Grab your comfiest blankets and a mug of something great and listen to some stories of holidays past.  Laugh as Craig talks about the time his grandpa accidentally got sloshed at a family gathering.  Giggle as Amy shares her most memorable Christmas present (double AA batteries required).  And Jeff has a family "oops" moment that will have you in stitches.  And much more!    In this episode we share memorable holiday moments from our growing up years.  Some are "remember when" stories that have been talked about at family gatherings time and time again.  Others are more serious and somber, as we talk about loved ones who are with us no longer.  It’s funny, sentimental and also a reminder to slow down and let the light of love in where possible.    Explicit Content: Language Music by: Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by: Shannon Cox Produced & Edited by: Craig Andrews

When Craig and Amy started Finding Free Podcast in 2020, they thought a lot about the podcast name.  They settled on Finding Free Podcast because they wanted to focus on the freedom and liberation that can come from pushing yourself to break out of the metaphorical places where you feel stuck and bogged down.  This podcast was designed to give space to talk about hard topics with authenticity and vulnerability and for the Finding Free listening community to gain strength in hearing and sharing stories of growth.     In this episode, Craig, Amy, and Jeff talk about the practices and activities that enable them each to live life from a space of generosity and freedom.  From looking at beautiful mountain views to time spent at the beach or doing creative things, they discuss several different ways they have found to feed their souls.  Whether through travel or nature, people or adventure, making time to do things that are life-giving and spirit-freeing is crucial to one’s personal physical, mental and spiritual health — and it’s often the first thing to go when life gets busy and overloaded.  When life gets busy and hectic, how do we give ourselves permission to breathe and how do we become grounded once again?   What are the activities, places, rituals, or people that help you remember who you are at your core?  When do you remember feeling most alive, unhindered and free?  We hope this episode will inspire you to reflect on what brings you joy and freedom and will encourage you to prioritize doing just that.   Explicit Content: Language Music by: Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by: Shannon Cox Produced & Edited by: Craig Andrews

"The next hard road for the Church will be walking with and beside those that are deconstructing their faith, taking it apart either in small bits and pieces or altogether, putting it back together in part or sometimes not at all.  The question is, how will the Church show up for people in this space?" ~ Amy Andrews The topic of faith deconstruction can be a hot button issue…but does it have to be?   As we grow in faith we often grapple with questions that are no longer satisfied with easy answers.  We need more.  Sometimes we begin the process of letting go of what no longer fits.  Like old clothes that just don’t wear well, sometimes we find out our old ideas don’t comfort us like our favorite sweatshirt, and we need something to change.  Sometimes just a few things need adjusting in the way we understand how God works in the world.  Sometimes it is much more comprehensive and involves taking apart every last bit of what we have held dear for so long and deciding what needs to stay and what needs to go. In this episode, we discuss how lonely the deconstruction process can be, what it's like when spouses have different faith beliefs and how the church can respond.  This is an important conversation about holding space for “what is” for each us.  The process of asking questions and waiting for answers doesn’t have to provoke fear, though it often is riddled with anxiety and worry from those in the process themselves or those watching others walk that path.  How can the Church hold space, create stopping points of peace and allow room for the process of deconstruction? Music by: Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by: Shannon Cox Produced & Edited by: Craig Andrews   References https://cac.org/daily-meditations/how-did-jesus-approach-scripture-2023-02-09/  

TW: purity culture, rape culture, sexual abuse Explicit Content: Language, Sexual Content - masturbation, orgasm gap, general make-you-blush adult content. In Part 2 we continue the conversation about purity culture and its impacts.  We talk more about how conversations about purity and sex can be done better, focusing on dialogue about consent, body autonomy and integrity rather than shame and silence. If you grew up in an Evangelical church in the 1990’s, chances are you were exposed to the purity culture mindset. Though purity culture began with the intention of encouraging teens to postpone sexual encounters until marriage, the lasting effects have had significantly negative residual consequences. So what was purity culture exactly, what was its impact and where do we go from here? We bring back our friend Jeff Bell to talk openly and honestly about our personal experiences with purity culture, sex and the church. We discuss everything from the orgasm gap to masturbation and how the lasting impacts of the purity culture mindset still impact many people today. It's time to hand purity culture, sexual shame, purity rings and lack of positive conversations around sex back to the church and simply say "We can do better!" This is a two part series that you don't want to miss! Music by:  Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by:  Shannon Cox Produced & Edited by: Craig Andrews  Articles/References/Books https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-are-the-dangers-of-purity-culture.html https://www.seaglassohio.com/purity-culture-recovery The Great Sex Rescue, Sheila Gregoire She Deserves Better, Sheila Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach and Joanna Sawatsky Come As You Are, Emily Nagoski The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work, John Gottman of The Gottman Institute Eight Dates, Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Gottman Shameless, Nadia Weber

TW: purity culture, rape culture, sexual abuse Explicit Content: Language, Sexual Content - masturbation, orgasm gap, general make-you-blush adult content. If you grew up in an Evangelical church in the 1990’s, chances are you were exposed to the purity culture mindset.  Though purity culture began with the intention of encouraging teens to postpone sexual encounters until marriage, the lasting effects have had significantly negative residual consequences.  So what was purity culture exactly, what was its impact and where do we go from here?   We bring back our friend Jeff Bell to talk openly and honestly about our personal experiences with purity culture, sex and the church.  We discuss everything from the orgasm gap to masturbation and how the lasting impacts of the purity culture mindset still impact many people today.  It's time to hand purity culture, sexual shame, purity rings and lack of positive conversations around sex back to the church and simply say "We can do better!"  This is a two part series that you don't want to miss! Music by: Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by: Shannon Cox Produced & Edited by: Craig Andrews Articles/References/Books https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-are-the-dangers-of-purity-culture.html https://www.seaglassohio.com/purity-culture-recovery The Great Sex Rescue, Sheila Gregoire She Deserves Better, Sheila Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach and Joanna Sawatsky Come As You Are, Emily Nagoski The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work, John Gottman of The Gottman Institute Eight Dates, Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Gottman Shameless, Nadia Weber

