Best Steve and Holly Holladay of Ultimate Escape Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 140: How many Americans would allow Christian prayer in public schools? (Chip Rotolo) 45:45

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2h ago45:45

45:45

A little more than half (52 percent) of Americans say they would allow public school teachers to lead their students in prayers to Jesus in taxpayer-funded public schools. This is according to the latest Religious Landscape Study from the Pew Research Center. In this episode, that study's author, Chip Rotolo, reveals how Americans have changed in b…

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Episode 139: Are new federal policies keeping international students from attending Christian colleges? (Kenzie James) 38:44

7d ago38:44

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Colleges and universities with roots and ties in the Church of Christ community have a strong history of seeking and welcoming international students to their campuses. Many of them see this as essential to their Christian mission to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Gospel of Matthew 28:19). Rapid changes to federal policies, howev…

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Episode 138: Girls and women are the future of rural and small town churches (Dr. Anessa Westbrook) 48:33

16d ago48:33

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Church of Christ congregations in the rural areas and small towns of the United States are struggling with closures and membership losses. What act of God and the Church of Christ together could lead to growth and health? Dr. Anessa Westbrook is co-director of the new Center for Ministry at York University in York, Nebraska. In this episode, Dr. We…

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Episode 137: Live theatre is building the body of Christ and making disciples in Atlanta (Sheri Gilbert-Wilson) 45:39

26d ago45:39

45:39

One Church of Christ congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is going all in on producing live theatre for its community. Since giving its first stage production a try, Bouldercrest Church of Christ is attracting casts and crews comprising Church of Christ members from all over the city. And thousands are attending performances like Scenes from the …

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Episode 136: What English-speaking Christian youth from Spanish-speaking churches and homes can teach the Church of Christ 42:15

1M ago42:15

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"Honorary title for this episode is 'Filling the Void.'" Listen and find out why (and thanks to Alonzo Rojo)! Jóvenes for Christ is a summer camp for English-speaking young Christians growing up in bilingual or Spanish-speaking churches and homes. In this episode, we hear from Jóvenes for Christ board members, Kevin Rivera (Lakeview Iglesia de Cris…

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Episode 135: How journalism can be a truth-seeking ministry that serves God's justice (Jerry Mitchell) 57:13

1M ago57:13

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MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient, Pulitzer Prize finalist and world famous investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell talks about how a relentless pursuit of the truth honors God and promotes God's desire for justice. In this episode, Mitchell talks about how he helped crack cold cases that brought to justice the murderers of five 1960s-era Civil Ri…

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Episode 134: Our Gen Y and Gen Z editors on the future of Christian journalism (Calvin Cockrell and Audrey Jackson) 37:27

2M ago37:27

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The two youngest members of The Christian Chronicle's full-time news team are incoming managing editor Calvin Cockrell (Gen Y) and outgoing managing editor Audrey Jackson (Gen Z). In this episode, they talk about how working with The Christian Chronicle is exposing them to the Church of Christ they never imagined or knew. They also talk about what …

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Episode 133: Why 2,000 Church of Christ volunteers are going to Detroit to talk to strangers (Leonardo Gilbert) 26:31

2M ago26:31

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In 1979, Church of Christ congregations in Chicago joined together in a concentrated campaign to evangelize the city. That event because the first "Crusade for Christ," an evangelism campaign that visited a major U.S. city every other year until the pandemic. Over the 40 years that the Crusade for Christ visited American cities, tens of thousands o…

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Episode 132: Should churches endorse political candidates? (Chris McCurley) 43:48

2M ago43:48

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In early July 2025, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service changed its interpretation of the tax code to give houses of worship more leeway to engage in political speech, which may include endorsing candidates...even from the pulpit. Is this a good thing for the church and its Great Commission? Chris McCurley, preaching minister with the Walnut Street C…

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Episode 131: How prepared is your congregation for an active shooter? (Rick Arrington) 47:10

2M ago47:10

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On Sunday, June 22, 2025, a gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle opened fire on Crosspointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, as it assembled for worship. A fast-thinking deacon and two armed members of the congregation's security team killed the gunman before he could enter the church building and take the lives of any members or visitors. …

