Get Your Spirit In Shape

Food blogger and ministry leader Annette Spence talks about using food to help share God’s love and connect with our neighbors—a practice Jesus knew well. For more than 20 years, Annette has told the stories of the Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church in her role as editor of the The Call, the conference’s … Continue reading "Food, faith & finding connections with Annette Spence"

Thinking about what she had not read in parenting books was the springboard for the Rev. Kim Meyers when she started writing Parenting with Perspective. Kim’s new book is a candid look at the various stages of child rearing, from bringing home our newborn babies through guiding our adult children. We talk with Kim about the sometimes messy … Continue reading "The messy reality of raising kids with Kim Meyers"

Christmas 2020 felt like it was stolen. Many of the things we enjoy most about the season—travel, parties, exchanging cookies, and singing Christmas carols/hymns in a filled sanctuary—were not the same. It made us feel a bit more Grinchy than we may have ever felt before. In this episode of Get Your Spirit in Shape, Crystal … Continue reading "Finding faith in the story of the Grinch with Matt Rawle"

For our 100th episode, we talk with Bishop Minerva Carcaño. Not only is she the current bishop of the San Francisco Episcopal Area, she is the first Hispanic woman appointed as a district superintendent in the continental United States and the first Hispanic female ever elected bishop. She is a leader in social justice ministries, … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Minerva Carcaño"

As Jesus is preparing his disciples for when he will no longer be with them in the flesh, he tells them how those who believe in him will continue his work. But he doesn’t leave it there. He then says, “and they will do even greater things than these” (John 14:12 NIV). Wow! Can we … Continue reading "Work, Innovation and Doing Greater Things with Len Wilson"

While some bishops in the United States serve episcopal areas that include three or four states, Bishop Patrick Streiff serves one that includes 14 countries. The Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area consists of 12 countries in Europe and two in Africa. In addition to talking about his amazing work as a bishop, in this … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Patrick Streiff"

United Methodist pastor and author the Rev. Sherry Cothran invites us to take a closer look at the stories of some of the wild and holy women of the Bible. While we may be familiar with Esther, Rahab and others, Cothran teaches that their lives and circumstances hold clues for healing our own pain. In … Continue reading "Wild and holy women with Sherry Cothran"

Many of us have experienced trauma and how the danger of unhealed trauma can keep us from connecting with one another and with God. In this episode, our new cohost Crystal Caviness speaks with the Rev. Dr. Ron Bell about his book that teaches us how, step by step, to tackle the important work of … Continue reading "The healing journey for trauma with Ron Bell"

The Rev. Arthur Jones, preaching pastor at St. Andrew UMC in Plano, Texas, is the author of a new book called Solid Souls. In this conversation, we talk about what the soul is and some common misconceptions. Arthur teaches that when we keep an eternal perspective, we make better choices for ourselves, the people around us, … Continue reading "Cultivating Solid Souls with Arthur Jones"

Growing up as a preacher’s kid in Kentucky, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett dreamed of a career in athletics. A passion for education, led to a career in pastoral ministry, but those lessons from her athletic background never left her. For example, in basketball no one makes every shot. “So it’s so important not to focus on … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett"

Recently, many of us have grown increasingly comfortable in digital spaces. We may have worshiped on Facebook, connected with family on Zoom, had a meaningful conversation over Twitter, or joined a prayer group on Twitch. All of which raises questions about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ online. The Rev. Ryan … Continue reading "Digital discipleship: Being a presence of grace with Ryan Dunn"

The United Methodist Social Principles call us to faithful engagement with the world around us. They remind us of our connection to God, one another and the created world. Living a life in service to God and others has been part of our United Methodist history since John Wesley in the 1700s who visited those … Continue reading "Life together: The UM Social Principles, with Sharon Austin"

When we think of evangelism, many Christians feel some guilt. We know it is something we ought to be doing, but it makes us uncomfortable. In this podcast episode, we talk to Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, professor and Dean at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and the author of Models of Evangelism. In … Continue reading "Evangelism: Sharing the Good News with Priscilla Pope-Levison"

When faced with resistance, we sometimes back down, even when we believe we are doing what God has created us to do. In this conversation, the Rev. Donna Fowler-Marchant, author of a new book titled, Mothers in Israel: Methodist Beginnings Through the Eyes of Women, introduces us to some of the amazing women of the … Continue reading "Following God’s direction with Donna Fowler-Marchant"

Two of the authors of I’m Black. I’m Christian. I’m Methodist. talk about the importance of confronting racism both within the Church and throughout society. They share stories of their experiences as United Methodist pastors and differences they have noticed in the ways we talk about and process racial injustice. The Rev. Rudy Rasmus, senior pastor … Continue reading "Race, racism and the UMC with Rudy Rasmus and Jevon Caldwell-Gross"

Many of us have questions about the Holy Spirit. We’ve heard things and assume others, but we’re unsure if any of them are true. Jack Levison, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Perkins School of Theology and the author of several books, addresses many of these issues and helps us to understand how the Holy … Continue reading "Holy Spirit: Transforming the ordinary with Jack Levison"

As many focus on their health in a new year, Kathleen Griffith reminds us to have a holistic approach—body, mind and spirit. “When one is unwell, one’s whole being is affected,” explains the interim Global Health Team Lead and the Program Manager of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health with the General Board of Global Ministries … Continue reading "Holistic health around the world with Kathleen Griffith"

We continue our Advent 2020 missionary conversations with Temba Nkomozepi, a United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries missionary serving as an agriculturalist for the Mujila Falls Agriculture Center in Kanyama, Zambia. Temba helps provide healthy, nutritious food, and teaches others how to best grow crops and maintain livestock. It’s important work that helps improve … Continue reading "Providing nutrition: Give Love 2020 with Temba Nkomozepi"

Our second missionary conversation for Advent 2020 is with Lily Maijama’a, a Global Missions Fellow with the General Board of Global Ministries serving the West Africa Initiative of Liberia where he serves as a project manager. But Lily’s service goes far beyond his office job. He trains young people in the dangers of the internet … Continue reading "Making Connections: Give Love 2020 with Lily Maijama’a"

We begin our missionary conversations for Advent 2020 by meeting Ben Lasley, a Global Missions Fellow with the General Board of Global Ministries serving Arch Street United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Growing up in North Carolina, Ben was active in his United Methodist church where he developed his relationship with Jesus Christ. In Philadelphia, … Continue reading "Activated faith: Give Love 2020 with Ben Lasley"