Our guests this week are Ash and Scott of the fantastic podcast, Boys' Bible Study! Each week, they join their cohost Julian to discuss and critique the "best contemporary Christian movies." We talk about their upbringing in very different church environments, along with some of the best, worst, and most interesting faith-based films in existence. We had a great time with them, and we now have a long list of bizarre movies that we have to track down! Follow Boys' Bible Study on Twitter and Instagram (@boysbiblestudy), visit www.boysbiblestudy.com, and listen to their podcast each week on your favorite streaming platform!

This week, we’re joined by visual artist Jason Brammer! Jason is known for his murals, site-specific installations, distinctive paintings, and mixed media hand-painted assemblages, and over the years, he’s been commissioned by the likes of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Hulu, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Jimmy Chamberlain of The Smashing Pumpkins. Jason grew up in a Christian environment, but from an early age, he had a strong aversion to the message and atmosphere in his church and Christian school. As you might expect, not everyone was thrilled about the pushback… Jason has had a fascinating career in art and music, and we had an absolute blast talking and laughing with him about the many strange and interesting worlds he’s found himself in. We are huge fans of his artwork, and you will be, too! You can follow him on Instagram (@jasonbrammer) and Twitter (@JasonBrammerArt), and visit www.jasonbrammer.com to see his portfolio and available works!

Our guest this week is podcaster Matt Molinaro! Matt grew up the son of a strict, fundamentalist preacher, and struggled to fit in both at school, and at church. After decades of feeling different and out-of-place, he came to grips with the fact that he is a gay man, much to the dismay of his father. Matt was kind enough to share his great perspective on being true to yourself in the face of resistance from loved ones, creating boundaries for those relationships that preserve your own dignity and happiness. It was a truly insightful conversation that's bound to make you think. Matt cohosts two fantastic podcasts that you have to check out! "Ripped From the Headlines" (www.rippedheadlinespod.com) recaps everyone's favorite police drama, Law & Order, and explores the true crimes that inspired the episodes. "Cool Story" (www.buzzsprout.com/881542) discusses the Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, as well as the brand new Amazon live action show based on the books. Follow them on Instagram (@rippedheadlines & @coolstorypod) and Twitter (@RippedHealines & @CoolStoryPod1), and stream them wherever you listen to podcasts!

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Our guest this week is comedian, podcaster, musician, and actor, Mike Valdes! Mike grew up in a Christian home in Miami, and got involved in the ministry at an early age. We discuss his missionary work translating Christian music into sign language, being a central part of a praise team at a dying church, and his eventual drift away church and into standup comedy. We had an absolute blast talking with Mike, and we can’t recommend his podcast or his standup enough! Follow Mike on Twitter (@iammikevaldes) and Instagram (@mikevaldes), and stream his show Childlike At Best wherever you listen to podcasts!

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!         

Our guest this week is comedy writer, director, and filmmaker, Tyler Eaton! Tyler and his team are working on a comedy/horror film called “Mysterious Ways,” starring recent GUC guest, comedian/podcaster/actress Alyssa Sabo! Here’s a brief synapsis:

Two sibling youth pastors come toe-to-toe with demonic forces when a member of their young flock is possessed during an anti-Halloween slumber party. With the church’s reputation and the end of days on the line, they’ll have to pull out all the stops if they stand any chance of stopping her All Hallows’ Eve rampage!

Tyler and his team absolutely destroyed their crowdfunding goals for the movie, and they will begin filming soon. We are so excited for this project, and we think you will be, too! You can follow Tyler’s progress and learn more about his other projects at www.tylereaton.net, and follow him on Twitter (@mystwaysmovie) and Instagram (@tylerharriseaton)

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!         

