Tomorrow is Halloween, and you know what that means, loads of Christians are about to lose their minds on social media!  

In this episode, Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting tackle one of the most divisive topics in the church calendar: how should Christians approach Halloween and other cultural holidays? From trick-or-treating debates to Santa Claus controversies, they dive into the tension between personal conviction and biblical mandate.  

In this episode: 

-Why Halloween might be the BEST night to be a neighbor 

-The truth about "pagan" traditions (spoiler: it doesn't mean what you think) 

-Jesus: The Original K-Pop Demon Hunter?? 

-How to handle cultural holidays without losing your mind OR your witness 

-Why your personal convictions don't have to become everyone else's  

-The great candy debate (and a homage to Almond Joy) 

Timestamps 

0:00 - Intro & Shoutouts  

1:30 - Halloween Candy Taste Test Begins  

4:00 - Christians Losing Their Minds Over Halloween  

6:14 - Pastor Alan's Fall Festival Fail  

8:14 - Why Halloween is Peak Neighbor Night  

11:00 - What’s in Your Headphones: Scary Movies Worth Watching  

14:12 - The Real Question: Why Participate in Halloween?  

18:27 - What Does "Pagan" Actually Mean?  

19:59 - The Consistency Test for Cultural Boycotts  

24:05 - Personal Conviction vs. Biblical Mandate  

31:40 - Navigating All the Cultural Holidays  

37:40 - The Santa Sermon that Went Wrong  

38:42 - Making Space in the Church  

40:00 - Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl and Being a Good Witness. 

46:40 - The Truth About Loving People and "Stepford Christianity"  

50:05 - Practical Advice for Halloween  

51:40 - Gross Candy and a Homage to Almond Joy  

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Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah  

Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting 

Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting are joined by Dr. Larry Heimann—Carnegie Mellon University professor, MIT grad, ACAC elder, and AI expert—for a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about artificial intelligence. Together the crew unpacks how AI is shaping everyday life, from sermon prep to software design, and explores the theological and ethical implications of this rapidly changing technology. With depth, humor, and humility, they wrestle with what it means to be faithful image-bearers in an age of machines that “think.”

In this episode:

·       Using AI in ministry (and what “AI-assisted, not AI-generated” means)

·       Dr. Heimann’s journey to finding Christ at MIT

·       The difference between machine learning and generative AI

·       Examples of AI in daily life

·       The human side of technology: why spiritual encounter still matters more than information

·       Ethical guardrails, hallucinations, and how faith can influence technology for good

·       Raising and mentoring the next generation to be wise AI users

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome & banter – “This one’s a heady one!”

00:54 Who is Dr. Larry Heimann? (CMU, MIT, ACAC elder)

02:30 AI use in ministry life

07:10 “AI-assisted, not AI-generated” – finding healthy boundaries

12:07 The danger of skipping the hard work of learning

15:22 Meet Dr. Larry Heimann

27:33 “What’s in your headphones?” – from Bach to Biggie

33:01 Teaching app development & getting under the hood

36:18 What is AI? (Machine Learning vs. Generative AI)

46:20 The morality question: will AI replace or rule over us?

57:00 AI, bias, and the problem of “hallucinations”

1:09:53 Creativity, laziness, and preparing the next generation 

1:19:43 Guardrails for families and healthy habits with tech

1:26:18 Closing thoughts & takeaway

Resources Mentioned

·       Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell

·       More Than a Carpenter – Josh & Sean McDowell

·       Wesley Huff – Christian apologist and speaker (YouTube / podcast)

·       Frank Turek – CrossExamined (podcast, books, and videos)

·       The Bible Project – Podcast & resources on biblical theology

·       Honestly with Bari Weiss – cultural and current events podcast

·       Wrinkly – Bible memorization app for iOS & Android (created by Ryan O’Dowd, mentored by Dr. Heimann)

Subscribe, share, and send us your feedback at [email protected].

Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah

Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting sit down with a special guest—Alan’s daughter, Alex Hannah—for an honest, funny, and very candid conversation about growing up with a pastor for a parent. From family pranks to missed birthdays, from church expectations to personal faith, Alex opens up about the ups and downs of being a “PK.”

