Tune in to this podcast episode with Kristen Filipic, who was around almost from the start of BFJN! Kristen shares some memories of those early days and conversations that still resonate with her. As a Companion with the Society of Companions of the Holy Cross, she shares their history and mission, noting that the Boston chapter started around 1890! Kristen's values of: intercessory prayer, thanksgiving, social justice and simple living help to frame the conversation. Tune in today!

Christianity has a rich history and learning, practice and leading around living simply. Why is this not a more prominent part of most of our church experience?

Tune in to this podcast episode with Regina Walton and host, Elizabeth Grady-Harper, as they discuss the barriers to living simply and the ways we can sustain lifestyle changes that align us more fully with Christian teachings on simplicity.

Book Recommendations & Other Resources:

• Your Money or Your Life by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin
• Living More with Less by Doris Janzen Longacre
• The Day the World Stopped Shopping by J. B. MacKinnon
• From What Is to What If by Rob Hopkins
• The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics by Ched Meyers
• Becoming Minimalist
• Faith & Money Network

Tune in to this episode with our longtime friend Mako Nagasawa, our first return guest and one of the authors of our Lazarus at the Gate curriculum. Mako shares one of the major themes of his life - Christian restorative justice; while also exploring the true reasoning of Jesus’ death by reflecting upon Romans 6:1-13. Additionally, Mako about his faith and Christian worldview given the impact of his culture and personality type. Restorative justice he says is not only relevant to the criminal justice system, but also to ecology and the environment, economic and financial relationships. Stick around to the end to hear ways our community can engage with all Mako is doing, resources and offerings provided by Anastasis Center from the theology of Black Panther to the Reconstruction of Christian Theology. Their website is also a great place to stay up to date with new happenings, donate to continue the work, and subscribe to their monthly newsletter.

Tune in to this episode for a casual conversation with Estela, a dear friend and participant of BFJN programming. Estela shares about her faith journey and experiences coming to the United States as a young child, and how her faith has grown in the Church. Engaging with Micah programs and BFJN Book Clubs over the years is also a highlight of this episode! Listen in today. 

Tune into this podcast episode with special guest, Ari Barbanell, Executive Director of Circle of Hope - an organization that provides basic neccessities to those experiencing/or in danger of experiencing homelessness in the Metrowest and Greater Boston area. Ari is the co-founder of Winter Walk and was there until last year (2016-2023). In this episode, she talks about the connection with the work she has done previously in theater and how both of these fields allow her to gather people together to care about a specific something. Stay tuned in to the end, to hear all the opportunities in which you can share in the work of Circle of Hope.

Poverty can have indirect implications for health. Race-based economic disadvantages can influence other social determinants as the intersection with poverty can further limit housing, educational, and employment opportunities, and these have also been linked to worse health outcomes (National Institutes of Health).

Brenda Tsuchiya is the Medical Director of Primary Care at Family Health Center in Worcester. In this podcast episode Brenda shares about her journey to her current position, the challenges the patients at the health center serves and how poverty makes it all harder. In this time we learned more about why community health centers are so important, the vital role they play in vulnerable communities, and the brokenness of the healthcare system here in the United States. We hope that you too will learn more on the intersectionalities of healthcare and poverty by tuning in to this episode today!

"Violence is an everyday threat to people in poverty."

Jenn Petersen serves as Director of Church Mobilization in the Northeast for International Justice Mission (IJM), coming alongside churches as they seek to partner with God’s heart for biblical justice and join Him in the renewal of all things. Jenn has over 20 years of pastoral ministry experience, serving in the areas of preaching and teaching, worship, missions, children’s ministry, and church planting.  This podcast episode is a call to Christians to answer the call to serve. Tune in today to hear encouraging stories from Jenn of what IJM is doing and ways you can connect with their work. 

A home is more than just 4 walls and a roof. 

Tune into this special podcast episode with Kevin Nye, author of "Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness". We learned so much by reading this book with our BFJN community last year and are so thankful to share this conversation with Kevin far and wide. We, as a culture, sometimes want to see homelessness as a personal failure ignoring the need to acknowledge the systems that are at work. In this conversation we discuss what "housing first" means and why it works, as well as the importance of trauma informed care, the ongoing realities of the impact of racism on housing and what it means to lead with generosity.

Sara Mitchell is a Community Chaplain with a focus on the South End and those who spend time in the Mass Ave and Melnea Cass Blvd area. What is a chaplain you might ask? An individual who ministers to the spiritual, practical and social needs of the community they serve. Sara shares her story in chaplaincy and journey doing ministry in the city for over 40 years. Through this episode Sara emphasizes that "Mass & Cass is people, not a place" and shares many ways people can engage with communities experiencing housing insecurity.

Tune in to this special podcast episode with Reverend June Cooper, who currently serves as the Theologian in the City at Old South Church in Copley Square, and is one of the founding members of Faith Leaders for Housing Justice (FL4HJ) which is a new collaborative partner of the Boston Faith & Justice Network. Rev. Cooper was formerly the Director of City Mission Boston, the second oldest not-for-profit organization in the county and was the first Executive Director of Boston Healthy Start a multi-million-dollar federal initiative that was credited with reducing Boston’s infant mortality rate in the 90’s. Rev. Cooper has a wonderful story of decades of ministry in the Boston area, serving vulnerable communities, and leading churches to a place of active compassion. This is an episode you do not want to miss!