Growing Up Christian

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)

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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.

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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!

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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!

Our guest this week is comedian and former Jehovah's Witness, Doug Smith! He has appeared on CONAN, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, and This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central. Doug's family became Jehovah's Witnesses after his mom was converted by those pesky door-to-door missionaries. As you might imagine, there are all sorts of fun little things that come with being a JW kid - things like being the only kid in class that sits during the Pledge of Allegiance, having to leave the room during just about any sort of celebration, and of course, carrying around a card that forbids anyone from administering certain types of life-saving medical care. Doug is a very funny guy with a life story that, at times, might shock even some of you hardcore Pentecostal kids. I mean, the guy got stabbed in the face while fighting off a rapist (yeah, you read that right)! You can follow Doug on Twitter and Instagram @whodougsmith, find info about upcoming shows and download links to his album Barely Regal at www.dougsmithcomedy.com

Our guest this week is trans woman, blogger, and Army combat veteran Natalie Drew! Natalie was kind enough to share the story of her arduous, yet triumphant journey towards self-actualization and fulfilment. She also shares the hard details of her deployment in Iraq, and some of the lingering effects of violence. At a time when war seems to be hanging over our collective heads, Natalie’s story is a powerful reminder of the individual cost of conflict, and that peace is priceless. Be sure to follow Natalie on Twitter @natgrace79, and follow her journey at www.nataliegracedrew.wixsite.com/findingnatalie!

This week, we’re joined by comedian Walker Glenn! We discuss his upbringing in a small, conservative Christian community in rural California, parental lyric screening anxiety, and the distinctive “out-of-place” feeling that accompanies a person’s slow movement away from the beliefs of those around them. We had a great time talking with Walker, and we can’t recommend his standup enough! Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @WalkerJFGlenn, and check out www.walkerglenn.com for live dates and clips!

Before we begin our discussion with Walker, however, we simply had to talk about our old pal John Cooper of Skillet - the Tucker Carlson of Christian butt rock. If you haven't seen his latest soapbox post about deconstruction, you can find it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaAXAGZrKP4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

Our guests this week are musicians Ash and Eric! Although the two of them grew up in very different church environments, they both found their place in the worship team at a kind of white collar church plant. As the church began to fray at the edges, they grew closer together, earning them the scorn of their fellow parishioners. The church was disintegrating around them, but getting out was not going to be easy… You’re going to love this story! Follow them on Instagram @ashandericmusic , check out www.ashanderic.com for updates, merch, and upcoming shows, and stream their brand new single “Autumn Hymn” on February 18!