Our guest this week is author, speaker, and cofounder of Revolution Church, Jay Bakker! Jay is the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, who were two of the most successful televangelists of all time, and founders of the Praise the Lord Network. They inspired the recent biopic “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” for which Jessica Chastain won an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of Tammy Faye. Jay grew up in the shadow of the scandal that engulfed his family, but he has strived to forge his own path, beliefs, and accomplishments apart from the big church infrastructure that he knew as a kid. He co-founded Revolution Church, and adopted a more progressive form of Christian faith – one that isn’t afraid of doubt, that denounces the legalism of Evangelicalism, and that offers itself as a home to everyone without conditions. Jay is a bridge builder in a time where we desperately need them, and we had a great time talking to him! You can follow Jay on Twitter and Instagram (@jaybakker), or find out more about Revolution Church at www.revolutionchurch.com.

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!

Over the years, events like the Inquisition and the Crusades have gotten a bit of a bad rap. You whiney 21st century moralists would have people believing that it was all torture and genocide, but some leaders in the modern church believe that's sort of a glass-half-empty mentality. What about all the good things that they neglect to mention? For instance, we now have a Walmart in Constantinople, and that's something you wouldn't have gotten pre-Crusades. Plus, the lines at Chick-Fil-A in medieval Spain stretched on forever, until the Inquisition sort of encouraged Muslims and Jews to move elsewhere... All I'm saying is that if you're tired of feeling guilty about what the church "supposedly did" a millennium ago, then you're going to love this episode!

This week, Sam, Casey, and Jeremiah are breaking down a very interesting article from the Lutheran Sentinel called "Is the Church Really to Blame? Shedding Light on the 'Dark Ages.'" In it, the author lays out why our modern view of events like the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the suppression of science are much too critical of the church. We, uh... disagree. Join the conversation on Discord by following the server link on our social media pages!

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!

Our guest this week is Sam Kieffer, sound engineer and production specialist for Team Coco and the Earwolf Podcast Network! Sam was drawn into the Evangelical community as a young man, but without the persistent urging of his family. It’s one of many ways that his story differs from that of so many Christian kids, and it further illustrates the fact that there is no clean, easy, pain-free way out of the church. We had a great time with Sam, and you can follow him on Instagram @mostfunsam and Twitter @samkieffer!

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!

This week, we’re joined by comedian, actor, and podcaster, Alyssa Sabo! We first found Alyssa through her podcast Totally Rad!, an improv comedy show which she hosts alongside comedian and actor, Ben Cassil. She also has some hilarious original characters, including Midwestern fuddy duddy and Purity Ball organizer, Kathy Sanders, and Mike Pence’s angsty teen daughter, Peggy (who TikTok has taken very seriously)! In the episode, Alyssa discusses her upbringing, her stint as an RA at a Christian college, her struggle to stay connected to the Christian community, and her career in comedy and entertainment. This was such a fun conversation, and I think you’re going to enjoy it! Follow Alyssa on TikTok (@alyssasabo), Twitter (@alyssa_sabo), and Instagram (@alyssa_sabo), find information about her comedy and other news at www.alyssasabo.com, and stream to Totally Rad! on your favorite podcast app!

Our friends at Minor Threads are the absolute best when it comes to screen printing! They specialize in working with local artists, musicians, and business owners to create fantastic custom merchandise with low minimum orders. Whether you’re looking for printed apparel, embroidery, enamel pins, or other promotional items, Minor Threads can help you get your design into your customer’s hands. Visit www.minorthreadsco.com for more information, and mention Growing Up Christian for 15% off of custom print orders over $100!

This week we’re joined by Blake and Eric, hosts of Back in the Cool Day, a fantastic podcast about 2000’s emo/pop punk/indie/hardcore music and culture! It’s a little tough to summarize how much ground was covered in this episode, but we touched on the butt rock/punk origin paradigm, the megachurch overlords, the fact that we don’t want to read your theology book, and our unwavering fondness for mentor, statesman, and accomplished painter George W. Bush. We had an absolute blast talking to Blake and Eric! You can follow Back in the Cool Day on Instagram @backinthecooldaypodcast, and stream episodes of their show wherever you listen to podcasts!