The Roots for Churches podcast

Roots for Churches
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Interviews exploring intergenerational ministry, worship, preaching, theology, the Bible, children’s and youth groups. Roots produces weekly lectionary based resources for churches to support worship and learning for all ages. Find out more at www.rootsforchurches.com

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 11: Uncomfortable questions: the Middle East conflict through the lens of Scripture, with John Parr

    The current conflict between Hamas, Israel, and now Hezbollah, regularly fills our news screens. As we intercede for peace in our church prayers, the Psalms and Old Testament readings often seem to endorse Israel’s return to possess the land and God's triumph over Israel's enemies. This raises the uncomfortable question: Does Scripture validate Israel's current military actions? How do we reconcile Jesus' teaching to love our neighbours and pray for those who persecute us with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East? John Parr, an Anglican priest with years of academic and personal experience, joins us to explore these challenging questions. John shares insights from his studies in Latin American liberation theology and his visits to the Holy Land, where he engaged with both Jewish and Palestinian communities. Together, we delve into the complexities of interpreting biblical promises about land and how they relate to modern geopolitical realities. We discuss the historical and cultural context of the Old Testament scriptures, the varied interpretations within the Jewish and Christian traditions, and how the New Testament teachings of Jesus might guide us today. This episode is a thoughtful examination of how we as Christians can understand and apply ancient texts to contemporary conflicts, striving for peace and reconciliation in a divided world. Read John's article on the Roots for Churches website.

  2. 2d ago

    A healthy way to hear God together, with Cath Livesey S4E37

    Melanie Cave talks with Cath Livesey of Accessible Prophecy about what 'prophetic' means and how churches can make space for listening to God in a healthy, accountable way. They explore how to discern prophetic words, avoid relying on a few prominent voices, and help the whole church participate. Cath shares practical frameworks and starting points for building a culture rooted in discipleship, humility, Scripture, and shared discernment. In this episode What “prophetic” and “prophecy” mean, and how they differ How prophecy relates to discernment, wisdom, and good ideas Why prophetic words should be tested against Scripture and weighed together How to avoid concentrating authority in a few prophetic voices A practical framework for discernment: revelation, interpretation, and application How leaders can create space for listening prayer and model humility Why healthy prophetic culture depends on discipleship, accountability, and a sense of belonging Chapters 00:00 - Meet Cath Livesey and the conversation’s focus 02:15 - Defining “prophetic” and “prophecy” 10:17 - Power, accountability, and discernment 15:08 - Prophecy, discernment, wisdom, and ideas 23:09 - Revelation, interpretation, and application 27:22 - Testing prophetic words against Scripture 33:48 - Building a culture of discipleship and listening 39:45 - Discerning words together as a church 63:46 - Practical starting points for church leaders Show Notes: Cath's Article https://www.rootsforchurches.com/worship-and-learning-support/articles/prophetic-voices www.rootsforchurches.com https://accessibleprophecy.com/

    A healthy way to hear God together, with Cath Livesey S4E37

  3. Oct 26

    From Polite Sunday Smiles to 2 a.m. Friends: The Friendship Lab, with Sheridan Voysey S4E36

