Faith Unfiltered Podcast

Many look to their faith for direction and answers to things happening in the world while others suggest that the church should stick to theology and spirituality. The reality is that churches are speaking up about justice issues facing the world and especially in the United States, but where is Community of Christ’ voice in all of this? There are people who wonder why Community of Christ seems si...

Can you smell that? When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with pure nard, the scriptures tell us that “the room was filled with the smell of the perfume. Mary spared nothing to do what she thought was right in the moment... to take a prophetic risk. On this final week of Lent, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith explore the significance of Mary anointing Jesus' feet with costly perfume, highlighting t...

It’s time for another episode of Coffee in the Swarm, and today’s guest comes from a “Long” line of Community of Christ members and Graceland alumni. From early on, Anna Long determined that she would probably go to Graceland.  It was, after all, a regular topic of conversation at family meals and gatherings. And, her Graceland experience has not disappointed.  Join hosts Aliyah Farrell and Mike H...

Slowing down and connecting with God can be as simple as paying attention to the rhythm of our breath. Join host, Shannon McAdam, as she leads us through a spiritual practice known as a breath prayer. It’s not complicated unless you make it complicated. It’s personal. You set the parameters and make it your own. Take your time. Rest... and breathe.  This breath prayer is taken from Jane Vennard’s...

Choose joy! It may be hard sometimes, but the alternative will just tear you down. In this episode of Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith take a look at the story of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke. While the young man was ready to receive what he deserved... nothing ... the father was more focused on the joy of his return.  That’s how God feels when we “return home.” For some...

There is a lot of history and context, both inside and outside the church, that accompanies the sections in Community of Christ’s Doctrine and Covenants. Over the years, some of the sections have been removed due to a lack of alignment with Community of Christ identity, message, mission, and beliefs. Other sections have been questioned because of the language used at the time of writing. Guests, P...

Two of the resolutions submitted for the 2025 World Conference come from the Cedar Valley-Nauvoo Mission Center. Say What hosts, Mary Anne and Kassie, sit down with the mission center leaders, Evelyn Dustin and Kent Levan, to get a better idea of what their resolutions are asking for and why it is important for the church at large to consider what is at stake. Behind these resolutions lay stories...

You can almost hear the kids saying, “Are we there yet?” And the answer is NO! We are still on the road to Jerusalem with Jesus, and Jesus is still encountering people asking questions to which he has already given answers. And yet, he tells a parable that reinforces just how merciful and patient he is with those who haven’t borne fruit, even though he has shown them the way...God’s way. Join host...

World Conference 2025 is almost here, and this is going to be a historic Conference once again as Stassi Cramm’s call to serve as Prophet-President is considered. Stassi has always sensed a deep connection with God and with the church. She had been told that there were special things ahead, and she promised God she would always say yes if God called and the church expressed the need. Well, both th...

If talking parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order is like speaking a foreign language to you, you’re at the right place. Join members of the World Church Leadership as well as International Headquarters staff as they put the question to World Church Parliamentarian extraordinaire, John Wight.  Chances are the questions that are rolling around in your head about parliamentary procedure...

Are you going to be a fox or a hen? Before you answer that question, stop and take a few minutes ... it is Lent after all ... to engage in some honest self-reflection. The world may suggest that it’s better to be a fox, but Jesus would likely disagree. You can decide as you listen to this episode of Coffee to Go with hosts, Karin Peter and Blake Smith. This week they’re with Jesus in the Gospel of...

“It's just a very sad thing that across many nations, as people get fearful, they tend to go out and buy more firearms,” says Rick Sarre, member of Community of Christ’s Peace and Justice Team, and guest for this episode of Say What? Join hosts Mary Anne and Kassie for an in-depth conversation with Rick about 2025 World Conference Resolution G-12: Promoting Peace by Reducing Gun Proliferation...

As Community of Christ moves closer to the historic moment of considering the call of the first woman President/Prophet of the church, Stassi Cramm, there is no better time to reflect with Karin Peter and historian extraordinaire, Wendy Eaton, to take a look across the years at all the women who have had a prophetic influence on the church and its people.  In this episode of Cuppa Joe, Wendy prese...

