More Than Sunday

Evangelism - you’d have a hard time finding a word in the Christian faith with more social, political, and historical charge. As believers in this Good News that Jesus calls us to profess, how do we navigate those connotations? And what do the concepts of shepherding and teaching have to say to us about how we share our faith? We’ve invited Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison, Associate Dean for External Programs at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, to share her insight and walk us through what it looks like to share our faith the way Jesus did.

Being a true leader is about more than a job title. This week on the podcast, we begin a discussion on spiritual gifts, starting with leadership. And to lead us through that topic, we welcome Carl Smith - a member of our church, and president/founder of Principal Discoveries. Carl shares his vast experience and lessons learned from years of coaching effective leadership, all personally grounded in his faith.

Building meaningful relationships, fostering work ethic, finding healthy ways to navigate huge life changes - all helpful skills for people at any stage of life. But this week, we’re talking about those topics and more through the lens of what recent high school graduates should know as they make the transition to college. You’ll hear from Rod Bishop - a former youth director, current president of Summit Quest group travel specialists, and a sought-after teacher of classes for graduating high school seniors and their parents. Don’t miss the hilarious stories and words of wisdom from Rod’s years of youth ministry and parenting experience.

What is the Holy Spirit? Where did it come from, and how does it help us know where we're going? Join us, and our guest, Dr. Dan Flanagan, on the podcast this week as we take a look back at Pentecost: the giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian church. But it's not just something that happened 2000 years ago; it's something that affects our lives and our faith to this day.

Happy (belated) Mother's Day! We're taking this week on the podcast to talk with our good friend Connie Presley. She's the Executive Assistant and Wedding Coordinator here at First United Methodist Church Richardson, and also a mom - but her journey to that station in life looked a little different than most. Learn from Connie's experience before, during, and after raising two kids into adulthood and hear encouragement for moms at all stages of motherhood!

No one is perfect, so it should come as no surprise that the Church, made up of imperfect people, is far from perfect as well. And if it's not perfect, is it even worth it? Gloria Scott certainly thinks so. She is the Director of Worship and Communications at First United Methodist Church Richardson, and joins us on the podcast this week to share real stories of stress, mishap, and even pain in her personal and professional experience with the Church. But more importantly, she reveals why she kept coming back and the reasons you should too.

What does it mean to serve in the name of Jesus? If we look at Jesus' ministry, it looks less like providing for those in need from a distance and more like being in relationship with people. It looks a lot like what Project Transformation is doing in cities across the country. This week we welcome the Chief Executive Officer of Project Transformation National, Eric Lindh. He shares with us not only the meaningful work that Project Transformation is doing, but the heart behind it - and challenges each of us to consider new and bold ways of serving in the process.

"God has already given Christians everything we need to fulfill God's plan on this earth; the challenge is getting us to steward those and manage those properly." This is just a small piece of the wisdom that Joe Park shares with us on the podcast this week. Hear the purpose behind why we are asked to give of our time, talents, and resources, as well as some practical tips on how to get started or grow deeper in generosity.

What happens when you have a membership to a gym that you never attend? Does the membership itself get you into shape? Or is it showing up and putting in the effort that creates real change? Presence matters - at the gym and in your spiritual life. This week we welcome Rev. Arthur Jones to talk with us about why showing up matters and the difference it can make in our lives.

Prayer - so easy a toddler can do it, but so difficult that many adults profess they don't know how to pray. How can both be true? To answer that question and more, we welcome Rev. Marilyn Dickson to the podcast to talk with us about prayer. Marilyn is a retired United Methodist pastor, a Certified Spiritual Director, and former Adjunct Professor at Perkins School of Theology (SMU) for spiritual formation. In this conversation, she helps us understand why prayer is vitally important to our spiritual life, and where to start if we feel overwhelmed at the very idea of saying a prayer.

On this week following Easter, we talk about resurrection - but not in the way you would expect. Rev. Jonathan Grace joins the podcast to talk about his work with our homeless neighbors at Church at the Square, and how the promise of resurrection in Christ is available here and now. More information on Church at the Square available at http://www.hpumc.org/citysquare-church/

This week we remember Jesus' death on the cross, but what actually happened that day over 2000 years ago? How do we draw a line from his execution to the forgiveness of our sins? Rev. Jill Jackson-Sears brings her years of personal and ministry experience to the podcast this week to help us make those connections and understand God's love for us in new and deeper ways.

What makes a church a church? And what do chickens and techno music have in common? All these answers and more on this week's episode as we speak with Rev. Scot Bontrager about his life, his ministry, and the journey that the church has been on since its inception.

This week, we explore the topic of the Holy Spirit. This part of the Trinity can be most elusive or confusing, but we welcome Cheryl Bishop, Director of Children's Ministries at First United Methodist Church Richardson, to help us discuss the Spirit in a way that is clear and easy to understand. Listen as the conversation weaves from misconceptions about the Spirit to how and where we see evidence of the Spirit in our world today.

Who is Jesus? Reverend Debra Hobbs Mason joins Julie Richter and Eric Czechowski for a conversation on the person of Jesus - his humanity, his divinity, and how his ministry over 2000 years ago still guides our lives today.

Today we interview Dr. Stan Copeland about the nature of God, and how we rectify belief in God in a world where evil is present. Hear Stan's personal story of struggle and faith that forever shaped his understanding of who God is.

This week we welcome Dr. Clayton Oliphint, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church Richardson, to talk about faith, belief, and the experiences in life that define the two.

Introducing More Than Sunday - a weekly podcast where we'll take a deeper dive into the stories, themes, and questions of our faith. Each week we'll address a different topic, dig into scripture, and talk with some truly remarkable people about their experiences in faith and life. First episode launches on Wednesday, February 21!