Capital Stories

In celebration of Earth Day, we talk to Eric Schoening, an atmospheric scientist with the National Weather Service and dig into his thoughts on conservation and stewardship of this planet as both a scientist and disciple of Jesus. As Eric says, “I choose to focus on celebrating the positive outcomes if we choose to act - leaving a healthy planet for future generations, preserving the beauty of God’s creation for those that come after us, thinking about conservation as an act of love, love for plants and animals and our fellow humans and in the format of a thank you note to God for creating this amazing place.” Join us for a faith-formed perspective on why and how we should and can take care of our earth.

Many Christians would say that the bible has transformed their lives—select verses have provided comfort, power, peace, reassurance, validation, and correction in the right ways at the right times. Yet, even among Christians, daily engagement with the bible isn’t as high as many of us would like, and there can certainly be barriers to taking in God’s ancient but living Word in the context of our daily lives today. Teaching pastor, Paul Godbout, shares his personal experience around learning and teaching the bible, and provides insight into how each of us can keep God’s Word as central to our lives.

As Rev. Dr. Angela Gorrell taught her first class at Yale called “Life Worth Living,” and studied the pursuit of true joy, she was privately grieving the loss of 3 family members within the prior 6 weeks—one to suicide, one after a long road of opioid addiction, and one, at 22 years old, to sudden cardiac arrest. Though she understood the theology of joy, she was lost in the swallow of grief in the thick of these tragedies. But she found, in the grace and mercy of God, new paths to the depth and capacity of joy, felt right alongside her grief. This episode is for anyone personally searching for joy in grief or looking to learn how to best support someone searching for the grounded, resilient reality of God, found in even the darkest places.

As a physical trainer, Parker Teagle is no stranger to intentionally doing hard things every day—exercise prepares his body and his mind to face whatever challenges come his way. Just like physical exercise, Parker’s disciplined connection to God prepared him for unexpected manipulation and betrayal from a trusted business partner and mentor.

Maja Teagle’s story chronicles her family’s journey out of war-torn Bosnia and into the United States, where they found the grit to build a new life on new land. Her experiences teach tangible ways through which we can extend powerful hospitality and love to a stranger. Maja also reflects on the challenges and rich opportunities that come from navigating differing religious and cultural beliefs in marriage relationships. And she reminds us that no matter when we ultimately meet God, He was always and will always be chasing after us, no matter where we might land.

Love comes in different forms and flavors. And intentional or not, the world seems to have put a hierarchy in place, positioning romantic love as king. What, then, of our single friends? To shed light on this question, we talk to Cameron Stark and Amy Firestone, two single adults within Capital’s community. They share their experiences as singles in the church, their hopes & desires for romantic partnership, and above all their mature gratitude and awe of God’s faithfulness and love in their lives.

God made food to power our bodies, but often food has too much power over our minds and souls. Today we interview Laura Guilmain, a registered nurse who saw first-hand in her patients both the damage from unhealthy eating habits and the freedom and energy that is possible from building an aware, intentional relationship with food. Listen in as our exuberant, joyful guest discusses what and why and how we eat, our theology of body image and beauty, the societal pressures we overtly and subliminally receive and the true full-ness our body yearns for in the abundance of God.

For centuries, humans have drawn lines that the life and ministry of Jesus sought to erase. In our latest episode of the Capital Stories podcast, we interview Eddy Thomson, a Board member of the Utah Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission, which seeks to involve all Utah sectors in a conscious effort to promote diversity, equity, and human rights. "We're quick to assume intention... but if we shut down the conversation too soon, we lose the opportunity for resolution, for growth, learning, empathy, or understanding.

Listen in on a conversation with Greg Holder! Greg is author of Never Settle, The Genius of One, and a contributing writer for The Voice bible. He serves as lead pastor at The Crossing, reaching nearly 10,000 people in person and online, calling people from an unlikely mix of spiritual backgrounds to consider what it means to follow Jesus in today’s world. Greg is also co-creator/author of Advent Conspiracy, a movement and an invitation to worship more fully in the Christmas season by spending less, yet giving more.

We introduced Amy King in our last episode, as she taught us about the issues faced by orphans and vulnerable children & families. Amy has had a heart for the orphan for a long time—from an impromptu trip to visit orphanages in Russia to starting her own ministry in Utah, this episode provides the back-story to Amy’s endeavors. It sheds light on the sign-post moments in her life God used to shape her and lead her to the work she’s doing today.