The Christian Chronicle Podcast

BT Irwin’s podcasting journey began with his father. From 2020 to 2022, BT’s podcast “Minister in the Making,” shared his father’s stories and wisdom from 50 years in ministry. Bobby Ross Jr. and Erik Tryggestad then brought BT in to host The Christian Chronicle Podcast. The 159 episodes BT directed and hosted featured Christians all over the world, including astronauts, authors, professors, ministers, students, journalists, and even Santa Claus. Each guest shared a story about how God is working through a specific ministry or event. Through all of these, BT learned more about how congregations work in their communities and how the church continues to grow.BT, the podcast’s host from 2023-2026, sat down with Wes and Marcus to share some of the most memorable moments from interviews and what lessons he learned about the Churches of Christ through the stories he shared. Heritage21 offers guidance for churches to plan for the future, whether that be to renew, repurpose or replant. Learn more at heritage21.org/chronicle Click here to listen to The Christian Chronicle Podcast’s first episodeLearn more about Wes, Marcus and what’s new to the podcast.Please consider donating to this nonprofit ministry at christianchronicle.org/donate.If you have additional comments, ideas or suggestions, email us at [email protected].

It is necessary for good things to come to an end so that new good things can begin.After 159+ episodes, Christian Chronicle Podcast director and host BT Irwin gets behind the mic one last time to interview the show's new hosts, Wes McAdams and Marcus Stenson. In this episode, McAdams and Stenson share the love and purpose that led them to take on this ministry and their vision for how the Christian Chronicle Podcast will grow in its service to the church around the world. To learn more about how to join a Thrive cohort, contact Dr. Sears here.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Marshall Keeble (1878 - 1968) may be the most accomplished and influential Church of Christ preacher of all time. For decades, he preached all over the world, baptizing as many as 40,000 and planting hundreds of Church of Christ congregations. Today, hundreds of Church of Christ elders and ministers trace their own Christian ancestry back to Keeble.What makes this story even more remarkable is that Keeble did most of his work in the Jim Crow South, where legal and social norms limited what he could do and say. Sometimes, Keeble preached at the risk of his own life.Marshall Keeble is one of the greatest preachers of all time, but like all great preachers, his legacy is more complicated than it seems at first look.Dr. Edward Robinson, a "spiritual grandson" of Keeble, is author of Show Us How You Do It: Marshall Keeble and the Rise of Black Churches of Christ in the United States 1914 - 1968. In this episode, Robinson explores the harder questions about Keeble's ministry and what the present-day Church of Christ has to learn from one of its all-time greats.Link to Bobby Ross's Christian Chronicle story on the new Marshall Keeble exhibit that opened in 2026 at Jackson Street Church of Christ in Nashville, TennesseeTo learn more about how to join a Thrive cohort, contact Dr. Sears here.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

If surveys are on point, burnout is epidemic among professional and volunteer ministers in congregations everywhere. Not only does burnout end ministries, it damages churches and families as well. It's a major problem that congregations and ministers brush off or put off at their own peril.In this episode, Dr. Darrel Sears (assistant professor of Bible and ministry, York University) defines "burnout," shares his own experience with it in ministry, and talks about how churches and ministers alike can head it off and recover from it. He also introduces Thrive Network, an online small group-based ministry where ministers help each other prevent, and recover from, burnout.Link to Eliza Rohda's Christian Chronicle story on Dr. Sears's Thrive NetworkLink to Dr. Sears's dissertation (free online) that focuses on the causes and cure for minister burnout (includes many books and other sources for further study)Link to Christina Maslach's research on burnout (referenced in the interview)Link to Resilient Ministry (Burns, Chapman, Guthrie) (referenced in interview)To learn more about how to join a Thrive cohort, contact Dr. Sears here.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Many Church of Christ members have preached or testified before thousands at various places and times, but Captain Victor Glover is one of the very few who spoke to an audience of billions. And he is the only one to do it from more than 200,000 miles away from earth.From April 1 - 10, 2026, Glover and three other astronauts completed a 500,000-mile round trip that took them beyond the moon and farther into space than any human beings have ever traveled. NASA's Artemis II mission captivated 8 billion people on earth and gave Glover a stellar pulpit from which to draw humanity's attention to God. In this episode, Capt. Glover opens up about what he felt, learned and thought during his journey beyond the moon. He also shares what being on the moon mission taught him about community, grace, love and what it means to be part of humanity that inhabits earth.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Max Rogers (Chatham Church of Christ, Chatham, New Jersey) is an Ivy League-educated economist who never imagined that he would every try online sports gambling, let alone get hooked on it. But one $5 bet soon turned to hundreds of bets and thousands of dollars in losses.In this episode, Rogers talks about how his experience with online sports gambling exposed him to how this is a fast-growing problem for Christians and churches in the United States.Link to Wager for More: A Christian Perspective on Online Sports and Casino Gambling by Max RogersIf you or someone you love has a gambling problem, click here for the National Problem Gambling HelplineDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Church of Christ folks sometimes have an uneasy relationship with church history outside of the New Testament. In a tradition that esteems the Bible as the singular authority and pattern for the church, it may feel weird or wrong to explore church history from other sources.Dr. Dyron Daughrity is a Church of Christ kid who not only grew up to be a local Church of Christ minister, he became a historian. And not just a historian; Dr. Daughrity recently became the next president of the American Society of Church History.In this episode, Dr. Daughrity argues that the project to restore primitive New Testament Christianity encourages knowing the history of the church in the 2,000 years between Acts of the Apostles and today. He also makes the case for Church of Christ folks exploring their more recent roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement. For fun, he reveals the characters and events in recent Church of Christ history that may not be household names, but are worth knowing and studying.Link to Dr. Dyron Daughrity's faculty biography at Pepperdine UniversityLink to The Bible: Our Final Authority, the latest book by Dr. Dyron DaughrityLink to Dr. Daughrity's author page at amazon.comDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

