We’re continuing our Spiritual Formation Series here at Hope Bridge, and this month, we focused on an especially timely theme: Experiencing God’s gift in nature.

Whether it’s a walk in the woods, sitting on your porch, or just paying attention to the sky—it all counts. Nature has a way of slowing us down and pointing us back to our Creator.

And guess what? Science backs it up. Spending time outside is good for our spiritual, mental, and emotional health—it’s not just a nice idea, it’s truly life-giving.

Tune in as we talk about how to connect with God through creation and explore simple ways to make this a meaningful part of your life.

Episode Highlights: 

• God’s Creation
• Experiencing God’s Gift In Nature 
• Overall Health Benefits of Being in Nature 
• Scientific Research of Being Outdoors 
• Simple Ways to Experience Nature 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

At Hope Bridge, two of our biggest priorities are supporting single moms and engaging the local church. But bringing those two things together isn’t always simple. In this episode, we’re discussing a sensitive but important topic: church hurt—specifically, how it affects single moms. 

This conversation is not meant to overgeneralize or place blame. We are incredibly grateful for the many churches we partner with that do amazing work to support families. At the same time, we also want to honor the stories of single moms who have felt excluded from ministries, overlooked for leadership, or disconnected from small groups. Sometimes, the hurt comes through unsolicited advice that, while well-intended, causes pain. Other times, it’s not about what’s said—but what isn’t. The absence of acknowledgment or representation can leave single moms feeling invisible.

God created us for community. Even when that community has caused hurt, the need for connection remains. We talk about the importance of continuing to seek out healthy church spaces, even after past wounds. Sometimes, God meets us most powerfully outside of a traditional church setting—but we have to be seeking Him. Church is meant to be a place of restoration, hope, and belonging. In this conversation, we explore how we can help the Church reflect that vision more fully—especially for single moms.

Episode Highlights: 

• Single Moms 
• Church Hurt 
• Church Community 
• How to pursue healing 
• Single Moms Program at Hope Bridge 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Check out our Single Moms Program 
• July Empower U Registration 
• Schedule Coffee with Mel!
• Link for Friendly Faces/Spiritual Development
• Single Mom Connection Form 
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

In this episode, we’re focusing on the heart behind our Single Moms Program at Hope Bridge. If you’re a single mom, we want you to hear this clearly: you are not failing, and you are not alone. There’s a whole community of women who want to walk alongside you, encourage you, and support you through whatever season you’re in.

We talk about the support groups, resources, and connection opportunities available to help you feel seen, strengthened, and surrounded. And if you’re not a single mom but know someone who is, please consider sharing this episode with them. If you’re looking for a way to get involved, we also have volunteer opportunities for those who want to support and uplift single moms in our community.

Check out this episode to learn more about how to connect or serve through Hope Bridge. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Meet Mel!
• Learn more about our Single Moms Program 
• Encouragement for Single Moms
• Practicing Gratitude 
• Progress over perfection 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Check out our Single Moms Program 
• Empower U June Registration 
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Carly Souza, the director of Fostering Hope in Las Vegas. Fostering Hope is an organization that supports foster families, children in foster care, and biological parents by creating pathways for reconciliation and full restoration. Fostering Hope builds care communities and offers support groups that surround and uplift those impacted by foster care—meeting practical needs while fostering lasting relationships.

She also opens up about her and her husband’s personal journey through foster care and adoption—including the highs, the heartbreaks, and the hard decisions along the way. Through it all, they’ve remained grounded in their faith, relying on God for strength, wisdom, and hope.

Listen to this episode to be encouraged by their story and reminded that you’re never alone on the journey!

Episode Highlights: 

• Meet Carly Souza 
• Carly’s Foster Care Journey 
• Learn about Fostering Hope 
• Marriage 

Find more on Guest:

• Fostering Hope 
• Find Carly on Instagram

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Schedule a Coffee Date with a Team Member 
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

We’re back with another episode in our Spiritual Formation series, and today we’re focusing on the practice of scripture memory. This conversation is all about what it means to tuck God’s Word into our hearts—setting our minds on truth and learning to depend on Him in our everyday lives. 

We talk about the many benefits of memorizing scripture, including how it strengthens our faith, renews our minds, and anchors us in God’s promises. Whether you’re brand new to this practice or looking for a fresh start, we’re sharing some practical tips to help you get started. From simple strategies to make memorization doable, to reminders of why hiding God’s Word in our hearts matters, this episode will inspire you to stay rooted in truth and carry it with you wherever you go.

Episode Highlights: 

• Meet Anne!
• Spiritual Formation 
• Memorizing Scripture
• Benefits of Memorizing Scripture 
• Tips for Memorizing Scripture

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Seeds Family Worship
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

In this episode, Trisha White Priebe—an adult adoptee, writer, and speaker—joins the show to talk about something we don’t always think about: how families who aren’t part of the adoption or foster care world can still help their kids understand it. There are plenty of resources out there for adoptive families, but what about the parents whose kids have classmates or friends who are adopted or in foster care? How do those families start the conversation?

