Have you ever asked yourself, "Am I valuable?' Well we have, and in this episode we are talking about value and identity as defined by culture and the church, about the unintended emphasis placed on value in marriage and family over singleness in the church, and about the many contributions Christian singles can make to their church communities!

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

Non-Bible materials mentioned in this episode:
Helping Singles Think Biblically About the Past, Present, and Future
https://ibcd.org/helping-singles-think-biblically-about-the-past-present-and-future/
Gifted to Serve-Sermon by Pastor Brandon Redic at The Bridge Church Wichita, KS (sermon starts about 30 minutes in): https://youtu.be/CEV8iF14Ge8
Hope is Alive Ministries: https://hopeisalive.net/
(If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, we would highly recommend contacting Hope is Alive)!

This week we're talking with our friend Ella Riddle about navigating dating as a single Christian and how different that can look for each of us. We're asking the questions: Is there a "right" way to date and when did we stop having fun?

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

Non-Bible materials mentioned in this episode: "The Game of Desire" by Shan Boodram (misspoke the title during the episode). Note: This is what would be considered a "secular" perspective on dating, but I think it's important to examine things within the culture we live in and discern what is useful to takeaway and what you can say is not for you. I loved a lot of the insights of this book despite not agreeing with everything!- Tamara
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062952544/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_W49R616F6MQ6JN93MT14?linkCode=ml2&tag=eliserjames-20

In part 2 of Singled Out, guest Chris Loucks joins the discussion and speaks to his experiences as a single man in the Midwestern Church.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

In this episode we are discussing some of the experiences and challenges of being single women in the church as well as some of the often well-meant, but unhelpful counsels or statements we receive from our married brothers and sisters.
Stay-tuned for part 2 next week, where we'll get a male friend's perspective on this same issue!

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

Non-Bible materials mentioned in this episode: Strong Marriage a sermon series by Pastor Ryan McCoskey, The Seed Church, Wichita, KS. Part 1 linked here https://theseedchurch.org/2020/01/05/marriage-seriesweek-1/

In this episode we discuss some of the experiences and challenges of being single women in the church as well as some of the often well-meant, but unhelpful counsels or statements we receive from our married brothers and sisters. Stay-tuned for part 2 next week, where we'll get a male friend's perspective on this same issue!

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

Non-Bible materials mentioned in this episode: Strong Marriage a sermon series by Pastor Ryan McCoskey, The Seed Church, Wichita, KS. Part 1 linked here https://theseedchurch.org/2020/01/05/marriage-seriesweek-1/
https://ibcd.org/helping-singles-think-biblically-about-the-past-present-and-future/

Welcome to the intro episode of Under the Willow Tree Podcast, a weekly conversation around singleness and community in the Midwestern church. Hosted by Elise James and Tamara Anderson, this episode introduces us and gives you a sneak peek into who we are and what is to come for this podcast.

Follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @underthewillowtreepodcast
Follow Elise on Instagram and Facebook at @eliserjames and Tamara on Instagram @tamarajoyks.

Non-Bible materials mentioned in this episode:
The Enneagram - Take the test here - https://assessment.yourenneagramcoach.com/
Myers-Briggs - Take the test here - https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Willow Tree Symbolism - https://willowplaceforwomen.com/symbolism-of-the-willow-tree/