The Oak Grove UMC Podcast

Advent Podcast 2025 🎄 // EP. 4: Love // with Rev. Melissa Kim-Hall This 4th episode of the Advent Podcast with Rev. Melissa Kime-Hall, Associate Pastor for Nurture & Mission, goes through Week 4 of the Advent Devotional Guide, which takes a look at joy. The Advent Podcast will come out each Tuesday in December. Each week one of our pastors will read through a portion of the “Starry Nights” Ad...

Advent Podcast 2025 🎄 // EP. 3: Joy // with Rev. Chris Rapko This 3rd episode of the Advent Podcast with Rev. Chris Rapko, Interim Associate Pastor, goes through Week 3 of the Advent Devotional Guide, which takes a look at joy. The Advent Podcast will come out each Tuesday in December. Each week one of our pastors will read through a portion of the “Starry Nights” Advent Devotional Guide includin...

This 2nd episode of the Advent Podcast with Rev. Dr. Beth LaRocca-Pitts, Senior Pastor, goes through Week 2 of the Advent Devotional Guide, which takes a look at Peace. The Advent Podcast will come out each Tuesday in December. Each week one of our pastors will read through a portion of the “Starry Nights” Advent Devotional Guide including scripture, prayers, musings on stars and the night sky, an...

This first episode of the Advent Podcast features Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer, Associate Pastor of Connection & Digital Ministry reading parts of Week 1 of the Advent Devotional Guide for 2025. The Advent Podcast will come out each Tuesday in December. Each week one of our pastors will read through a portion of the “Starry Nights” Advent Devotional Guide including scripture, prayers, musings on s...

This preview episode features Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer, Associate Pastor of Connection & Digital Ministry introducing the Advent Devotional Guide for 2025. The Advent Podcast will come out each Tuesday in December. Each week one of our pastors will read through a portion of the “Starry Nights” Advent Devotional Guide including scripture, prayers, musings on stars and the night sky, and more. 
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Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 6: Making a Rule of Life 🎙️✨ with Hanna Cain & Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the final of 6 episodes that guide you through how you can evaluate and improve your spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. In this conversation Youth Ministry Associate Hanna...

Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 5: Justice 🎙️✨ with Rev. Dr. Beth LaRocca-Pitts & Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the 5th of 6 episodes that will go through how you can evaluate and improve your spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. In this conversation Senior Pastor Beth LaRocca-Ptts,...

Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 4: Compassion 🎙️✨ with Krisy Kuo and Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the 4th of 6 episodes that will go through how you can evaluate and improve your spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. In this conversation Krisy Kuo, Director of Senior Adult Ministries, a...

Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 3: Devotion 🎙️✨ with Rev. Melissa Kime-Hall and Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the 3rd of 6 episodes that will go through how you can evaluate and improve your own spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. In this conversation associate pastors Rev. Melissa Kim...

Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 2: Worship 🎙️✨ with C.J. Lord and Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the 2nd of 6 episodes that will go through how you can evaluate and improve your own spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. C.J. Lord , (Director of the OG Youth Ministry) and Rev. Dr. Joseph M...

Pathways to Spiritual Health // Episode 1: What is a Rule of Life? 🎙️✨ with Hanna Cain and Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer This is the first of six episodes that will go through how you can evaluate and improve your own spiritual health by looking at four areas of what it means to live a faithful Christian life: Worship, Devotion, Compassion, and Justice. A spiritual rule of life is a purposeful, prayer...

FALL Podcast 2025 // “The Wisdom of Older Adults" // EP 4 Chuck Rogers: a Life of Photography and Faith 📸 🎙️✨ Oak Grove Community member Chuck Rogers shares about his ongoing passion for photography and his 70+ years as a photo journalist. Chuck has had an amazing career working with NASA, National Geographic, and more: photographing 6 Presidents, celebrities, Space Rockets, and even Queen...

“The Wisdom of Older Adults" // EP 3: Compassion w/ Barbara Adams & Krisy Kuo 🎙️✨ Church member Barbara Adams speaks with Krisy Kuo, Director of Senior Adult ministry, about life, faith, compassion, and faith in Jesus Christ. This is a great episode about the life and faith of Barbara Adams and her work in the Oak Grove Community. We will hear from folks about some of their spiritual pra...