On Wednesday, April 1, four astronauts blasted into space for a historic mission to the far side of the moon. The pilot, Captain Victor Glover, is a Church of Christ member who often speaks of his faith with candor and clarity. As the BBC reported, Captain Glover took his Bible with him more than 250,000 miles from Earth. This episode is a replay of Captain Glover's May 2023 conversation with The Christian Chronicle Podcast, when NASA first announced that he would be part of the Artemis II mission to the moon.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Church of Christ lifers may remember Churches of Christ in the United States, an annual directory of, you guessed it, all Church of Christ congregations in the United States. The last edition came out in 2018.In 2024, The Christian Chronicle, Heritage 21 Foundation, Siburt Institute and 21st Century Christian formed a partnership, the Church Research Council, to resume publication of Churches of Christ in the United States. But making a directory of Church of Christ congregations is not as easy as it may seem. First, there is the challenge of tracking down 10,000 to 12,000 independent congregations across 50 states and territories.Then there's the fact that some congregations will resist participating for a variety of reasons, including how creating a directory feels "denominational" to congregations that avoid anything that resembles that label. And then there's the harder question of all: What is a "Church of Christ" and who gets to decide?In this episode, Dr. Suzie Macaluso, the lead researcher on the Churches of Christ in the United States project, talks about the challenges and implications of the directory on how Church of Christ folks imagine themselves and how they relate to one another.Link to Cheryl Mann Bacon's Christian Chronicle story on the challenges of compiling a new Churches of Christ in the United States

Bible scholar and prolific book-writer Rubel Shelly returns to talk about his two new books on heaven and hell. In this episode, he explains why heaven and hell may not be what most Christians always imagined them to be.Link to Heaven: Why It May Not Be What You Have Always Heart, by Rubel ShellyLink to Hell: Why It May Not Be What You Have Always Heard, by Rubel ShellyDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

How many Church of Christ congregations in the United States baptized 8,000 people in their first 20 years?Central Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, did.Forming in 1925, the Central Church of Christ did not choose to assemble in the desirable, fast-growing, upwardly-mobile parts of Nashville. Rather, the congregation chose to put down roots in the highest-crime, highest-poverty part of town. Backed by philanthropist A.M. Burton, Central Church of Christ activated a dazzling array of community services and ministries that would seem ahead of their time even today. Led by minister E.H. Ijams, the congregation operated from the belief that announcing the kingdom of God and practicing neighbor love are one and the same.In this episode, Ijams's protege and student, Harold Shank, talks about the legacy of Central Church of Christ and what congregations around the world today can learn from it today.Link to The Christian Chronicle's archive of coverage of the Central Church of ChristLink to It's All About God, Harold Shank's book about E.H. Ijams and the Central Church of ChristDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

