Towards Understanding

 "Into the Spotlight" is a documentary following one season of the annual Spotlight Musical Theatre production at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas (HPUMC). The Spotlight program is a part of the church's Belong Disability Ministry (BDM) , and the annual musical is unique because participants with disabilities lead the creation of a full-length musical showcasing their pa...

Clayton chatted to the founder of the Table Talk Project, Neil Milton. Neil's passion for valuing time at the table comes through as he explains the importance of having intentional family conversations around the dinner table. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing up in the slums of Manila, Sherwin got sponsored by an INA supporter and gained access to education, which enabled him to rise to become the Director of Vineyard of His Grace Ministries, where he now oversees all of INA’s country-level programming. His work focuses on empowering the most marginalised women and children to escape extreme poverty. Sherwin is also a passionate Christian...

Tina leads service delivery at ChimeIn Recovery Services, bringing her compassionate, practical approach, dedication and significant experience working with participants seeking psychosocial or addiction recovery support. Tina shares her story of despair, hope and now providing hope for others.  In 2011, Tina was inducted into the WA International Women’s Hall of Fame for her contributi...

Naomi Reed is an ambassador for the International Nepal fellowship (INF). The INF is an international Christian mission, working in Nepal since 1952, and aiming to empower the most marginalised and disadvantaged people in Nepal, through health and community development. She is a gifted communicator who loves to use honest, everyday stories to remind us that even in the hardest moments, G...

Luke Holdsworth is the founder of Spectrum Quest . Growing up on the autism spectrum, Luke often struggled understanding social cues, and how to communicate. As he grew up, he put in effort to increase his capacity, and has overcome those challenges. Now he gives back to the community through creativity and collaborative storytelling using Table-Top RolePlaying-Games, which has been found to help...

Kim Phuc Phan Thi is the South Vietnamese-born Canadian woman best known around the world as “The Girl in the Picture” and the “Napalm Girl.” In 1972 during the Vietnam War at age 9 she was immortalized in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph titled The Terror of War that depicts her running naked in agony following a napalm strike in her village Trang Bang, Vietnam. Once a...

Richmond Wandera shared with Clayton that he was just eight years old when his father was brutally murdered. Richmond's mother and six siblings were forced to move into one of Uganda's toughest slums - all because of a distant relatives lies. A chance sponsorship by a teenage girl through Compassion changed everything. Make sure you don't miss the moment in his conversation with Clayton when an ac...

Pastor Keith Tower is the senior pastor of HighPoint Church in Orlando, Florida. Keith is a Professor of Apostolic Leadership at the Every Nation Seminary. He is currently the Lead Chaplain for the Ocoee Police Department, where he’s been a chaplain for 12 years. Prior to pastoring and counselling, Keith played professional basketball for 7 years for the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Los Angele...

Mark is the Lead Pastor at Red Church in Melbourne, Australia. Mark is regarded by many as a leader in conversations around culture and Christian faith.  Mark spoke with Clayton about recent cultural moments in Australia, Europe and America and the opportunity of faith discussions.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louise shares openly with Clayton about her early life of trauma and the impact it has had on her relationships and faith life. Louise hopes that by sharing her story others will have an opportunity to have hope and courage to take the next steps needed for their recovery. Louise has written a book about her story, Loved. Saved. Healed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Irvine, started Gloria Jean’s Coffees after helping launch McDonalds into Australia.  And yet all of that comes from his deep desire to live out his Christian faith in the area of work he has been given - that of business.  Peter shares with Clayton stories and his desire to help other business owners to truly live out faith and the positive outcome of a faith driven business...

Author Rachel Gilson share's her story of confusion and clarity around her own sexuality and her Christian faith. She has recently written the book ' Parenting without Panic ' to help parents teach their children proactively and positively about God’s beautiful design for human sexuality, gender and relationships. Rachel shares with Clayton some of the work in her book around a Christian fra...

Author, speaker, thought leader, Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at  Praxis , a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. he spoke to Clayton on a recent visit to Australia about the idea of what redemption looks like in our society a...

Katherine Thompson asks the question is there benefit to deep suffering? Katherine works in the area of mental health as a therapist, lecturer, author and researcher. And also personally knows the impact of long term serious physical pain. Katherine has published in the areas of youth mental health, Christ-centered mindfulness, and cross-cultural mission and chats to Clayton about her book, The Di...

In July 2011 Gloria Anderson was abducted from her home in Melbourne by a boarder she had allowed to stay in a granny flat on her property. During this time, Gloria was mocked for her faith, and she endured severe physical torture while praying constantly. After escaping, she now dedicates herself to advocating for legal reform and helping others who have experienced similar traumatic events. She...

Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is an international author, speaker and theologian who addresses the deep questions of our day with meaningful answers found in the Christian Faith. Amy chats with Clayton about why we can trust the Bible, where to start if you are exploring Christianity, where to start if you want to best share your Christian faith and why she is so passionate about female leadership in Christia...

Petr Jašek, a Christian humanitarian worker and Czech national, spent 445 days in a Sudanese prison. After being falsely accused and convicted of espionage and treason, among other charges, he was sentenced to life in prison before eventually being pardoned by Sudan's president.  Petr tells his story of being in a jail cell with ISIS members who made his time hell on earth.  Petr...

Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the Worlds largest religion. If Christianity is really true - it should be able to stand up to some tough questions.  Rebecca discusses some of the most common and curly questions of Christianity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simon is Executive Director of the Centre for Public Christianity. A former English and History teacher, Simon has a Masters in Christian Studies.  He talks about whether it is the 'End of Men' in society and faith.  Simon provides a thought provoking and articulate argument to continue good healthy conversation around this topic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since becoming Australia’s first MasterChef in 2009, Julie Goodwin has become a household name. She has had many roles since then including radio and tv host, writer and speaker and also advocate for conversations around mental health. Julie shares openly with Clayton about her journey with mental health and the opportunity she sees in sharing her story. Julie has recently released the book...

Based in Lebanon, Wissam Nasrallah is COO at Thimar – a partner of Baptist World Aid Australia, who is working with local communities and churches to help the poorest of the poor and the huge number of refugees coming into Lebanon.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clare has worked for over a decade in Christian ministry, focusing on strategic leadership that enables churches to better serve their communities. As Compassion Australia CEO, she is excited to see churches and Christians around the world empowered to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. In light of The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty this week, Clare chatted to Cl...

In  Unfailing Love , Georgia Morris shares hard-won truths of her dependence on God to fight her battles. Those who have family members or friends suffering with mental illness or going through trying times in a family relationship will be encouraged by this story of a woman who learned that God was faithful to carry her through. Georgia's husband began exhibiting unusual symptoms of behaviou...

Melissa Lipsett is the CEO of Baptist World Aid. She believes leadership matters, and so does the call of God on our lives. She is an outspoken advocate for the poor, for inspiring not just international action but also local action. Melissa also holds dearly to the importance of hearing women’s voices and empowering them to use their God given gifts and graces for the sake of our world. See...