Today, I’m joined by Cara Meredith, author of the new book Church Camp. We’re digging into the ways camp shapes our faith, our friendships, and our sense of who belongs. We get real about the fun memories, but also the uncomfortable parts—who was included, who was left out, and what messages we picked up along the way. Cara and I talk about how camp can turn faith into a checklist—who’s in, who’s out, who fits and who doesn’t. But we also imagine what camp could be if it became a place of real belonging, where every kid was seen and valued, no matter their story. If you’ve ever looked back on your camp experience with mixed feelings, or wondered how those weeks shaped your view of God and yourself, you’ll find something here. This episode is about holding the good and the hard together, asking better questions, and dreaming about what’s possible. So join us as we go to camp.

A sought-after speaker, writer, and public theologian, Cara Meredith is the author of Church Camp and The Color of Life. Passionate about issues of justice, race, and privilege, Cara holds a master of theology from Fuller Seminary and is a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. With a background in education and nonprofit work, she wears more hats than she probably ought, but mostly just enjoys playing with words, a lot. Her writing has been featured in national media outlets such as The Oregonian, The New York Times, The Living Church, The Christian Century, and Baptist News Global, among others. She lives with her family in Oakland, California.

Cara's Book:

Church Camp

Cara's Recommendation:

Here I Am

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In today's episode, we're exploring intimacy - a concept that's far more complex than most of us realize. My guest, Erin Moniz, has been studying how we connect, disconnect, and misunderstand relationships in our current cultural moment. We'll dig into some critical questions: What does intimacy actually mean beyond romantic relationships? How have cultural messages - both inside and outside the church - distorted our understanding of connection? And what might a more holistic approach to knowing and being known look like? Erin brings a unique perspective as a college chaplain who's counseled countless emerging adults navigating relationships. We'll discuss how technology impacts our connections, why friendships matter as much as romantic partnerships, and how the gospel offers a different framework for understanding human relationships. This isn't a prescriptive how-to conversation, but an exploration of our fundamental human need for genuine connection. We'll challenge some assumptions about singleness, marriage, and community, and hopefully provide a more nuanced view of intimacy. So join us.

Rev. Erin F. Moniz (DMin, Trinity School for Ministry) is a deacon in the Anglican Church in North America and associate chaplain and director for chapel at Baylor University, where she disciples emerging adults and journeys with them toward healthy, gospel-centered relationships. She is a trained conciliator, mediator, and conflict coach. She enjoys content creation, playing music, being outdoors, and narrating the inner monologue of her two cats. She lives in Waco, Texas, with her husband, Michael.

Erin's Book:

Knowing and Being Known

Erin's Recommendations:

Becoming the Pastor's Wife

The Anti-Greed Gospel

Households of Faith

The Marriage You Want

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If you're like me, you probably know what it feels like to chase after a never-ending to-do list, trying to squeeze every bit of productivity out of your days, only to end up exhausted and wondering if you're missing something vital. Today's conversation might be exactly what you need. My guest is theologian and author Kelly Kapic. Kelly is a professor at Covenant College and the author of the deeply encouraging books You're Only Human and the brand-new 40-day devotional, You Were Never Meant to Do It All. Kelly reminds us today that our limitations aren't problems to overcome, they're actually a part of God's good design for us. He gently challenges our obsession with productivity, individualism, and endless hustle, calling us instead into rhythms of rest, dependence, and real community. In this episode, Kelly and I explore what it means to truly embrace our human limits as a gift rather than a burden. We talk about sleep and Sabbath as practices that help us reconnect to God’s gracious pace, how genuine community keeps us honest about our needs, and how gratitude and lament can help us live fully human lives, rich with meaning. If you’re tired of feeling like you're never quite enough, this conversation is for you. So slow down, take a deep breath, and join us as Kelly Kapic guides us into the beauty of being joyfully and authentically human.

Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King's College, University of London) is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2001. He is a popular speaker and the award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including the devotional You Were Never Meant to Do It All, The God Who Gives, and the Christianity Today Book Award winners You're Only Human and Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering. Kapic has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition and has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation. He also contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals.

Kelly's Books:

You Were Never Meant to Do It All

You're Only Human

Kelly's Recommendation:

Worship

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Today we're talking about something that impacts all of us - our calling and how we can pursue meaningful work without burning out. I'm sitting down with Arianna Molloy, author of "Healthy Calling," to unpack what it really means to live out our purpose without getting crushed by pressure and expectations. We'll explore some critical questions: What does calling really look like? How do we recognize our unique gifts? And most importantly, how can we stay passionate about our work without losing ourselves in the process? Whether you're a pastor feeling overwhelmed, a professional struggling with workplace stress, or someone trying to figure out your next career move, this conversation offers practical wisdom about finding purpose and maintaining your energy. Arianna brings incredible insights from her research and personal journey that will help you reframe how you think about work, calling, and your own potential. So join us as we discover how we can live out our calling without burning out.

Arianna is a Communication professor at Biola University, where she designs and teaches Organizational Communication courses. She has also partnered with Biola’s Office of Faculty Advancement, leading the Pedagogy Development Consulting program. Her research focuses on meaningful work, work as a calling, and the link between humility and burnout, with publications in premier journals such as the International Journal of Business Communication and Communication Studies. One of her collaborations won “Article of the Year” in the Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion. She views her role as a professor through the lens of being a mentor who loves to learn. While she’s been honored with awards like Biola’s Provost Award for “Excellence in Teaching” and the “Faculty Excellence” award, her deepest joy comes from witnessing the transformation in her students' lives.