These days, the heat and wind of the political environment is kindling even in some Christians what seems to be an appetite for rage, revenge and violence.When the church of Christ allows itself to be set ablaze by politics, how can it demonstrate the grace and peace of the kingdom of God? How can it bear witness to the reconciling and redemptive work of Jesus Christ? How can it be a refuge for those who are exhausted and wounded by the acrimony of our times?Recorded in late 2025, this conversation with Tryce Prince addresses these questions head-on.Prince is director of the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and and Spiritual Action at Abilene Christian University, contributes to the Good Culture Show podcast and writes at the First Sunday Substack. He recently published an essay, "Fighting Fire with Plants" in Christianity Today. As the church searches its soul and tries to find solutions to the crises of these times, Prince points to a branch of the Christian family tree from recent history. The Black church in the United States responded to hateful and violent circumstances in the 19th and 20th centuries by cultivating a "beloved community" of proactive and purposeful love and peace-making.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Lakeview Church of Christ and Northwest Church of Christ, both in Chicago, have long histories ministering to their neighbors and welcoming strangers into their pews. For decades, migration trends mean that many of their members and neighbors are from countries beyond the United States. For both Lakeview and Northwest, embracing and supporting these newcomers has always been a simple matter of obedience to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and the laws of the kingdom of God as the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46. Changes in attitudes among some U.S. voters, however, led to a new federal administration that promised to deport 10 million illegal immigrants in 2025. Federal law enforcement is now deploying personnel and tactics that are affecting Lakeview and Northwest members and neighbors. Which raises difficult questions for congregational leaders. What will they do when obedience to the Christ could bring them to not comply or not cooperate with the U.S. government? What will they do if law enforcement tries to enlist, search or surveil their congregations?In this episode we hear from Chicago ministers Walter Pierce (Lakeview Church of Christ) and Carlos Estrada and Patrick Odum (Northwest Church of Christ).Link to an archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of Lakeview Church of ChristLink to an archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of Northwest Church of ChristDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Kids and young adults growing up in congregations with "Church of Christ" signs on their buildings have honest questions: "Who are we? How did we become who we are? Why do we do what we do?"These are important questions for young Christians trying to decide whether to remain with the church of their upbringing or strike out in search of something different.And, if "restoration" truly is essential to Christians who identify with the Church of Christ, then it must be a fresh practice for each new generation.These are the reasons why Church of Christ youth ministry veterans Luke Dockery and Jared Pack wrote Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement.  The book, which uses comic book illustrations and fast-moving, punchy language, seeks to orient a new generation to Church of Christ history.In this episode, the authors discuss why church history beyond the New Testament is still crucial for present-day Christians to learn and study. They also make their case that restoring the New Testament church is always a present and future pursuit and never a past-tense accomplishment. Thus, restoration demands both an awareness of history and an orientation toward emerging generations.Link to Zack Martin's Christian Chronicle review of Origin StoryLink to Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration MovementDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Declining birthrates in the United States will drive down college enrollment over the next 15 years. Some experts predict that hundreds of small private colleges and universities will close.Of the 14 colleges and universities in the Church of Christ family tree, as many as ten of them have characteristics that put them at higher risk in the new higher education market.Many of these schools are innovating in ways that cut costs, increase operating margins and revenue and at least give them a chance to grow or maintain enrollment enough to survive.But will a necessary focus on margins lead to less focus on mission?Dr. Joshua Travis Brown, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education and research fellow with the Center for Skills, Knowledge and Organizational Performance at the University of Oxford, shares what he found when he researched how small private colleges are managing tradeoffs between margins and mission. That research appears in his book, Capitalizing on College: How Higher Education Went From Mission Driven to Margin Obsessed (Oxford Press).Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Parents of special needs kids face a special kind of grief and a special kind of struggle. Yet, so often their needs go overlooked and unmet in their own churches.Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez, author of From Rollercoasters to Carousels: An Emotional Support Guide to Healing for NICU, Bereaved and Special Needs Parents, shares her story and the emotions she and other NICU, bereaved and special needs parents experience. In this episode, she opens up about how parents like her deal with ongoing grief and trauma. Among the points that come up in this discussion are:How we are all close to someone who experiences trauma, most of all in our churchesNICU, bereaved and special needs parents struggle to allow themselves to feel their emotionsSometimes, churches do not make space for those who are grieving to grieve as fully and as long as they needHow might the church come alongside NICU, bereaved and special needs parents?Links for this episode:BT and Gigi reference both 2 Corinthians 1:4 and Proverbs 27:14The Christian Chronicle's feature on Khonyogwa-Fernandez: https://christianchronicle.org/connector-in-chief-trauma-informed-coach-brings-the-world-together/Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Once upon a time, a Church of Christ minister could be effective with some education in Bible and training in preaching.But is that enough in the "digital world" of the 21st century?Dr. Todd Brenneman and Tommie Lee Washington, professors at Faulkner University, make the case that it's past time for Church of Christ ministers to add excellence in media and technology to their ministry repertoire.In this episode, we talk about how the "digital citizens" of the 21st century expect to encounter and interact with ideas...including the gospel. Among the things that come up in this discussion:Designing church materials using tools like CanvaReaching more people through new media and streaming platformsUsing cutting edge animation software to produce teaching contentProducing lessons and sermons using AI The New Testament is full of examples of ancient Christian teachers using the innovations of their time to communicate the gospel. So is it so far-fetched to imagine that Christian teachers today will do the same?But is there any point at which using technological innovation to preach and teach the gospel is going too far? What are the dangers?Link to the Faulkner University Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a digital ministry trackDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

