Religion Desk

New Roots Community Garden is a joint project between the International Rescue Committee and the YMCA of the Inland Northwest. Cassy Benefield visits the garden to hear from Angela Hanni from the YMCA and Madison Beal and Bikash Chhetri from the IRC.

“Reuse, repurpose, and recycle” became more than just a slogan when hundreds gathered for last Saturday’s Earth Day Block Party at West Central Abbey . More than 50 donated bicycles were shared at the party by River City Youth , and the Mend It Cafe with Spokane Zero Waste was inside repairing party-goers’ clothing. Community groups staffed booths, and food and native plants were available. Kate B...

Retired Religion Professor, Dr. Patricia O’Connell Killen , joined the Religion Desk to share insights on the changes in the religious landscape in the United States and how that has affected mainline congregations and denominations. You'll find the entire interview with Dr. Killen here.

In the middle of the last century mainline churches, the historical Protestant denominations, were a powerful force in American life and culture. Around half of the United States claimed membership in a mainline church in the 1950’s. Since then, these churches have seen a sharp decline in engagement and membership with many churches closing and an uncertain future ahead for the congregations that...

Reporter Emma Maple joined the podcast for a brief interview about her recent article about Holden Village and their closure for the year because of recent landslides.

Many find silence uncomfortable, but the people of the Spokane Quaker Worship Group embrace it. When they meet at 8:30 AM on Sundays, they gather as an unprogrammed Quaker meeting which means they wait together in silence until someone is moved to speak. Some days a few will speak, but on many days the hour will pass in silence. Quakers, though, aren’t intimidated by the quiet gathering. They are...

As churches change, how they use their buildings change, too, and many times churches are left with more physical space than they need. North Hill Christian Church in Spokane, Washington has a space in their church building that, decades ago, was a children’s Sunday School room and since then has been used for storage. They’re partnering with Jewels Helping Hands , a non-profit that serves the unh...

The community of Spokane, Washington gathered at the Spokane Convention Center for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Rally and March on January 19, 2026. Here are some of the sounds of the day.