    Friendship isn’t a nice extra—it’s something we can learn to build What does it take to move from polite conversation to a friendship you can depend on? In this episode of the Roots for Churches podcast, host Melanie Cave talks with Sheridan Voysey, founder of Friendship Lab, about loneliness, adult friendship, and the role churches can play in helping relationships grow deeper. Sheridan shares the personal moment that first made him reflect on his own friendships: during an adoption seminar, he was asked who he could call at 2 a.m. if things went wrong. That question sparked a journey that eventually led to Friendship Lab—a research-informed initiative helping people develop the skills to make and sustain friendships.Together, Melanie and Sheridan explore why friendship doesn’t always happen organically in adult life, how small, intentional steps can help relationships grow, and why church community doesn’t automatically become close friendship. They also discuss the Christian theology of friendship, the importance of mutuality across generations and differences, and how churches can make space for genuine connection. In this episode Why Sheridan began focusing on loneliness and adult friendship What research reveals about loneliness and close friendships How individualism, mobility, and social media can affect connection Why friendship is both a gift and a skill Sheridan’s three-part formula for making a confident invitation The five stages of friendship, from acquaintance to “2 a.m. friend” Why small talk can be a meaningful first step toward deeper connection How Christian faith shapes friendship through vulnerability, forgiveness, and mutual care Why “family” and “community” language in church may not be enough What makes an intergenerational friendship equal, mutual, and freely chosen How to share faith in friendship without treating the relationship as a means to an end What Friendship Lab for Churches offers congregations Chapters 00:00 Welcome and why friendship matters 00:26 The “2 a.m. friend” question that sparked Sheridan’s reflection 01:47 The beginnings of Friendship Lab 03:11 Why Sheridan felt called to think beyond writing a book 04:28 The scale of loneliness 05:53 Individualism, isolation, and community 06:51 Why friendship needs evidence-based support 08:03 Loneliness across cultures 10:33 Social media: a blessing and a curse 13:24 Is friendship a gift or a skill? 13:50 Why friendship doesn’t always happen organically 15:48 Fear of rejection and the confident invitation 18:35 A Christian theology of friendship 22:42 Why churches often talk about family more than friendship 24:06 Community, belonging, and close relationships 25:27 Prayer, vulnerability, and what friendship involves 28:07 Knowledge, formation, and relational depth 31:02 Friendship Lab’s approach: learn, act, and reflect 32:00 The five stages of friendship 33:26 Moving relationships beyond Sunday morning 35:26 Why small groups can struggle to create belonging 38:47 What happened in a Friendship Lab church pilot 40:16 Why thoughtful small talk matters 42:07 Intergenerational friendship 48:30 Friendship and mission without manipulation 52:02 Friendship across political difference 54:03 Friendship Lab for Churches 56:26 Supporting members and easing the load on leaders 58:47 What’s different about the church course 60:19 Course cost and where to find it   Quotes “Who could you call at two AM when everything’s gone wrong?” “Friendship is an end in itself. It is a good in itself.” “A friend is someone I can talk to, depend on, grow with, and enjoy.” Four parts of friendship: someone you can talk to, depend on, grow with, and enjoy. Five stages of friendship: acquaintance, casual friend, friend, close friend, and “2 a.m. friend.” A confident invitation: be specific, invite negotiation, and express your desire to connect. Rather than “We should get together sometime,” suggest a plan and a time, while leaving room to find something that works for both of you. Three qualities of friendship: it is equal, mutual, and freely chosen. Show Notes Sheridan Voysey is the founder of Friendship Lab, an initiative focused on loneliness and adult friendship. In this conversation, he discusses the research and practical skills behind Friendship Lab, as well as its six-week course for churches. Friendship Lab for Churches: www.friendshiplab.org/churches Rootsforchurches.com

    From Polite Sunday Smiles to 2 a.m. Friends: The Friendship Lab, with Sheridan Voysey S4E36

  4. Oct 19

    Reimagining How Churches Share Faith with Children, With Rev Dr Mark Griffiths S4E35