Christian Chronicle Podcast partner Freed-Hardeman University sponsored this special episode to be an open invitation to you to visit the Bible lands.If you're a longtime listener to The Christian Chronicle Podcast, you've heard the advertisements that promote the opportunity for all students in the Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology to work an archaeological dig in the Bible lands...for just $500 out of pocket.In this episode, you'll find out how this opportunity open to everyone (even those who are not students at Freed-Hardeman University).Why is this important? Our guests, Dr. Rick Brumback and Dr. Jonathan Moore make the case for how visiting the places where the Bible stories took place builds personal faith and empowers and enriches Christian preachers and teachers for their ministry work.This is your chance to deepen your faith and widen your imagination as a Christian by visiting the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University. Take your first step to the Bible lands at travel.fhu.edu and learn more at seeinghisworld.com and contact this episode's guests at [email protected] and [email protected].

When Dallas Jenkins, creator, principal writer and show runner for The Chosen spoke at Oklahoma Christian University, The Christian Chronicle's Bobby Ross, Jr., got a chance to sit down with him for a conversation. Carla Hinton, faith editor for The Oklahomanand The Christian Chronicle's CEO Erik Tryggestad joined them. In this interview, you'll hear Jenkins talk about:The experience of filming the sixth season of The Chosen, which is all about the crucifixion of Jesus. How he handles the expectations of politicians that he (and his show) will be a platform and voice for their particular views.Why he chose to make The Chosen a TV show instead of a movie.The impact that The Chosen is making on Christians and non-Christians alike all over the world.How he chose Jonathan Roumie to play Jesus of Nazareth.The extreme personal and professional challenges of creating and sustaining The Chosen.How the broader entertainment industry has responded to, and been changed by, The Chosen phenomenon.The challenge and opportunity of interpreting Scripture through an artistic medium like television.Link to Bobby Ross Jr.'s Christian Chronicle story about his interview with Dallas Jenkins.Link to The ChosenDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

When The Christian Chronicle covered and editorialized Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's murder in September 2025, the reaction from our audience was big and hot. Some Church of Christ folks expressed reverence for Kirk and regarded him as a Christian martyr. Others expressed anger and sadness at how he died, but emphasized that what he believed and how he expressed it did not represent them as Christians. Still others said they never heard of Kirk until his death.In this episode, two young Christians, Charlie Kirk fans and followers, explain why he appealed to them so much. What about his life and teachings resonated with them? And, from this, what might we learn about some members of the emerging generations in the Church of Christ?Jeremiah Delcour and Keegan Haupt are leaders of the Turning Point USA chapter at Oklahoma Christian University, where they are students. Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of how Church of Christ folks responded to Charlie Kirk's murderLink to Dr. Jeremie Beller's Christian Chronicle editorial on the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's deathDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

"Spiritual warfare" seems to be on the lips and minds of many Christ-claimers in the United States these days, including those in the Church of Christ.But what is "spiritual warfare" and how do we know that we're waging it?Dr. Joe Beam, who wrote the landmark book Seeing the Unseen: A Handbook for Spiritual Warfare in the early 1990s, joins the present-day milieu on how the spirit realm is affecting current events and vice versa.In this episode, Beam answers questions like:What might be contributing to what could be an increase in "spiritual warfare" talk in the United States these days?What is the difference between demon-possessed and demonized?Does demon-possession still happen today (and how do we know if someone is demon-possessed)?How do we know if we're being "attacked" by evil spiritual forces or if we're creating our own negative circumstances or situations?How do we know if God is communicating with us or if we're just having strong feelings that come from ourselves?How do we know if someone is "speaking for God"?For Church of Christ congregations that have to come to believe that the Holy Spirit is available to guide and support them, how do they learn to discern and follow the Holy Spirit?How do we "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1)? Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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 both religious and spiritual beliefs and practices since Pew started researching them in 2007. While it may come as no surprise that Americans' adherence to, and participation in, organized religion has declined, Pew's research shows that the newest generation of Americans is showing signs of more openness than preceding ones.Rotolo unpacks this and more data from the Pew report. What might these trends mean to Church of Christ congregations, their leaders and their members?Link to the Pew Research Center's Religious Life SurveyLink to Chip Rotolo's site (referenced in the interview)Link to Religious Landscape Study report that measures how religious is each state (released after this interview, but references in the episode)Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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, however, may be keeping some international students out of the United States and out of the Church of Christ colleges and universities they want to attend.In this episode, one of The Christian Chronicle's 2025 interns, Kenzie James, talks about a recent story she reported on how federal policies are affecting these students and the colleges and universities that want to enroll them. She also talks about what it's like to be a college student herself, making plans for a career in journalism (in these wild times for journalists).Link to Kenzie James's report on how federal policies are affecting Church of Christ colleges and universities and their international studentsLink to an archive of Kenzie James's stories for The Christian ChronicleLink to Kenzie James's true crime podcast, Case Closed

