In this episode of The Death & Resurrection Doula Podcast, Laurel Nicholson shares the profoundly personal story behind the creation of her Christ-centered end-of-life doula training program.

Raised in a Christian home, Laurel quietly battled body image struggles, disordered eating, over-exercising, and an unrelenting drive for control that spanned decades and led to deep physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. She found that no amount of affirmations, discipline, lifestyle change—or even marriage and motherhood—could bring lasting freedom. After reaching a breaking point in her early forties, Laurel experienced a profound turning toward the gospel. At the same time, witnessing her grandmother’s end-of-life struggles clarified a sobering truth: self-effort cannot heal the human heart, true transformation must come from outside ourselves through Christ alone.

Laurel describes her healing as a story of death and resurrection—death to control, self-reliance, and shame, and resurrection into freedom, surrender, and service. That personal redemption now shapes her vocational calling. In a culture where the “death positive” movement is largely secular, she believes Christians are called to accompany the dying with resurrection hope rooted firmly in Christ and in the promise of peace that surpasses all understanding.

(01:02) The Struggle with Control and Body Image
(05:40) The Gospel as True Freedom
(07:20) Death and Resurrection in My Own Story
(10:50) Resurrection Hope and End-of-Life Care
(14:00) Building a Faith-Based Training Community
(17:40) Serving the Dying with Confidence in Christ

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://deathandresurrectiondoula.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
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In this deeply personal episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by her husband, Ed Nicholson, to share the story of Ed’s mother’s end-of-life journey—a path marked by complexity, faith, and ultimately, peace. Laurel reflects on her unique role as both a Christian end-of-life doula supporting Ed’s family and later, as his wife, offering a rare and honest look at how professional care intersects with family responsibility.

Together, Laurel and Ed recount the realities many families face: caring for a loved one with advancing dementia while navigating their unsafe living conditions and coordinating care across long distances. They discuss how early doula involvement helped bring clarity, both with practical matters as well as through the emotional turmoil of caring for a loved one.

As the conversation unfolds, Laurel and Ed speak candidly about the ethical concerns and resulting emotional exhaustion and fear that families often carry when approaching end-of-life care. This episode stands as both a testimony and an invitation—encouraging listeners to seek support early and find comfort that in Christ, death does not have the final word.

(00:00) Introducing a Sacred Family Story and God’s Faithfulness
(05:39) What an End-of-Life Doula Provides Before Crisis Hits
(11:37) The Hidden Burdens of Caregiving and Daily Realities
(17:57) Moving Across States and the Complexities of Memory Care
(33:28) Finding Unexpected Compassion in a State-Focused Facility
(37:16) Hospice, Ethical Questions, and Letting Go with Trust
(44:48) A Peaceful Passing, Music, and Final Goodbyes

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://deathandresurrectiondoula.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In today's episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by her friend and colleague Matthew Currin, CEO and founder of Convene Communities, for a conversation about resilience and the communities that people truly need when life hits a rough patch.

Matt shares his remarkable background as a pilot across a variety of exciting fields—but explains why his deepest calling has always been convening people around shared stories. He reflects on the defining loss that shaped Convene’s vision, the tragic death of his close friend in a helicopter crash, and how this devastating event eventually grew into his broader mission of helping people find connection and support through life’s hardest seasons.

Throughout their discussion, Laurel and Matt explore the difference between offering information and building genuine community—especially in contexts surrounding caregiving, family dynamics and end-of-life preparation. This episode offers encouragement for anyone navigating hardship, reminding listeners that their story matters and that no one has to carry the weight of hardship alone.

(00:00) Welcome and Introducing Matthew Currin and Convene Communities
(02:52) Loss, Grief, and the Birth of Convene
(07:05) From Aviation to Everyday Life
(11:27) How Laurel and Matt Met and Why the Mission Aligned
(12:54) Building a Christian Doula Community That Lasts
(28:58) Matt’s Cancer Diagnosis and Facing the Unknown
(38:33) Choosing Hope, Purpose, and Perseverance
(39:25) Don’t Give Up on Your Story

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://deathandresurrectiondoula.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In this special episode, Laurel gathers trainees, faculty, and community members to celebrate a historic milestone: the first certification cohort of the Death and Resurrection Doula Training Program. What unfolds is a warm, communal conversation reflecting the heart of the program—rooted in a shared calling and Christian hope.