“Junior” Senior Adult Cathy Huffines and current Youth Meryl Vaughan share a conversation about what it was like then and now to grow up at Oak Grove UMC. We hope you enjoy this conversation on Youth Ministry, intergenerational ministry, and Older Adult ministry! Our Annual “Celebration of Wisdom and Grace” Worship Service is on Sunday, August 24th at 11am Traditional Worship. We will hear from fo...

FALL Podcast 2025 // “The Wisdom of Older Adults" // EP 1: 101 year old Hassie Padgett 🎙️✨ In this first episode of the Fall Podcast with our older adults, Rev. Melissa Kime-Hall speaks with Oak Grove’s oldest church member, Hassie Padgett! She recently celebrated her 101st birthday and she has borne witness to so many historical moments, lived through both tragedies and joys of life, and is...

FALL Podcast 2025 // “The Wisdom of Older Adults" // S10 EP1 PREVIEW EPISODE with Krisy Kuo 🎙️✨ In this season of the podcast, we’ll be taking a look at the wisdom of some of the older adults in our community, including the oldest member of our congregation! She recently celebrated her 101st birthday, and she is so much fun and full of sage advice you will want to hear.  Guests include Hassi...

SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // Ep 5 Kuo Family Trip to Taiwan 🇹🇼😎⛱️✈️🏔️ In this final episode of the Summer Podcast, church member Dr. Jimmy Kuo and daughter Norah share their memories of a recent family trip to Taiwan. This was Norah and her little sister’s first time to visit their family’s ancestral home. The trip was filled with visiting family, seeing the sights, eating all the...

SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // Ep 4 "Boomers On Outreach Mission" // B.O.O.M. to Hinton 😎⛱️✈️🏔️ In this episode of the Summer Podcast, church members Denise Ritchie and Barbara Moore talk about their experience traveling to Hayesville, NC to work alongside other Boomers in mission to help low income, senior adults to stay more safely in their homes. Hinton Rural Life Center is a Uni...

SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // Ep 3 Dr. Curt Lindquist // TRAVEL BY WALKING 😎⛱️✈️🏔️ In this episode of the Summer Podcast, church member and retired United Methodist Minister and Professor, Rev. Dr. Curt Lindquist returns to the podcast to talk about “Traveling by Walking.” Dr. Curt has traveled on many long walks as pilgrimages in Portugal, Nepal, Israel, Belgium, Italy and France....

😎⛱️ SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // Ep 2 Robyn Sjogren // ATL Staycations ✈️🏔️ In this 2nd episode of the Summer Podcast, church member and director of “Camp Mommy,” Robyn Sjogren, and Pastor Joseph McBrayer talk about the power of creating core memories by exploring the areas around our home and around Atlanta by staycations and through service opportunities. If you're looking f...

😎⛱️✈️🏔️SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // Ep 1 Mary Lawton & Pastor Melissa // CAMP GLISSON In this 1st episode of the Summer Podcast, youth leader Mary Lawton and Pastor Melissa Kime-Hall share all about their experiences at Camp Glisson , a part of the North Georgia Camping and Retreat Ministries for the United Methodist Church. Camp Glisson is celebrating it's 100th Year THIS...

😎⛱️✈️🏔️SUMMER PODCAST: TRAVEL & SPIRITUALITY // the Oak Grove summer podcast returns for the month of July! This summer‘s podcast will focus on traveling and spirituality. Journey along as we talk about how traveling helps open our ears, hearts, and minds to God and to the world. Journey along with us on the summer podcast as the first episode comes out this Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and A...

In this final episode of the Lent Podcast, youth leader Cole Jones and Youth Ministry Director C.J. Lord discuss the recent OG Youth Mission Trip to Costa Rica in partnership with Asociación Ministerial Maná (Manna Ministerial Association). They discuss the trip, the Christian faith of the people in Costa Rica, and where they are finding Hope 💜 in International Mission. Youth Director C.J. Lord a...

In this episode, youth leader Vivian Mus and Youth Ministry Director C.J. Lord discuss where they are finding Hope 💜 in Creation Care and the many things that Oak Grove Youth Group are doing to care for God's Creation including composting at Youth Group and working with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light ( gipl.org ) to discern how our youth can lead the way in caring for creation at Oak Grov...

In this episode, youth leader Ashley DeLange and Youth Ministry Assistant Hanna Cain discuss where they are finding Hope 💜 in Inclusivity and the many things that Oak Grove Youth Group are doing to include people regardless of their race, who they love, or their abilities. You can find more information about Reconciling Ministries Network , an international non-profit working for full inclusion i...