mar 09, 2021•51 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Marlena Graves joins the pod to talk about her book The Way Up is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself . In the interview, we talk about poverty, suffering, and kenosis (emptying). But, it's not all sackcloth and ashes! Marlena shares her beautiful story about God's "happy eyes," and what it means to truly understand God's deep love and care for us and God's children. Marlena is a writer, deep thinker, and speaker who is passionate about the eternal implications of our life in God. She...
Mar 03, 2021•45 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Nikole Lim joins the pod to talk about her book, Liberation Is Here : Women Uncovering hope in a Broken World. Nikole shares her experiences as a nonprofit leader and filmmaker and offers practical wisdom on on dealing with the burden that comes with helping others and knowing when to "fix" and when to "feel with." Nikole is a speaker, educator, and consultant on leveraging dignity through the restorative art of storytelling. She is the founder and international director of Freely In Hope , a no...
Feb 23, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 34
Dr. Chuck DeGroat joins the pod to talk about his book, When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse . We talk about what narcissism is and the danger it can be in pastors and church planters, as well as what it looks like for pastors to lead in a healthy way. Chuck DeGroat is Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary, MI, and Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. He is an author, speak...
Feb 16, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 33
