Reports from the Spiritual Frontier
164 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 15 ratingsTelling the Stories of Those Who Live and Work on the Spiritual Margins
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Episodes
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat – We create worlds with our words
February 15, 2018 08:00 - 3.3 MBHear a little bit more of our conversation with Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, where she shares the intersections between her faith and her vocation as a poet, and shares with a couple poems from her latest collection. To hear the rest of our conversation with Rabbi Rachel and other interviews with spiritual pioneers, check us out [...]
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat – Joyful Life as A Religious Minority
February 13, 2018 08:00 - 20.4 MBJoin us for a conversation with Rachel Barenblat, Co-Founder of Bayit: Your Jewish Home, blogger at Velveteen Rabbi, and Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, MA, as we talk about her experience of life as a religious minority. Hear about how the gift of oddity, (9:30) the challenges and joys of being a [...]
Ben Yosua-Davis B-Side: Our Dream Podcast Guests
January 30, 2018 08:00 - 1.14 MBJoin us for a little more of our conversation between Beth Estock and Ben Yosua-Davis, where talks about his dream guests for season three. If you haven’t heard our full conversation, subscribe to us with your favorite podcast delivery service or visit our Facebook page.
Ben Yosua-Davis – The Spiritual Topography of our Religious Pioneers
January 23, 2018 08:00 - 19.4 MBJoin us for our first conversation of season three, where Beth Estock talks with Reports host Ben Yosua-Davis. Hear them discuss the spiritual topography of our religious pioneers (5:00), how spiritual pioneers can call their traditions back to the best versions of themselves (16:00), the spiritual challenges of supervising people starting new faith communities (19:00), [...]
Steve North – Wrecked for Normal Church
December 06, 2017 08:00 - 19.8 MBJoin us for a conversation with Steve North, long-time missional pastor of Lifeline Toledo. Hear about why he’s persisted in his work through all the ups and downs (including having his house burn down twice,) how meeting a homeless poet turned into a conversion experience, and why he’s been wrecked for regular church. You can [...]
Laura and Jaybee Byrch- Claiborne Again, Wish Dreams, and Books that Change Your Life (B-Side)
November 03, 2017 07:00 - 3.04 MBJoin us for a little more of our conversation with Laura and Jaybee Byrch, where they talk about their contact with the neo-monastics and what books have changed their life. You can hear our full conversation at reports.buzzsprout.com or facebook.com/reportsfromthespiritualfrontier!
Laura and Jaybee Byrch- Living in Jesus’ Neighborhood
October 27, 2017 07:00 - 19.7 MBJoin us for a conversation with everyday saints Laura and Jaybee Byrch, who live in Bradford Trailer Park in Boone, North Caroline. Hear about the daily rhythms of their lives, as they build community and learn about Jesus’ from the neighbors. You can find this episode and other conversations with other spiritual pioneers by subscribing [...]
Sean Steele – The Economics of God and What He Doesn’t Know Yet
October 17, 2017 07:00 - 3.96 MBJoin us for a little more of our conversation with Sean Steele, of Saint Isidore’s Episcopal Church, as he talks about how they measure their community’s impact and what he doesn’t know yet. You can find the full episode by visiting our Facebook page or by subscribing to us with your favorite podcast delivery service.
Sean Steele – The Offensive Generosity of God
October 13, 2017 07:00 - 22 MBJoin us for a conversation with Sean Steele, priest at Saint Isidore’s Episcopal Church, a network of “sacramental communities” in Houston, TX. Hear him share about the theophany that began his journey of faith, what it means to create brave space for excluded people’s, about the offensive generosity of free laundry, free haircuts, and a [...]
Slate Project B-Side – Cute Pastors, Santa Doesn’t Exist, and Bars
October 03, 2017 07:00 - 1.39 MBJoin us for a little bit more of our conversation with Jennifer DiFrancesco and Jason Chestnut of the Slate Project as they talk about their most hilarious ministry fails.
The Slate Project – Church Is Both Online and In-Person
September 29, 2017 07:00 - 19.8 MBJoin us for a conversation with Jennifer Difrancesco and Jason Chesnut of the Slate Project, a hybrid online/in-person community located in Baltimore, Maryland (and around the globe.) Hear them share about the rhythms of their community, the challenges of creating a unified identity across online and geographically-located spaces, and what it means to create a [...]