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. Westbrook unpacks some of the reasons that so many congregations in rural and small town America are struggling. She reveals some of the approaches that may position these congregations for new growth. That includes a new focus and stronger dependence on girls and women, who are often the heart and soul of church growth and yet are sometimes overlooked.Link to The Christian Chronicle's report on Pepperdine University receiving $7.5 million Lilly Foundation grant to come alongside rural and small town Church of Christ congregations in the United StatesLink to Episode 119: Unleashing the superpowers of rural and small town churches (Mike Cope)Link to the Center for Ministry at York University Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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 Life of Christ.In this episode, we hear from the woman at the center of it all. Sheri Gilbert-Wilson is a professional actor, director and writer who felt the nudge to bring the story of God and God's people to the stage at Bouldercrest.Gilbert-Wilson shares how putting on a live stage production turns out to be a powerful body (of Christ)-building, disciple-making experience. And how it attracts and connects with people who would otherwise never step foot in a church building. She also tells the story of how she gave up a successful paralegal career at age 48 to go "all in" on theatre.Link to Calvin Cockrell's Christian Chronicle story about Sheri Gilbert-Wilson and the burgeoning live theatre ministry at Bouldercrest Church of ChristDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]     

"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 Cristo, Garland, Texas), Alonzo Rojo (Robinson Avenue Iglesia de Cristo, Springdale, Arkansas), and Yazmin Tabares (Robinson Avenue Iglesia de Cristo, Springdale, Arkanses). They explain why growing up in English-speaking America and Spanish-speaking churches and homes is hard for young Christians. More important, however, is how this exposes the "generation gaps" common in so many Church of Christ congregations. While older generations in Spanish-speaking congregations may prefer to hold onto the Spanish language, does that come at the cost of driving away their English-speaking younger generations? And how might English-speaking younger generations honor and preserve what is precious from their Spanish-speaking elders?This episode's cover features Jóvenes for Christ founder JuanRaymon ("J. R.") Rubio, who died in a car crash in December 2024. He was on his way home from a planning retreat for this year's Jóvenes for Christ camp. This episode is dedicated to his memory. Read The Christian Chronicle's report on Rubio's death and its impact on Jóvenes for Christ.Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the 2025 Jóvenes for Christ camp with its record attendance and baptismsLink to Jóvenes for Christ (for more information or to support)Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 Rights workers in Mississippi. He also makes a plea for Christians in society to renew and restore their collective and personal efforts to find and hold up truth, even when it hurts.Link to Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era by Jerry Mitchell (Simon & Schuster)Link to the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi TodayLink to Jerry Mitchell's recent investigative workDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 it is like to be journalists at a time when the profession is under cultural, economic and political duress. And, if they were to start a new Christian Chronicle just for Christians under the age of 30, how would it be different from The Christian Chronicle of preceding generations?Link to Audrey Jackson's farewell column as she leaves The Christian Chronicle for "greener pastures"Link to Audrey Jackson's coverage of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and the local Church of Christ response (referenced in the interview)Link to Calvin Cockrell's report on a theatrical production at Bouldercrest Church of Christ (referenced in the interview)Link to Calvin Cockrell's report on two churches merging in Spokane, Washington (referenced in the interview)Link to The Christian Chronicle on TikTok (referenced in the interview)Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 of volunteers evangelized tens of thousands of neighbors, leading to countless baptisms.This July 2025, the Crusade for Christ returns and up to 2,000 Church of Christ members from around the U.S. will converge on Detroit to feed the hungry, heal the sick, knock on doors and participate in "marketplace ministry" for five days.In this episode, Leonardo Gilbert, national director of the Crusade for Christ talks about why personal evangelism among strangers still works, even in a social media age when everyone seems to be afraid of "stranger danger."Link to the Crusade for Christ event websiteLink to The Christian Chronicle's archive coverage of past Crusade for Christ e events Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 Church of Christ in Dickson, Tennessee, and host of the popular Dear Church Podcast, joins us to talk about politics in church. How much energy and time should preachers give to preaching and teaching on the politics of the day? When they do preach and teach on politics, what is the biblical way to do it? And should congregations and their preachers get into the political campaigning and endorsing business?Link to a Church Law & Tax article that explains, in detail, the IRS's recent re-interpretation of the tax code and what it means to houses of worship in the United StatesLink to the Dear Church PodcastLink to the Journey to Hope Podcast (where Christian Chronicle Podcast host BT Irwin was a recent guest)Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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.As the frequency of active shooter situations at houses of worship is on the rise, how many congregations are prepared if the worst case happens?Our guest is Rick Arrington, a security expert who trains houses of worship, schools and law enforcement agencies across the United States. A retired police lieutenant and an elder with the Rocky Mount (Virginia) Church of Christ, Arrington is the founder and CEO of the Crime Prevention Center and author of Securing the Faithful: Preventing and Addressing Crime in Places of Worship from Sunset Institute Press.In this episode, Rick explains how congregations can better secure themselves against active shooters and other threats without abandoning the compassion, kindness, hospitality and openness that are to characterize the church of Christ.Link to Crime Prevention CenterLink to Securing the Faithful: Preventing and Addressing Crime in Places of Worship by Rick ArringtonLink to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of active shooters at Church of Christ congregationsLink to a Christian Chronicle story (from March 2020) about Rick Arrington's ministry to help congregations better secure themselvesListeners to this episode get a 