Faith in the Folds

Today we get to hear from Robin Gough, Associate Minister for the Fairfax Church of Christ in Fairfax, VA - just outside of Washington, D. C. Robin recently shared on social media a list of five lessons he’s learned during his nearly two decades in ministry. I thought it would be fun to dig into this list with him and gain a little bit of insight into life and ministry. I know you’ll be blessed by what Robin has to say.

You can check out the church where Robin works here: https://fxcc.org/

Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rsscom/podcasts/faithinthefolds/. You can also follow us on Instagram @faithinthefolds.

Today I sit down with Russ King, preaching minister for the Donelson Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Russ has served churches in Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and has been at Donelson--his home church--since 2011. I asked Russ about his congregation's community involvement, and we had a great time talking about the ways churches can learn how to bless their communities in Jesus's name.

Today I sit down with Dr. Allen Black. I first met Dr. Black when I took a campus visit to Harding School of Theology (then known as Harding University Graduate School of Religion, or HUGSR for short) in 2010. Dr. Black was assigned as my academic advisor, and a year into my program I became his Graduate Assistant. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, Dr. Black retired from HST after nearly 40 years of teaching, the last six of which he also served as Dean. I had the privilege and honor to talk with Dr. Black and reflect with him on his decades of service.

Today I had the privilege of continuing my earlier conversation with with Stephanie O’Brian, Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of Upward Bound at Harding University. I asked her about the good things college #students can offer the church. It’s tempting for many older Christians to overlook the value of what Christian college-aged students can bring to the church. Perhaps, as Stephanie says, they can offer a helpful corrective to some things the Church has maybe missed. Most importantly, you people today—like many who have gone before them—are eager to see in others and experience for themselves a #faith of conviction, not merely a faith of convenience. This conversation may ruffle some feathers, but I’m glad for Stephanie to raise these important issues.

Today's guest is Robby John, Youth Minister for the Bay Area Church of Christ in Tampa, FL. I asked Robby to share with me one or two lessons he’s learned in #ministry, and what are a few #resources he consistently uses to keep himself fresh. Robby stressed the importance of having mentoring figures in life and ministry, and he also emphasized the value of community for developing #creativity. I know Robby will encourage you and give you some great resources for your own growth. Faith in the Folds is a podcast for ministry, biblical studies, and Christian living. You can find full videos on Facebook or YouTube, and audio versions on Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and iHeartRadio podcasts, as well as rss.dot.com/podcasts/faithinthefolds/

Today I got to talk with Steve Maxwell, worship minister for the North Atlanta Church of Christ. Steve has been a good friend of mine for over ten years, and I was excited to ask him “What’s one piece of advice you’d give younger ministers?” Steve talked about the importance of taking the time to observe and understand your surroundings, not just in whatever local church a minister happens to serve but also the neighborhood and larger contexts. I also resonated with Steve’s words about reflecting on our younger selves—something I think every Christian should do regularly. I know you’ll be blessed by what Steve has to say.

Today I sat down with my friend Bob Turner. I first met Bob when he was a librarian at Harding School of Theology in Memphis. I loved talking with Bob about my classwork, current events, or trends in churches when we overlapped at HST. These days Bob is the Senior Minister for the Church of Christ at White Station in Memphis, and I was glad to talk with him about how we can disagree without being jerks to each other. Bob stresses knowing the important difference between arguing and being argumentative, and he offers a few rules for how to get the most out of our conversations.

Today I talk with Mark Adams, preaching minister for the Kings Crossing Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, TX—a lifelong friend and peer-mentor. I asked Mark what’s one piece of advice he’d give young ministers, and in the course of our conversation he shared several great ideas not just for ministers but for anyone wanting to grow in #discipleship. We talked about the necessity to invest in others and in yourself—and the grave dangers of #overwork, something that seems like it is a virtue but really has serious detrimental effects on ourselves and our #relationships. I hope you’ll be challenged and encouraged but our conversation.

Check out Mark's blog at https://kingdomupgrowth.com/

You can also find Mark's podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast venues.

Today I sat down with a trio of ministers who have spent years investing in Christians in college. Chris Buxton, Casey Coston, and Rusty Jordan and I talked about the spiritual challenges facing Christians in public colleges and universities—which is where these three have served collectively for several decades. We talked about how the college years are one of the most formative times of life for developing faith and forming a worldview. When I asked how do we as the church help disciple these Christian young men and women, I was not surprised to hear Chris, Casey, and Rusty talk about the importance of community—I’ve been podcasting for a month now and I’m starting to lose count of how often my guests have mentioned the necessity of community for discipleship.

Today I got to talk with Zach Neal, Dean of Students at Harding University. I asked Zach about the spiritual challenges college students face. In the course of our conversation we kept coming back to the importance of listening and being present with others. Whether in a ministry setting like I find myself in, or in an administrative setting for Zach, the importance of genuine connection cannot be overstated. I think this is a timely reminder for us when so many of us were starved for regular, meaningful connection over the last year - and Zach was able to share his insight into the importance of these connections for college students.