It’s the first Sunday of Lent... a time for looking inward. Be advised, you can’t blame everything on the devil. Well, you could, who would you be fooling? Sometimes you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Making responsible choices is up to you. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith as they enter the wilderness with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and a special “visitor” to see how Jesus w...

Aliyah and Mike are back in the Swarm at Graceland University, and this time they’re sitting down with senior, Ishbel Wilson. Ishbel hails from Independence, Missouri and the Liberty Street congregation where she established a strong foundation in the church. She’s continued her connection through various ministries at Graceland while working on a triple major. You’re sure to enjoy this short epis...

It may seem strange that on a Christian Holy day where many disciples will walk around with a smudge of ash on their foreheads for all to see, we have a scripture passage that tells us to pray and fast privately in our “closet.” Why don’t we wear the smudge of ash in a place where only we and God can see it? Well, the smudge is a symbol of the condition of our hearts ... repentant, mortal, humble....

What significance, if any, do ashes have in your life? Are they just the dirty remains left by a forgotten fire, or do they symbolize something meaningful? Throughout history and across cultures and traditions, ashes have had a number of symbolic uses. Join Blake Smith in this episode of Awaken to God’s Presence, as he invites us into a season of repentance and self-reflection using ashes as the f...

We all have those special places where we’ve experienced God’s presence (the Holy Spirit), and for some reason we let ourselves believe that we need to return to that place to find God again. It’s in those places that we want to “pitch our tent” so to speak.  If we’ve learned nothing else in this season of Epiphany, we know that God is up to something, and when God reveals God’s self, it may just...

If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to be a part of the change with regard to the climate emergency, grab your coffee and settle in.  This episode of Say What? Is the second part of a two-part conversation between Kassie and Mary Anne and their guests, Paul Bethel and Laurie Gordon regarding G-5: Climate Emergency – Fossil Fuel Reduction, a resolution up for consideration at the 2025 Community...

In order to understand the depth of the climate crisis we are facing, Laurie Gordon suggests we may need to connect with our inner mystic. Laurie, and Paul Bethel, are the guests of Say What for this conversation about resolution G-5: Climate Emergency – Fossil Fuel Reduction which will come before the 2025 Community of Christ World Conference.  Hosts Kassie Ripsam and Mary Anne Bennett-Ripsam sat...

We sing about it, we talk about, we say that it is at the heart of God, but when it comes to sharing it with those we find undeserving, we have second thoughts. “It,” of course, is LOVE. In this week’s Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith return to the Gospel of Luke and Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. Join them for a look into the difficult-to-swallow list of those Jesus tells us we should...

From rule-following teenager to mischievous Gracelander, to volunteer leadership in the church and a career in technology and business sales, Shannon McAdam (she/her) has spent her life journeying with God in community. Now, Shannon has accepted a call to the Council of Twelve. Join host Robin Linkhart as she sits down with Shannon to get to know her better and to explore her faith journey. A stro...

After 20 long years of self-sustaining ministry, including her most recent role as Midlands Mission Center President, Kat Hnatyshyn has said yes to a role that requires a change in career... but not a change in passion.  In this episode of Nice to Matcha, host Robin Linkhart sits down with Kat, a first-time guest at Project Zion, for a closer look at the moments that have led her to say yes to a c...

There’s no better place to give a sermon about community than on a plain (aka a level field). All communities may not put everyone on the same level, but in God’s Kingdom, every field is a level playing field. The blessings and woes of such a community ought to be felt by all.  In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus lays it on the line with the disciples...proclaiming both blessings and...

Since an early age, Adam Wade has sensed the movement of God in his life... affirming at each step that he was being called to new things. But that doesn’t make it any less frightening, or any less daunting. In this episode of Nice to Matcha, you’ll get the chance to listen in to a conversation between Adam and host, Robin Linkhart, in which Adam shares his journey to his current call to the Counc...