Hey, y'all! The first year a student attends college or university (or one's "freshman year" as we say in America) is important for a myriad of reasons. It is also extremely vital for one's faith in Christ.  Today, we are joined by three freshmen who've just completed their first semester at college:  Leah Austin, Anna Mathis, and Carter Gaul. We talk about the tremendous experiences with God in their first semester and also places where they have struggled, doubted, and are asking new questions in their faith. It is wonderful conversation that I hope you can share with other students in your life . . . especially those preparing for college soon!

We begin with an introduction (00:41), a prayer (04:17), our lunch menu (04:51), Leah Austin, Anna Mathis, and Carter Gaul (07:26 ), their stories of faith in Christ (08:58 ), how college helped them discover new and exciting things in their life with Christ  (11:08), the biggest difference in their spiritual lives now they are in college (14:43), how college has hurt, challenged, or complicated their faith (18:07), ways the Church could have done better at preparing them for a life of faith in college (24:55), things the Church did right in preparing them for faith in college (27:38), have they found a congregation (32:57), what is different about coming back to their home congregation (36:27),  advice for other college and high school students about faith in college (39:01), a final prayer (43:05), thank you (44:40), and a blessing (44:55).

Menu for the evenings snack with Leah, Anna, and Carter:

• Parisian/French Hot Chocolate from The French Cooking Academy with Kate and Stephane 

Further Reading:

• "Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids" by Kara E. Powell and Chap Clark
• Fuller Youth Institute 

Hey y’all, I told y'all I would be letting y'all know about some exciting personal news and why that caused this Season (Season 6 of the Pastor Brian Podcast) to be delayed. I’ve written the Board of Ordained Ministry of the Indiana Annual Conference and General Superintendent Trimble, and spoken with my District Superintendents in Indiana and here in Northern Illinois— and (in compliance with ¶353.1 and ¶353.2a of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016) I’m prayerfully requesting a Voluntary Leave of Absence for Personal Leave to begin in the new appointment year of July 2023 . . . 

. . . As the Jones family we will still be at Gary, we are not leaving. This is where God has called us and where we can live out our call to proclaim the gospel so other’s may know Christ’s salvation. It is our family’s Church home and we love it here and most of all we love God— the one who we have completely trusted and led us here. In many ways it will be much like it was when we first came to Gary Church in 2010, we will attend, but I will be on pastoral leave and have no pastoral duties, except now, I won’t have four little ones running around, they are big, but still running around in Gary Youth! I am not giving up my orders or being a pastor. Simply, pastoring will not be my regular 9 to 5 job . . . just like many of you in your walk with Christ Jesus. I will continue my podcast ministry (producing the Gary Church Podcast and the Pastor Brian Podcast) as I feel that is something God has laid upon my heart continue and enlarge. So no worries, no more interruptions or delays with this season of Pastor Brian Podcast. I’m looking forward to what the future holds here! Most of all, I hope to live out the simple truth that God’s call of making disciples of Jesus Christ is constant, but it does not always look the same. I want to show that to my children, to you, and live it out with you as well. Thank you . . . you are loved by me!

The music you hear is "We're On Our Way" by Purple Planet Music and licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Welcome to Season 6! We are so glad to be back with you as we pray and speak with other Christians which helps us grow in the Holy Spirit! We are excited to have a conversation with The Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler.  Rev. Dr. Peeler is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College as well as Associate Rector at St. Mark’s Church in Geneva, IL.  We are also joined by her husband Dr. Lance Peeler (who will join us more fully in a bonus episode on love, marriage, calling, and ministry).

Today we talk with Rev. Dr. Peeler about her new book “Women and the Gender of God.”  It is an insightful and robust theological book that is amazingly accessible to every day readers! We will discuss God, gender, God's gender, women, and why all this has such a huge impact on our following Christ!

We begin with a prayer (00:41), our lunch menu (01:38) and Amy's own story of faith in Christ (03:11), how God called her to be a professor and into the priesthood (08:30), what compelled her to write this book (11:02), why God the Son is "a male like no other" (17:59), how she envisioned God the Father growing up and if it has changed (28:14), the hardest part of the book to write (32:51), her hope for people in the pew who read this book (39:35), and a final prayer and blessing (43:01).

For more information about Amy and her work:

• Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College
• Associate Rector at St. Mark’s Church in Geneva, IL
• Amy's newest book: “Women and the Gender of God”
• Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide. Co-Authored with Patrick Gray. T&T Clark’s Study Guides to the New Testament. T&T Clark, 2020.
• You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews. LNTS 486. London: T&T Clark, 2014.

