Down to Earth Conversations

Jared Byas and his friend, Pete Enns, run a podcast called The Bible for Normal People.  They've been having conversations with all sorts of amazing guests for years, bringing a diverse group of voices together and covering a wide range of content with the aim of helping people explore the Bible.  Jared is also an author, having written books such as Love Matters More, and his latest, Jonah for Normal People, which is hugely helpful in demonstrating how to read certain kinds of texts while letting go of the demands that some of us were taught to place on the text...we talk about that in the conversation.

We also talk about what drove Jared's faith to shift while he was pastoring in a large church, what he now sees differently from the Christianity he grew up with, and his Choctaw nation heritage and how that shapes who he is and how he sees the world.

Check out The Bible For Normal People wherever you get your podcasts, or at peteenns.com/podcast 

Find the podcast on Facebook or Instagram, or connect with Jared on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Also make sure to check out Jared's latest book, Jonah for Normal People

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Alex and Matt Wild are a married with two beautiful tamariki. They are the founders and Directors of Connect Chiropractic in Ōtautahi (Christchurch), but they do far more than just work Chiropractic magic.  They have set up the clinic using a business model that allows anyone who needs their care to be able to afford it, regardless of their financial situation, which has led to people who usually wouldn't receive care being able to get it, while the business has become a thriving success. They also have a very community focussed practice and see how their support of others returns to them in good measure.

We talk about how they got into Chiropractic, how and why they started their practice and how their generous business model is going for them, their business, and the community. 

 

Check out Connect Chiropractic at connectchiro.co.nz or on Facebook or Instagram

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Stuart Ennor is a former youth worker who now, alongside his wife Sarah, runs Kairos Food Rescue in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) including the Kairos Free Store.

We talk about how Kairos started, how Stuart became involved and how the organisation has changed in it's short life.  Stuart also shares stories of people whose lives have been changed in remarkable ways through this organisation that simply offers free food to those who need it.  It's clear in the conversation that it's about so much more than food for Stuart. It's about dignity, valuing people, and connecting people to others who can help with what's going on for them. It's about people.

Connect with Kairos Food Rescue at kairosfoodrescue.org.nz or on Facebook, or why not support them financially?

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

We celebrate this 50th episode with someone who knows how to celebrate - someone whose job it is to bring joy and fun into the world - Michal Bush, a.k.a Music with Michal, the recently crowned New Zealand Children's Artist of the Year! 

Michal a mother of three who has seen her love for music and her kids become a career.  Her song Brave won the best song at the 2021 New Zealand Children's Music awards, and followed up with a second place in the children's section of the International Songwriting Competition. She has albums, books, and a loyal fanbase.

Michal is someone who is super down to earth, and brings beauty and joy and goodness into the world on a daily basis for children and those who care for them.  We talk about the music, the lyrics, the reality of life behind the scenes, and what living with this focus has done for her own wellbeing.  In something a bit different this episode you will also hear snippets of Michal's songs throughout the episode.

 

Find Music with Michal on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook.

Or head to her website, musicwithmichal.com.

Become part of the Music with Michal Club at ko-fi.com/musicwithmichal

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Intro music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

If you've spent any amount of time in Christchurch you might well have heard of, or even been to, the Addington Coffee Co-op. A café in Addington, Christchurch, that has developed a great reputation as a café, and also as a business doing good.  So it was there I headed this week to talk to one of the founders, and one of the overseers of the café and it's ever growing associated entities, Age Palmer.

Age has been involved in the café since it was just an idea, and has been integral to the whole journey, along with an ever changing team of amazing people who keep the kaupapa, the heart of the place, alive.

Age and I found a quiet place in an office at Addington Coffee and talked about how it all started, what the journey has been like, balancing business with a desire for justice and making a difference, and how the business and it's connected entities have grown and been reshaped.

Connect with Age and the team at addingtoncoffee.org.nz 

Also check out joyya.nz, commongoodcoffee.nz, and addingtonstore.nz

Or find any of the brands on Facebook and Instagram

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Carey Thomas is a teacher who has an interest in helping change the education system to reflect our bicultural nature as a country.  She has recently finished a Masters Thesis looking at what it means to be a Pākehā engaging with te āo Māori (the world of Māori) and what are the barriers that get in the way of that. She particularly looked at past moments in her own life where she felt a resistance to engage and explored why that was.

