Sunrise Road Podcast

In this episode of Sunrise Road, we’re joined by Adam Luedtke, spiritual guide and leader at Contemplate Lincoln, a center dedicated to nurturing the inner life through silence, stillness, and spiritual practice. Adam shares his journey into contemplative spirituality and how Contemplate Lincoln invites people into deeper connection with God, themselves, and their community. Whether you’re curious...

What do we do when we feel numb, scattered, or stuck in the trap of comparison? In this episode, we talk with contemplative teacher and spiritual director Patty Forsberg about the subtle ways our souls signal distress—and how we can respond with compassion, presence, and care. Drawing on decades of experience in Centering Prayer, Bio-Spiritual Focusing, and the Enneagram, Patty offers gentle wisdo...

In this powerful episode of Sunrise Road, we welcome Joe McKeown and Steve Pointon, two men whose unlikely friendship became a testament to peace and reconciliation. Joe, the CEO of Youth Link NI, grew up Catholic in Belfast during the Troubles of Northern Ireland, while Steve, now a Pastor at Fourth Presbyterian Church, was raised Protestant. Both were taught to distrust the other—until their liv...

Kicking off Season 4 of Sunrise Road, we welcome back a longtime friend of the podcast, Rev. Dr. Matt Mardis-Lecroy. In this episode, playfully titled "Let’s Talk About Sin, Baby," we dive into a Lenten conversation about how sin has been understood in the past, how we wrestle with it today, and why it makes us uncomfortable. Matt brings his deep theological insight, humor, and pastoral...

This week, we welcome Tut Kailech, a refugee from South Sudan who has made a profound impact on Lincoln, NE, as a Community Builder and Marketing Specialist at NeighborWorks Lincoln. Tut is also the visionary behind the YATO (You Are The One) brand, a talented musician, and the host of the Blazin' A Trail Podcast. In this episode, Tut shares his journey from South Sudan to Lincoln and his passion...

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Melissa Ripley, Investigator and Homeless Outreach Coordinator in the Behavioral Health Unit of the Lincoln Police Department. Melissa shares how her work goes beyond traditional policing, focusing on building trust, providing resources, and supporting vulnerable members of the community. Discover how her role bridges the gap between law enforcement and...

Some members of our congregation remember when the Gathering Place grew out of a vision for feeding a hot meal to those experiencing homelessness or near-homelessness in Lincoln, NE. Forty-two years later, our congregation remains an active part of serving food. Lisa Janssen is the Administrator of the Gathering Place, and in this conversation, we explore why this outreach continues to be a succes...

If you’ve driven by our church property recently, you’ve noticed something different - something beautiful - happening on the west side of our food pantry building. When the Trustees discussed the need for the building to be repainted, someone suggested a community art project in the form of a mural. The Session took up the idea as part of our summer series, “Today, I choose to believe….” Our comm...

Join us for a deep and insightful conversation with our friend and guest, Sharon Kandel, the Regional Liaison for the Horn of Africa with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Sharon shares stories from her mission work in Sudan and South Sudan, offering a unique perspective on how faith, compassion, and service can bridge communities across continents. Discover how these efforts contribute to building p...

Guests: - Rev. Beth Graverholt, Lead Organizer for Justice in Action - Olivia Butts, Justice in Action A conversation about the difference between mercy and justice, the role of community organizing, and the power of making our stories heard. Learn more: https://www.justice-in-action.org -- Welcome! Thank you for stopping by the description of this episode. This is the Sunrise Road Podcast, where...

Pastors Thomas and Melodie check in with our outreach partner, Michaella Kumke, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Lincoln. It’s been three years since the Food Bank named Michaella for the position, and a lot of change has happened in those three years! The Food Bank warehouse moved to a space built for their needs, distribution methods have changed, and partner agencies like our Eastridge Com...

