More Than Sunday

If you only know him as a player for the FC Dallas professional soccer club, then you've barely scratched the surface of what makes Ryan Hollingshead tick. His story is truly stranger than fiction. But rather than chance or fate, it was, and is, his faith in Jesus Christ that has motivated every choice. He joins us on the podcast to recount the winding road that led him to his spot on the FC Dalla...

In any organization, family, business, or church, someone new doesn't feel like they truly belong until they are part of the story. They must be welcomed in fully, and become inextricably integrated with the work and life happening there. This is an ideal that motivates Joe Stallard, both as Vice President of Human Resources for Sewell Automative, and as an active member of First United Methodist...

Nashville singer/songwriter duo Jenny & Tyler have spent their whole adult lives together, personally and professionally. In their marriage and their music, they seek to honor God and share the good news of who God is. Now over 10 years into their career as artists, they look back on what drives their songwriting, the lessons they've learned as partners and parents, and the meaningful difference t...

As Christians, the greatest story ever told is ours to share; a story of faithfulness and love, of forgiveness and healing. But, with that gift comes the responsibility of telling it well. Our guest today, Laura Beil, knows a thing or two about telling a compelling story. She is a career journalist and the host of the massively successful podcast, Dr. Death. Laura shares her experiences crafting t...

You may not know Ramsey Patton, but you'll soon believe in the powerful work she is doing in Dallas, TX. What started as a nudge from the Holy Spirit has turned into a thriving ministry centered around a worship service that is not just for, but WITH those with disabilities. She, along with other leaders at Highland Park United Methodist Church, is creating a place for people who have struggled to...

The Church is a living, breathing thing. It ebbs and flows through time, drifting further from or drawing closer to God's dream for it. We see this in the Bible, and we see it still today. In this movement, there are some moments that feel like a turning point. A crossroads. Moments when a new generation is being called to step forward and lead. Bishop Will Willimon believes we are in such a momen...

The Church is far more than a physical building where people gather on Sunday mornings. At its best, the Church is every person who calls themselves a Christian representing Jesus Christ to everyone around them. This is a call that Phil Martin, a member here at First United Methodist Church Richardson, takes very seriously. Hear how he lives his faith actively in his community, and how we each hav...

For most of the Church's history, certain passages in the Bible have been cited to justify the exclusion of women from leadership in the Church. While some denominations, including Methodism, have recognized the gifts of women for ministry, many still have not taken this important step. This reality has been a catalyst for Kate Wallace Nunneley since she was 14 years old. She has since turned her...

Millennials often get a bad rap, being called lazy, or entitled, or idealistic, or naive - the modern "kids these days." But when you actually ask the younger generation what they value, as Brad Griffin often does, you may find they seek community and authenticity over trendiness and perfectionism. Maybe that's something that the American church is getting wrong, and maybe that's why less and less...

What do we do when a dream dies? Where do we turn when we feel like God isn't there? For JJ Heller, the answer was songwriting. Through the biggest struggles and greatest triumphs of her life, she has found God over and over again through music. JJ is a singer/songwriter in Nashville, and has made not only a career, but a way of life out of processing her feelings and experiences through song. Her...

In a culture of instant gratification, one of the most challenging things to do is... wait. Waiting takes patience. Waiting takes trust. In life, and especially in our faith, the waiting is often where the real growth happens. Where God is doing the work only God can do. It's with this guiding principle that J.D. Walt leads an organization called Seedbed. Seedbed is a movement and media platform w...

The table - it's a place we go to gather, to replenish, to share, and to listen. It's a place that draws us together for common purpose and community. A place where we meet face to face. All of these things seem less common, and more important, than ever. Or at least that's what Andrew Greer says. Andrew is a storyteller at heart, sharing insights through original music, books, and an interview-st...

When tragedy strikes, we can find ourselves at a loss for an explanation.  Well-meaning Christians often try to fill that empty space with pseudo-truths about God: "Everything happens for a reason. It's all a part of God's plan. God needed another angel." But if we don't believe these things to be true of God's character, what possible explanation is there when bad things happen? Dr. Thomas Jay Oo...

Human interpretation of the Bible is far from infallible. There are ideas the historical church has ingrained in us that may demand a second look. One such idea is that of original sin - a tenet without which Christianity existed for nearly 400 years. Are we a fallen people? Are we inherently sinful? Author Danielle Shroyer doesn't think so. She joins us to make a starkly compelling case for somet...

Welcome to Season 2 of the More Than Sunday podcast! We begin this leg of our journey with a few questions. What is happiness? And how do we find it? Fortunately, we are the in company of Rev. Matt Miofsky, Lead Pastor at The Gathering - a 12 year old church that is the third fastest growing large United Methodist Church in the country. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Matt is also a...

We're 2 weeks away from the debut of Season 2! Here's a sneak peek at a few of the phenomenal guests we have lined up. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so that the first episode of Season 2 is automatically delivered wherever you listen!

We're back in your feed with a special bonus episode! While preparing for Season 2, we had a captivating conversation with Bishop Michael McKee, bishop of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. He sat down with us to talk about the role joy plays in our lives, and how we might have more control over finding it than you might think. We also reveal the release date for Season 2,...

Welcome… to the final episode of Season 1! We're going to take a short break after this episode and be back with new content in January. We've been blown away by the response to our first year as a podcast, and can't wait to get back in the studio to talk with a whole new batch of inspiring people! As for this episode, it's one you absolutely don't want to miss. We are speaking with Patti Otte, co...

Home. At its best, it's where we feel safe. Where we belong. Where we find strength when the world bears down on us. But this idea isn't limited to the physical structure where we sleep; it's the kind of belonging that the church should provide as well. Whether it actually does or not falls to the people that make up the church - and may the the most important factor in whether or not someone new...

Being invitational and welcoming is at the heart of the Christian faith. It's the first step in sharing the good news of Jesus and offering someone new a place at the table. But more often than not, this thing that is so central to who we are as Christians does not come easy. We're shy. We don't want to offend. We want to avoid potential awkwardness and exclusion. But the call of Jesus to make dis...

Servanthood - Misti Lehman by First United Methodist Church Richardson

What should a church's relationship look like with the community in which it sits? When, and how, should we look to current culture to inform how we're carrying out our mission? And does humility play a role in any of it? These are important questions to answer when trying to figure out how to be the church that your community needs. Dr. Hugo Magallanes thinks so too; he's spent the past decade he...

Diversity is a strength to any community or organization. Different backgrounds and points of view lead to a fuller picture of who we are and what we're seeking to achieve. But if we stop at simply acknowledging diversity, we're missing the gifts and opportunities that come with true inclusion and teamwork. Katie Patterson knows this all too well, and has made it her mission to break down the barr...

If your church ceased to exist tomorrow, would your community notice? That is the question we're seeking to answer over the next four weeks of the podcast. How do we as a church become so integral to the life of the community we are in that no one could imagine the city without it? How do we care for our neighbors the way that Christ calls us to - not just a donation every now and then, but loving...

In the final episode of our 3 part series on the Enneagram, we take a look at the doers. These people are action-oriented. They often rely on instinct. They experience their interior world as physical feelings. One such person, Joey Schewee, is joining us on the podcast this week to talk about this group of people - their perspectives, their challenges, and the gifts they can offer to the world. J...