Most Hilarious Ministry Fails [Crowdsourced Episode]
September 14, 2017 07:00 - 7.5 MBJoin us to hear stories of some of the most hilarious ministry fails our guests and friends of the podcast have experienced. Hear about sad paper tents from Christian Coon, hungry dogs from Christy Dirren, “UMW time” from Breanna Illene, the dangers of people “inviting all their friends” from Ben Yosua-Davis, and a special guest [...]
Andy Oliver – The Joy and Heartbreak of Church Planting
September 08, 2017 07:00 - 23.6 MBJoin us for a conversation with Andy Oliver, pastor of visitation at First UMC in Portland, OR, as he tells us the story of planting a new faith community called the Crossing from its beginning to its end. Hear about the spiritual pressures of starting a new faith community, how he knew that the church’s [...]
[Unedited] Andy Oliver – The Joy and Heartbreak of Church Planting
September 08, 2017 07:00 - 33.8 MBJoin us for our unedited conversation with Andy Oliver, pastor of visitation at First United Methodist Church PDX, as he tells us the story of planting a new faith community called the Crossing with the The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church from its beginning to its end. Hear about the spiritual pressures [...]
Christy Dirren – Ministry in the Mess
August 11, 2017 07:00 - 23.6 MBJoin us for a conversation with Christy Dirren, church planter in Portland, Oregon as she shares with us the story of the life of Crossbridge, the community which she planted. Hear her share about how failure means “learning a new way that something didn’t work”, shares several beautiful moments and stories, and talks about quitting [...]
Christian Coon – The Spirituality of Failure
July 20, 2017 07:00 - 21.7 MBJoin us for a conversation with Christian Coon, pastor of Urban Village Church and author of “Failing Boldly: How Falling Down in Ministry Can Lead to Rising Up.” Hear him share about the spiritual experience of failure, demystifying the church success story, and how remain grounded through the ups and downs of spiritual experimentation
Carl Gladstone – The Spiritual Life of a Missional Musician
July 10, 2017 07:00 - 22.8 MBJoin us for a conversation with Carl Gladstone: musician, podcaster, and campus minister in Detroit, MI as he shares with us about what it means for creative people to “take all that is around you, boil it down, and offer it back to the world.” Carl shares about the shape of creative spirituality, the natural [...]
Mira Conklin B-Side – Starting Points for Engaging with Immigrants
May 30, 2017 07:00 - 1.49 MBJoin us for a little bit more of our conversation with Mira Conklin and Beth Estock, where Mira shares about starting points for faith communities who want to engage with the immigrants in their midst. Make sure to check out our full conversation with Mira by visiting our Facebook page or subscribing to us on [...]
Mira Conklin – The Spiritual LIfe of a Community Organizer
May 26, 2017 07:00 - 24.9 MBJoin us for a conversation with ELCA organizer and Missional Wisdom Foundation convenor Mira Conklin, about her work with immigrants in Portland, OR. Hear her share about the spiritual life of a community organizer, including the story of her journey from her Midwest home to working for immigrant rights, to the messiness of living into [...]
Allen and Sara Ewing-Merrill – Community Building With Immigrants
May 16, 2017 07:00 - 1.98 MBIn our b-side this week, Allen and Sara shares their top pieces of advice for churches looking to build spiritual community with refugees in their community. (And if you haven’t listened to our entire conversation with Allen and Sara, check it out at reports.buzzsprout.com or with your favorite podcast delivery service!)
Sara and Allen Ewing-Merrill – Meeting God in the Refugee
May 12, 2017 07:00 - 20 MBJoin us for a conversation with Allen and Sara Ewing-Merrill, co-pastors of Hope GateWay, a United Methodist faith community in Portland,ME. Learn about their journey to becoming a multi-cultural community, the blessings and challenges of inviting immigrants into their midst, and what they’ve learned about God from those who come from other countries of origin.
Beth Estock – The Constantly Shifting Spirit of God [UPDATED}
April 21, 2017 07:00 - 24.3 MBJoin us for an updated conversation with Beth Estock, where she talks about life as a house church convenor, author, and experienced practitioner on following the messy unfolding of the Spirit.