    In this episode, Melanie Cave speaks with the Reverend Dr. Mark Griffiths about how churches can share faith with children and young people. Drawing on his research into Robert Raikes and the beginnings of the Sunday School movement, Mark reflects on how children’s ministry can go beyond teaching or asking for a one-time decision. He makes the case for combining education with opportunities for children to encounter God, grow in community, and take an active role in sharing faith.The conversation also explores peer-to-peer evangelism, intergenerational church, and how adults can model open, everyday conversations about faith. Key takeaways: - Act on the needs you see. Robert Raikes began the Sunday School movement after noticing children in his community and finding a practical way to serve them. - Take a holistic approach to children’s ministry. The early Sunday Schools combined learning, faith, and community rather than separating children’s spiritual lives from their wider development. - See faith as a journey. A child’s faith may grow through many experiences and relationships; it cannot always be reduced to one moment or decision. - Make room for encounter, not just education. Children need opportunities to pray, reflect, and speak to God themselves—not only hear adults talk about faith. - Equip children to share faith with one another. Peer-to-peer conversations can help children express and deepen what they believe. - Model ordinary conversations about God. When adults speak naturally about their faith, children can learn that it is something they can share with others, too. - Connect children’s ministry with the wider church. Mark highlights the importance of children seeing adults worship and taking part in a shared, intergenerational community. - Look beyond attendance figures. Churches may need broader ways to recognize discipleship and ministry happening outside Sunday services. Chapters: 00:00 – What do we mean by sharing faith with children? 00:31 – Meet Mark Griffiths and his PhD research 01:13 – Why Mark set out to question the Sunday School model 03:11 – The Sunday School movement’s early reach 05:38 – Robert Raikes, prison reform, and “vice is preventable” 10:44 – Sunday School and the growth of the church 18:52 – Making space for children’s own prayers 22:50 – The role of peer-to-peer evangelism 28:12 – Normalizing conversations about faith 38:49 – Mark’s Sunday School experiment in Milton Keynes 41:32 – Raikes’s approach to following up with absent children 43:30 – Connecting children’s ministry with church life 47:43 – Intergenerational ministry and discipleship   Show Notes: Mark's article https://www.rootsforchurches.com/worship-and-learning-support/articles/creating-confident-christians www.rootsforchurches.com

    Reimagining How Churches Share Faith with Children, With Rev Dr Mark Griffiths S4E35

  5. Oct 12

    Intergenerational Theology: Asking Better Questions, with Tanya Yuen S4E34

    Intergenerational Church Starts with Theology, Not Tactics In this conversation, Melanie Cave speaks with Tanya Yuen about her doctoral research on how churches engage children, participation, and ecclesiology. They explore why many churches have a strong theology of children but still struggle to reflect it in practice, especially when structures default to hierarchy, age segregation, or simply “doing church” rather than being church. Key takeaways Tanya shares how her background as a pastor shaped her research interest, especially as she noticed children were often treated as an add-on rather than full participants in the life of the church. Her research began with the assumption that senior pastors lacked a theology of the child, but she found many pastors could articulate beautiful theology very well. The deeper issue, Tanya argues, is the gap between what churches say they believe and how they actually structure worship, ministry, and participation. Ecclesiology, in simple terms, is the church’s understanding of who it is and how it lives that out in practice. A major question in the conversation is whether churches are organized around teaching, hierarchy, and efficiency rather than belonging, mutuality, and shared participation. Tanya distinguishes between children being present in church and children truly participating as they are, not just in adult-designed roles. The discussion raises the possibility that a church can have a good intergenerational program but still not be genuinely intergenerational at the level of theology and culture. Tanya reflects on Trinitarian theology as one possible lens, suggesting that if the Trinity is assumed to be hierarchical, that assumption may shape church life in subtle ways. She shares examples where children genuinely shaped worship, including an eight-year-old praying over a woman with cancer and children expressing worship through dance and instruments in a shared worship space. Melanie and Tanya both emphasize that structure matters, but structure alone is not enough. The real question is whether people sense that their presence, voice, and offering matter. The conversation also explores intercultural church life, especially in multilingual Chinese Baptist contexts where language differences can either divide or become a place for creative shared worship. Tanya closes by emphasizing that churches should measure faithfulness, discernment, and alignment between belief and practice, not just attendance or retention. Key frameworks Theology of the child — What churches believe about children’s spiritual value, agency, and place in the body of Christ. Ecclesiology — How a church understands itself and what that means for worship, leadership, and participation. Trinitarian lens — A theological way of thinking about mutuality and relationship, raised as a challenge to hierarchical church structures. Being church vs. doing church — The difference between treating church as a program to run versus a shared community to embody. Chapters 00:00 - Tanya’s pastoral background and research on children in church 05:32 - The gap between theology and church practice 06:55 - Ecclesiology, hierarchy, and age-segregated structures 09:38 - Children’s participation, belonging, and influence 14:52 - Trinitarian theology, mutuality, and power 25:50 - Being church versus doing church 31:49 - Intergenerational ministry: conviction or retention? 38:35 - Why the whole congregation needs to share this vision 45:06 - Intergenerational and intercultural church life 51:50 - Rethinking church values, metrics, and faithfulness   Shownotes: www.rootsforchurches.com intergenerstionsl Article series: https://www.rootsoforchurches.com/worship-and-learning-support/all-age-support

