The Amphronesian Christian Podcast

All humans have a culture. Yet the scope of human culture is vast and multi-faceted. Even Jesus entered history within a particular culture. So what does that mean as for as we follow Jesus in a culture much different than his own. Furthermore, what do you do when the culture you have grown up in, raised in, and learned to follow Jesus in is not openly received by the dominant culture of the spaces you operate in? Heidi Lepe, an LA blogger and theologian specializing in faith, culture, and Latinx identity, chats with Kyle on these issues, as well as about her own faith that has been shaped by Latinx theology and praxis. This is a good one y'all, tune in and tell your friends! Also, you can check out Heidi's blog here and her Instagram here.

Pursuing social justice is an important part of the Christian walk. But what happens when that becomes your idol, and your thirst for justice far outweighs your need for Jesus? Furthermore, what happens when your worldview is confronted by the truth of the risen Christ? Pastor Eric Huffman (you can read his story here) talks with Kyle about his journey from pastoring while denying the central truths of Christianity in order to pursue justice to becoming a born-again follower of Jesus and a humble servant of the gospel. This is a good one fam, check it out! 

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Pastor Eric Huffman is the lead pastor of The Story Church Houston, host of the Maybe God Podcast, and author of “40 Days of Doubt: Devotions for the Skeptic”. He has also recently released a book called Scripture and The Skeptic, aimed at helping the cynical and the skeptical navigate the Bible as Christian scripture. Eric's passion is to lead new generations to ask their questions, to doubt their doubts, and to know the truth of God through Jesus Christ. He has been a guest contributor for the KSBJ and NGen Evening Shows, a guest speaker for Exploration 2013 in Denver, the 2015 Louisiana Annual Conference, the 2016 North Carolina Preaching Festival, the 2016 New Room Conference in Houston, and the 2016 Disciple NOW at The Woodlands United Methodist Church.

We are back like a vertebra! Kicking off the season is Kyle's interview with Nena Ugwuomo. Nena and Kyle talk about everyone's favorite subject: money. They touch on scripture, typical approaches to money, Nena's work with her non-profit Student Dream how Christians can approach their finances in a God-honoring way, and more. Tune in!

We made it folks! Somehow we managed to plow through this awful year. This episode is the last one of the first season of The Orthodoxical Podcast, and it is sooooo good! Kyle sat down with his good friend Micah Iverson, who was recently a finalist on NBC's The Voice! In addition to being a brilliant muscian, Micah is a wise and thoughtful dude, and you will absolutely be blessed by his insights. Check it out, and we will see you in January for the start of season 2 of The Orthodoxical Podcast!

*Note: Julia has since taken another job as a biomedical engineer (I'm telling y'all, she's super talented)*

Women make up more than half of most churches, yet are often absent from most church ministry positions. And the women who are on staff with various church ministries often run into challenges that most men rarely give a second thought to. How can we create a church structure that allows women to flourish in their gifts, regardless of where one lands on the "egalitarian" or "complimentarian" spectrum. Kyle and his friend Julia Shaw, a worship director, talk about the various roles women play in church ministry, why this matters, and what we can do to great flourishing environment for all church congregants, male and female. Grab your headphones or airpods and listen in!

If you grew up in the church, it's possible that you may have gone on a mission trip at some point. Your intentions may or may not have been noble, but we must ask ourselves: is this the best way to do missions? Furthermore, the history of the Christian missionary movement is fraught with violence, colonization, and cultural erasure. How can we pursue God's call to make disciples of all nations without doing immense harm to the communities we are called to? Thankfully, Mekdes Haddis is here to help. She and Kyle talk about the history of mission movements, what many churches get wrong with how they think about missions, and what we can do to be better "missionaries" wherever we are called. Grab your headphones and listen in!

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Mekdes Haddis is a missions consultant and missiologist who helps churches develop a holistic and justice-centered approach to the mission work they seek to do. She runs a great Facebook group called Just Missions which you should definitely check out, and has even more great resources on her website.

Our country is extremely polarized, and the Church is no different. But what do you do when you feel like each pole is missing part of a bigger picture, particularly when it comes to the gospel? If you're Michael Agapito, you start a blog! Kyle and Michael chat about the tension they feel being theologically homeless in many respects, trying to follow Jesus as a "millennial", and what we can expect for the future of faith in the US. Listen in and be blessed!

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Michael Agapito is a seminary student and blogger over at The Confessing Millennial. In addition to his schooling, Michael also serves with a Christian housing ministry at the University of Illinois-Champagne.

Let's face it: the subject of guy/girl friendships in the church is awkward at best. Whether it's purity culture or just the different experiences we bring to the table as men and women, friendships between the opposite sex can definitely be tricky. Even worse, the Bible doesn't explicitly provide guidance on the issue. So what's a guy/gal to do? Kyle and his good friend Lauren unpack a bunch of the issues surrounding this topic, as well as speak to the goodness and importance of male/female friendships for Christians. Grab your earbuds and listen in!