Adam Barlow-Thompson and Matt Johnson – Finding God In Your Neighborhood
March 23, 2017 07:00 - 22.5 MBJoin us as Daryn DeZengotita of Table Co-Working & Social Impact Spaces interviews Adam Barlow-Thompson and Matt Johnson about their experience cultivating spiritual community in their neighborhood by helping connect people with their strengths and with each other. Learn about how their community is unfolding, what our neighbors can teach us about God, and hear [...]
Larry Duggins – Leading Missional Pioneers
March 16, 2017 07:00 - 21.9 MBJoin us for a conversation with Larry Duggins, prolific author and leader of the Missional Wisdom Foundation. Listen to Larry talk about his journey from corporate jetsetter to leader of a group of spiritual pioneers, the unusually holistic method of formation they use with their leaders, and the exciting new projects that are on their [...]
Haw Creek Commons – The Nuts and Bolts of Community-Creating Spaces
March 09, 2017 08:00 - 18.3 MBJoin us for a conversation with Luke Lingle, Katey Rudd, and Karen Doucette, a bold venture in reclaiming church space for community use in Asheville, North Carolina. Hear them share about the day to day experience of bringing a project like this off the ground, the ways that the non-religious are partnering to help make [...]
Lisa and Justin Hancock – The Spiritual Life of A Differently Abled Family
March 02, 2017 08:00 - 21.8 MBJoin us for a beautiful conversation with Lisa and Justin Hancock of the Julian Way, an intentional community for people of all abilities and physical embodiment. Listen to Lisa and Justin tell their story of what it’s like to live as a differently abled family, the spiritual pressure of “passing” as normal, and how communities [...]
Bret Wells B-Side
February 28, 2017 08:00 - 3.04 MBIn our b-side this week, Bret Wells shares with us the costs of stretching your spiritual imagination. If you haven’t heard our full interview with Bret, make sure to check it out at reports.buzzsprout.com or at your favorite podcast delivery service.
Bret Wells – Stretching Our Spiritual Imagination
February 23, 2017 08:00 - 22.8 MBJoin us for a conversation with the quintessential man of many hats, Bret Wells, of the Missional Wisdom Foundation. He tells us the story of how God has stretched his spiritual horizons, the gifts and challenge of a life lived as a spiritual frontier, and the resources that the monastic movement has to offer spiritual [...]
[UPDATED] Daryn DeZengotita – Co-Working As Spiritual Community
February 16, 2017 08:00 - 27.9 MBJoin us for an updated conversation with Daryn DeZengotita of Scatter-brain.biz. . Hear one of the most complete stories we’ve ever told about a new ministry, from Daryn’s dream of working in intentional community, to her Advent time sitting alone in a church basement full of pianos, to the ups and downs of starting the [...]
Hannah Terry – How Christians Can Stand With Refugees
February 14, 2017 08:00 - 4.15 MBHannah Terry, pastor of Westbury UMC and the FAM ministry in Houston, TX, shares from our experience how refugees are experiencing our current political climate and what Christians can do to stand in solidarity with our immigrant sisters and brothers.
Hannah Terry – Refugees, Apartment Buildings, and the Work of God
February 09, 2017 08:00 - 22.8 MBJoin us for a conversation with Hannah Terry, pastor of Westbury UMC and the FAM Ministry, which builds bridges between refugees, immigrants, and other people in a cluster of apartment buildings in Houston, TX. Hannah provides us with a unique look into the day-to-day life of a spiritual pioneer, as she shares openly about her [...]
Zach Kerzee – What Is Church Was Just a Dinner Party? [UPDATED]
December 22, 2016 08:00 - 26.4 MB[Updated to include a 10 minute check-in to see what he’s been up to since our conversation in February!] Highlights Include: Zach’s Esca-la-de – Worship as Bread – Cheap Church – Pastor as Professional Dinner Party Thrower – The Prosperity Gospel of Church Statistics -Is Our Treasure in Buildings? – Shaking the Shoulders of the [...]
Ben Yosua-Davis – The Gift of Failure
December 08, 2016 08:00 - 21.8 MBJoin us as Beth Estock interviews our host Ben Yosua-Davis about the end of his church plant, the spiritual gift of failure, how to sit in the ashes, and what he’s learned from his first season as a podcaster. Also, a special announcement about a new sponsor for Season Two!