Menu for Today's Lunch with Amy and Lance:

• Modern Pork Pie by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook
• Gratin Dauphinois by The French Cooking Academy with Kate and Stephane
• Spring Salad

Hey y’all! I know the new season has been late, but that has been because of some exciting circumstances in life that I can’t wait to tell you about! However, as a preview into this coming season of Pastor Brian Podcast, here is a small sound morsel of me singing a favorite hymn of rural Indiana Methodists for this, All Saints Day . . . “Are You Washed in the Blood?” (Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 21 & 22). It is my best audio recreation of what it felt like to sing that hymn in church on All Saints Day . . . enjoy . . . and blessings!

Hey, y’all! This is Pastor Brian at the Pastor Brian Podcast, just letting you know a little about the end of Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6. I had always intended to end Season 5 of the Pastor Brian Podcast with the Easter episode. However, in a truly bone-head move, I didn’t mention that at the end of the episode (but in the crazy ramp up from the end of Lent to the beginning of Easter I somehow, in mind, thought I did). Thus, many folks, very politely, through email and in-person, asked when the next episode was coming out . . . and I realized I never actually mentioned that at the end of the Easter episode! Again, so sorry if you have been listening and thought maybe I quit the podcast game or accidently died. No, all is well, we are just taking a break to refocus and book new guests for next Season . . . which will be Season 6!

Thus, I wanted to share what the Season format will look like for the Pastor Brian Podcast! The new 6th Season of Pastor Brian Podcast (which consists of a monthly interview of lay people and clergy doing amazing but often unseen ministry) will begin in September 2022 and go through Easter 2023 in April. Then we will take four months off (just like this summer). I have so many exciting ministries I want to share with you . . . this Sixth Season is going to be fantastic! I can’t wait until September . . . and I will look forward to praying with ya!!!

The music you hear is "Sunnyside" by Ketsa and licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

We pray you are being blessed and challenged in these final two weeks of Lent! Our Podcast includes a: Gathering (00:00), Opening Prayer (00:32), Psalm (01:15), Scripture (03:44), Prayer (05:23), Gary Church Staff (08:10), Blessing (08:56),  End (09:29). You may find the full daily scripture readings  at Daily Revised Common Lectionary  and the scripture read in this podcast is Mark 16:1-8 . Blessings!

If you would like to learn more about the Gary Church Staff:

• Lent Opening Prayer- Daniel Lee- Director of Youth Ministries
• Easter Opening Prayer-Debra Evans, Business Administrator 
• Lent Psalter- Jennifer Whiting- Director of Music
• Easter Psalter- Janet Mathis- Director of Communications
• Lent Scriptures- Debra Hafner, Office Staff
• Easter Scriptures- Rev. Dr. Chris Pierson, Senior Pastor 
• Lent Prayers and Response- Carey Williams Bebar, Director of Children’s Ministry and Christian Education
• Easter Prayers and Response- Jennifer Castino, Welcome Ministries Coordinator

We pray you are being blessed and challenged in these final two weeks of Lent! Our Podcast includes a: Gathering (00:00), Opening Prayer (00:32), Psalm (01:10), Scripture (05:05), Prayer (06:43), Gary Church Staff (09:31), Blessing (10:15),  End (10:50). You may find the full daily scripture readings  at Daily Revised Common Lectionary  and the scripture read in this podcast is John 19:16-24. Blessings!

If you would like to learn more about the Gary Church Staff:

• Lent Opening Prayer- Daniel Lee- Director of Youth Ministries
• Easter Opening Prayer-Debra Evans, Business Administrator 
• Lent Psalter- Jennifer Whiting- Director of Music
• Easter Psalter- Janet Mathis- Director of Communications
• Lent Scriptures- Debra Hafner, Office Staff
• Easter Scriptures- Rev. Dr. Chris Pierson, Senior Pastor 
• Lent Prayers and Response- Carey Williams Bebar, Director of Children’s Ministry and Christian Education
• Easter Prayers and Response- Jennifer Castino, Welcome Ministries Coordinator

Welcome to Season 5! Today we speak with Marissa Sabio, one of the Program Directors for Outreach Community Ministries. Outreach is an amazing ministry that helps the most vulnerable in our community and I am sure many of our listeners have similar ministries within their own communities. Thus, I am so excited to have a talented and gifted person like Marissa on to speak about the exciting work Outreach is doing, but also how Christians can become involved in the mission the gospel compels us all to be part of in caring for and empowering the most vulnerable, forgotten, and oppressed in our communities. 

