messy but graceful: a parenting podcast

Kim Jones - CoFounder, Executive Director (she/her) Kim spent 20 years as a pediatrician in Silicon Valley before being called out of that work into changemaking. She was a Changemaker Fellow in 2018 and is passionate about enabling people to find their abundant, purpose-filled life. https://thechangemakerinitiative.org/  

Katie Cassady is a wife and mom to three girls in Denver, CO. A beekeeper and avid gardener, she believes stewardship, Catholic Social Teaching, and the practice of Sabbath, hold untold potential for the Church and the world. She holds a Masters degree in Pastoral Ministry and published  Sunday Fun  as a tool to help families intentionally integrate the practice of Sabbath. She blogs at&...

Glenys Nellist was born and raised in a little village in northern England. The author of multiple award-winning children’s books, including the bestselling ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas, The Wonder That is You, and five popular series: Love Letters from God, Snuggle Time, ‘Twas, Good News and Little Mole, her writing reflects a deep passion for helping children discover joy and hope in the world...

From Debbie: As Co-Director at Milestones Ministry: I help write, edit, facilitate training, and network and connect with congregations who desire to grow a family ministry model with an emphasis on faith in the home. I have a passion for helping others define the best resources and plans for ministries in their particular setting. I take into account size, space, history, existing resources, and...

Karen DeBoer   loves children (and their grown-ups too!). As a writer, workshop leader, podcaster and parent of four, much of Karen’s work has been focussed on providing people with practical ideas for forming faith both in community and at home. She is the author of   Home Grown Handbook for Christian Parenting;   a contributing editor of   God’s Big Story Cards ,   Jesse...

Kayla Craig is a former journalist who brings deep curiosity and care to her writing. With a poetic, prophetic voice, she created the popular  Liturgies for Parents  Instagram account, which Christianity Today named an “essential parenting resource.” She also hosts the Liturgies for Parents  podcast . Kayla’s  nuanced and accessible reflections , essays, and pray...

Liz Emis is the incoming Minister of Education for First UMC in Omaha. She creates spaces for wonder, plurality, and expansive, practical theology  with and for  children, youth, and families. She is a practical, liberative, childist theologian. She attends Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and will graduate in May '25 with a Master of Divinity degree, concentrating in Childist S...

Jennifer Grant is an author and editor based in Chicago. Her picture book Maybe God Is Like That Too won a gold medal from the Moonbeam Spirit Awards for excellence in children's literature and was named a book of the year finalist in the Foreword Indies awards. To date, it has sold more than 30,000 copies. Her second picture book, Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor Too, was named a Junior Library Guild...

Katye is a native Southerner who loves Jesus, musical theater, sports, coffee, and good hugs. An ordained Deacon in The United Methodist Church, she serves on staff at Garrett Seminary. She studied Dance Performance and Religious Studies at SMU, has a MDiv. from Garrett, and studied at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland. She is stepmom to a fantastic 14-year old stepdaughter and momma...

Sara Miller (She/Her) is a pastor and mental health educator. She's been in ministry for 11+ years in a variety of settings. Sara has an undergraduate degree in Youth Ministry and, in May 2022, received both a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling (MAPCC) from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She's married to her partner Caleb,...

Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford is the Intergenerational Discipleship Coordinator of the United Methodist Great Plains Conference, in which she helps congregations establish healthy kids and youth ministries. She grew up in East Texas and graduated from Perkins School of Theology, and as an ordained deacon, she connects church people to the world. Melissa is a writer, speaker, and most recently, the...

GenOn’s Training Director ,   Betsy   Dishman , also serves on staff at her local church in Virginia. Helping churches evaluate where they are with intergenerational ministry and guiding them to develop their own pathways to realize their specific vision and goals is her passion. Her favorite quote to explain her work is: “It’s a process, not a program!”   

Brittany has the opportunity to catch up with Lindsey Krinks —a street chaplain, activist, and nonprofit leader who has worked for over a decade on the front lines of social justice movements. She is the co-founder of Open Table Nashville , a nationally acclaimed interfaith homeless outreach nonprofit. Check out her book Praying With Our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets .

A native of Texas, pastor Fernie moved to Louisiana in 2015 after getting his MDiv at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. While living in Chicago, Fernie served at First UMC of Palatine as the Director of Contemporary Worship. His main responsibility was to recruit, hire, and train a team of people to launch a new worshipping community within the walls of a long-standing churc...

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Strickland is a Senior-Co Pastor of Claremont United Church of Christ, along with her husband. They are the proud parents of their (almost) 2-year-old daughter, 3 dogs, and 2 potbelly pigs. Jen is also the creator of This Little Light Ministries, through which she offers progressive Vacation Bible School curricula and worship liturgy. www.thislittlelightministries.com

Katie Lemaire is a Catholic writer, homeschooling mom of two, and military spouse currently stationed in California. Originally from South Louisiana, she takes great pride in her Cajun heritage and finds solace in a big bowl of seafood gumbo. Follow her writing on  katiewonders.substack.com  and on Instagram  @katiewonders .

Welcome to Messy but Graceful, a podcast where we explore God, spirituality, caregiving and parenting, and how those things change us, help us grow, and bring us closer to ourselves, our kids, and our God. In this second episode, Brittany Sky interviews Brian McLaren. Listen to hear his answers to the five questions Brittany asks all of her guests. Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker,...

Welcome to Messy but Graceful, a podcast where we explore God, spirituality, caregiving and parenting, and how those things change us, help us grow, and bring us closer to ourselves, our kids, and our God. In this first episode, you'll meet your host, Brittany Sky, and hear her answers to the five questions she asks all of her guests: Tell me a little about yourself. When you think about your pers...