Trisha shares practical, thoughtful ways to help kids build empathy and have respectful, age-appropriate conversations about adoption and foster care. She believes every child can benefit from learning how to talk about different kinds of families—and that those small conversations can make a big difference.

With honesty, Trisha brings her own experience as an adoptee to the table, offering encouragement and hope to adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families. Her mission is simple: to help more people feel seen, supported, and understood.

Episode Highlights: 

• Meet Trisha White Priebe
• Foster Care & Adoption 
• Giving Children the Language to Talk about Adoption 

Find more on Guest:

• Trisha’s Website 
• Find Trisha on Facebook
• Find Trisha on Instagram
• Life Song 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

In this episode of The ReStoried Podcast, we sit down with Vince Smith, former foster parent and director of Keystone Family Alliance, an organization committed to educating, motivating, and equipping churches across Pennsylvania to care for vulnerable children both locally and globally.

Vince shares his journey as a foster parent to 35 children and the heart behind his work with Keystone Family Alliance. He opens up about the alarming needs in the child welfare system and how the church can—and must—respond. As Vince says, “It wasn’t that the church didn’t care. They just had no idea what the need was, and they didn’t know how to take a practical next step.”

You’ll learn how Keystone Family Alliance is bridging the gap by creating wraparound Care Communities that offer prayer, resources, and tangible support—keeping foster families involved longer and stronger.

Whether you're a church leader, foster parent, or someone who wants to make a difference, this episode will inspire and equip you to take your next faithful step.

Episode Highlights: 

• Foster Care Awareness Month 
• Meet Vince Smith
• Keystone Family Alliance 
• Foster Care & the Church 
• Church Mobilization

Find more on Guest:

• Keystone Family Alliance 
• Keystone Family Alliance on Instagram
• Keystone Family Alliance on Facebook 
• Email Vince at [email protected] 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Schedule a coffee date with Nicole!
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

In honor of Foster Care Awareness Month, we're sharing a replay of a powerful and important conversation with Brannon Marshall and Judy McClintock as they share practical ways to empower churches to support foster families.

In this episode, we're joined by Brannon Marshall, the pastor of North Canton Chapel, and Judy, the director of family life. Their perspectives provide valuable insights into the churches' role in supporting foster families.

Brannon’s deep involvement in our community offers valuable insights, while Judy brings her perspective from witnessing the journeys of foster and adoptive families in our congregation. We reflect on Jason Johnson's powerful quote, "We are not all called to do the same thing, but we can all do something," and discuss practical ways churches can translate awareness into meaningful action.

We explore common reasons churches hesitate to get involved and offer strategies to overcome these barriers. We emphasize the importance of moving towards brokenness rather than shying away from it. From building supportive communities to offering tangible resources, we discuss concrete steps churches can take to make a positive impact.

Amidst the multitude of ministries competing for attention and resources, we examine how to discern and prioritize support for vulnerable families within our church's mission. Finally, we address pastors and ministry leaders, offering practical guidance on initiating efforts to support foster families within their congregations.

Episode Highlights:

• Introduction to Brannon Marshall & Judy McClintock
• Compassion fatigue in the church
• A message to Lead Pastors
• What Can We Do as a Church to Support Foster Families?
• Everyone Can Do Something

Find more on Guest:

• North Canton Chapel

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

May is Foster Care Month, and we're kicking it off with an incredible conversation with Billie Jo Muckley. Billie Jo has been a foster mom for over 21 years.

In this episode, she shares the heart behind her long journey in foster care and how her faith in God gives her the strength to keep going, even when things get hard. Billie Jo also opens up about how she and her husband stay strong as a couple while navigating the challenges of foster parenting.

She reminds us that foster care is something we can all be a part of—whether we're fostering, supporting a foster family, or just showing up with love. When we step out in faith to care for those who are hurting, we're doing it in Jesus’ name—and that’s always worth it.

Episode Highlights: 

• Meet Billie Jo! 
• Billie Jo’s Heart Behind Fostering 
• Marriage and Foster Care 
• How to Support Foster Families 
• Gospel Mentality 

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Schedule Coffee with a Hope Bridge Staff Member!
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.

What do you think of when you hear the word fasting?

In today’s episode, we continue our spiritual formation series with a look at the powerful practice of fasting. Often misunderstood or overlooked, fasting is more than just giving something up—it's an invitation to deny ourselves in order to become more aware of God’s presence.

We explore how fasting helps us grow in self-awareness, cultivate spiritual hunger, and quiet the noise of daily life so we can truly hear from God.

Whether you're new to the idea or looking to deepen your practice, this episode offers gentle encouragement and insight for your journey.

Episode Highlights: 

• What fasting really is (and what it’s not)
• How fasting can deepen your spiritual life
• Practical ways to begin or revisit this practice
• The role of stillness and quiet in hearing from God

Find More on Hope Bridge/Links from this Ep:

• Buy the 40 Days of Decrease Book
• Visit Our Website 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook 
• Foster Our Community Instagram 

This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.