Laurel revisits the vision behind the training, responding to a growing crisis in end-of-life care by equipping believers to offer compassionate, non-medical, spiritually grounded support to the dying and their families. Certified doulas and trainees offer personal reflections, many describing how their calling emerged through seasons of loss and caregiving.

Listen in as a variety of guest speakers share how the curriculum was shaped by insights from hospice nursing, chaplaincy, grief care, and bioethics—distinguishing this program from secular models through its Christ-centered theology, prayerful presence, and commitment to resurrection hope.

(02:45) Celebrating the first certification cohort
(09:10) Medical aid in dying: ethical concerns
(12:40) Building a Christian end-of-life model
(18:50) Compassion across faith traditions
(32:00) Grief, purpose, and vocational clarity
(41:20) What’s next for training and growth
(57:10) Closing prayer and commissioning

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In this deeply moving gathering at the Café, Laurel hosts a safe space for the sharing of testimonies as three special guests join the conversation to share their lived experiences of loss, caregiving, and clinging to faith in the darkest of times.

Through listening to their stories, we're invited into an honest exploration of grief—not as something to be rushed or resolved, but as a place where God’s steafast presence is revealed over time. These moving stories testify to a hope that holds firm even in doubt and a faith anchored in the loving power of Jesus Christ.

(02:10) Purpose of sharing African American women’s faith stories
(08:21) Anger, faith, and God’s provision
(21:32) Peace, grief, and faith over time
(35:12) Long-term suffering and God’s mercy
(48:27) Support, grief, and unmet needs
(54:43) Cultural perspectives on mourning
(1:16:51) Healing, hope, and closing reflections

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In today's conversation, Laurel is joined by Brittany McCardle, founder of the Biblical Birth School, to explore the shared calling of Christian birth doulas and end-of-life doulas. Together, they reflect on doula care as an act of faithful servanthood—rooted in a biblical vision of life, dignity, and presence from beginning to natural end.

Drawing from the opening chapters of Genesis, Laurel and Brittany discuss how Christian theology shapes our understanding of birth, death, pain, embodiment, and human worth. They also address the growing tension many believers face as doula training programs become increasingly secularized—and in some cases openly hostile to a Christian worldview—creating a need for faith-centered education and clarity of language within the profession.

(01:29) Why birth and death doulas need shared understanding
(06:07) Genesis, theology, and pain in birth
(11:16) Why language and titles matter
(17:47) The value of birth doulas
(26:25) Parallels between birth and death
(31:23) Community discussion and closing prayer

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In this extended International Fellowship Café conversation, Laurel Nicholson facilitates a global, faith-centered discussion on Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), joined by Megan, a British journalist researching proposed MAID legislation in New York. Participants from the United States, Canada, and Australia bring pastoral, ethical, and deeply personal perspectives shaped by their real-world experiences in end-of-life care. 

Together, the group explores how MAID intersects with Christian beliefs about suffering, dignity, free will, and hope. Several end-of-life doulas and caregivers share firsthand accounts of situations where MAID was offered—or subtly pressured—even when pain was manageable or other supports were available. These stories raise important questions about safeguards and cultural narratives of burden, as well as the growing gaps in caregiving and community support.

Rather than offering a simple conclusion to this complex topic, this discussion aims to emphasize the role of compassionate presence and theological reflection, while affirming the inherent value of every human life.

