We aren’t done quite yet! We may have said that the previous episode was the finale of the second season of Just Neighbors, but we were so inspired by today’s conversation that we decided to bring you a special bonus episode before we take a break. We’re grateful to have a renowned guest joining us to explore how we can build and maintain healthy relationships—both with the people closest to us and with the vulnerable neighbors we are called to serve.

Psychiatrist Curt Thompson is here to share practical insights that will help us fully realize our deepest longing—to be known. Drawing from his expertise in interpersonal neurobiology and a Christian view of what it means to be human, Curt uses his understanding of the brain to help people foster healthy and vibrant lives—empowering them to get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they are called to make.

In this episode, you’ll discover how the family dynamics we experience growing up shape how we serve others, what Christians can do to overcome burnout on our paths to obeying God’s call to care for others, how God is actively working to bring healing and connection into our lives, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/curt-thompson-s2e11/ 

It’s a bittersweet moment—we’ve officially reached the finale of Season 2! Over the past few months, we’ve had the privilege of learning from 9 incredible guests here on Just Neighbors, and we couldn’t have picked a better guest to close out this season.

In this episode, we are talking about how we can continue to be Just Neighbors even when we’re discouraged by challenging ourselves to view disillusionment as a gift.

The truth is, many philanthropic endeavors begin with idealism. We envision bold action, steady progress, and real change, sailing swiftly toward our mission. This passion is a beautiful thing—it plants the seeds for countless ministries and initiatives. However, what many of us don’t realize until we’re deep in the work is that bumps in the road are inevitable. When disillusionment strikes, we’re faced with a choice: quit, rely on our own strength, or look upward to Christ to sustain us.

Peter Greer joins us to guide this important discussion. Peter is the president and CEO of HOPE International, a global Christ-centered economic development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has co-authored 15 books, including two we will discuss in this conversation: The Gift of Disillusionment and Lead with Prayer.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/peter-greer-s2e10/

With an estimated 153 million orphans worldwide and the costs of adoption on the rise, fulfilling the call of James 1:27 to care for orphans and widows can feel increasingly challenging. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average cost of adopting a child in the U.S. is between $20,000-$45,000. In comparison, an international adoption can cost up to $50,000, depending on the country and the number of trips you’ll need to make.

How can we answer this call to be a Just Neighbor when financial barriers seem so daunting? What practical steps can we take to care for the vulnerable in our communities?

Joining us for this discussion is JT Olson, a man who has figured out a way to support two causes at once. His personal experience of being orphaned as a child alongside his four siblings gave him a deep understanding of how crucial it is to provide loving homes for vulnerable children. Today, JT is the Founder and President of Both Hands, a faith-based nonprofit that serves both orphans and widows.

In this episode, you’ll hear the story of how JT’s community rallied around him and his siblings after their parents passed away, why real stories can be more impactful than statistics when it comes to inspiring outreach, why taking the time to help one of your neighbors is key even if you can’t help all of them, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/jt-olson-s2e9/

When we consider difficult political topics, it can be easy to focus solely on change at a large scale. But while positive action on a macro level is vital, every ripple of transformation begins with something small.

After all, today’s parents are shaping the future leaders of tomorrow, and today’s pastors are equipping their congregations to go forward and live out biblical principles in the world. We may think we’re small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but every Christian has the opportunity to plant the seeds of change through their everyday words and actions. All this responsibility can feel overwhelming, but as our guest Trillia Newbell reminds us, we don’t have to come up with solutions on our own—God has already provided the answers we need in Scripture.

Trillia is an author and speaker who spent seven years serving as the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission within the Southern Baptist Convention. Today, she works as the Acquisitions Director at Moody Publishers.

In this episode, we’re learning from Trillia about how we can see all our neighbors as being made in the image of God, when and how we should talk with our children about loving our neighbors who may be different from us, some of the ways small actions can have a long-lasting impact, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/trillia-newbell-s2e8/

On this show, we’ve talked about many ways you can be a Just Neighbor. But in this episode, we have the honor of hearing from Gabrielle Alzate about what it means to be a community of neighbors walking with one another: a Just Neighborhood!

Research shows that the average American will move 11-12 times in their lifetime! When we relocate so frequently, it can become difficult to invest deeply in our neighbors, community, and local government. Gabrielle is here to share with us a different approach to living in community; she challenges to recognize the great value of stability and sustained community engagement.

Gabrielle is the Executive Director of Because Justice Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to building pathways to brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. Quickly after joining this team in 2010, she launched their youth ministry serving girls in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and piloted their Leadership Development Intensive.