Carol Howard Merritt B-Side
November 10, 2016 08:00 - 2.78 MBCarol talks about how podcasts are the lazy author’s best friend and the joys of being part of a dying institution. (Plus an unsolicited post-election exhortation from Ben.)
Carol Howard Merritt
November 03, 2016 07:00 - 21.3 MBJoin us for a conversation with author, blogger, and podcaster, Carol Howard Merritt, who’s senior consultant at the Center for Progressive Renewal. We talk about the day to day grind of the creative life, the spiritual resources and pitfalls of progressive Christianity, planting new faith communities, and hope for the future of the mainline church.
Ben Katt B-Side
October 13, 2016 07:00 - 840 KBJoin us for our most B-sided B-side ever, as Ben describes what he was doing the day we interviewed him.
Ben Katt
October 06, 2016 07:00 - 23.2 MBJoin us for a conversation with Ben Katt of the RePlacing Church podcast, where he talks about his journey into and out of planting a church and the blessings and challenges of being present to place.
Brent Ross B-Side
September 29, 2016 07:00 - 2.49 MBJoin us as Brent describes where he experiences the Sacred Ordinary in his everyday life.
Brent Ross
September 22, 2016 07:00 - 20.1 MBJoin us for a conversation with Brent Ross of Normal Heights United Methodist Church as he talks about the challenges and blessings of reclaiming old church spaces for new use, the Sacred Ordinary, and what spiritual messages our physical spaces give members of our community.
Daryn DeZengotita B-Side
September 15, 2016 07:00 - 3.41 MBListen as Daryn gives us an audio walkthrough of the Mix. Check out of Facebook page for a visual accompaniment to that walkthrough, coming in the next week!
Daryn DeZengotita
September 01, 2016 07:00 - 21.5 MBJoin us as we talk with Daryn DeZengotita of the Mix Coworking and Creative Space and the Missional Wisdom Foundation. Hear one of the most complete stories we’ve ever told about a new ministry, from Daryn’s dream of working in intentional community, to her Advent time sitting alone in a church basement full of pianos, [...]
Trey Hall B-Side
August 25, 2016 07:00 - 6.26 MBJoin us for more of our conversation with Trey, where talks about how to use community organizing techniques to cultivate spiritual community.
Trey Hall
August 18, 2016 07:00 - 18.8 MBHear Trey Hall, co-founder of Urban Village and coach with the Epicenter Group talk the spiritual resources of 12 step recovery, making difficult transitions, and creating post-ideology, third way spiritual communities in post-Christian contexts.
Morgan Guyton B-Side
August 11, 2016 07:00 - 2.39 MBJoin us to hear Morgan share about which spiritual toxicity he struggles with the most as a writer.
Morgan Guyton
August 04, 2016 07:00 - 18.1 MBJoin us for our conversation with Morgan Guyton, Patheos blogger and author of “How Jesus Saves the World from Us” where we explore the interior life of an religious blogger operating in the public sphere. Hear Morgan share about the challenges and blessings of being a vulnerable prophet, the importance of dialogue across differences, and [...]
Paul Nixon B-Side
July 28, 2016 07:00 - 1.97 MBPaul shares how denominations can best create space for new spiritual communities to thrive.
Paul Nixon
July 21, 2016 07:00 - 18.6 MBJoin us for a conversation with Paul Nixon, as he talks about the big picture changes in the American religious landscape, ecclesial forest fires, weird churches, and hope for the future.
Michael Baughman B-Side
July 12, 2016 07:00 - 1.86 MBWhat challenges is Union leaning into right now?
Michael Baughman
July 05, 2016 07:00 - 20.8 MBA conversation with Michael Baughmann of Union Coffeehouse in Dallas,TX: Highlights Include: Holy Shit – God At Work in Others – “Mastering” the Divine? – Church Coffeehouse Challenges- How Will Union Expand? – From “That’s a Crazy Idea” to “I Love It!” – Dirty Pants Moments
Doug Pagitt B-Side
June 21, 2016 07:00 - 2.67 MBDoug talks about the new frontiers that Solomon’s Porch is facing.