Finding Free Podcast

Despite our best efforts, sometimes we hurt those we love with our words and actions, causing trauma and pain that has to be unpacked and worked through for years. This happens in every family; it is a part of life as we know it. Yet often families of LGBTQ+ individuals have a deeper levels of hurt and abandonment. Statistics of self-harm and depression are much higher in LGBTQ+ teens than average...

We are excited to share our conversation with Stan Mitchell with you on Finding Free Podcast! This episode is a must-listen for our community. Stan is Co-Founder of Everybody Church, an online community created as a haven for anyone feeling spiritually homeless, but specifically as a place of inclusion and affirmation for those in the LGBTQ+ community who have been harmed and ostracized by the loc...

During any conversation on LGBTQ+ inclusivity and the Church, the topic of scripture takes center-stage. What does the Bible say about same sex orientation? What does Jesus say? Are there any identified bible verses that address same sex relationships? In this episode, we walk through specific scripture verses that have historically been used to exclude the LGBTQ+ community from full participation...

I have heard it said many times before, "The Gospel is either good news for everyone or it is good news for no one." Yet time and time again, one group or another gets pushed aside, deemed not acceptable, excluded...by the Church. This conversation is a personal journey that Craig and I have been on for years, and we've decided that we can't be authentic to our own faith or integrity without publi...

Often there are ideas and theologies that we are taught that we hold onto for a while in life, but that eventually we realize need reframing and rethinking. The doctrine of "original sin," the idea that every human being is born completely separated from God by sin inherited from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is one that many Christ followers have believed and lived into, though its roots ca...

It's no secret that COVID-19 has everything in life as we knew it either on hold or moving forward in a very different way than we have known before. Every decision seems to take so much effort and yield more problems. We find ourselves on a wheel of uncertainty...spinning and spinning. Anyone else feeling tired or anxious from this constant spinning? Our mental bandwidth is maxed out and Every Li...

From 1972 to 1980, my dad (aka Mo, short for Morris) was the varsity basketball coach at Apex High School.  When Amy and I were starting our Finding Free Podcast I needed to do a sound test for our phone interview equipment.  So I called dad and got him to tell me about the last game he coached at Apex.  I was 3 years old, and I do not remember any of this, but I know it had to be exciting!  It ca...

Power dynamics in churches...not something we like to talk about often, especially in today's political and social climate. It's hard but necessary for religious leaders to think about the power they wield in relationships and how it impacts those they communicate with. Especially in a religious context, power is often abused, causing trauma and broken connections. This can lead people to be hurt...

Living in a culture that thrives on "more" and "faster," it's no secret that most of us have a hard time waiting for anything. When we begin to associate what we can get quickly with what is successful, we set ourselves up for a spiritual life of discontent. God is incredibly patient with us, and our own patience with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us means not that we wait pass...

Ask the general public for a definition of love and you'll get a variety of answers. We use the word love a lot, especially if you grew up in church and were told to "Love your neighbor" from a very young age. Yet, what does it look like to love others in today's culture that is  brimming with fear?  Walter Bruggeman says, "The definitive act of love is justice." We simply cannot talk about loving...

Second in our series on Women in Ministry, we dialogue today with a friend and former co-worker, Rev. Beth Thompson. Beth spent almost 40 years in ministry and was graduating from seminary at the height of the "women in ministry" conflict. She discusses the atmosphere during that time period and describes what helped her stay the course when things were difficult. And if you know Beth, she drops t...

When I was in college, I kept having this thought that would not let me go...a sense that, in order to be fully true to myself, I needed to accept that I was being called by God into Christian ministry. I wasn't exactly sure what that was going to look like, but I knew that it was true.  Looking back, it is fulfilling to know that I am where I am supposed to be in life, but I'll also admit that be...

How do we understand and communicate with God? How we grow up and our own personal experiences within church life can greatly impact our view of spirituality and how we understand listening to God.  If you grew up in a more traditional church setting there may be automatic rules and stipulations that come to mind on the topic of communicating with God...but does it have to be so difficult? Have we...

In our final episode of the Backpacking Series, we share some of the more humorous experiences we've had on the trail.  We simply couldn't end this series without sharing some of these stories.  From walking up on people actually skinny dipping to the day we lost two college students, we do a lot of laughing as we relive these tales.  We bring in one of our former students, the always delightful Z...

In this episode we interview a very faithful backpacking leader, Jeff Bell.  If you had asked him during his first trip if he thought he would go again, he would have said "I'm glad you saw me out here because you will never see me again!"  Since his miserable & rainy first year, he has faithfully gone back every year since.  As always, Jeff brings his since of humor to the conversation and as an...

In Part 2 of our Backpacking Series, we discuss how the trip has evolved over the last several years.  As we learned more about how to manage a group in the wilderness, we were able to focus on helping students grow in leadership skills, team building and wilderness education.  Of course you'll hear more about rain, more rain, even more rain and plenty of other funny stories that have happened alo...

For the past 20 years, over their spring break, we have taken our high school students on a 4 day, 20 to 30 mile backpacking trip in the NC mountains.  If you have ever gone on one of our backpacking trips you may have asked yourself, "How in the world did they dream up this miserable fun?"  In Part 1 of this series, we walk through how this trip began as a divinity school project and what the fir...

Anytime we face a crisis it disrupts everything that is "normal" for us. Often that means a lot of "unaddressed mess" that we can normally ignore --- can no longer be ignored. In this episode, Amy draws hope from the stories of the Jewish exile and offers a way to walk through this ever-changing, vulnerable and liminal space we may find ourselves in right now. Sometimes the seasons of life we cann...

The story of Jonah often captivates us as children. A person, swallowed by a fish? Are you kidding me? Yet even as we outgrow our childish thinking, we can learn a thing or two from this story for sure. In this episode, Amy suggests the book of Jonah has one main point...God's love includes E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. Those we love and those we don't. Those who think like us and those who don't. When judgeme...

Asking a lot of questions can sometimes get you labeled as a skeptic, trouble maker, or in church lingo, a "Doubting Thomas." But asking questions and searching for answers can be the most holy pursuit we ever take. In this episode, Amy talks about the disciple Thomas and discusses the benefits of asking spiritual questions. Could it be that we should make as much space as possible for questions a...

In this episode Amy talks about an interaction between Jesus and Peter to reflect on the difference between guilt and shame.  Guilt is a natural emotion we feel when we do something we later realize is a mistake.  Shame is when we allow our mistakes define us.  In this story after the resurrection, Jesus does not shame Peter for his past mistakes and instead frees him for a future of grace and lov...

In this episode Amy talks about the first Easter morning and a few of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  They converse with a stranger they do not know is Jesus.  In time their eyes are opened to His presence and to the new life he is calling them to live out.

In this episode we talk with Ben Peery, who moved to New York City this past October.  Ben gives us insight into how daily life has changed in the city and talks about a moving show of support that happens every evening for those on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In this episode Amy talks about the connection between the Jewish celebration of Passover and the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples.  Most people who are not Jewish do not celebrate Passover, but we are really missing out when we don't think about Passover and what it means for us today.  The Passover meal celebrates the Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt.  The Jewish people were acc...

In this episode we discuss some of our motivations and fears in starting this podcast.  Amy shares how her fear of disappointing others held her back from stepping out and sharing her voice.  Craig talks about the importance of having a safe space to ask hard questions about faith.  We share how our 2019 cross country trip led each of us to find our own free and awakened in us the actual courage t...