The faith250 Podcast

Rabbi Michael Holzman was joined by Ibrahim Anli of the Pacifica Institute, Nina Fernando of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, and Rizwan Jaka of the Adams Center for a live multifaith reflection on the 25th anniversary of September 11, a day that reshaped how Americans see themselves, their neighbors, and their country. Drawing on their own experiences of that morning and its long aftermath, the panelists explored the grief and national trauma that followed the attacks, the devastating rise in Islamophobia, and the quiet counterstory of interfaith relationships. Together they reflected on what it means to move from a society held together by contracts and laws alone toward one grounded in genuine human relationships, and how communities of faith are uniquely positioned to do that work. To learn more about faith250 and how your congregation can be a part of it, check out faith250.org.  This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

Rabbi Holzman and Derrick Scott III take stock of faith250's first year growing from 10 to 46 clusters of 289 congregations. They reflect on what surprised them and what they've learned. The conversation closes with a look ahead and a call to any clergy listening to know that this work is ongoing, urgent, and wide open. Show Notes 2:18 — 46 clusters, 289 congregations 9:49 — Three lessons from the field 27:53 — From despair to conviction 23:20 — What clergy should know right now To learn more about faith250 and how your congregation can be a part of it, check out faith250.org.  This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

Rabbi Michael Holzman sits down with Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, to explore what civic culture actually means and why rebuilding it starts smaller than most people think. Rich has spent four decades working in communities across all 50 states and 40 countries. In this conversation, they discuss the unique role faith leaders can play in that work, why starting within your sphere of influence is not a compromise but a strategy, and how ideas spread like a positive contagion when you begin with the willing. Rich also shares four practical mantras for anyone ready to get started.  Show Notes 0:49 — Defining civic culture 10:05 — The ripple effect in Reading, PA 15:00 — When faith divides instead of unites 27:55 — Building trust for hard conversations 38:03 — Four mantras for getting started You can also watch this interview on our Youtube Page. To learn more about faith250 and how your congregation can be a part of it, check out faith250.org.  This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

What does love have to do with civic life? In this conversation, Rabbi Michael Holzman sat down with Bishop Tom Berlin, a United Methodist bishop and author, for a wide-ranging dialogue on love, barnacles, and the spiritual foundations of citizenship. Drawing on nearly a decade of friendship, they trace how trust gets built across faith traditions, what the Wesleyan small-group tradition has to teach about civic accountability, and why congregations are the laboratories where people learn to be neighbors. From a 2017 interfaith coalition meeting in Northern Virginia to the well at Samaria, Rabbi Holzman and Bishop Berlin explore what it actually takes to scrape off the barnacles that slow us down as citizens, and why people of faith have a particular stake in getting that work right. This conversation took place during a live faith250 Perspectives Webinar in June 2026. Show Notes 1:38 — How a decade of friendship began 9:08 — The barnacles metaphor: bias we can't see 15:33 — Jesus, the Samaritans, and two days of hospitality 28:23 — The Wesleyan roots of civic accountability 43:39 — Where to start building cross-tradition friendship To learn more about faith250 and how your congregation can be a part of it, check out faith250.org.  This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

Rabbi Michael Holzman, Rev. Dr. Vernon Walton, and Rev. Dr. Latricia Scriven discuss the famous speech delivered by Frederick Douglass in Rochester in 1852 . They explore what drives Douglass's pain, where his hope comes from, and why his indictment of America is ultimately an act of love. This conversation is candid, theological, and at times personal.  0:00 — Introducing the speech and the speakers 9:58 — Douglass's pain, and why he still cares 15:44 — The African American well of hope and forgiveness 35:08 — The difference between convincing and conviction To learn more about faith250 and how your congregation can be a part of it, check out faith250.org.  This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

In this first episode of the faith250 podcast, Rabbi Michael Holzman sits down with Amy Harmon, Communications Director of the Oakton Stake of the LDS Church, and Rev. Daniel Cho, associate Pastor at Floris United Methodist Church, for a text study of the Declaration of Independence. This is the same kind of conversation faith250 clusters are having in neighborhoods across America. The three faith leaders wrestle with hard questions: What does it mean to hold a truth together? Did the founders actually believe in universal human equality,? What do we hope for America in the next 250 years? This is exactly the kind of multifaith, text-grounded dialogue that faith250 was built for. To learn how your congregation can be part of it, visit faith250.org. This podcast was produced by Wesley's Revival,. the production ministry of Studio Wesley.

Rabbi Michael Holzman, founder of faith250, shares the vision for our movement. Learn more at faith250.org. This podcast was produced by the team at Wesley's Revival, the production ministry of Studio Wesley.