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Episode 130: Bringing back the lost art of the biblical Lord's Supper (Christa Sanders Bryant) 47:58

3M ago47:58

47:58

On June 12, 2025, The Christian Chronicle's Bobby Ross Jr. released a story about the Arlington (Virginia) Church of Christ. That congregation removed the pews from the center of its auditorium and replaced them with tables. Now, worshipers leave their seats and gather around those tables to share the Lord's Supper with each other. The article stir…

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Episode 129: Why do Christians say one thing about immigration, but vote for another? (Scott McConnell) 40:08

3M ago40:08

40:08

Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell is back to talk about some new research that sheds light on current events. For starters, church attendance and sales of Bibles are going up. Not only that, but Americans' regard for the Bible seems to be increasing. Young people, in particular are demonstrating more openness to learning about the…

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Episode 128: How a Church of Christ kid became one of comedy's rising stars...in his 40s (Brian Bates) 34:55

3M ago34:55

34:55

Church of Christ member Brian Bates is one of the cleanest--and hottest--comedians in the country these days. In this episode, he takes us behind the jokes to reveal how a comedian builds rapport and trust with strangers--whether they're in a bar on Saturday night or a church on Sunday afternoon. Could all Christians learn something about the "Jesu…

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Episode 127: For the church to thrive, its leaders need to eat more pie (Doug Pell) 41:37

4M ago41:37

41:37

Could eating more pie lead to healthier and stronger churches? Doug Pell says "yes." A longtime Church of Christ elder and retired senior executive from the U.S. defense industry, Pell recently authored Set in Order the Things That Are Lacking: Lessons in Biblical Leadership (Sain Publications). In this episode, Pell shares the experience he gained…

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Episode 126: Church-ing while Black (Barron Jones) 51:31

4M ago51:31

51:31

For Christians who are Black, life in the Church of Christ in the United States is an experience that is formed by the experience of being Black. In other words, each human being encounters life (and church) through her or his experiences. Likewise, the world (and often the church) perceives human beings through the assumptions that form about cert…

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Episode 125: What will you do if ICE comes to church? 50:29

4M ago50:29

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In the United States, the mood about immigration carried a new administration to power in Washington, D.C. Since then, the news media has reported sensational stories of law enforcement arrests around, or in, faith-based ministries and houses of worship. How does this affect Church of Christ congregations and ministries that are active among immigr…

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Episode 124: She's hand-written cards for almost 7,000 new Christians in two years (Lorraine Smith) 37:55

4M ago37:55

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In some congregations, you may find one member whose ministry is sending hand-written cards of congratulations to new Christians upon their baptisms. Imagine if that one member tries to send a card to every new Christian, not just in their own congregation, but in the entire world. Meet Lorraine Smith of Central Church of Christ in Dalton, Georgia.…

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Episode 123: Confessions of an "incompetent" minister (Casey Coston) 44:40

5M ago44:40

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In 2 Corinthians 3:5, the apostle Paul writes: "Not that we are competent in ourselves...but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of the new covenant." Casey Coston is a veteran Church of Christ campus minister of more than 20 years. As he started his third decade in ministry, he took stock of his own "incompetence" …

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Episode 122: Does the Restoration Movement need to be restored? (Matt Dabbs) 59:13

5M ago59:13

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"The Restoration Movement" refers to the 19th and 20th century stream of events, people and thinking from which the Church of Christ emerged. Church of Christ folks of a certain age imagine that they are restoring the first century church as they find it in the New Testament. But does restoration itself sometimes need to be restored? If so, how do …

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Episode 121: Christian nationalism and the Churches of Christ (Dr. Christina Littlefield) 42:43

5M ago42:43

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What is Christian nationalism and what are its effects on the United States? Christians these days may choose to consume any number of blogs, books, cable news, podcasts, social media and talk radio shows that deal with those questions. In this episode, however, we address how Christian nationalism may effect the Church of Christ community in the U…

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Episode 120: Urban ministry is coming to an exurb or suburb near you (Dr. Steve Cloer) 45:46