In this enlightening episode of the Sunrise Road Podcast, hosts Melodie Jones Pointon and Thomas Dummermuth engage in a profound conversation with author and pastor Bruce Reyes-Chow. They explore the themes of his latest book, "Everything Good About God is True." Dive deep into discussions about faith, doubt, and the evolving nature of church leadership in modern times. This episode is a...

Pastors Thomas Dummermuth and Melodie Jones Pointon offer reflections on the amazing guests they’ve hosted on the second season of the Sunrise Road Podcast. What do they think about evangelism and mission now?

Sharon is a third generation Presbyterian mission co-worker, and reflects on what has changed since her grandparents were missionaries in Egypt. From sharing the gospel to walking alongside in partnership, we have lots to learn from our siblings in Christ all around the world. Speaking from a shared love for the people of South Sudan and Ethiopia, Sharon’s experience and approach to mission leave...

Several years ago, Dr. Stan Skreslet came to Lincoln and shared with Eastridge a history of Islam and it’s relationship to Christianity. Today, we ‘ve asked Dr. Skreslet to share with us about the history of mission. What have we learned from our past experiences that we can carry into the future? And - what needs to be done here and now to get there?

Is there a difference between evangelism and mission? Our working definition of evangelism in 2023 is sharing what God is doing in our lives through our local worshipping community. What will be our working definition of mission? Join our conversation with Rev. Barbara Stankowski, a Swiss pastor living in an urban poor community in the Philippines, as she reflects on five years of finding God in t...

The conversation continues with Rev. Eduardo Bousson. Yup, the podcast recording ended, and we just kept talking. So we’re sharing the Afterthoughts with you! Eduardo, Thomas, and Melodie talk more about what it means to share faith on a college campus, in a faith community, and with your family.

What does evangelism look like on a college campus in 2023? In this episode, we turn to Rev. Liz Kocher (ELCA), pastor at the UNL Lutheran Campus Center, and Rev. Eduardo Bousson (UMC), pastor at Nebraska Wesleyan University. In sharing their experiences with their communities, we learn some innovative and intriguing ways to live our faith in word and deed.

What to do when your church is way up on a hill and in the midst of a neighborhood that is rapidly becoming more multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and economically diverse? You have to come down from that hill. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Christian Walti, pastor of Friedenskirche in Bern, Switzerland, shares his passion for instigating neighborliness within urban anonymity and finding new ways of showi...

Church growth in the second half of the 20th century was defined by Evangelism - sharing the gospel in our communities - and Mission - sharing the gospel abroad. Much of this evangelism and mission happened on the front porch as neighborhoods and communities grew in the post-war boom. This season, we host a variety of conversations with guests from around the world and wonder together - with the w...

Pastors Thomas Dummermuth and Melodie Jones Pointon offer reflections on the inaugural seasons of the podcast - including reflections on their conversations with their first season of guests, what it was like hosting a podcast, and what didn’t get said that they would now like to say.

Robert Magoola grew up in southern Uganda, and has received formal education in universities around the world.  He brings a unique perspective to the experience and power of hope.  In this episode, he shares some of personal experiences and his doctoral dissertation - about the hope we carry and the hope of the resurrection.

As a young person, Ben MacConnell was shown what it meant to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” by a Presbyterian pastor in Louisville, Kentucky.  Reflecting back on his experiences working to build networks of faith communities to address issues of injustice in their community, he identifies the source of his work to be his faith.  Faith in God and our connections to...

Join Melodie and Thomas as they sit down with Judy Hart, a founding member of The Angels Theatre Company, and Timothy Scholl, the Executive Artistic Director. In this thought-provoking podcast episode, they delve into the topic of finding hope through storytelling. Through their discussion, they highlight how the stories we tell can shape our emotions and physical well-being.  Judy and Tim sh...

Unlock the power of hope and learn how to apply it to your own life with Mary Pipher on the Sunrise Road Podcast! In this inspiring episode, Pipher shares her wisdom as a licensed therapist and reflections on her own life to explain how hope affects our physical bodies and how we can practice hope in our daily lives. Discover how to connect with others, with nature, and spiritually, and gain insig...