Bridges Over Walls OC Communications

Christianity can be a brand as much as it can be a faith. If you grew up Christian, you're probably already aware of the fact that there are Christian versions of just about everything from streaming services like Pure Flix to entire genres of Christian self-help books. Life coaches, radio stations, and Christian businesses. But is Christianity in the United States today really the way of Jesus?

When we read the stories of Jesus in the Bible, we see someone who exemplified a very different set of values than many might see in us today - a person filled with compassion and patience and love. People were drawn to Jesus in a way that we just don't often see people being drawn to modern Christianity. If that's the way of Jesus, why do things feel so different now? Is it possible that God can't always be found in a Christian church? Is it possible that when many Christians envision God, the Way of Jesus isn't the main thing that they think about?

But imagine a Christianity where the adherents actually lived up to that character of Jesus. How would the face of modern Christianity change if we actually took that kind of God seriously? What if Christians were the kind of people that our neighbors wanted to be around? We explore all this and more here with Pastor Andreas Beccai!

Humility is the mother of curiosity. Curiosity is what allows us to build bridges and connect with people across ages, genders, cultures, and beyond. Alex Bryan joins us to share what he has learned leading groups of people in university, local church, and faith-based healthcare settings.

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!

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?

In our first four episodes we talked about relational challenges across generational lines, religious and intellectual arrogance, and the division that comes from taking our religious practices further and further from the Way of Jesus.

In this episode we're joined by one of TikTok's most beloved creators of faith - Kevin Wilson. Together, we explore one of today's most contentious subjects - deconstruction.

Is deconstruction as scary as it's made out to be?

Is doubt a threat to faith or a vital tool for developing it?

How does questioning threaten our sense of security, and why do we often encounter so much backlash when we ask big questions?

We cover all that and more in this episode of Bridges Over Walls! Special thanks to @crossculturekev for joining us.

In 2023, the US Surgeon General released a report on what they called “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” According to the report, the problem of loneliness isn’t just about feeling down. It’s one of the greatest threats to the health of our bodies and our society. Loneliness is linked to higher risks of heart problems, strokes, dementia, depression and anxiety, and premature death. Whether we’re looking at church spaces, workplaces, or our local community, one of the greatest causes of isolation is grief.

In the first of our two part episode we're joined by Hannah Wachter, a Grief Recovery Coach serving in the greater Portland area. Hannah also serves as the Minister of Music at the Pleasant Valley Church in Happy Valley, Oregon.

Together we explore how to make Christian spaces safe for grieving people. You can follow Hannah's work on Instagram or TikTok here: @stayroyalqueen