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT on Rick's Securing the Faithful online training course. Click on the link below and enter the discount code PSQ5ZGC at checkout. crimepreventioncenter.org/training-courses/online-securing-the-faithful-courseDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 stirred up strong opinions among Christian Chronicle readers. Some affirm how the Arlington Church of Christ is trying a fresh and purposeful practice of the Lord's Supper. Others, however, believe that the new practice distracts worshipers from a solemn remembrance of the death of Jesus.The energetic conversation among readers led The Christian Chronicle's opinions editor, Dr. Jeremie Beller, to write a column of his own. He wasn't the only Bible scholar to weigh in. Christa Sanders Bryant, an author, teacher, and PhD student in Biblical studies at Faulkner University shared the article and some thoughts of her own. In this episode, Bryant shares her own experiences with the Lord's Supper and how her biblical research reveals what 21st century Church of Christ folks may be missing from the church's first century practice.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 Bible. Scott explores what could be driving these trends and what it means for Church of Christ congregations and members.Next, we turn to Lifeway Research's ongoing research on how evangelical Christians say they feel and think about immigrants and immigration in the United States. On one hand, evangelical Christians say that they are pro-immigrant and pro-immigration by a wide margin; on the other hand, they continue to support politicians that seem to be anti-immigrant and anti-immigration. What explains this?Link to Lifeway Research's latest findings on the increase in church attendance in the United StatesLink to Lifeway Research's latest findings on attitudes about the Bible and Bible-reading habits among AmericansLink to Lifeway Research's latest findings on how evangelical Christians feel and think about immigrants and immigration in the United StatesDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 "Jesus way" from stand-up comedians? Link to Brian Bates's website, including upcoming shows and videosLink to the Nateland Podcast, featuring co-hosts Nate Bargatze, Brian Bates, Dusty Slay, and Aaron WeberLink to Ryan Hamilton (a clean comedian that Brian Bates recommends)Link to Greg Warren (another clean comedian Brian recommends)Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 from decades in church and corporate leadership and the knowledge he gained from his intense study of biblical eldership for local congregations.Pell touches on the following themes:Why the corporate management model is not the leadership model that the Lord chooses for his churchWhy biblical leadership is harder than anyone imagines, but perhaps not as hard to attain as congregations might thinkHow congregational leadership must happen in living rooms, not elders' meetingsWhy deacons and wives may be the most important people to a congregation's eldershipAnd what does pie have to do with congregational health?Link to Set in Order the Things That Are Lacking: Lessons in Biblical LeadershipDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 certain groups of people.Barron Jones (host of the Unfiltered Crossroads Podcast and the preaching team at Holgate Street Church of Christ in Seattle, Washington) talks about why being Black in the Church of Christ in the United States is a unique experience that often leaves Christians who are Black feeling isolation and pressure among their own brothers and sisters in Christ. Jones makes the case that a relentless pursuit of the gospel and the truth will well serve all Christians now.Read Barron Jones's Christian Chronicle op-ed, "Stuck in the middle with Jesus: Why Black Christians in America feel alienated from cultural camps on either side - and what comes next"Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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 immigrant neighbors in their communities? Do they have any reason to fear that law enforcement may target them and their own members and neighbors? What should they do when the law of the Christ and the law of the land seem to contradict each other?In this episode, immigration attorney Isaul Verdin, former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief counsel Paul Hunker and Bible professor and Church of Christ minister Dr. Jeremie Beller help church and ministry leaders understand the biblical mandate for immigrant care, the laws of the United States, and what to do when the Bible and law enforcement are at odds.Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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. Inspired by a card her grandson received from strangers after his baptism, Lorraine set out to handwrite an encouragement card to every new Christian she can find. In the last two years, she's hand-written and sent cards to almost 7,000 new Christians from all over!In this episode, she talks about how (and why) she does it and what's she's learned about how God turns strangers into family. She also testifies about how God is adding to the church of Christ every day (though we are often too distracted by bad news to notice). And she talks about how the church can better come alongside new Christians when they come up out of the waters of baptism.Links from this episode:Calvin Cockrell's Christian Chronicle report on 37 Faulkner University football players submitting to baptism in one night (from August 2023)Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 30 interview with some of the Faulkner University football players who submitted to baptism in August 2023Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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" and turned it into a book: Made Competent: A Story About Life in Ministry.In this episode, Casey touches on some of the biggest ministry challenges and shortcomings he's faced so far, including:Balancing the commission to "make disciples" (a slow process that happens with a few intimate relationships at a time) and the pressure to attract bigger and bigger crowds to ministry "events" Balancing the love the church needs and the love his own family needs (and how church and family often compete for his energy, focus and time)Handling disagreements and discord with church elders and membersCasey also uses his unique point of view working with emerging generations of believers and seekers to imagine:How evangelism is changing and must change to connect with emerging generationsHow legacy congregations and new congregations might adapt to changes in the culture (without changing the essence of the church and the gospel it practices and preaches)The kinds of ministers who will meet the next momentLinks for this episode:Made Competent: A Story About Life in Ministry by Casey CostonCampus for Christ national Church of Christ campus ministry networkEpisode 72 featuring Chris Buxton and Casey Coston on campus ministryDiscipling: The Multiplying Ministry by Milton JonesDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