In this episode:

-Growing up as a pastor’s kid: blessings and pressures

-The perfect prank

-Unspoken expectations & church-culture pressure

-When ministry collides with family

-Learning to rest, set boundaries, and show up for what matters

-Alex’s reflections on finding her own faith

-Why curiosity, grace, and authenticity matter most

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome & intro banter

02:10 The “Real lives of pastors’ families”

09:22 Alex Hannah Intro

11:47 “What’s in your headphones?” music chat

17:34 Mixtapes, playlists & Pandora

20:13 The ultimate Aprils Fools prank

23:12 Growing up in church

25:30 Pastor’s-kid pressure

33:51 When church competes with family

41:26 Boundaries, rhythms and healthy ministry life

44:44 “Always on” – life in and out of the pulpit

56:26 How can congregations support pastors’ families

1:00:05 Closing reflections & wrap-up

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👉Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah

👉Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting dive into the topic of evangelism—what it is, what it isn’t, and how to share your faith authentically. From “horror stories” of cringeworthy evangelism to a lighthearted Gen Z slang quiz, the conversation blends humor with practical wisdom. The guys also tackle big questions about global missions, cultural imperialism, and living out the Great Commission today. 

In this episode: 

-Evangelism “horror stories” and what not to do 

-Stats from Barna on how Christians view sharing their faith 

-Why evangelism isn’t just the pastor’s job 

-The power of authenticity, humility, and empathy 

-Gen Z slang quiz (slay, no cap, skibidi, and more) 

-Practical tools: the BLESS method & Front Yard Mission 

-Global evangelism vs. cultural imperialism 

-How to write and share your story 

Timestamps 

00:25 Welcome & banter 

02:00 Evangelism “horror stories” 

06:45 Stats on faith conversations (Barna Research) 

09:40 Gen Z slang quiz 

19:10 Evangelism isn’t just for pastors 

24:45 Authenticity, empathy, and sharing faith naturally 

34:06 Practical tips for effective evangelism 

43:02 Global missions & cultural imperialism 

49:14 Takeaways and conclusion 

👉Subscribe, share, and send us your feedback at [email protected]. 

👉Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah 

👉Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting welcome their first guest—Kent Chevalier, chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers—for a conversation about faith, football, and fame. From sideline prayers to the culture set byCoach Tomlin, Kent shares what it means to follow Jesus while navigating thepressures of celebrity and performance. The guys talk about fandom versus worship, the call to “deflect the glory,” and how humility, discipleship, and hidden faithfulness matter in both the NFL and everyday life.

In this episode:

·      Kent’s journey to becoming the Steelers’ chaplain

·      Then fine line between fandom and worship

·      Faith and humility in a culture of celebrity

·      What it looks like to “deflect the glory” on and off the field

·      Guarding our hearts against idolatry in sports, church, and culture

·      Why secret service and hidden faithfulness matter more than platform

Timestamps 

00:25 Welcome & banter (Packers vs. Steelers)

11:10 Introducing Kent Chevalier

21:10 Faith, fame & football in Pittsburgh

24:35 The culture of Coach Tomlin

32:23 From fandom to fanaticism

34:25 “Deflect the Glory” – Kent’s challenge to athletes (and us)

01:06:48 Everyday faith: living with humility

01:11:24 What’s in Kent’s headphones

01:14:43 Closing & Takeaways

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Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah

Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

Follow Kent Chevalier: kentchevalier.com

Welcome to the very first episode of Here We Go! Pastors (and friends) Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting launch the podcast with a candid conversation about faith, culture, and everything in between.

This isn’t a football podcast (sorry, Steelers fans). Instead, it’s a space for grace-filled discussions about what it means to follow Jesus in the messy overlap of church and culture.

In this episode:

• The story behind the name Here We Go

• Alan & Spencer’s ministry journeys (worship leading, church planting, pastoring)

• When Christians overreact to culture—from comic books to Dungeons & Dragons

• What it means to live “in the world but not of it”

• Why unity matters more than personal preference

Plus: what’s in their headphones and a preview of Season 1 guests—including Steelers chaplain Kent Chevalier and Carnegie Mellon professor Dr. Larry Heimann.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome & Launch

00:38 Why “Here We Go”

03:10 Meet Your Hosts

09:40 Faith & Culture

15:55 What’s in Our Headphones

21:10 Cultural Panics

32:20 Unity Over Division

35:53 Village vs. Chameleon Christianity

48:30 Jesus & Unity

59:37 Season Preview

01:02:39 Closing

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👉 Send us your feedback at [email protected].

Follow Alan Hannah: @alan__hannah

Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting