The Trolley Stops Here

The Trolley Stops Here

By First Church MediaReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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The Trolley Stops Here episodes

  • The Rainbow, God’s Covenant With Us: A Discussion about Becoming a Reconciling Congregation

    In this episode we have a discussion about Pride month and how First Church made the decision to become a church committed to restoring its relationship to the LGBTQ community. 


    This is Taylor's last episode...for now. We thank him for all he has done in leading and growing this podcast. We will miss him immensely!


    Resources:

    God and The Gay Christian by Matthew Vines

    Stonewall 50 from NBC News

    1 hr
  • The Renewing of Your Mind: God and The Brain

    We're back!  In this episode we interview Darren Caffery and Mary Spiers, both nueropsychologists and First Church members, to discuss the links between faith and the brain. It's a fascinating, sometimes moving discussion with two brain experts and people of faith. Join us!

    1 hr 20 min
  • The Renewing of Your Mind: God and The Brain

    We're back!


    In this episode we interview Darren Caffery and Mary Spiers, both nueropsychologists and First Church members, to discuss the links between faith and the brain. It's a fascinating, sometimes moving discussion with two brain experts and people of faith. Join us! 

    1 hr 20 min
  • Born Again: A Sacred and Expanded View of Gender

    We're back with a new episode!


    In this episode, we interview long-time church member Robin Beaver and her trans daughter Frances Beaver, and have a beautiful, enriching discussion of expanding beyond a narrow view of gender identity, and how Christians can embrace trans theology to better support all of God's children.

    Notes:

    Website of Austin Hartke, a trans theologian, speaker, and writer

    59 min
  • The Truth Will Set You Free: Getting Serious About Anti-Racism in the Church

    In this episode, recorded during Black History Month, we interview Temple University professor and Reverend David Brown and his wife, Director of People and Culture at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House Sharon Brown. David and Sharon are  long-time friends and frequent guest speakers/facilitators at First Church. We focus on the topic of race and the Black/African-American experience, particularly within the Christian church. Our guests share their experience and their wisdom on this important issue in an enlightening, beautiful conversation. 


    Notes:

    Full text of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"


    I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

    PBS Documentary The Black Church

    48 min
  • In and Not Of: Discussions About Social Media

    Inspired in part by the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma, and just in time for Lent, this episode explores the good and the bad of social media platforms, how we should respond to them as responsible adults and people of faith, whether they are appropriate for children, and what they mean for all of us, especially the church, in a time of isolation. We interview Janith Weerasinghe, a PhD student in computer science who's spent the last few years researching social media and was an employee of Facebook, and Lawrence Clark, a middle school teacher with valuable perspectives on social media's impact on kids and teens. It's an informative and insightful discussion!


    Show notes:


    --Click here to watch the trailer for The Social Dilemma

    --Digital wellbeing tools:
    For iPhones: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982
    For Android: https://www.android.com/digital-wellbeing/

    For PC: the newsfeed eradicator for Facebook


    1 hr 12 min
  • This is My Body

    This episode, recorded not long after the new year began, discusses the intersection of faith and fitness. Taylor acts as interviewer for this episode. Special guest Craig Conley, a graduate student in sports science at the University of Pittsburgh, acts as co-guest with Laurie Ann, who is a certified yoga instructor! The two discuss taking care of, respecting, and loving our bodies as people of faith.


    Notes:

    https://www.columbusrelief.org/

    --The organization Craig works with, with information on their mission and how to donate!

    Thanks to Janith Weerasinghe who gave us lots of tech support for this episode! 

    1 hr 8 min
  • How Do We Heal?

    This special episode focuses on current events, recorded just before the inauguration.


    The country is perhaps more divided than it's ever been in living memory. It's been a long, painful year for many. We go guestless for this episode, and give our thoughts on patriotism, unity, healing, and whether any of those things are possible or necessary. We get vulnerable as we consider how to see God in the midst of a country torn by violence, illness, white supremacy, and political animus.


    52 min
  • Made in Her Image: Women in Faith and Ministry

    We're back! We had a bit of a delay with this one, apologies, the holidays got busy for us just like everyone else!


    Also there are some minor sound quality issues early on with Taylor's audio, but they are resolved, so hang in there!

    In this episode, recorded just after Thanksgiving, we discuss the value of women, particularly in positions of leadership in the church. Our guest is Dawn Taylor-Storm, outgoing District Superintendent of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. We discuss Dawn's calling, her experience as a female pastor and leader in the Methodist Church, and her presiding over the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference during a particularly challenging and unprecedented period of the Methodist Church.

    Show notes/links:

    To support indigenous people: www.indigenousmutualaid.org

    The book Is It Okay to Call God Mother? https://www.amazon.com/Okay-Call-God-Mother-Considering/dp/0801047692

    The book club online event Dawn mentions: https://www.epaumc.org/conference-calendar/cdt-book-club-quietly-courageous/2021-01-13/

    Author Gil Rendle's new book Quietly Courageous will be discussed!

    57 min

About The Trolley Stops Here

From the publisher's feed

A podcast put on by the leaders of First UMC in Media, Pennsylvania, a progressive congregation