5M ago45:46

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It is a fact that more people in the world live in cities than in rural areas. That means the Church of Christ, if it is to be faithful and obedient to Jesus the Christ, must get used to city life and loving its neighbors in the city. But what we imagine to be "urban ministry" in the Church of Christ is outdated and perhaps was never quite right-he…

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Episode 119: Unleashing the superpowers of rural and small town churches (Mike Cope) 29:26

6M ago29:26

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It is a common narrative (assumption?) that Church of Christ congregations in rural and small town America are in decline. Perhaps that is a story that numbers (of congregations and members) might tell. But are numbers the whole story? Or even the most important one? Mike Cope believes it is not the whole story. In this episode, he talks about how …

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Episode 118: Where 73 churches formed and 2,400 were baptized in just the last year (Dennis Cady) 38:50

6M ago38:50

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It may be said that God does God's mightiest work in the unlikeliest places. Take South Sudan, a young nation where civil war has been the norm for generations. Conditions in that country are as poor as anywhere on earth, yet in just the last year 73 Church of Christ congregations formed and more than 2,400 South Sudanese were baptized into the kin…

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Episode 117: What happens when your neighbor is trying to kill you? Stories from the Church of Christ in Ukraine. 52:28

6M ago52:28

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Almost as soon as Church of Christ missionaries entered Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christian Chronicle reporters entered the country as well. For more than three decades now, The Christian Chronicle has covered how the Ukrainian people embraced with joy the gospel of Jesus Christ. Few parts of Europe can match Ukraine for how th…

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Episode 116: Grammy-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin on his new movie, 'The Last Supper' 18:22

6M ago18:22

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More Christians in more parts of the world may sing Chris Tomlin's worship music ('Our God,' 'How Great is Our God,' 'God of Angel Armies') than any other artist alive today. A Grammy Award winner and two-time Songwriter of the Year with more than 7 billion global streams, Tomlin is branching out into film. He is executive producer for the new majo…

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Episode 115: She turned her mental health struggles into a ministry...for you (Marie Stroughter) 34:26

7M ago34:26

34:26

Marie Stroughter (Westside Church of Christ, Killeen, Texas) is an all-star "church mom" and "church wife," raising three kids (two adopted), supporting her elder/deacon husband, and volunteering in the life and programs of the church. And she does all of that while living with mental health challenges like obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic a…

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Episode 114: These frat bros are cycling through Death Valley (to make life better for others) 34:34

7M ago34:34

34:34

On March 7, 2025, eleven men from Gamma Sigma Phi (Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas) will push off on a cycling relay that will take them 1,400 miles across deserts, mountains, unpaved trails and Death Valley. Riding day and night, they plan to reach Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, in just five days. They're riding to raise…

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Episode 113: Two giants on whose shoulders Christians stand (Billy Curl on the lives and work of Andrew Hairston and James Maxwell) 49:39

7M ago49:39

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The clips at the top of this episode are from (in order) the preaching of Andrew Hairston and James Maxwell, two "giants" who worked for decades to build for the kingdom of God. Andrew Hairston stood in the pulpit at Simpson Street Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia, for more than 50 years. Not only did he preach, he was a practicing attorney and…

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Episode 112: How your phone can destroy your marriage and binge-watching TV can make it better (Lauren and Owen Mitchell) 48:02

7M ago48:02

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Lauren and Owen Mitchell drop in to talk about what they've learned about building a great marriage -- from being Marriage Dynamics Institute facilitators for more than 25 years and by practicing marriage together for more than 28 years. In this conversation, they focus on how the small things often make the biggest difference in how partners exper…

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Episode 111: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is in the Supreme Court's biggest transgender case ever 57:03

7M ago57:03

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Jonathan Skrmetti (Harpeth Hills Church of Christ), attorney general for the state of Tennessee, is the defendant in what the national media argue is the biggest case of the term for the United States Supreme Court: United States v. Skrmetti. In question is a 2023 Tennessee state law that prevents healthcare professionals from providing gender tran…

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Episode 110: We need to talk about sex (part two) (Holly and Steve Holladay, Ultimate Escape) 47:22