"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 Christians restore restoration?Matt Dabbs, a Church of Christ minister and scholar, offers his answers in his book, Restoring a Movement: A Hopeful Future for Churches of Christ. In this episode, Matt talks about the powerful trends that fed the rise of the Church of Christ in its 1950s "golden age" in the United States. He also explores the powerful trends that worked against the Church of Christ and led to its decline in U.S. congregations and members in recent decades. Most important, he testifies to the power and work of God that is already making a future for emerging generations...if they choose it.Links:Restoring a Movement: A Hopeful Future for Churches of Christ by Matt DabbsHome Church Resources (Matt Dabbs's ministry to Christians and congregations who want to explore planting home churches)The Christian Chronicle's report on Matt Dabbs's "backyard church" that formed during COVID isolationDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 United States. In other words, is it bad or good for the health, integrity and witness of the church and its members?Dr. Christina Littlefield, co-author with Dr. Richard Hughes, of Christian America and the Kingdom of God (University of Illinois Press) helps us unpack what "Christian nationalism" actually means and how the idea developed and manifested in the United States over 400 years. She answers questions like:Is Christian nationalism biblical?Can Christian nationalism be a good thing?How embedded and engaged should Christians be in the halls of power and in the public square?How does Christian nationalism affect Christians and congregations who embrace it?How  might the Church of Christ community avoid the sin of political idolatry?Links to books and podcast episodes that appear in this interview:Christian America and the Kingdom of God: White Christian Nationalism from the Puritans through January 6, 2021, Updated and Expanded Edition (University of Illinois Press), by Richard T. Hughes and Christina LittlefieldMyths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories that Give Us Meaning, by Richard HughesReviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America, by Richard HughesChosen Nations: Pursuit of the Kingdom of God and its Influence on Democratic Values in Late Nineteenth Century Britain and the United States, by Christina LittlefieldThe Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 5 featuring Richard Hughes on The Grace of Troublesome QuestionsThe Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 64 featuring Brad East on why we need to stop talking about Christian nationalismThe Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 71 featuring Richard Hughes on how the founding of the United States influenced the Restoration MovementDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] by Cody Otto on Unsplash

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-headed in the first place. These days, affluent professionals are moving to the "inner city" in droves while the things that we once assumed characterize the inner city are becoming more common in exurbs and suburbs.So, in a sense, "urban ministry" may now be just...ministry.In this episode, Dr. Steve Cloer, associate professor of ministry at the Harding School of Theology and director of the Center for Church and City Engagement in Memphis, Tennessee, talks about how our assumptions about "urban ministry" reveal a lot about ourselves and what we imagine about God and the world God so loves. He also riffs on how the Church of Christ might follow God into a future of (city) ministry that may look nothing like what was normal in the mid- to late-20th century.Link to Dr. Steve Cloer's Christian Chronicle column on the "changing face of urban ministry"Link to the Center for Church and City EngagementDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 the way we talk and think about rural and small town congregations needs to change and how those congregations enjoy spiritual gifts that make them rich and strong in things that matter. Mike also fills us in on how Pepperdine University plans to invest a $7.5 million Lilly Endowment grant to come alongside rural and small town Church of Christ congregations to position them for the growth in the kingdom of God.Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Lilly Endowment's grant to Pepperdine UniversityLink to The Christian Chronicle's ongoing coverage of Church of Christ trends among congregations in rural and small town America 