    Intergenerational Theology: Asking Better Questions, with Tanya Yuen S4E34

  6. Oct 5

    The prayerlife that powered a radical justice movement, with Sarah C Williams S4E33

    Melanie Cave speaks with historian and writer Professor Sarah C Williams about her book 'When Courage Calls', which explores Josephine Butler’s life, activism, and deep prayerfulness. The conversation traces how Butler became a leading voice against the Contagious Diseases Acts, why her work was so controversial, and how her faith shaped every part of her public witness. Sarah shares how researching Butler unexpectedly became a meditation on prayer, courage, grief, and Christian imagination. The episode also connects Butler’s 19th century campaign to present day questions about sexual abuse, pornography, political stamina, and what it means for the church to pursue justice with both conviction and humility. Key topics - Sarah C Williams explains how a childhood love of history led to a lifelong academic and writing career, with a passion for helping Christians learn from the past. - Butler’s significance is introduced through her leadership in exposing Victorian prostitution and challenging the laws that targeted marginalized women rather than men. - The Contagious Diseases Acts are unpacked in detail, including compulsory examinations for suspected women, incarceration in lock hospitals, and the double standard built into the system. - Melanie and Sarah discuss why Butler was considered radical, not just because she addressed prostitution publicly, but because she did so with spiritual seriousness and moral clarity. - Butler’s courage is shown in her public speaking, social ostracism, physical threats, and attacks from both society and parts of the church. - Sarah highlights Butler’s refusal to separate prayer from action, describing her as someone who prayed daily, organized prayer meetings, and grounded political work in communion with God. - The book’s structure was shaped by Butler’s own method, especially her use of narrative and biography to invite others into the experience of prayer rather than define it abstractly. - Butler’s suffering, including depression, burnout, grief, and intense rage, is presented as part of her credibility and her ability to identify with others in pain. - The conversation reflects on how Butler’s long campaign took 16 years, offering a model of stamina, focused calling, and patient persistence in justice work. - Sarah suggests that Butler’s legacy speaks directly to current issues such as sexual abuse and internet pornography, especially because she was never squeamish about naming hard realities.   Chapters 00:01 — Melanie introduces When Courage Calls and why Josephine Butler’s story matters. 00:25 — Sarah’s background and love of history 01:15 — Why Sarah was drawn to Butler and why her legacy still matters. 02:21 — A history lesson on The Contagious Diseases Acts that Butler fought against and why they were unjust. 04:36 — Why Butler was considered radical 11:22 — The courage Butler showed in public speaking and the threats she faced. 17:44 — How Butler’s prayer life shaped her campaigning and leadership. 29:34 — A discussion of Butler’s suffering, burnout, and emotional honesty. 32:21 — What courage looked like in Butler’s life and why stamina matters. 37:08 — How Butler’s example speaks to modern justice issues, prayer, and political imagination.   Show notes: where to get Sarah's book, When Courage Calls https://standrewsbookshop.co.uk/product/when-courage-calls/?srsltid=AfmBOopk0vK3dBc89SxzYN_c8YpazaUwFR_IFG2YfNQl04ebKXUp5s1F www.rootsforchurches.com

    The prayerlife that powered a radical justice movement, with Sarah C Williams S4E33

  7. Sep 29

    Rebekah, the women of Exodus, and seeing Scripture with fresh eyes, with Dr Tamara Knudson S4E32

