Future Christian

Marlena Graves joins the pod to talk about her book The Way Up is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself. In the interview, we talk about poverty, suffering, and kenosis (emptying). But, it's not all sackcloth and ashes! Marlena shares her beautiful story about God's "happy eyes," and what it means to truly understand God's deep love and care for us and God's children.

Marlena is a writer, deep thinker, and speaker who is passionate about the eternal implications of our life in God. She is a lover of beauty - especially the beauty of her family, others, and creation. Marlena is a justice seeker—trying to overcome evil with good. In addition, she seeks answers to these types of questions: What does abundant life look like (John 10:10)? Marlena speaks regularly to congregations, university campuses, and to retreatants about the implications of following Jesus. Marlena loves to laugh and be around others and then recover in silence and solitude! To learn more about Marlena or get a copy of her book, click here!

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

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Nikole Lim joins the pod to talk about her book, Liberation Is Here: Women Uncovering hope in a Broken World.  Nikole shares her experiences as a nonprofit leader and filmmaker and offers practical wisdom on on dealing with the burden that comes with helping others and knowing when to "fix" and when to "feel with." 

Nikole is a speaker, educator, and consultant on leveraging dignity through the restorative art of storytelling. She is the founder and international director of Freely In Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping survivors and advocates to lead in ending sexual violence through their rewritten stories.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

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Dr. Chuck DeGroat  joins the pod to talk about his book, When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. We talk about what narcissism is and the danger it can be in pastors and church planters, as well as what it looks like for pastors to lead in a healthy way.

Chuck DeGroat is Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary, MI, and Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. He is an author, speaker, writer, consultant, and therapist.

Chuck is committed to spiritual and emotional formation for the sake of mission.  His experience is represented in a fluid combination of pastoral ministry and seminary training for 20 years.  He has served several church plants as a teaching pastor and has started two church-based clinical counseling centers.  Most recently, he was a teaching pastor at City Church San Francisco, where he co-founded Newbigin House of Studies, an urban and missional training center with offerings through Western Theological Seminary.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

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Rev. Dr. Derek Penwell joins the pod to talk about his book Outlandish: An Unlikely Messiah, a Messy Ministry, and the Call to Mobilize. The book shows how Jesus's ministry flew in the face of conventional wisdom but succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Fast-forwarding two thousand years, learn from the political, social, and organizational lessons of Jesus's radically different ministry to help change the world today.

Derek is a pastor, author, and activist unashamedly offering his support in the pursuit of justice for LGBTQ people, Muslims, people of color, immigrants, and those people regularly dumped on by the tools who always seem to find themselves in charge of everything. You can find out more about Derek here, and get a copy of his book here.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

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Looking for inspiration for Lent or some other season of the church year? Rev. Gwynn Garrity shares the story of Sanctified Art, a a ministry supporting worshiping communities in integrating art and creativity into their spiritual practices.

Lisle Gwynn Garrity (she/her/hers) is a Pastorist (pastor + artist), retreat leader, and creative entrepreneur seeking to fill the church with more color, paint, mystery, and creativity. In the midst of a rapidly reforming church landscape, she is convinced that new models for ministry are emerging all over the place, we just have to be willing to discover and pursue them. She founded A Sanctified Art with the conviction that, in order to thrive, the church needs more creative expression and art-filled freedom.

Get 10% off their latest Lent offerings with the promo code "FUTURE"

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

To Support the Pod: Patreon

In our current culture of conflict, we need a better way of relating to each other and responding to today's controversial issues--a way that transcends political partisanship and emphasizes universal care, mutual concern, and the flourishing of the common good. Rev. Mark Feldmeir talks about his book A House Divided and shares how the politics of compassion can help us find shared values on today's most divisive issues and inspire us to find practical solutions and heal our divisions.

Rev. Mark Feldmeir has served as Senior Pastor at Saint Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, CO since 2014. He previously led United Methodist congregations in San Diego and Orange County, CA. Mark has served on the Adjunct Faculty at Claremont School of Theology, lectured at various conferences throughout the country on topics ranging from preaching, leadership, and pop culture, and is the author of three previous books. To buy the book:

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Whether you're looking to start of the new year strong or trying to break out of the rut you've been in for some time, according to author and speaker Dan Gomer, "The power to change the world lies within you and your choice to simply try." In this podcast, Dan shares more about what the "it" is he's full of, why we are too, and how we can change the world together.

Dan Gomer is driven by a passion to help others discover an empowering vision for themselves and create the life of their dreams. Leveraging his background as a science teacher, basketball coach, real estate investor and business developer, Dan takes great joy in inspiring people through his writing and speaking. Dan lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife and two kids. Dan's book is available for purchase on Amazon.

To learn more about Dan: dangomer.com

To support the Pod: Patreon

Nicole  is the Pastor for Mission Development at Westview Church, an ELCA Worshiping Community in Boulder CO. Westview is a re-start/re-plant from what was Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Boulder. Nicole shares her own personal journey to ministry as well as her experiences leading the church through the transition and into a new future.

Rev. Nicole Garcia has a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul MN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from CU Denver. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado and continues to work quarter-time as a therapist and clinical supervisor with the Umbrella Collective in Boulder. Nicole is currently serving as the president of the outside council of New Beginnings Worshipping Community, an ELCA congregation within the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. 

Read more about Nicole here:

Westview Church:

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Darryl Searuggs joins the pid to talk about his work leading the Reconciliation Ministry of the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 

Rev. Darryl Searuggs is the Regional Reconciliation Minister of the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He's a Air Force Vet, retired pilot for FedEx, and a graduate of Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

The CRMR Reconciliation Ministry is committed to being part of the structure that assists pastors and church leaders in shepherding the healthy community Jesus represents and God calls us to be contributors in.  

To learn more, visit: http://www.crmrdoc.org/

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Jenny Whitcher of Juniper Formation joins the pod to talk about her work helping churches prophetically reimagine through relationship, discernment, renewal, healing, and prophetic action.

Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher (she/her) is the Minister of Prophetic Formation at Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ in Denver, Colorado, and founder of Juniper Formation.

Jenny is an entrepreneurial minister, community organizer, and theologian committed to social justice. She has over 15 years of experience coaching and mentoring leaders, teaching, and developing community partnerships. Her work spans nonprofit, congregations, and higher education. Her areas of expertise include: change management; entrepreneurial and prophetic ministry formation; democratic culture, leadership, and pedagogy; and social change theory and practice.

To learn more, visit: https://www.juniperformation.org/