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 kingdom of God.What is going on there?In this episode, Dennis Cady (Faith Village Church of Christ, Wichita Falls, Texas) of the Starfish Foundation, tells the story straight from South Sudan, where he has been ministering, preaching and traveling since 2011.Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Church of Christ in South SudanLink to the Starfish FoundationFind more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145963320 

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 the Church of Christ took root, sprang up, grew and spread.Russia's invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and all-out war against its neighbor starting in 2022 has done great harm to the Church of Christ and its members in Ukraine. But not grave harm. In the face of death and destruction, Church of Christ congregations and members are rising up and showing how the love and power of God is greater than bombs and tanks. But recent events in the United States are leaving some Christians in Ukraine feeling betrayed by their brothers and sisters in Christ.In this episode, Jeff Abrams (executive director of Rescue Ukraine and former minister with Tuscumbia Church of Christ in Tuscumbia, Alabama) and Marina Noyes (a pillar in the Vinograder Church of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine) talk about how the Church of Christ and its members are holding out after three years of war in Ukraine. They also talk about how the changing political situation in the United States is affecting the Church of Christ in Ukraine.Link to Christian Chronicle CEO Erik Tryggestad's recent report on the Church of Christ in Ukraine at the third anniversary of Russia's second invasionLink to a full archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Church of Christ in UkraineLink to Rescue UkraineLink to College Hill Church of Christ in Richland Hills, Texas, which provides support for Vinograder Church of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 major motion picture The Last Supper, written and directed by Mario Borrelli and starring Robert Knepper, James Faulkner, and Jamie Ward. In this episode, he talks about what it is like to be caught up in a global worship movement and why The Last Supper is the right film for right now.Link to Chris Tomlin's websiteLink to The Last Supper film Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 attacks.As many as one in four Americans deals with mental illness on some level at some time. As Marie says in this episode, that means that in a congregation with 100 members, there could be 25 members who are going through some mental health struggle at any given time.Living with mental illness gives Marie the compassion, empathy and understanding to come alongside other Christians who are living with mental illness challenges of their own. She started the MoMo ("Motivational Moments") 634 (as in Matthew 6:34) Podcast, a daily dose of affirmation and inspiration from Scripture for those who live with mental illness.Link to MoMo634 PodcastLink to 9-8-8 suicide crisis hotlineFind more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] 

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 money for Greater Than Three and the Pepperdine Strong Fund. In this episode, Gamma Sigma Phi Jackson Kulp and Carter Young explain why they're doing this and how.Link to the Bike to Pepperdine website. Click here to learn about the relay team and route, how they're preparing for the ride and their progress once they push off. You can also donate to their cause here. www.bikeridetopepperdine.orgLink to Greater Than Three, one of the causes that the bike ride supports.Link to the Pepperdine Strong Fund, the other cause the bike ride supports.Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 judge and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Hairston worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his peaceful campaign for equal rights for all Americans. Hairston went to his rest on January 14, 2025, at the age of 92.James Maxwell was a preacher's preacher and professor's professor, who served for half a century in the administration and faculty at Southwestern Christian College, the only HBCU with roots and ties in the Church of Christ. While leading and teaching at Southwestern Christian, Maxwell stood in the pulpit every week in Church of Christ congregations in Kansas, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. Maxwell also went to his rest on January 14, 2025, at the age of 86.In this episode, their fellow minister and friend, Billy Curl (Crenshaw Church of Christ, Los Angeles, California) talks about why every Christian needs to know Hairston and Maxwell because their work contributed to building the Christian community and culture in which we live and minister today.Link to Christian Chronicle coverage of Andrew Hairston's life, work and celebration of lifeLink to Christian Chronicle coverage of James Maxwell's life, work and celebration of life  Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]

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 experience marriage. This one is full of practical pointers that even the busiest and most stressed-out couples can start using today.Click here for a link of upcoming ReConnect Weekend marriage retreats (referenced in the interview)Link to article about Owen Mitchell's recent national championship win on the senior pickleball circuitFind more news and stories at christianchronicle.orgDonate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donateSend your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]