Truth & Tone

Erik & Bekah Buchterkirchen
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

In a cultural moment marked by noise and reaction, Truth & Tone creates space for careful reflection grounded in Scripture, shaped by the historic Christian faith, and attentive to the lived realities of the local church. Hosted by Erik Buchterkirchen, a pastor theologian, and Bekah Buchterkirchen, a writer and communicator, the show engages thoughtful conversation, believing how we speak matters as much as what we say. Through honest conversations on marriage, ministry, culture, and Christianity, Truth & Tone is for Christians who want to think clearly, speak charitably, and live faithfully in a fractured world.

  1. 4d ago

    How Do You Find a Healthy Church? What to Look For and What Matters Most

    Finding a church can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to make a wise decision for yourself or your family. What should you look for, and how do you distinguish a healthy community from a place that simply fits your preferences? In the first of two conversations about finding and leaving a church, we begin with the shared life described in Acts 2. We explore five broad church emphases: seeker, scholar, shared, sending, and sacramental. These are helpful ways to notice a community’s priorities, with plenty of room for overlap. We also discuss the more specific things that shape belonging, including communion, pastoral access, financial transparency, women in ministry, and children feeling known and cared for. Our aim is to help you discern a community where you can worship, contribute, and grow alongside others. That process takes time, and it includes paying attention to what you need as well as what you prefer. Resources: Scripture discussed: Acts 2:42–47. Be sure to check out our companion resource: How to Find a Healthy Church for thoughtful questions aiding in your discernment process.

  2. Oct 27

    What Is a Pastor? Shepherding, Character, and Online Teachers

    When you hear the word pastor, who comes to mind? The person preaching on Sunday? A familiar voice online? Someone who has walked with you through a difficult season? In this episode, we explore the essence of pastoral ministry which boils down to shepherding people toward Jesus. We talk about character, prayer, the care that often happens outside public view, and why a compelling platform cannot tell us everything about a pastor’s faithfulness. We also consider how online teaching shapes our expectations and what it means to be known and cared for within a local community. Drawing on our years in ministry together, we discuss the weight of the title, the people who shepherd without holding it, and what someone discerning a call to ministry might pay attention to. Underneath it all is a question about love: Are we learning to love the people God has entrusted to us? In this conversation: Pastor as shepherd and the work of equipping the body of Christ Prayer, character, and the relationship between public and private life Online teachers, parasocial relationships, and local pastoral care Shepherding gifts within the congregation and the significance of titles Discerning a call through love for the church, community affirmation, and willingness to train Resources: Scripture discussed: Ephesians 4:11–12; 1 Timothy 3; John 3:30 John Crist, You want the SENIOR pastor?

  3. Oct 20 ·  Bonus

    We’re Not Giving Up on the Church | Season 2 Intro

    We've sat with people who walked away from the church after being deeply wounded, and we've watched people come back to find healing there. Both of those things can be true. That's why Season 2 of Truth & Tone is about one question: how do you navigate the complexity of the church without giving up on it? In this short introduction to the season, we share why we keep coming back to this topic. We look at how rarely most of us actually gather, why it's tempting to hit the easy button, and why we believe loving Jesus means loving his church, warts and all. This is the conversation we keep having after the kids are in bed. We don't claim to have the final word, and we may change our minds along the way. Pull up a seat with us at the end of a long day and join the wrestle. Resources: Barna Group research on church attendance frequency (avg. 1.6 times a month) Tell us in the comments what you'd love us to talk about this season, and subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss an episode! https://truthandtone.com

  4. Oct 20

    What Is the Church, Really?

    We use the word “church” to describe a building, a Sunday service, a staff team, and a whole community of believers, but each of those meanings carry different expectations. In this episode, we slow down to ask what the church actually is and what changes when we understand ourselves as part of it. We talk about the gathered people of God, the beauty of worship across traditions and cultures, and why participation matters. We also make room for a harder question: Why keep showing up when the church has wounded us? Drawing from our own experience of finding healing in an unexpected congregation, we reflect on the possibility that people within the church can become part of our restoration. This conversation opens a season about navigating the complexity of the church without giving up on it. We want to tell the truth about the pain while remaining attentive to the beauty within and the responsibility of belonging. In this conversation: What we mean when we say “church” and how that shapes our expectations The universal church and the language of the Nicene Creed Worshiping with believers whose traditions and cultures differ from ours The church as a sign, instrument, and foretaste of God’s reign Serving in ordinary ways and making room for stories of church healing Resources: The Nicene Creed Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

  5. May 1 ·  Bonus

    OUTRO: Season 1 Reflections and Looking Ahead

    In this closing episode of season one, Erik and Bekah reflect on the journey of launching Truth & Tone. They share what they learned along the way, where they felt stretched stepping into something new, and how the conversations shaped them personally and pastorally. They also look ahead to what’s coming in season two and why they are grateful for the listeners who have joined them in thoughtful, charitable engagement throughout the season. If this podcast has been meaningful, subscribing and leaving a rating helps others discover the show and enter the conversation.  Listeners are also invited to visit www.truthandtone.com to learn more and share ideas for future topics they would like the show to explore. Thank you for listening and for being part of the Truth & Tone community! We’ll be back soon for season two!