We discuss Carey's passion for kids, for teaching, and for change. We talk about the failings of the education system in providing for all kids, and what are some of the things that are stopping us from moving ahead well. What talk about the term Pākehā and the misconceptions around it. And we hear her thoughts about why it can be so confronting for Pākehā to engage with things Māori, or even confront racism, also discussing where Carey sees hope that things could actually change.

Connect with Carey on Instagram at instagram.com/becoming_pakeha/

Resources Carey recommends on the topic include:

This Pākehā Life: an unsettled memoir - Alison JonesA Typology of Pākehā Whiteness in Education - Georgina Turai StewartColonising Myths, Maori Realities - Ani MikareBeing Pākehā Now - Michael KingWhite Fragility - Robyn DiAngelo

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Craig Watson has worked in project management for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the 2012 London Olympics, and also the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery.  We talk about all of that and about how his love of people sits first and foremost in his projects. This is a man who really does care.

Craig also shares some of his journey of being gay and Christian, from being raised in the church and fighting with his attractions, to his acceptance of who he is and his desire for safe spaces and belonging for others in the same boat.  He shares about Diverse Church NZ - a network for gay Christians in New Zealand that Craig founded.

This episode doesn't argue theology or try to convince you of a theological position. It's simply a chance to stop, put preconceptions aside, and listen to Craig's experience.

 

Find Diverse Church at diversechurch.co.nz or on Facebook

If you would like to explore this topic theologically, check out the resources on Diverse Church's website.

A couple of other valuable books on the subject are Matthew Vines - God and the Gay Christian, and episode 41 guest Jeff Chu's - Does Jesus Really Love Me?

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Gen Mora is a survivor.  She has battled with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety, but is now living a vibrant and happy life where she looks to help others who are fighting their own battles.  Along with her good friend Jazz Thornton, Gen founded Voices of Hope - a not for profit that advocates for, and encourages, those who are fighting to be mentally well.  

Gen shares about her struggles, her journey to wellness, and how that led to starting Voices of Hope. 

Please note that, given Gen's experience and work, there are references to a range of mental health struggles and traumas, including discussions around OCD, eating disorders, hospitalisation, and anxiety, as well as the mention of suicide.  If you need to hit pause or stop on this episode for your own wellbeing, please do so - and if you are in a place where seeking help would be beneficial, please talk to someone in your support network, or check out available helplines on Voices of Hope's website.

That said, this is, unsurprisingly, a very hope filled conversation.

 

Find Gen on Instagram or Facebook 

Connect with Voices of Hope at thevoicesofhope.org or find them on Instagram or Facebook

Or check out Love Your Kite at loveyourkite.com or on Instagram

And find a list of helplines Voices of Hope's website

 

If you'd like to support our business (which supports the podcast) while also supporting Voices of Hope, or if you just want to see how we support them, check out sugarlips.co.nz

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Matt Renata has been a youth worker for many years and is now studying Christian theology through an indigenous lens - specifically a Māori and Pasifika lens. We talk about his years working with youth - how and why he got into it and what he learned about himself along the way. We talk about his exploration of his whakapapa (ancestry), and what a difference that has made to his life. And we dive into his theological study and hear about what he's studying and why it is bringing him so much life. 

We also talk about Matt's involvement at Ihumātao - an area of land in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) that was set for development despite local Māori having ancestral claim to the land.  Last year a number of people, including Matt, headed to Ihumātao to protest the development and ask the government to step in.  Matt fills us in on some of the background of Ihumātao and why it was so important, and what his involvement was during the weeks of protest. 

Find Matt on Instagram 

To understand more about Ihumātao see Pania Newton's TedX Auckland talk on YouTube

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion

Olivia Shivas is a journalist, podcaster and disability advocate.  Working for Stuff, Olivia's own experience of disability has shaped her passions and areas of focus in her media role, including the podcast she co-hosted in 2021 about disability that won her an award. During the conversation we also touch on faith, and her roles with various trusts and charities, including her voluntary role as a dj for radio lollipop at Starship Children's Hospital.

Check out the What's Wrong With You? podcast on Stuff or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read articles by Olivia's at stuff.co.nz/authors/olivia-shivas.

And why not follow her on Instagram?

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Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at:

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearth.conversations 

Instagram: @downtoearth.conversations

Email: [email protected]

 

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic  or  facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic  or  @commoners_communion