8M ago47:22

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The way Christians think about and use sex is changing. For example, a recent study by Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries shows that Christian porn use is almost equal to porn use by the general public. And an increasing number of Christians believe that it is OK to look at porn. At the same time, fewer and fewer congregations are addressing th…

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Episode 109: We need to talk about sex (part one) (Rodney Wright, Pure Desire Ministries) 35:09

8M ago35:09

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The way Christians think about and use sex is changing. For example, a recent study by Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries shows that Christian porn use is almost equal to porn use by the general public. And an increasing number of Christians believe that it is OK to look at porn. At the same time, fewer and fewer congregations are addressing th…

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Special Partner Edition (PAID CONTENT): Young people and screen addiction (David Shannon, Freed-Hardeman University) 50:56

8M ago50:56

50:56

Christian Chronicle Podcast partner Freed-Hardeman University sponsored this special episode on a crisis that is emerging under our noses: screen addiction. In this conversation, Freed-Hardeman University president David Shannon shares some of the latest research on how (much more) young people are using devices and how dramatic increases in "scree…

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Episode 108: A theology professor's take on the new film 'Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assasin.' (Dr. Myles Werntz) 54:53

8M ago54:53

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The new film, Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin (Angel Studios) is drawing Christian audiences around the world, but does it get the depiction of its title character right? Dr. Myles Werntz (professor of theology at Abilene Christian University) says it does not...and that Christians should view the movie with caution. In this interview, Werntz tal…

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Episode 107: How a Christian leads a big, secular state university (Dr. Bill Pink, president, Ferris State University) 40:13

8M ago40:13

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Dr. Bill Pink, a Church of Christ lifer (and outstanding song leader) is president of 10,000-student Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. In this episode, he talks about how he practices Christianity while being a faithful public steward of a secular, tax-funded university where all faiths (and no faiths) have a place. Dr. Pink: Talks a…

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Episode 106: Why (and how) Abilene Christian University is building a nuclear reactor (Doug Robison) 49:18

8M ago49:18

49:18

Since it opened almost 119 years ago, Abilene Christian University (ACU) has been educating, forming, and training Christian evangelists who spread the news of Jesus Christ around the world. This year, however, the university is launching something that has the potential to change the world and save lives in a surprising new way. ACU is building an…

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Christmas Special: Good news of great joy for the all the people (Jerrard Davis) 19:09

9M ago19:09

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This Christmas special features a message of "good news of great joy for all the people" (Luke 2:10) by Brother Jerrard Davis (Spencer Church of Christ, Spencer, Oklahoma) and vocal arrangements by Praise & Harmony.By The Christian Chronicle Podcast

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Christmas Special: Good news of great joy for all the people (Jonathan Storment) 29:40

9M ago29:40

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This Christmas special features a message of "good news of great joy for all the people" (Luke 2:10) by Jonathan Storment (Pleasant Valley Church of Christ, Little Rock, Arkansas) and vocal arrangements by Praise & Harmony.By The Christian Chronicle Podcast

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Christmas Special: Good news of great joy for all the people (Lads to Leaders luminary Benjamin Adams) 18:06

9M ago18:06

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This Christmas special features a message of "good news of great joy for all the people" (Luke 2:10) by Lads to Leaders luminary Benjamin Adams (College Avenue Church of Christ, DeFuniak Springs, Florida) and vocal arrangments from Praise & Harmony.By The Christian Chronicle Podcast

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Episode 105: From murder and prison to resurrection and freedom PART TWO (Jerri Anne Blankenship and Mindy Lancaster) 1:04:44

9M ago1:04:44

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In Episode 104 (Part One of this double feature), Jerri Anne Blankenship and Mindy Lancaster (Whites Ferry Road Church of Christ, West Monroe, Louisiana) tell the story of how God rescued them from darkness and the downward spiral that happened after their father went to prison for the murder of their mother. In this episode, Jerri Anne and Mindy d…

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Episode 104: From murder and prison to resurrection and freedom PART ONE (Jerri Anne Blankenship and Mindy Lancaster) 59:16

