Episodes

  • Loving Your Immigrant, International and Refugee Neighbors with Donna Kushner

    Loving Your Immigrant, International and Refugee Neighbors with Donna Kushner
    May 13 2025
    In this episode, we dive into what it looks like to love our neighbors who are immigrants, internationals, and refugees. Donna Kushner joins us to share insights from her decades of cross-cultural ministry, including time serving overseas and her current work walking alongside refugee families in the U.S. We explore what makes the refugee experience uniquely difficult—from language and housing barriers to navigating complex systems and overcoming loneliness—and why proximity, hospitality, and reciprocity are so powerful in building relationships. We also unpack misconceptions around immigration and offer practical ways to take that first step toward connection, whether it’s offering a plate of cookies, sitting on the floor instead of the couch, or simply learning someone’s name. Donna shares stories that highlight the beauty and resilience of these neighbors and the deep joy of mutual friendship. Finding Home Again: A free small group study for refugee and immigrant families https://www.familylife.com/finding-home/ Evangelical Immigration Table: In partnership with World relief this is a go to website to learn all about how to engage with refugees and immigrants: https://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/ Women of Welcome Facebook page: a great place to connect and learn about welcoming the stranger along with other women https://www.facebook.com/WomenofWelcome CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    39 mins
  • Loving Your Little Neighbors

    Loving Your Little Neighbors
    May 6 2025
    In this episode, we dive into what it looks like to love our littlest neighbors—kids! Whether they live under your roof, next door, or pop by for snacks and sidewalk chalk, we explore how our view of children shapes the way we engage them. Kristen Jeffries, mom of four and the creative arts co-director for Crossing Kids, joins us in-studio to help us push back against some of the negative cultural narratives surrounding kids—that they’re inconvenient, messy, or burdensome—and instead adopt Jesus’ view of children as valuable, curious, and deeply worthy of love. We talk about how kids aren’t just “future adults,” but full image-bearers right now, and why it matters that we slow down to see and know them. Kristen shares stories of how kids have influenced entire families through simple faith and how neighbors (like Mr. Kevin) have become like family through everyday kindness. We also get practical: what boundaries help kids navigate the neighborhood safely? How can families engage their own kids in loving others missionally? What does it look like to live out your faith in front of the kids next door without being pushy? From praying at dinner with a neighbor friend to picking up sticks after a storm, this episode offers encouragement and tangible ways to love the little ones among us in ways that honor their personhood, reflect God’s heart, and maybe even spark deeper relationships in your neighborhood. Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies (God Made Me) CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    47 mins
  • Loving Your Neighbor With Different Parenting Styles

    Loving Your Neighbor With Different Parenting Styles
    Apr 29 2025
    In this episode of our Loving Your [Fill-in-the-Blank] Neighbor series, we’re diving into something many of us face daily but rarely talk about—how to love your neighbor with a different parenting style. From sleep training battles to snack-time politics, from screen-time boundaries to trampoline supervision, this episode is for anyone trying to raise kids in community while navigating differing values, opinions, and convictions. We reflect on our early parenting years and the pressure they felt to pick “God’s way” of parenting—only to realize that many of these decisions fall more in the realm of opinions than convictions. We'll walk through a helpful framework (convictions, persuasions, opinions) and unpack how parenting styles like authoritarian, permissive, free-range, helicopter, and gentle parenting often stir up strong feelings—but don’t need to divide us. CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    40 mins
  • Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor

    Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor
    Apr 22 2025
    In this continuation of our Loving Your [Fill-in-the-Blank] Neighbor series, we sit down with pastor and author Caleb Campbell to talk about what it means to love our Christian nationalist neighbors. Caleb’s book, Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor, invites us to move beyond fear and frustration and instead adopt the posture rooted in empathy, curiosity, and the way of Jesus. We unpack the meaning of Christian nationalism, explore how it functions as political ideology, tribal identity, and spiritual idolatry, and reflect on the cultural forces that have fueled its rise. Caleb shares deeply personal stories from his own ministry, including the painful losses, surprising encounters, and moments of conviction that led him from combativeness to compassion. Whether you’re feeling confused, angry, or just overwhelmed by what you're seeing in churches and communities, this conversation offers clarity and hope. Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    47 mins
  • Loving Your Muslim Neighbor

