Michelle Van Loon was "getting around," doing drugs and acting 'a fool as a Jewish teenager but when a friend introduced and evangelized her to Jesus (may or may not have been over some weed), her life has never been the same.  Michelle, author of numerous books, recently wrote "Downsizing: Letting Go of Evangelicalism's Nonessentials," and joins Joey to discuss the contents. Could "downsizing" be the only hope for unity in the church?  Among the many topics discussed, the two talk whether "spiritual authority" has to go, what makes a pastor a pastor, Joey's former zeal for Mark Driscoll, how the church has made an idol of the nuclear family, and the silly notion that deconstruction is usually a bad thing.  

Synopsis of book: Michelle Van Loon came to faith in Jesus as a Jewish teenager and embraced the first Christian community she found: evangelicals. Over the next fifty years, she enthusiastically worshiped and worked in a wide variety of evangelical groups. Looking back on those experiences today, Van Loon treasures the things that truly deepened her faith. At the same time, she laments the accumulation of baggage—religious ideas and practices that were unhelpful at best, and harmful at worst. Unlike many who have given up on evangelicalism altogether, Van Loon is committed to saving what’s worthwhile in the evangelical faith tradition, and she invites others to join her. Simultaneously critical and hopeful, Downsizing encourages readers to reflect on their own experience with evangelicalism, evaluate the movement’s legacy, and participate in shaping its future.

Michelle Van Loon / Instagram / Website 

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

[on this episode: Josh Porter and Joey Svendsen]

Did you have to destroy your secular CDs to keep the devil out when you were a kid?  Then, you'll enjoy this episode with Josh [Dies] Porter (Showbread) who is also an author with a new release, "With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art."  With his book as the context, Joey and Josh manage to fit into one conversation the punk rock culture of Christian music they grew up with, both of their introductions into "secular music," a more rounded approach for Christians to consume art, the honesty of the bible, how far is too far when it comes to art, a debate on the best MxPx album, the phrase, "it must be a God thing," and more. 

Get The B-Sides Feed  
Facebook Discussion Group here.
E-mail the PWNA team here.

Theme Song: Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Rock): Apple Music
All other Music from the album "Showbread is Showdead," by Showbread.  

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

My dad went to be with the Lord at around 9PM on Tuesday night of last week.  This episode is a reading of the eulogy i gave at my dad's memorial service and also includes a replay of an episode I did with my dad, on this podcast, about his lived experience of helping me through my mental health crisis 6 years ago.  

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

[The episode has three friends in it: Joey Svendsen, Amy Alderman, and Hayne Griffin and Stoy Prioleau]

Joey stands up for himself when a peer calls him a "fake pastor" for not having time to engage in a conversation, uncharacteristically responding to this guy with a bit of abrasiveness.  Joey ponders with his friends whether the confrontation  was necessary, helpful or good.  Amy, Hayne, Stoy and Joey discuss confronting others as well as their personal comfort levels with times when it's necessary for them to do the confronting.  

When close relationships go awry, Joey articulates why solidarity and support from others feels like a need. Amy shares why she believes some people are garbage and are deserving of being ghosted, Hayne processes confrontations the same way he processes mowing the lawn, and Stoy recounts a lesson that stuck with him, when he learned to listen more and speak less.  

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Check out Joey's Substack.

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

[The episode has three friends in it: Joey Svendsen, Amy Alderman, and Hayne Griffin]

Joey read a book that captures the American history of adolescent girls' commitment to having the best possible body.  You can check out "The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls" here.  

With some of the book's contents as the context, Joey, Hayne and Amy talk through women's arduous struggle toward gender equality and how far along society has come, while Joey now having read this book, admits ignorance to many aspects of the challenge for women.  

Amy opens up about some personal body image issues, personally relating to the societal research spelled out in this particular book.  Joey and Hayne try to explain why they are not sexually attracted to 20 year olds and Amy gives her best shot at explaining why she thinks they are not.  

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

[This is an episode of a new podcast called "Roster Music Club Podcast."  traditional PWNA Episodes coming back soon to this feed]

Please go listen to this episode on:
Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon 

Go join the Roster Music Club now by going to RosterMusic.Club. (TRY FIRST MONTH FREE)

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Go subscribe to the Roster Music Club's Podcast Feed and listen to this episode there:  Spotify I Apple Music I Amazon

Hey, PWNA Listeners, 

My brother and I, alongside Jeremy Gould of Rumors Are True Podcast, are starting a new music club, Roster Music Club.  

You can join today for a discounted price, official start is May 1st. 

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

say this on audio (and stuff below):
If you're going to listen to this episode, it means you have an interest in some of the alternative music scene.  and if that's the case, please go subscribe to the Roster Music Club Podcast feed and check out our website here to see if this club is of interest to you. 

Hey, PWNA Listeners, 

My brother and I, alongside Jeremy Gould of Rumors Are True Podcast, are starting a new music club, Roster Music Club.

Go subscribe to the Roster Music Club's Podcast Feed and listen to this episode there:

Spotify I Apple Music I Amazon

Send a text to the crew (we may read these on air)

Be a Patron / Tip the Host (Venmo)

[This episode has Amy Alderman, Stoy Prioleau, and Joey Svendsen]

Joey brought up his lack of interest in the WNBA as well as his unmatched preference for women's gymnastics over men's gymnastics as an ice breaker in this episode; but the conversation evolved and carried on into what "being a boy" and "being a girl means," as well as the impact of nature verses nurture in such matters.  Joey shares a bullying situation from middle school and Joey and Amy try to understand what Stoy means in his "every behavior is acceptable" tirade.  

E-mail the PWNA team here.
Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

Steadfast Summit Conference (March 28th & 29th, Charleston Southern University)

Jessie Evans, M.Ed., LPC joins the podcast to discuss her work of bridging professional counseling with faith.  Her and Joey discuss experiences (good and bad) they've encountered in how the church handles mental health issues.  They also reflect on personal struggles in their own mental health and in the process discuss EMDR therapy, the importance of sleep, perinatal OCD, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and what can be learned from the Inside Out movies.  Lots to learn from Jesse Evans on this one. 

E-mail the PWNA team here.
Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music

E-mail Joey here.

Support Joey's work by Being a Patron / (Venmo)

Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple Music