  6. Apr 28

    Does Going to Church Still Matter? Church Attendance, Belonging, and Formation

    For many people today, church attendance has become more occasional than habitual. Shifting schedules, demanding seasons of life, health concerns, and emotional fatigue all shape our capacity to gather. The question beneath the data is not simply how often people attend church, but why gathering still matters at all. In this episode, Erik and Bekah reflect on the real barriers that make showing up difficult. They name the lived realities of parents, singles, those carrying grief, and those navigating seasons where church feels complicated rather than comforting. Church attendance is not treated as a simple moral equation, but as something shaped by bodies, seasons, and belonging. The conversation explores a quieter question many carry beneath the surface. Am I known here? Drawing from the early church and the biblical vision of shared life, this episode emphasizes that Christian gathering was never meant to be passive. From the beginning, it was participatory, relational, and formative. Listeners are invited to consider not only whether they are attending, but how gathering might become a place of belonging, formation, and shared faithfulness over time. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Gallup (2024). Church Attendance Has Declined in Most U.S. Religious Groups Going to Church in the First Century by Robert Banks Subscribe to the show to receive future episodes, and visit www.truthandtone.com to learn more. You can follow us on Substack to take the conversation further.

  7. Apr 21

    How to Talk About Faith Without Offending People: Respectful Conversations About Religion

    Conversations about faith can feel high-stakes. Many of us want to share what we believe, but hesitate out of fear of offending, being misunderstood, or saying the wrong thing. Others feel the pressure to prove a point, only to find the relationship strained in the process. In this episode, we explore what it looks like to talk about faith in a way that holds both conviction and care. We reflect on the difference between winning an argument and understanding a person, the role of empathy in meaningful dialogue, and why perspective-taking can actually deepen rather than weaken our beliefs. Through personal stories and thoughtful reflection, we consider how to engage people of different beliefs with humility, curiosity, and clarity. What might change if our goal shifted from being right to being present? Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Theo of Golden (https://amzn.to/3QQWNWs) by Allen Levi Jesus and the Law of Moses: The Gospels and the Restoration of Israel Within First-Century Judaism (https://amzn.to/4exPfSq) by Paul Sloan Barna Group. (2019). Almost half of practicing Christian Millennials say evangelism is wrong. https://www.barna.com/research/millennials-oppose-evangelism/ (https://www.barna.com/research/millennials-oppose-evangelism/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Barna Group. (2018). Sharing faith is increasingly optional to Christians. https://www.barna.com/research/sharing-faith-increasingly-optional-christians/ (https://www.barna.com/research/sharing-faith-increasingly-optional-christians/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (https://amzn.to/4vYh6BN) by Nabeel Qureshi I Beg to Differ: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Truth and Love (https://amzn.to/41K2lEK) by Tim Muehlhoff Subscribe to the show to receive future episodes, and visit www.truthandtone.com (http://www.truthandtone.com/) to learn more. You can follow us on Substack (https://truthandtone.substack.com/) to take the conversation further.

  8. Apr 14

    Unlearning Transactional Faith: The Deals We Make with God

    Many Christians carry unspoken assumptions about how their relationship with God works. If I obey, if I pray more, if I clean up my life, then surely things will go well. When life begins to unravel or prayers remain unanswered, those assumptions often surface with painful force. In this episode, Erik and Bekah examine the subtle ways faith can become transactional. They reflect on how well-intentioned attempts to explain suffering can turn prayer into performance and silence into self-suspicion. Drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and pastoral observation, they ask whether we truly believe God withholds his presence or goodness until we meet an unseen standard. The conversation explores how this logic shows up in quiet deals many believers make with God. The belief that obedience guarantees blessing. That calling should always feel confirmed by ease. That faithful parenting ensures faithful outcomes. While these assumptions feel reasonable, Scripture consistently resists them. Difficulty is not evidence of God’s absence. Waiting is not proof of failure. Using stories from Job, Jesus’ parables, and the broader witness of Scripture, the episode reframes faith as relational rather than transactional. God does not offer formulas for control. He offers his presence. Trust is formed not only when prayers are answered, but when God remains with us in the unanswered. This episode invites listeners to consider where expectations may have quietly replaced trust, and what it might look like to rest in God’s presence even when outcomes remain unclear. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Healthy Calling: From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work by Arianna Molloy Subscribe to the show to receive future episodes, and visit www.truthandtone.com to learn more. You can follow us on Substack to take the conversation further.

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About

In a cultural moment marked by noise and reaction, Truth & Tone creates space for careful reflection grounded in Scripture, shaped by the historic Christian faith, and attentive to the lived realities of the local church. Hosted by Erik Buchterkirchen, a pastor theologian, and Bekah Buchterkirchen, a writer and communicator, the show engages thoughtful conversation, believing how we speak matters as much as what we say. Through honest conversations on marriage, ministry, culture, and Christianity, Truth & Tone is for Christians who want to think clearly, speak charitably, and live faithfully in a fractured world.

Information

  • Creator
    Erik & Bekah Buchterkirchen
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Truth & Tone

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