Covenant Community Kids

Richard was born in Ypsilanti and raised in the Washtenaw Covenant Community, now called the Word of Life community. He was a third generation community member, and remained a part of the community until high school.

Hope Yarrington was born into the Work of Christ Community in Lansing, MI, and left community soon after her gap year in Dublin, Ireland, in 2018. She is currently pursuing a social work degree from Central Michigan University, aspiring to work alongside families and individuals struggling with addiction. She hopes that her story will be encouraging and enlightening to those who have left community, to know that there is hope of healing from hurt it may have caused. Everyone’s story is different, everyone deserves to be understood and seen as an individual, and everyone deserves healing.

Ellen Sellstrom grew up in the Work of Christ in Lansing and was an active member serving in youth ministry as well as women's leadership til her early 30s. She currently lives in Detroit with her husband and two rescue pups and works in corporate leadership. She shares her experience of growing up immersed in community and serving heavily in leadership, and eventually transitioning out of community life. Hers was an experience of reflection, therapy and learning how to live married life outside of the rules she grew up with.

Charlie Foeller is our first guest who did not have direct involvement with a covenant community. He did however grow up in similar circles, and in this episode Charlie shares the perspective of being adjacent to the members of Sword of the Spirit and Word of God. He still considers himself Catholic but does not fall on the side of the church in many “hot topics” of today. He studied history and political science at Wayne State and works primarily in museums. Now living in Detroit, he is excited to be working on upcoming projects with his girlfriend.

Chrissy was born and raised in the Word of Life community In Ann Arbor, MI as the youngest of seven kids. She currently lives in Ann Arbor with her husband (and two pets).

She shares how learning to navigate life with a mental health disorder has been a process requiring tremendous awareness and continuous reevaluation of what's effective for her. One of the most important lessons she has learned is that what works for others may not work for her, and vice versa. It's a singular experience that's different for everyone and that's ok.

Elizabeth Royce was born into the Word of God Community(Ann Arbor, MI) in 1973 and attended Franciscan University of Steubenville for English Literature. She is a published author and working on a book about her experience being raised in one of the original Covenant Communities

Rina was a homeschooled, Charismatic Catholic and closeted community kid. She shares some of her story in hopes that in it other's would find comfort, courage, comradery and hope. She learned that she was never as alone or ill-fated as she was encouraged to believe. She hopes sharing her story will help others find the connection and support she often needed.

Genevieve and Jacquie interview Rachel McCorry, the first female baby born into the Word of God covenant community.

Siblings Evie and Jacquie Jones kick off the podcast by interviewing each other about growing up in a covenant community.