(00:55) Introducing the topic: Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)
(05:30) Christian perspectives on pain, sovereignty, and care
(13:23) Family conflict and advocacy at end of life
(26:20) The role of death doulas in ethical discernment
(48:48) MAID beyond terminal illness
(53:59) Redefining dignity, worth, and Christian hope

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

Today on The International Fellowship Café Podcast, Laurel is joined by Carole Klinger, CEO and founder of LIFE, a dementia-friendly nonprofit offering free weekly Memory Cafés for people living with dementia and their care partners. Carole shares how the global Dementia Friends movement empowers everyday people to take simple, meaningful action, and how LIFE’s Memory Cafés create welcoming spaces through music, meals, art, routine, and caregiver support.

The conversation also touches on dementia directives and end-of-life wishes, beforfe diving into the real-life tensions families face when navigating care decisions. A Q&A session follows their conversation, offering practical resources for caregivers and community leaders, along with encouragement for those sensing a call to build similar initiatives. 

Discover more about LIFE at https://www.dflife.org/ 

(00:01) Launching the International Fellowship Café vision
(03:49) What Dementia Friends is and why it matters
(09:36) Becoming a Dementia Friends champion
(17:11) Supporting caregivers through weekly community
(31:23) Dementia directives and end-of-life decision challenges
(48:05) Presence, familiarity, and meaningful connection in dementia care
(54:31) Closing encouragement and prayer for communities

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In this powerful conversation, Laurel sits down with Miles Gloetzner, RN and founder of Inhora Home, a Christian social-model hospice home in downtown Albuquerque. Miles shares his remarkable journey through VA nursing—spanning med-surg, street outreach with homeless veterans, and a season of spiritual restlessness that ultimately led him to answer God’s call to create a home for the dying.

Miles offers an inside look at how Inhora Home serves alongside local hospice agencies by providing what families often long for but cannot offer themselves: a peaceful, home-like setting, 24/7 caregiving, nourishing meals, a chapel, and space for loved ones to remain close—always at no cost to the guest. Together, Miles and Laurel go on to address the growing legalization of medical aid in dying, examining how cultural narratives around autonomy, burden, and suffering contrast with a Christian understanding of dignity and hope rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection.

Discover more about Inhora Home at https://www.inhora.org/ and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/inhorahome 

(00:03) Introducing Miles and the vision behind Inora Home
(07:32) Reclaiming death as a communal, Christian responsibility
(18:40) Medical Aid in Dying and why Inora stands apart
(35:50) Spiritual warfare, faithfulness, and obedience
(53:01) The best days of life are not to be stolen
(56:59) Guidance for others discerning similar callings

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula 

In this inspiring conversation, Laurel welcomes Candy McCune—lawyer, Christian conciliator, and family legacy coach—to explore how God uses every chapter of our lives to shape our calling. Candy shares her unexpected journey from law to Christian mediation, revealing how her own seasons of hardship deepened her desire to help others restore relationships and preserve their stories of faith.

Together, Candy and Laurel dive into legacy work as a biblical practice, rooted in Deuteronomy 6’s call to remember God’s faithfulness and “tell your children” what He has done. Candy explains how genealogy and family storytelling opened her eyes to her own spiritual heritage, as well as how she now helps others build a meaningful “digital home” for photos, documents, and memories so future generations can clearly see God’s hand in their family line.

Their conversation extends to reconciliation and the intricacies of navigating estrangement around aging parents, and the unique peacemaking role end-of-life doulas can play, before Candy shares a moving story of accompanying three elderly friends through their final season—an unexpected ministry of presence and hope.

Learn more about Candy, and the work she does, at https://candymccune.com/ 

(00:00) Legacy projects & introducing Candy
(08:10) Leaving litigation for Christian mediation & conciliation
(17:23) Deuteronomy 6 and the biblical vision for legacy
(29:02) Overwhelm, “too much stuff” & building a digital home for memories
(45:41) “Friends forever”: Candy’s hidden doula story
(54:11) First steps: bridging estrangement & starting a legacy project

Follow us on social media and learn more about our Death and Resurrection Doula Training at:

Website: https://laurelnicholson.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeathandresurrectiondoula/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-death-resurrection-doula/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeathandresurrectiondoula