Friends in Formation

James and Richella take on three listener questions with the help of priest and Renovaré Ministry Team member, Tiffany Clark. Together they explore how to walk alongside friends who are struggling with deep theological questions, how to welcome different types of people at church, and how to avoid letting freedom turn into lawlessness.

This week on Friends in Formation, James and Tiana answer questions about staying connected to God in seasons of intense pain and tips for church start-ups. They’re joined by professor and Willard scholar Keith Matthews to answer the third question about how to understand Dallas Willard’s main ideas.

James and Richella discuss listener questions on which books to dive into when you’re just beginning the journey of formation and how to develop deeper trust and vulnerability in community, and guest contributor Brandon Rickabaugh helps answer the final question about the role of obedience in the process of formation. 

James and Tiana take on listener questions about how to practice sabbath and how to explore the Streams of Christian tradition as a church, and guest contributor Ted Harro joins the cast for an important third question “What do you think that God is doing in the Church in America today?”   Show Notes  How do you each do sabbath? How would you facilitate exploration of the Streams churchwide? What...

This week on the Friends in Formation podcast, James and Richella discuss praying for your political enemies, surviving (and thriving) in parenthood, and how to encourage experimentation with practices from other Christian traditions.

This week on Friends in Formation , James and Tiana cover three listener questions on "traditional" church, minority voices in spiritual formation, and battling interior resistance to God.

Host James Catford, co-host Richella Parham, and guest contributor Grace Pouch discuss listener questions on discerning God’s voice, the temptation to judge others, and best practices for shepherding children’s spiritual formation.

Kicking off the relaunch of Friends In Formation, James, Richella—and new host Tiana Spencer—discuss three listener questions: how to stop measuring your spiritual life by the world's standards, why genuine adult friendship feels so rare (and how to find it), and how to break free from the overwhelm of too many books and courses.

The final episode of this season of Friends in Formation covers listener questions on why spiritual formation "clicks" at certain ages, whether we should pray the prayer "Disturb me, Lord" (Sir Frances Drake), and knowing when to take a break from something.

Want to Sug­gest a Question? To sub­mit a ques­tion for James, Richel­la, and Nate to con­sid­er dis­cussing on Friends in For­ma­tion , email friends@​renovare.​org . Listener questions guide our hosts into a fruitful discussion about moving from theory to practice in the discipline of Sabbath, exploring historic Christian writers both inside and outside of your own tradition, and learning to pra...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . Show Notes In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about Dallas Willard’s version of The Lord’s Prayer, what things get the goat of our hosts, and how to measure progress in one’s sp...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . Show Notes Three Listener Questions— [2:35] My question concerns a phrase I hear you use often in Renovaré — referring to people as “Image Bearers.” I must admit this always makes me sit up as it was not a phrase I had encountered much. At fir...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, James, Nate, and Richella answer listener questions about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, unfairness and injustice in the church, and prayer labyrinths. Show Notes [1:20] I want us to reflect...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . ... In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, James, and Nate answer listener questions about wrestling with unhealthy views of God, habits that can help us read deeply, and whether to pray for someone's healing right away, or...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about which Christian Stream “gives the most bang for the buck,” how to discern when to fast (or practice any spiritual discipline), and how t...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . --- In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about training in joy, how to be a "friend in formation" to a spouse with dementia, and knowing when to confront someone's sin. [1:13] I’v...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . ---- [1:26] In the stage of life me and my husband are in—we have three young children, jobs, and we are involved in our local church, there are lots of opportunities to do good things. When I sit down and look at our family calendar, I feel o...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . --- In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, James, and Nate answer listener questions about the easy yoke Jesus talked about, experiencing true freedom, and spiritual formation in marriage. Show Notes [1:20] Is it possible t...

To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, James, and Richella answer listener questions about the difference between spiritual formation and discipleship, transforming negative thoughts, and virtual spiritual interactions and the role of rootedness. Show Not...

In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about the Streams, moving small groups toward spiritual formation, and building lifelong friendships in this time of loneliness.   Show Notes   [1:47] In December's podcast, James mentioned six different “Streams” of Christian tradition: contemplative, holiness, charismatic, social justice, evangel...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . ---- In this episode, Nate, James, and Richella answer listener questions about reconciling Jesus' “easy yoke” with Paul's “beating his body to make it his slave,” remaining healthy while carrying other’s burdens, and Bishop Desmond Tutu’s “se...

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . Show Notes In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Nate, Richella, and James answer listener questions about practices to help keep centered on Christ with a busy schedule, returning to church when you are not feeling loved there, and...

In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, Richella, Nate, and James answer listener questions about losing faith, contentment, and where to start with spiritual practices. -- [1:25] The three of you have been addressing questions/concerns from parents who are grieving at the waning faith of the children they so lovingly raised. I'm writing as the 22-year old son of two God-fearing parents....

Want to Suggest a Question? To submit a question for James, Richella, and Nate to consider discussing on Friends in Formation , email friends@renovare.org . In this month’s episode of Friends in Formation, James, Richella, and Nate answer listener questions about women in ministry and gender roles, the Trinity, and Spiritual Direction. Show Notes [3:40] We've got several questions about women in m...