In this episode, our friend Jeff Bell joins us to talk candidly about what it was like to grow up in and be a part of Christian fundamentalist evangelical organizations and churches in the 80's and 90’s.  We discuss what it was like to have this as our main faith experience during our formative years and what it was like to come out of that way of thinking.  What did we have to unlearn?  What evangelical teachings never set well with us?  What was our journey to move past evangelical fundamentalist thinking?  Christian fundamentalism had big impacts on our lives that took us years to unravel.  In this episode, we share the highs and lows of what we learned and what we learned to unlearn as we grew up and out of Christian fundamentalism.  And of course, Jeff Bell brings his much needed humor to what can be a hard and triggering conversation.      Chances are that if you are a regular Finding Free Podcast listener, you have spent significant time thinking about the Church.  Maybe you grew up going to church and you think differently now about church than you used to.  You could struggle with how what many Americans think of as church looks nothing like the actual Jesus of the Bible.  You may have even left the whole church thing behind and not given it another thought.  Wherever you find yourself in this mix, or if you are just looking at it from afar - you are not alone.  Come share a few drinks with us and listen as we laugh (and at times cuss) our way through sharing our breakup with Christian evangelical fundamentalism - because well, IYKYK (If You Know You Know). Music by: Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by: Shannon Cox

This June, the Southern Baptist Convention approved an amendment to the Baptist Faith and Message to be approved next summer during their Annual Convention.  The amendment restricted women in ministry, who were already not supposed to hold lead pastor roles, from having any pastoral position, where the title of “pastor” was deserved. The role of women in ministry has been debated and debocled for years within some Baptist denominations.  Yet the Bible provides us with story after story of women: following and learning as disciples, serving in and funding the ministry of Jesus, teaching and leading others, receiving and following Jesus’ teachings to share their stories with those around them. Why are we still talking about this?  Jesus celebrated and supported women in ministry so why shouldn’t we? In this episode, Craig and Amy share their reflections, frustrations and thoughts about the recent SBC decision.  No, we are not Southern Baptist, but when a large denomination makes a statement like this; it is up to those standing with women in ministry to speak loudly against oppression and discrimination.

Many organizations operate in shadowed ambiguity, rather than clarity when it comes to who can do what in the organization, and churches are no exception.  Unwritten rules are often enforced leaving individuals confused and hurt when they realize the “All are Welcome” slogan really doesn’t apply to them.   Can a woman preach?  Will the pastor officiate a same-sex wedding?  Will the church hire gay clergy?  Can I be baptized and take communion?  Churches have the opportunity to be upfront and clear about their policies, theology and practices - and having this information clear and publicly accessible is the kindest and most gracious way to love others. In this episode we bring back our friend and colleague Stan Mitchell. Stan was founding pastor of Gracepointe Church in Nashville, TN and walked with that church through the process of becoming an open and affirming church in 2015.  Stan has since mentored numerous churches and families as they wrestle with their own stories of inclusion.  In Part 2 of the LGBTQ Conversation in Local Churches series, Stan gives us his insight on why these conversations are difficult but necessary in local churches. Music by:  Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by:  Shannon Cox

Difficult conversations in churches are…well, difficult.  Most of us simply aren’t taught how to disagree or discuss hard things in the context of faith within the church.  One of the most difficult conversations a church can journey through is a conversation on LGBTQ inclusivity.  Since there are typically a lot of theological perspectives, lived experiences and long held beliefs, this conversation in particular can get heated very quickly.  Because many denominations are having conversation like this, being clear and honest in messaging regarding LGBTQ affirmation is crucial for churches. Over the last few years, we have received a lot of questions about this very process.  What was it like to have a conversation on inclusivity in a local church?  What did you actually do, talk about, and how?  What did you learn along the way?  In this episode, we dive into the process of what that was like for our local church, and we hope our story helps if your local church congregation is discussing inclusivity soon. We have so many friends on all sides of this topic, so we enter this dialogue very gently and do our best to approach this discussion with gentleness and compassion.  We know from this experience that conversations like this are hard and can be hurtful to all involved because church family is just that…family.  Our aim for this podcast is to really sit in the difficulty of how hard the process of having this conversation was and to give thoughts and suggestions from our experience that are helpful to others. This isn’t an episode on the theology of affirmation or a deep dive on scripture passages.  If that is what you are looking for, then we suggest listening to episodes 32-35. Music by:  Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by:  Shannon Cox

Every experience we have in life impacts us.  Some experiences leave a huge impact, like a canyon in the desert.  Others might leave such a tiny ripple that we don't even notice the effects.  Religious trauma, hurts from the institutional Church, or any pain we experience at the hands of those who represent the spiritual to us are deep wounds that leave an impact that often takes years to process. This sermon that our dear friend Layne Rogerson gave at Cedarbridge Baptist Church in Greenville, NC back in June of 2021 speaks to this very idea.  Layne shares parts of her family's story and weaves in the truth that even amid pain and struggle, God is at work, moving all things toward redemption and blessing.  With Layne's permission we wanted to share this sermon with the Finding Free community and talk about why it was so meaningful to us. Music by:  Tucker Fry Web Design & Graphics by:  Shannon Cox