We begin with a prayer (00:41), our lunch menu (01:35) Marissa's work (02:21), Marissa's personal story of faith in following Christ as Lord and Savior (03:46), what is Outreach Community Ministries (09:05), the main areas of contact for Outreach Community Ministries in the Western Chicago Suburbs (10:22). why was Outreach Community Ministries founded (11:40), Marissa's role and ministry within Outreach Community Ministries (14:00), what compelled her to be part of Outreach Community Ministries (24:10), stories she loves to share about Christ's love, grace, and salvation to others through Outreach Community Ministries (29:24), why she feels it is vital for Christians to be part of ministries like Outreach (and organizations like it) around the nation and the world (37:36), ways a congregation or group of churches can begin to reach out and alongside the poor and oppressed  (40:00), ways working in ministry through Outreach Community Ministries strengthened and changed her walk with Christ (42:51), and a blessing (46:18).

For more information about Marissa and Outreach Community Ministries:

• Outreach Community Ministries

Menu for Today's Lunch with Marissa:

• Jordan's Chicken Adobo with Jasmine Rice by Chef Jordan Andino with braised Baby Bok Choy.

Welcome to Season 5! Today we speak with Dr. Michael Graves, the Armerding Professor of Biblical Studies in the Bible and Theology Department at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. His primary area of teaching is the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and is  highly respected scholar and amazing teacher. Dr. Graves also teaches and lectures at Gary Church– where he serves in many capacities as well as an usher.  Have you ever wanted to ask what scripture actually was . . . and were too afraid to ask? What is the best ways to begin reading the Bible?  Why should we read scripture? Does it have any real benefits? Or curious about what scripture can teach about reading scripture? Join us as we have a conversation about faith, scripture, and God’s call in our everyday life. 

We begin with a prayer (00:41), our lunch menu (01:27) Dr. Graves' work, and name of new book (02:51), Michael's own story of faith in Christ (04:27), how God called him to be a professor (06:34), the process of becoming a scholar and faculty member (10:31), what he loves about teaching at Wheaton College and in congregations (14:50), what is scripture (16:11), why scripture so important to Christians (22:40), main obstacles people have to reading the Bible (26:58), key concepts to interpreting the Bible (35:13), the ways Jesus uses scripture and "Inner-Biblical Interpretation" (38:39), advice for people picking up a Bible the first time (45:26),  ways people who are familiar with scripture can continue to grow in Christ through the Bible (49:35), how scripture has been shaping him in the last 10 years (54:00), what he hopes people find in reading scripture (57:08), and a final prayer and blessing (59:02).

For more information about Michael and his work:

• Armerding Professor of Biblical Studies
• Michael's newest book: "How Scripture Interprets Scripture: What Biblical Writers Can Teach us about Reading the Bible."
• "Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church" (Ad Fontes: Early Christian Sources) 
• "The Inspiration and Interpretation of Scripture: What the Early Church Can Teach Us Jerome's Hebrew Philology: A Study Based on His Commentary on Jeremiah (Vigiliae Christianae, Supplements) Commentary on Jeremiah (Ancient Christian Texts)"

Menu for Today's Lunch with Michael:

• Gazpacho Paired With Pineapple Carpaccio, Pomegranate & Vanilla Salt by Gordon Ramsay

Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 5! Today we speak with Joe Davisson and Shelley Kenyon about the large, diverse, and amazing ministry of "Christmas Sharing."  Both Joe and Shelley have served Christ and his Church in so many ways- through school, work, and ministry. But in this conversation we will concentrate on an fantastic ministry and their part in the ministry . . . Christmas Sharing. Christmas Sharing is not only in their congregation, but throughout Wheaton, IL and the Illinois 200 School District. Also, we will discuss ways folks and congregations can begin a similar ministry to reach out and serve along side others in Christ Jesus!

We begin with a prayer (00:40), the ways God called Joe and Shelley to faith in Christ (02:16), what is Christmas Sharing (04:32), why Christmas Sharing was founded (06:40), what is unique about Christmas Sharing and how it draws them into ministry (09:11),  what did it look like before the COVID-19 pandemic  (12:19), how it has changed (20:06), stories of Christmas Sharing (26:09), ways for people to be involved (32:45), avenues in which people and congregations can begin a ministry to reach others (34:33), and how Christmas Sharing has changed their congregation (41:16), and a blessing (44:12).

Some information on organization from the podcast:

• Christmas Sharing
• People's Resource Center
• Northern Illinois Food Bank
• Marine Toys for Tots