9M ago59:16

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When Jerri Anne Blankenship and Mindy Lancaster (Whites Ferry Road Church of Christ, West Monroe, Louisiana) were young teenagers, their father received a life sentence in prison for murdering their mother. The trauma of this event sentenced Jerri Anne and Mindy to their own kind of prison, as they struggled for years in bitterness, confusion, dark…

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Episode 103: A fresh catechism for the Church of Christ community ... and beyond (Dr. Brad East) 38:39

9M ago38:39

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Catechism is a word that Church of Christ folks may often associate with Catholicism, but its practice - which comes from the Greek catechesis (Greek for "instruction") - is happening all the time in Church of Christ congregations. Author Dr. Brad East (associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University) not only makes a case that cate…

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Episode 102: Ukrainian refugees in their own words (Yulia Merchant, Liza Sharii-Yukabovska, and Oleksandr Voievoda) 1:05:09

9M ago1:05:09

1:05:09

This is a long one, but the stories (and the voices who tell them) are important. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, The Christian Chronicle has been especially active reporting how Church of Christ congregations started and grew in Ukraine. Over the last 30 years, many friendships formed and man…

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Episode 101: 'Merry Christmas to a Broken Heart,' grieving through the holidays (John Dobbs) 47:47

10M ago47:47

47:47

John Dobbs (Forsythe Church of Christ, Monroe, Louisiana) suffered the sudden and tragic loss of his 18-year old son, John Robert, in 2008. After that terrible event, John had to learn to live with his grief--and go on being a follower of Jesus Christ and a minister to his church. From his experience of living with grief, John wrote two books to he…

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Episode 100: Keith Lancaster and Anthony Lancaster want you to sing with them (really) 43:24

10M ago43:24

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It's our 100th episode! To help us celebrate (and get in the mood for a holiday season worthy of its name), Keith Lancaster and Anthony Lancaster of Acappella Ministries are here to talk about the state of a cappella worship among Church of Christ congregations and what they are doing to restore and revive "the best part of our heritage." That incl…

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Episode 99: Old and young Christians need each other more than ever (Dr. Holly Catterton Allen) 51:49

10M ago51:49

51:49

Most Christians in the United States know the saying that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in the country on any given week. Though they often think of segregation as segregation by culture, language, skin color or tax bracket, perhaps the most accepted, encouraged and practiced form of segregation is segregation by age. During the 20th c…

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Episode 98: She's OK with you setting her up on a date (Makyra Williamson) 36:08

10M ago36:08

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Former Christian Chronicle intern (2021) Makyra Williamson (Tigard, Oregon) is a twentysomething-year old Christian professional who is open to marriage someday. In this episode, she talks about being single in the church in the U.S. in the 21st century. She also talks about dating, how to set her up on a date and how not to set her up on a date. A…

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Episode 97: He coached 720 wins and four national championships ... and not one of them was a home game (Coach Garth Pleasant) 50:26

10M ago50:26

50:26

Coach Garth Pleasant (Horton Road Church of Christ, Jackson, Michigan) is one of the winningest college basketball coaches of all time (720 wins, 19 national tournament appearances and four national championships at Rochester Christian University, Rochester Hills, Michigan, over 38 years). In all that time, Coach Pleasant and his teams never played…

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Episode 96: A Black Christian woman on the meaning of Kamala Harris' candidacy (Trindi Mitchell) 44:39

11M ago44:39

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Note: We had some issues with the audio and recording on this one. We apologize for the "glitches." Recorded immediately before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Christian Chronicle editorial board member Trindi Mitchell opens up about what Kamala Harris' run for president means to her (and many others). Mitchell expands on the theme on why repr…

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Episode 95: LIVE from northern Virginia, James Garfield, America's Restoration Movement president (C.W. Goodyear) 1:08:21

11M ago1:08:21

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In this episode recorded before a live audience at the Church of Christ in Falls Church, Virginia, The Christian Chronicle's Erik Tryggestad interviews C.W. Goodyear, author of President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier(Simon & Schuster). Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, served in office for only 200 days before he died from an a…

Steve And Holly Holladay Of Ultimate Escape Podcasts