Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

In this very important and special podcast, we give a couple of updates about the future of the Worthy podcast.  If you would like to donate as a "thank you", feel free to do  that here . 

Colleen interviews Elyse about her latest book:  Friend of Sinners: Lent Devotions on Following the Crucified King (A 43 Day Lenten Devotional to Prepare for Easter | Includes Reflection Questions for Personal Use or Group Discussion) 

Zach is the Lead Pastor and co-founder of Restore. Born and raised in Austin, he holds a Bachelors of Science in Communication, a Masters of Theology, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry at Duke Divinity School. Zach is also the author of the forthcoming book, Better Ways to Read the Bible , which is all about transforming the Bible from a weapon that condemns, oppresses, and exclude...

Rachael Clinton Chen, MDiv, is a formative voice in the movement toward healing from spiritual abuse. As a trauma care practitioner and pastoral leader, she weaves together theology, psychology, and story to accompany individuals and communities toward a kind of wholeness and resilient faith that tells the truth and pursues repair. She serves as a lead instructor for the Allender Center at The Sea...

Janyne McConnaughey, Ph. D., award winning author and  trauma-informed advocate, lived with the effects of childhood sexual abuse from the time she was three years old until she entered therapy and began her healing journey at the age of sixty-one. Realizing healing was possible for survivors, she first authored three memoirs describing the effects of childhood trauma and the paths to healing. Her...

Katie Douglass & Brittnay Tausen join us to talk about their book Love Your Neighbor: How Psychology Can Enliven Faith and Transform Community .

Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, psychiatrist Curt Thompson shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known. He's written several books, including: Anatomy of the Soul The Soul of Shame The Deepest Place   Become a Patreon Supporter  

Adam Young is a trauma therapist and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with master's degrees in social work (Virginia Commonwealth University) and divinity (Emory University). Adam regularly speaks at conferences and currently serves as a fellow with The Allender Center. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife and two children...

Natasha Smith is a grief advocate, speaker, and podcast host. She is the author of   Can You Just Sit with Me? Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life . Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women,   Influence   magazine, her. BIBLE, and elsewhere. She and her husband, Clinton, have four children and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. You can find her online at imnatashasmith.com .

Faith Chang serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island, where her husband is a pastor. She is an editorial board member of the SOLA Network and co-hosts the Westminster Kids Digest Podcast at WTS Books. Her writing on theology, motherhood, ministry, and the Christian life has appeared on Westminster Kids, The SOLA Network, The Gospel Coalition, and The Lausanne Movement. Faith addresses the...

Trillia Newbell  is the author of the kids' books  Creative God, Colorful Us  and  God's Very Good Idea ; a Bible study on Hebrews 11,  A Great Cloud of Witnesses;  and a Bible study on Romans 8,  If God Is For Us , as well as the books S acred Endurance: Finding Grace and Strength for a Lasting Faith ;  Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God's Good Gifts  (2016);   Fear and Faith: Fin...

Jenn is an author, speaker, spiritual director, and coach. She loves coming alongside people to help them grow in their relationship with God through spiritual direction, coaching, and intentional story work in the context of a safe-enough community. She believes storywork to be an important component of our discipleship journey. She wrote the book Dim Sum and Faith: How our Stories Form our Souls...

Yana Jenay Conner , MDiv (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), is a writer and Bible teacher. Her debut book is Living Beyond Offense: Doing the Hard Work of Forgiveness God's Way. She has served in full-time ministry for 15 years in both church and parachurch contexts and has contributed to Jude 3 Project's Through the Eyes of Color; Swing Low, Volume 2: An Anthology of Black Christianity...

Almost thirty years ago, she was given a two percent chance to be alive in ten years after a recurrence of breast cancer.  To make matters worse, she went through a divorce and her career ended because she was too weak to work.  Her first book,   A Gift of Mourning Glories: Restoring Your Life after Loss,   answers the big question that you and many people often struggle with after a difficult los...

Jennifer Houston McNeel is a core faculty member at St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Her research and writing interests focus on the social world of the New Testament in general and women in the New Testament in particular. She is the author of Paul as Infant and Nursing Mother: Metaphor, Rhetoric, and Identity in 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8 and Under Her Wings: Mothers and Mother...

Eric Schumacher earned a degree in communications from the University of Northern Iowa and an M.Div. in Biblical and Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is pursuing an M.A. in Marriage, Family, and Individual Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Eric and his wife, Jenny, live in Iowa. They are the proud parents of five children and a daught...

Chuck DeGroat is a follower of Jesus, a husband to Sara for 31 years, and a father to two amazing daughters. He serves as Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Executive Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, MI. He is also a faculty member for the Soul Care Institute.   He is a licensed therapist, a spiritual director,...

JIM WILDER has been training leaders and counselors for over 27 years on five continents. He is the author of nine books with a strong focus on maturing and relationship skills for leaders. His coauthored book Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You has sold over 100,000 copies in eleven languages. Wilder has published numerous articles and developed four sets of video and relational leadership train...

Dr. Alison Cook is a psychotherapist, best-selling author, and host of the top-ranked The Best of You podcast, where she brings her unique blend of psychological expertise and spiritual encouragement to listeners worldwide. She is the author of I Shouldn't Feel This Way and The Best of You, and co-author of Boundaries for Your Soul. Her work empowers individuals to experience healing and wholeness...

Vicki Courtney is a national speaker to women of all ages and the best-selling author of numerous books and Bible studies, including Move On ,  Ever After, 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter,  and  5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son.  She is a two-time ECPA Christian Book Award winner and has appeared on CNN and Fox News as a youth culture commentator. Grab her latest book,...

As we continue our series on divorce in the church, Martin Cachero from Risen Church joins us to discuss how to pastor congregants going through divorce. He received his B.A. from Cal State San Marcos and his Masters in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary. He is currently co-vocational serving as co-Pastor at Risen Church and as the Director of Strategic Initiatives with Flourish San Diego ....

Vaneetha is passionate about helping people find hope in their suffering.  All her books: the Bible Study,  Desperate For Hope , her memoir, Walking Through Fire , and her devotional, The Scars That Have Shaped Me , encourage people to turn to Christ in their pain. Her story includes childhood bullying, losing an infant son, developing post-polio syndrome, and going through an unwanted divorce. So...

Chris Moles is a pastor and biblical counselor dedicated to helping churches and families confront domestic violence and cultivate healthy, God-honoring relationships. Through his ministry—PeaceWorks and PeaceWorks University—he delivers training on abuse prevention, intervention, and transformation, including resources like the Men of Peace program. Chris is also the author of The Heart of Domest...

Kathey Batey is a court-appointed mediator, divorce coach, and has held divorce support groups for the past 20 years. She has led hundreds of men and women through the process and the trauma of divorce. She also works with people rebuilding their life after divorce. She is an author of 7 books on divorce. She is also a corporate trainer on conflict and numerous other topics. Her background and edu...

Divorce is often whispered about in the church, but rarely talked about honestly and openly. In this first episode of our series on divorce, we sit down with three women from different stages of life—each with her own story of walking through divorce while navigating faith and community. Together, they share the heartbreak, the hope, and the ways the church helped—or sometimes hurt—along the way....