In this episode, Gabrielle shares why investing in your local community matters more than chasing the “perfect” place to live, what it truly means to be "salt" and "light" in the world, how living in proximity to people from different walks of life can foster mutually enriching relationships, and so much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/gabrielle-alzate-s2e7/

Abortion is not an easy topic to talk about. It can cause divisiveness among not just individuals, but entire churches as well. With all the strong emotions that are tied to this discussion, we often forget that while abortion is a hot-button political issue, it’s also a deeply personal issue.

In this episode, Portia Collins explains how we can be a just neighbor to those who have experienced an abortion by leading with compassion when we encounter women who are facing difficult situations.

Portia is the founder of She Shall Be Called, a nonprofit women’s ministry dedicated to promoting Bible literacy. She also serves as the Partner Development Specialist with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women become biblically literate, viewing God’s Word as the foundation for all aspects of womanhood and identity.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/portia-collins-s2e6/

We all have a heart for children in hard situations, but how often do we consider the circumstances that cause families to enter crises in the first place? In some cases, there are steps we can take to decrease the chance that children will be removed from their biological families, but before we can take these steps, we must start from a place of compassion. 

Joining us to explore this crucial conversation is Charlee Tchividjian. 

Charlee is the founder and CEO of Every Mother’s Advocate (EMA). She has over 10 years of experience working in the nonprofit sectors of foster care, maternal health, marginalized women, and crisis pregnancy centers both globally and domestically. Charlee is committed to seeing the effects of poverty on family separation eradicated in her lifetime by mobilizing others to act.

In this episode, Charlee challenges us to give our marginalized neighbors more grace, shift our mindset to prioritize not only saving children but strengthening entire families, remember that a person’s dignity and value do not change due to their life circumstances, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/charlee-tchividjian-s2e5/

If you’ve listened to our other podcast, The Forgotten Podcast, you know our heart for children, families, and workers in foster care. Today, we get to learn from one of our TFI Advocates, Dorothy Mendoza, about how we can extend compassion and be a Just Neighbor to our neighbors in the foster care community.

Dorothy is a foster, adoptive, and special needs mom. She also serves with us at The Forgotten Initiative as a TFI Advocate in the Bangor, Maine area. Having gone through a turbulent childhood herself, Dorothy knows firsthand what a blessing it is to have a stable, healthy home life—and she’s committed to giving back to others using the gifts God has given her.

In this episode, you’ll hear about ways that we can serve our vulnerable neighbors instead of keeping them at a distance, why it’s crucial to support overwhelmed caseworkers so they can better serve children, how we can encourage churches to get engaged with foster care by making the outreach personal, and more.

If Dorothy’s stories of hands-on advocacy resonate with you, consider applying to become a TFI Advocate. Applications are open until the end of November!

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/dorothy-mendoza-s2e4/

Our country is in a season of intense political discourse as the upcoming election rapidly approaches. In this tumultuous time, many Christians are starting to wonder:

“How do we come together as the world is coming apart?”

Our guest, Joshua Butler, is here to bring us clarity on this question by exploring how we can be Just Neighbors through faithful political engagement.

Joshua is a pastor and author of several books, including his most recent, The Party Crasher. He’s passionate about shifting paradigms to help people wrestle with tough topics of the Christian faith and encounter Christ in a fresh way. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Joshua’s perspective on the different quadrants of political leaning, the dangers of building churches on the foundation of political ideologies, how we can follow the example of Jesus to love our neighbors despite differences of opinion, and so much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/joshua-butler-s2e3/

2.3 million people in the U.S. are affected by incarceration each year, and less than 15% of inmates are serving life sentences (God Behind Bars). This means the majority of people in prison will be released back into society at some point. Yet, these individuals are some of the most unlikely to see and hear the love of Jesus. The truth is, people who live behind bars are often out of sight and out of mind in the day-to-day lives of Christians.

Here to change that reality is today's guest—Jake Bodine, the founder and CEO of God Behind Bars.

Jake is a passionate entrepreneur with a huge heart for seeing those who are lost find Jesus and know Him personally. He is also dedicated to using his gifts and talents to get the Church excited about prison ministry so we can uplift the forgotten society behind prison walls.

In this episode, you'll hear about our biblical call to serve the “least of these,” why it is important to bring the Gospel to people who are imprisoned, how serving others deepens your own spiritual journey, and so much more.

Find resources mentioned and our takeaways in the show notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/jake-bodine-s2e2/