    In this episode of Roots for Churches, Melanie Cave speaks with Dr Tamara Knudson about stereotypes of women in the Bible and how the Old Testament lectionary readings invite us to look again. Together, they explore Rebekah’s story, the women who help bring about the Exodus, and the ways our assumptions can turn complex biblical characters into side characters or simple moral examples.Tamara, who holds a PhD in Old Testament and has worked as a Visiting Scholar at BibleProject, shares how careful attention to the text can reveal women’s agency, courage, and importance to the biblical story. She and Melanie also consider what this means for preaching, personal Bible reading, and teaching children. In this episode Why Tamara’s personal questions about women’s place in the biblical story led her to study the Hebrew Bible. How Rebekah’s story offers more than the familiar picture of a manipulator who deceives Isaac. What Rebekah’s generosity, strength, choices, and relationship with God reveal about her character. How to hold the tension between Rebekah’s role in God’s promise and the troubling deception in Genesis 27. Why women with little social power are so often central to the biblical story. How to read with curiosity, notice our assumptions, and pay attention to small but important details. Why teaching Bible stories as simple lessons or hero tales can flatten their complexity. The women in the opening chapters of Exodus—including the midwives, Moses’s mother, Miriam, Pharaoh’s daughter, and Zipporah—and their role in preserving life. How Scripture’s complex stories can offer a richer picture of human struggle, faith, and redemption than a simple 'how to live' formula. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome to the conversation 02:20 — Why women in the Old Testament can seem like side characters 04:31 — The harm of reducing women to caricatures 05:57 — Rebekah is more than the deception story 07:21 — Rebekah’s generosity, strength, and agency 10:05 — Rebekah’s relationship with God and the promise about her sons 11:39 — God’s promise, human control, and the tension in Rebekah’s story 13:05 — Why the deception is meant to feel uncomfortable 16:23 — Rebekah and the Hebrew midwives: comparing acts of deception 17:25 — God working through people on the margins 20:12 — How to move beyond flat readings of biblical women 22:09 — Name your assumptions, then read with curiosity 24:02 — Notice the details and follow the whole story 26:00 — Teaching Old Testament stories to children 28:28 — Bringing more nuance to Bible teaching 31:40 — Women across Scripture who carry God’s purposes forward 33:09 — Make space for children’s questions before offering a moral 34:28 — Are biblical “heroes” meant to be copied? 37:00 — Why flawed biblical characters can feel more relatable 39:30 — Moving beyond Bible stories as self-help 41:33 — Scripture as a complex literary and spiritual gift 46:05 — The Bible’s stories of struggle and failure 47:25 — Faithful women as pivotal figures in the story of salvation 49:12 — Uncomfortable stories, human brokenness, and redemption 50:30 — The women at the beginning of Moses’s story 52:28 — The midwives resist Pharaoh’s command 54:27 — Women across barriers work together to preserve life 56:34 — Pharaoh’s daughter, Miriam, and Moses’s mother 58:32 — How the women’s actions anticipate the Exodus story 59:18 — Zipporah’s role in rescuing Moses 61:18 — Closing reflections on justice and devotion Show Notes: www.rootsforchurches.com Tamara's Article: https://www.rootsforchurches.com/worship-and-learning-support/articles/female-stereotypes-rebekah

    Rebekah, the women of Exodus, and seeing Scripture with fresh eyes, with Dr Tamara Knudson S4E32

  8. Sep 21

    When God and Violence Collide: Exploring Exodus with Children, with Dr Jared Neusch S4E31

