Placed For A Purpose

Beekeeper, pastor, and neighborhood enthusiast, Dr. Preston Pouteaux, shows us the parallels between beekeeping and neighboring: both are slow, messy, sweaty, painful and sticky… but also delightful. Listen along as we discuss his book, The Bees of Rainbow Falls: Finding Faith, Imagination, and Delight in Your Neighborhood. Trust us, his joy is contagious. You will find yourself wanting to truly know and love your neighbors… and possibly keep bees, too. 

Go buy: The Bees of Rainbow Falls: Finding Faith, Imagination, and Delight in Your Neighborhood

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

Our next few episodes, we’re talking trees, bees, and community gardens… beginning with trees. Prepare to have your mind blown by Dr. Matthew Sleeth, author of Reforesting Faith, as he geeks out over how much God loves trees and how they helped lead him to Christ. You’ll see why Newsweek recognized him as one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders and how caring for the natural world is an important part of loving God and being a good neighbor.

Reforesting Faith:  What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

The rhythm of “repentance and faith” is one in which our love for God and neighbor is renewed. Just as we exhale carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen, we breathe spiritually when we exhale (confess, acknowledge our sin, and embrace repentance) and inhale (experience God’s kindness and love, and receive the Spirit's help for change). 

Walk with us for 20 minutes as we use this rhythm to guide our prayers for renewal both in our hearts and the hearts of our neighbors. 

Breath Prayer: It is your kindness, Lord (inhale), that leads us to repentance (exhale).

You’re gonna love this episode because today, we slow down and embrace a small-town mindset. Imagine yourself sitting shotgun in an old truck with author Ronnie Martin as we cruise down rural roads littered with milk cows and John Deere tractors, or sitting on a front porch, drinking iced tea. We chat about the importance of forgiveness, developing a non-anxious presence, and Ronnie tells us whether or not Gilmore Girls paints an actual picture of small towns. Regardless of where you live, you will be encouraged to endure when you can’t see God’s work around you and have new appreciation for the gifts of “slow” and “small.”

Pastoring Small Towns: Help and Hope for Those Ministering in Smaller Places

The Unhurried Pastor: Redefining Productivity for a More Sustainable Ministry

The Happy Rant

The Art of Pastoring Podcast (by Christianity Today)

“Places form our loves.” Today, Ashley Hales, author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much, reveals some of the skeletons in our suburban closests. She shows us how our good hungers can become idols which corrupt us, idols like consumerism, individualism, busyness, and safety. But for each of these, she offers hope by providing counterlitergies (new practices) to reshape our love for God and neighbor.

Finding Holy in the Suburbs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much

The Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits

The Cartographers Podcast

The Willowbrae Institute

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

Today we begin a new series on what it looks like to find our place, whether in urban, suburban or rural contexts. We’re joining by Josh Jackaway, Director of Growth for Apartment life, an organization focused on helping the church serve and engage local residents of apartment communities. We discuss some of the challenges of apartment living—especially loneliness–and what it looks like to bring value to transient places with “sticky community.”

Apartment Life Ministry

Happy Hour: Etiquette and Advice on Holy Merriment

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

If you’ve just moved, are thinking about a move—or if you’re up for putting yourself in your new neighbors' shoes—in this episode, we’re joined by Susan Miller, known as “America’s moving coach,” President of “Just Moved” Ministry, and Author of “After the Boxes are Unpacked: Moving on after Moving In.” Having moved 13 times, she helps us understand ‘MSM’ (aka: Moving Stress Meltdown), guides us through what it’s like to leave behind family and friends, and deal with the loneliness and unknowns of a move. Meanwhile, she also helps us empathize with the stress that our new next-door neighbors are facing, and reminds us that they’re coping with the unfamiliar and having to start all over. 

Just Moved Ministry

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

Many cultures tend to categorize “neighboring” and “hospitality” as extroverted and even feminine practices. Brandon Clements debunks these myths and shares how God changed his mind, leading him to co-author the book The Simplest Way To Change The World: Biblical Hospitality As A Way Of Life. In today’s episode, we talk about setting boundaries, making space for quiet in neighborly conversations, and the overall unique contributions introverts can make in neighboring spaces.

See also: Christine Pohl’s book on hospitality: Making Room, 25th anniversary edition: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

Sometimes loving our neighbor can feel abstract. Tim Soerens, author of Everywhere You Look: Discovery The Church Right Where You Live joins us to help us understand how connecting to the places we live, our parishes, takes neighboring out of the abstract to a very real dare. As we become more curious about our neighbors, begin noticing where God is at work, and ask him to align our desires for our neighborhood with his...we become part of a movement of ordinary Christians seeking to live out their faith right where they live.

Everywhere You Look

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.

Today, we’re joined by Cas Monaco, who shares insights from her forthcoming book Gospel Conversations Reimagined (Summer 2024). She serves as the VP of Missiology & Gospel Engagement for Cru's FamilyLife® and is passionate about helping believers engage in meaningful Christ-centered conversations. She explains shifts in mission throughout the years, the influence of secularization on today’s culture, the three core longings of every person (peace, prosperity and purpose) and what it looks like to engage neighbors with a narrative approach of the “true story of the whole world.”

FamilyLife Ministry 

Learn More about Cas

Read Cas' other works and follow her on Amazon for updates on the release of Gospel Conversations Reimagined. 

CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.