For more than a decade, Rev. Scott Chrostek has served his community as Executive Director of Ministry and Programs for Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area. Rev. Scott joins host Nathan Arledge for a conversation between pastors and old friends.

Scott speaks about his upbringing in Detroit, and how being a fan of the Tigers helped him form a foundation for prayer and ministry. He also recalls how working in sales early in his career gave him perspective on finding commonality and the importance of shared experiences. Nathan and Scott also talk about an experience Scott had with an elderly woman who lived behind the church he was a pastor at in NC that helped him find his pastoral voice. Finally, Scott touches on how the call of the church is to engage strangers so they can know you and you can know them, and together you can become the living body of Christ.

Senior Minister of Los Angeles First UMC Mandy McDow joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood. Ever since connecting on a mission trip while Nathan was in Los Angeles, the two bonded over their shared passions of service, baseball, and Duke basketball.

LA UMC isn't your typical church that meets in a large building. Instead, they organize in a parking lot in downtown Los Angeles. In fact, their mission statement reads, "We are a houseless church. Until we can create a solution to DTLA’s homelessness crisis, we will remain in solidarity with our houseless neighbors."

Mandy and Nathan discuss her work with the church and her congregation. She discusses that loss of choice is one of the greatest tragedies of the home insecure. As an advocate for the LBGTQ+ community and marriage equality, Mandy also speaks about the reasons why many people from these communities have difficulty establishing trust with the church at large. Finally, Mandy emphasizes how important it is to stand up for what's right every day in everything you do.

Reverend Dr. Michael Waters is the founder and lead pastor of Abundant Life African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX. He is a professor, social commentator, and published author, whose written on topics of social justice, systemic racism, faith and pop culture.

Dr. Waters joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood about the deep roots he has in Texas, and the work he's subsequently done in his home state. Dr. Waters talks about redeeming the spaces, places and people that have been historically marginalized, breaking through a mindset of scarcity, and placing faith in modern day prophets.

Founding Executive Director of FAM Houston Hannah Terry joins Nathan Arledge on the podcast. Hannah's ministry in Houston revolves around FAM's mission to reach out and build community and engagement with immigrant and refugee communities. 

Hannah and Nathan talk about how time and space are precious, and our need to bring people into that space. Hannah speaks to her experiences working with migrant populations, and how appreciating diversity can be life giving. Hannah also speaks to her experience during the pandemic that left her feeling isolated, a far different place than she was accustomed to. 

Nathan speaks to Uyeion Kim, fellow pastor at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC and native of South Korea. Uyeion's family moved to Lubbock, TX when he was young, and he applied to go to seminary in college. Kim then found his way to North Carolina via family in Greensboro and grad school at Duke Divinity.

Uyeion and Nathan have a conversation that touches on a variety of topics that show their friendship and respect for each other. They discuss how America is still a country people can come to and feel part of the fabric, despite their challenges. Kim speaks about the effects of assimilation on non-white children, what it means to get to know your neighbor, and how being present and committed helps you better connect.

Nathan speaks to speaker, author, and pastor Rachel Billups. Rachel is Senior Pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City in Dayton, OH. 

In the months leading up and shifting into the pandemic, Rachel's community was faced with several challenges including a series of tornados, civil unrest in the streets, and shifting leadership within her own church. Rachel reflects on that time as some of the work she's most proud of and the lessons she learned.

Rachel speaks about how knowing yourself and being comfortable with who you are is important. Her and Nathan also talk about creating space for people and that being the first step towards helping people truly connect.  Rachel also discusses how asking good questions, being able to freely disagree, and having hard conversations is vital to be able to continue to grow and accept others as Christ would.

Divinity does not exist in a vacuum, and knowing how it exists in the world via culture, language and society are an important skill for pastors to hone. Today's guest on Nathan's Neighborhood is Pastor Matt Rawle, who is also a speaker, author, musician, dad and fervent Disney fan. 

Born in Louisiana, and currently a Methodist Elder, Matt speaks about a wide range of topics, including finding the divine in everything, Jesus as an act of life, and how the church and the world at large are not two separate things.

Pastor Katie Montgomery Mears joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode. Pastor Mears has a long history of service to her community. Born in Louisiana and educated at SMU, Mears helped build homes through Habitat for Humanity before moving into fundraising. Seeing her work raising money for the needy as something of a ministry on its own, she eventually found her way to become an ordained pastor at St. Luke's in Houston, TX.

Katie talks with Nathan about her path to ministry, what she learned building houses, and meeting people on their level. Katie also speaks about being a mother, and how ministry does (and doesn't) play a role in raising her children. Finally, she also talks about the power of travel and how getting uncomfortable breeds empathy.

Pastor - St. Luke's Houston

Grew up in Louisiana (SMU Educated)

Worked in public health in Houston

Habitat for Humanity

In the second episode of the Season 4 "Binge" season, host Nathan Arledge sits down with fellow faith leader Rev. Lisa Yebuah of Southeast Raleigh Table. Lisa grew up in the American mid-Atlantic to immigrant parents of Ghanaian decent. Her experience growing up as a BIPOC person has given her a unique perspective on some of today's most pressing issues.

Nathan and Lisa sit down to talk about how BIPOC people have consistently been praised for their resilience, but we've rarely questioned why that resilience is necessary in the fist place. Lisa also talks about how abundant life is possible according to the scripture. Finally, the two talk about how fear's intoxicating and addictive nature makes it easy to spread in today's world.

Author, podcast host and pastor Matt Miofsky joins Nathan Arledge on the podcast today. Twenty years ago, Matt founded The Gathering UMC in St. Louis, MO, out of his love for community and connection. Matt has also written several books, holds a degree in mathematics, and hosts the podcast The F Word (faith).

Matt and Nathan speak about Matt's journey from math major to divinity studies to being a pastor. Matt talks about how to keep current congregants engaged while also reaching out to new ones too. Matt says that many times people struggling with issues in their life reject the church even though the problems they face are largely spiritual. Matt also talks about starting a church in St. Louis, shepherding the organization for more than 20 years, and how his years in that position have helped him make deeper and more meaningful connections.