    Loving Your Muslim Neighbor
    Apr 15 2025
    In this kickoff episode of our Loving Your [Fill-in-the-Blank] Neighbor series, we’re joined by Christina Martin to explore what it looks like to love our Muslim neighbors with grace, curiosity, and genuine friendship. With over 20 years of ministry experience—including time spent living and serving in the Middle East and Singapore—Christina shares what she’s learned about building gospel-centered relationships with Muslims. From practical hospitality tips to navigating cultural differences and spiritual conversations, she helps us see that engaging with our Muslim neighbors doesn’t have to be intimidating. It starts with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to open our homes. We talk about what to expect in cross-cultural friendships, how to avoid common mistakes, why asking thoughtful questions is key, and how even simple gestures can open the door to deeper connection. Christina also offers powerful encouragement to pray for and with our Muslim neighbors—and reminds us of the beauty of being a faithful, loving presence in their lives. Sharing The Gospel With A Muslim Neighbor CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    27 mins
  • Every Believer Confident with Dr. Mark Farnham

    Every Believer Confident with Dr. Mark Farnham
    Apr 8 2025
    Ever found yourself stumbling in a conversation about your faith? Or unsure how to respond when a neighbor asks a tough question about Christianity? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Mark Farnham, author of Every Believer Confident: Apologetics for the Ordinary Christian, to help lay a solid foundation for engaging neighbors of all backgrounds—whether they’re atheist, Muslim, Mormon, or simply hold different perspectives. With over two decades of experience teaching apologetics, theology, and philosophy, Dr. Farnham invites us to shift our mindset from winning arguments to building meaningful, respectful conversations rooted in curiosity and care. Together, we unpack what apologetics really is, why it matters, and how asking thoughtful questions—rather than offering polished answers—can open the door to transformative, gospel-centered dialogue. Dr. Farnham brings practical tools, personal stories, and biblical wisdom to encourage everyday believers to speak about Jesus with confidence, clarity, and compassion. Read: Every Believer Confident CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    40 mins
  • The Loneliness Loop

    The Loneliness Loop
    Apr 1 2025
    In this episode, we explore the deep ache of loneliness—what it is, how it affects our brains and bodies, and why it's become such a defining struggle in modern life. Using the film Castaway as a launching point, we dive into the biology and psychology behind our need for connection and how God designed us for meaningful relationships. We unpack the loneliness loop—how chronic isolation impacts our thinking, our health, and our ability to connect—even when we try. But there’s hope. Drawing from both research and Scripture, we look at how small, intentional steps toward others can begin to rewire our minds and renew our sense of belonging. Whether you're feeling disconnected or wondering how to love your lonely neighbor, this episode offers a compassionate, insightful look at how we can all break the cycle of loneliness and rediscover the beauty of connection, especially right where we live. Read: Loneliness: Human Nature And Our Need For Social Connection CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    36 mins
  • Why Your Neighbor’s Mood Could Be Changing Your Life (Without You Knowing)

    Why Your Neighbor’s Mood Could Be Changing Your Life (Without You Knowing)
    Mar 25 2025
    In this episode, we explore the surprising power of social networks and how our influence extends far beyond what we can see. Inspired by the book Connected by Nicholas Christakis, we discuss the ripple effect that spreads through relationships—how our moods, generosity, and even small acts of kindness can impact not just our neighbors, but their neighbors and their neighbors’ neighbors. We also dive into the fascinating science behind social contagion, from how emotions spread to why our actions can shape a neighborhood’s culture. Just like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, our relationships are intricately connected, and what we do in our homes can influence an entire community. Through real-life stories and practical takeaways, God might use you to change your neighborhood, one relationship at a time. CONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Follow this link to share your neighboring stories with us or tell us your thoughts on today's episode.
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    30 mins