Arianna's Book:

Healthy Calling

Arianna's Recommendations:

Liturgy of the Ordinary

Practicing the Way

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We are living in a world that seems to be unraveling at the seams - where chaos, polarization, and anxiety have become our default settings - we need a different way of being. Today, I'm sitting down with Eric Clayton, who's been wrestling with the question: What if peace isn't just the absence of conflict, but a transformative way of living? Eric's new book, "Finding Peace Here and Now," isn't another self-help manual. It's an invitation - a roadmap drawn from Ignatian spirituality that challenges us to look deeper. How do we build peace when everything around us seems designed to tear us apart? How do we find stillness in the storm, not by escaping the world, but by showing up differently? We'll explore how peace starts within us, how it's cultivated through compassion, creativity, and a willingness to see the humanity in everyone - even those we disagree with. This isn't about being passive. It's about a strength so profound it can disarm violence without raising a hand. If you're feeling overwhelmed, if you're searching for hope in a world that seems to have lost its way, this conversation is for you. So join us as we walk through what peace really means.

Eric Clayton is an award-winning writer and author of three books on Ignatian spirituality and everyday living, including, "Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads Us to Healing and Wholeness," "My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars," and "Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith." He has a children's book, "Our Mother, Too: Mary Embraces the World," which was co-authored by Shannon K. Evans releasing this year. Eric is the deputy director for communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States where he manages the award-winning weekly column, "Now Discern This," guest hosts "AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast" and provides filming, writing and audio support for a range of multimedia projects. He has an MA in International Media from American University, a BA in International Studies and Creative Writing from Fairfield University and a graduate certificate in the Ignatian Tradition from Creighton University. He lives in Towson, MD with his family.

Eric's Book:

Finding Peace Here and Now

Eric's Recommendation:

Changing Planes

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Welcome to Ask Me Anything, the podcast where we give you biblical answers to...

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Chaos isn't just a word, it's the underlying current of our human experience. Today, we're diving deep with Manny Arango into the biblical roots of disorder, exploring how chaos existed before sin and how God's design always intended for humans to bring order to the wild. We'll unpack the six-step cycle of chaos in scripture, examine why peace isn't something we pray for but something we create through intentional living, and challenge our American notion of freedom as mere independence. From generational patterns to personal anxiety, from the dragons in Genesis to the transformative power of Jesus, this conversation cuts through surface-level spirituality. We're asking hard questions: How do we break cycles of chaos? What does true freedom actually look like? And how can we move from self-centered living to a life of radical service? So join us as we crush chaos.

Dr. Manny Arango is a Bible nerd and founder of ARMA Courses — an online educational platform that helps Christians to become biblically literate. The platform has grown to thousands of monthly subscribers since launching in 2020.

Dr. Manny Arango was born in Boston, MA but based in Houston, TX, where he and his wife Tia are preparing to plant The Garden, a brand new church in the heart of the city.

Manny graduated from North Baptist Theological Seminary in June 2024 with a Doctorate in New Testament studies.

He’s been married to his beautiful wife Tia for over a decade and they have a son named Theophilus.

Manny's Book:

Crushing Chaos

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What if discipleship isn’t something we outsource, but something we embody, right where we are? In this episode, I sit down with David Sunde for a grounded and hopeful conversation about raising homegrown disciples. We talk about parenting, presence, and the slow, incarnational work of forming our families in the way of Jesus. David invites us to move beyond programs and into apprenticeship, learning not by content alone, but by imitation, by presence, by love. We explore how ordinary moments, mealtimes, bedtimes, commutes, can become sacred spaces. And how the Spirit forms us not through performance, but through vulnerability, reconciliation, and belonging. The Spirit of God is already moving in our homes and formation begins not with perfection, but with presence.

David Sunde has been involved in professional non-profit and pastoral leadership for 25 years. As a native of San Francisco, California, he grew up amid a melting pot of culture, class, religion, and thoughts that shaped an unassuming if not disarming approach to people and conversation. Leveraging that experience alongside doctoral training in semiotics and culture, David is a catalyst for church renewal and developmental relationships. He's the author of Small-Batch Disciplemaking and the new release, Homegrown Disciples: Parenting Rhythms for Drawing Your Kids into Life With God. David and his wife, Laurel, have two kids, Bjorn and Annika, and live in Austin, TX.

David's Book:

Homegrown Disciples

David's Recommendations:

Decoding the Divine

Advent

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Andrew Arndt is back on the podcast today. He’s a pastor and author who's challenging how we typically understand the gospel. His new book, "A Strange and Gracious Light," explores what it means to see Jesus as a living presence that intersects with our real, complicated lives. We'll discuss how the gospel isn't just about personal salvation or afterlife insurance, but a transformative story that speaks directly into our current cultural moment - with all its complexity, pain, and potential. Andrew brings a fresh, albeit an ancient perspective on how Jesus encounters us in our everyday struggles, political tensions, and personal challenges. This conversation is about reimagining the good news of Jesus as something far more expansive and immediate than we've traditionally understood. We'll explore what it means to experience Christ's presence in a way that's both deeply personal and broadly transformative. So join us as we facilitate encounters with the living God.

Andrew Arndt is the Lead Pastor of New Life East (one of seven congregations of New Life Church in Colorado Springs), where he also hosts the Essential Church podcast, a weekly conversation designed to strengthen the thinking of church and ministry leaders. Prior to joining New Life’s team, he served as Lead Pastor of Bloom Church: a neo-monastic, charismatic, liturgical, justice-driven network of house churches in Denver. He received his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, is working on his Doctor of Ministry at Western Theological Seminary, and has written for Missio Alliance, Patheos, The Other Journal, and Mere Orthodoxy. He lives in the Springs with his wife Mandi and their four kids.

Andrew's Book:

A Strange and Gracious Light

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