    Melanie Cave speaks with Dr. Jared Neusch about the hard parts of the Moses story—the plagues, the death of the Egyptian firstborn, and the parting of the sea resulting in the death of the Egyptian army—and how to approach these passages with children and congregations, without flattening its tension. Jared explains why he starts with Jesus as the clearest revelation of God, then works back into the Old Testament with that lens in place. They also unpack how Passover foreshadows Jesus, why modern readers get stuck on historicity, and how to talk with kids honestly about troubling Bible stories without giving them a shallow or deceptive faith. Key topics In this episode, Jared shares how his view of God changed through rethinking the cross, especially moving away from a penal substitution framework and toward the cross as revelation of God’s love and humanity’s violence. Melanie and Jared discuss why Exodus still grips Christian imagination, since it is a foundational liberation story that the New Testament keeps echoing. They wrestle with the hardest part of Exodus for modern readers—the divine violence, especially the death of the firstborn and the drowning of the Egyptian army. Jared argues that Jesus must be the interpretive starting point, not a later add-on, if we want to read Exodus faithfully. They explore several ways Christians try to make sense of these texts, including progressive revelation, allegory, genre awareness, and ancient war rhetoric. Melanie raises the concern that many modern readers demand historical precision in a way ancient storytelling did not always intend. Jared explains why he thinks it is important not to smooth over the text’s brutality, especially when teaching children. They discuss how to avoid setting kids up for future deconstruction by giving them overly neat answers too early. Jared describes a simple child-friendly approach: ask whether a story sounds like Jesus, and if not, use Jesus as the lens for interpretation. They connect Passover to Jesus through images of blood, deliverance, crossing waters, the defeat of evil, and Moses as a partial Christ figure. Melanie and Jared reflect on how the story of deliverance still requires participation—the Israelites have to walk through the sea, just as Christians still participate in discipleship. They close by contrasting the instinct to want God to destroy enemies with Jesus’ way of enemy-love, suffering, and radical inclusion. Chapters 00:00 – Introducing the challenge of Exodus violence for adults and children 01:04 – Jared’s background and how he came to peacemaking and enemy love 02:14 – Rethinking the cross as the turning point in theology 03:38 – The Sermon on the Mount and the cross as the same way of life 04:53 – Why the Exodus story still matters in Christian imagination 05:57 – Exodus as a critical part of the biblical story of deliverance 08:03 – Why Exodus becomes harder when Jesus is the interpretive center 09:38 – The problem of Pharaoh’s oppression and God’s judgment on Egypt 11:15 – Divine hardening and the drowning of the Egyptian army 12:35 – Why the violence in Exodus clashes with the cross 14:31 – Owning what the text actually says instead of smoothing it over 16:43 – Starting with Christ rather than building theology elsewhere first 19:13 – Scripture as a journey of learning what God is like 21:11 – Allegorical readings and the church fathers 23:12 – Why modern readers struggle with story, fact, and historical proof 24:51 – Genre, ancient context, and war rhetoric 28:10 – Why divine command theory does not persuade Jared 29:04 – Bringing the question back to children and the Passover story 30:32 – Why some children will notice the moral problem immediately 32:01 – Not pretending troubling stories are harmless 34:47 – Telling kids “I don’t know” and leaving room for mystery 36:47 – Passover as a foreshadowing of Jesus 38:17 – Symbols in blood, baptism, and the defeat of evil 41:08 – Moses as insider and outsider, like a Christ figure 42:31 – Foreshadowing, motifs, and narrative echoes across Scripture 43:13 – Deliverance that still requires participation 44:42 – Wanting God to fight our enemies, and Jesus flipping the script 46:41 – Christian nationalism and the instinct to put God on our side 48:22 – The answer is reading Jesus and testing every ethic by his life 51:32 – Teaching Exodus in conversation with Jesus, not in isolation 52:53 – A simple child-friendly method: “Does that sound like God to you?” 55:44 – The danger of imagining Jesus has an angry father 56:54 – How the cross shapes the way people read the Old Testament 58:41 – A shorter account of a different reading of the cross 59:21 – Penal substitution versus the cross as human violence and divine revelation 62:43 – Moses as a partial, imperfect foretaste of Christ 64:21 – Wrapping up the wrestling and the need to keep asking questions 65:08 – Jared’s children’s books and why they spark real conversations Notable quotes “How do we know what God is like? Jesus.”   “On the cross, it is not primarily appeasing God, it is revealing God.”   “If I pretend it isn’t there, I’m setting them up to undo it later.”   Key frameworks Jesus as the interpretive center for all Scripture Progressive revelation Allegorical reading Ancient war rhetoric and genre awareness The cross as revelation rather than appeasement Passover as pattern and foreshadowing Show Notes

    When God and Violence Collide: Exploring Exodus with Children, with Dr Jared Neusch S4E31
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About

Interviews exploring intergenerational ministry, worship, preaching, theology, the Bible, children’s and youth groups. Roots produces weekly lectionary based resources for churches to support worship and learning for all ages. Find out more at www.rootsforchurches.com

Information

  • Creator
    Roots for Churches
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Roots for Churches podcast

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