Bridges Over Walls

Grief recovery coach Hannah Wachter shares insights on supporting suffering people, the impact of grief on the body, and making Christian spaces safe for grievers. They discuss the process of grief recovery, using media for healing, connecting with music during grief, and the importance of safe spaces and supportive relationships.

Grief Recovery Coach, Hannah Wachter, discusses how to create safe spaces for grieving people in Christian communities. The podcast explores the damaging effects of loneliness and isolation, the different types of grief, the personal experiences of grief from the speaker, and the power of tears and acceptance of emotions.

Kevin Wilson, TikTok's CEO of Chai, joins Bridges Over Walls to discuss the scary misconceptions of deconstruction, the vital role of doubt in faith development, and the backlash faced when asking big questions. They explore personal journeys of navigating success, building bridges through content creation, and the process of self-reflection and growth within Christianity.

Humans have been passing down stories to each other for as long as we possibly could. Before we try a new restaurant, we see what others have experienced there. We look at reviews of products, schools, and businesses before we venture further with them. In fact, much of what we know about the world doesn't come from personal experience at all - but the stories we've been told about it.Today's culture can make it difficult to communicate well across generational lines. Something we seem to be losing in our current polarized society is the value we place on the wisdom of our elders. While it is incredibly important to challenge the harmful patterns of the past, humans will never stop needing to hear from those who came before us - just like when we travel to a new place.Our guest for this episode is Pastor José Rojas, who has spent nearly 50 years in Christian ministry and has served as an advisor to multiple US presidents. He helped develop and implement a variety of humanitarian programs including working alongside General Colin Powell to launch America's Promise Alliance in 1997, which established 70 tutoring centers for underprivileged children across the United States.In this episode we ask the question: how can we work with our elders when we seem to disagree on so much?

Christianity in the United States is aging. Just 30 years ago in the 90s, about 90% of Americans identified as Christian. But in the past few decades that number has declined significantly - and the difference is especially obvious in Americans under 50 years old. The concerns around this issue have been a focus of many Christian groups for years now - with seminars and training initiatives that focused on finding ways to get Millennials back in church.But Millennials are no longer the youngest generation of adults, and the trends in young people detaching themselves from religious organizations has just continued to grow even faster. Many conversations about young people and church focus on theological and social disagreements. They often focus on differences in ideas about gender roles, race relations, climate change and sexual orientation. And when you look at the data, those are definitely major areas of separation.But what if politics and theology aren’t the whole story? What if there’s more separating us than we realize?In the United States, Generation Z is the first generation to grow up having social media around them for their entire lives. They are the first true digital natives - the first to have access to smart phone technology as children, and the first to be exposed to so many mass shootings, climate disasters, and social movements on a near daily basis. They spent several of their formative years in the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted major milestones like high school and college graduations. And although both Millennials and Gen Z spend a lot of time online - we may not be crossing paths as much as you might think.In this episode we interviewed Lindsey Gispert, who is currently studying at Walla Walla University. Lindsey works as a Student DJ for a local radio station, and finished among the top 10 finalists in NPR’s 2022 National Public Radio Student Podcast Challenge.Does the future of church still look like buildings and sermons? Or is the future of Christianity something far more interactive, more versatile, and more involved? We’ll talk about relationship obstacles between Millennials, Gen Z, and the church in this episode of Bridges Over Walls!

Alex Bryan, leader in university, local church, and faith-based healthcare settings, joins to discuss the importance of humility in maintaining healthy relationships. The podcast explores the healing ministry of Jesus, the importance of loving others and redefining family, finding grace and challenging tribalism, and the connection between humility and curiosity in building an inclusive church community.

Pastor Andreas Beccai discusses untangling Christianity from the Way of Jesus. They explore the perception of Christianity as a brand, the limitations of church services, and the need for community in embodying the character of Christ. They emphasize the power of faith drawing people through compassion and discuss living with kindness and trust in God's work.

Christianity is one of the most consistently controversial topics in the United States today. If there's one thing Christians have gotten incredibly good at, it's building walls. Whether it's social barriers we've created across races, genders, and cultures or broader barriers between our churches and their surrounding communities, these relations walls seem to have gone up in every direction.If you've ever thought about how much better the world would be if we spent time building bridges of connection rather than these thicker walls - if you've ever wanted more out of Christianity - this show is for you.In this special bonus episode, Bridges Over Walls producers Jonathan Russell and Kaleb Eisele share a little background info on why their team created this show.