Where We Belong

Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement
  • 5.0 (12)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This is a podcast about belonging. Belonging to a community of faith, despite that undeniable tension of possibility and mess. Together we will ask questions like: How do we unashamedly love and hope for the church while still honestly holding her failures? How can the church foster spaces of true belonging? How do we find our “fit”? Why should we care at all? Join us as we puzzle through how to reconcile an imperfect church with a perfect savior and our own walk with God. Hosted by the Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement

  1. 06/04/2025

    Belonging in a Divided Culture with Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil

    Attend the Whitworth Ministry Summit with Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil on June 24-27. Register at whitworth.edu/summit. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil is recognized internationally as one of the foremost leaders of reconciliation and was featured as one of the 50 most influential women to watch by Christianity Today. She is also a pastor and professor of reciliation studies at Seattle Pacific University. In this episode she chats with Lauren about her early story in the church, advice for pastors, the importance of getting proximate, and what drew her to the book of Nehemiah (the subject of her latest book).

    28 min

  2. 08/07/2023 · BONUS

    Bonus Episode: The Resilient Church Project with Heather VanDeventer

    Lauren talks with Heather VanDeventer, the Dean of St. John's Cathedral here in Spokane, about Heather's experience in the Resilient Church Project. Share shares a bit about what it was like to participate, some of the ways their church benefitted, and how the church is using their grant funds to become more resilient. The OCE is currently recruiting a new cohort of churches to join our team for two years of intentional learning and discernment. Churches from anywhere in the U.S. are invited to apply. The application opens on Sept. 1 and is due Nov. 22. Fill out an interest form at www.whitworth.edu/resilient. Lauren would love to talk with you!

    23 min

  3. 07/25/2023

    Episode 22: A Reflection on Where We've Been - Season 2 Conclusion

    Join Lauren as she offers some final thoughts on the conversations we've had throughout season 2. The episode ends with an invitation to a spiritual practice known as breath prayer. Learn more about our work in the Office of Church Engagement at www.whitworth.edu/oce

    11 min

  4. 07/19/2023

    Episode 21: Belonging as a College Student with Willow and Sabine

    This week we are chatting with two Whitworth students from our Summer Fellowship Program. Willow and Sabine are two thoughtful and faithful students who are working out for themselves what it means to belong to the Church and to the body of Christ as young adults. In this episode, they chat with Lauren all about their backgrounds with the church, how moving away from home has changed their perspective, and what true belonging means to them. Sabine is currently serving as a Resilient Fellow - a special fellowship placement that serves a church in our Resilient Church Program. She is working on completing in-depth ethnographic research within a congregation to help the church explore its own identity and mission. We are currently recruiting a new cohort of churches. Find out more about the Resilient Church Program here >>>

    45 min

  5. 07/11/2023

    Episode 20: Belonging in the Catholic Church with Matt Yim, SJ

    Matt Yim is a Jesuit priest and serves as the parochial vicar at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Sacramento. In this episode he shares what it means to belong as a Roman Catholic, how he came to own his faith and belonging as a Catholic, How Ignatian Spirituality shapes his understanding of the Church, and why an individual relationship with Jesus trumps belonging to the institution of the Church. Learn more about our work in the Whitworth Office of Church Engagement at ⁠www.whitworth.edu/oce We are in the process of recruiting a new Resilient Church cohort. If your church is interested in digging into it's history, mission and identity in order to build resiliency for the future, check out the program website at www.whitworth.edu/resilient

    40 min

  6. 07/04/2023

    Episode 19: Belonging After Church Hurt with Elle Grover Fricks

    Elle Grover Fricks is the pastor of Refuge Church in Pullman, Wa. In this episode she talks about leading a church meant for those who are healing from church hurt, how she thinks about creating belonging in her context, the importance of co-creating spaces of worship and community, how cultivating her own spiritual health helps her hold the stories of those in her community well. If you want to hear more from Elle, you can check out two podcasts that she co-hosts - the Bema Discipleship podcast and the Text in Us podcast. Learn more about our work in the Whitworth Office of Church Engagement at www.whitworth.edu/oce

    45 min

  7. 06/20/2023

    Episode 18: When the Church Makes the Headlines with Jennifer McKinney

    Professor of Sociology Jennifer McKinney talks to us about her research into Mars Hill Church and what scandals in the Church might teach us. She shares what it was like to work on a college campus so close to Mars Hill and the effect the church’s theology had on students, how her research into Mars Hill’s theology affected her own faith, why we should expect the Church to be imperfect, and the importance of identifying patterns of abuse in order to create healthier churches (plus, why this might be harder for us protestants). You can find Dr. McKinney's recent book "Making Christianity Manly Again: Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, and American Evangelicalism" here >>> Learn more about our work in the Whitworth Office of Church Engagement here >>>

    44 min

  8. 06/13/2023

    Episode 17: The Physiology of Belonging with Joelle Czirr

    Joelle Czirr is a senior lecturer in the Whitworth Psychology Department. She joins us to talk about all the important ways that our faith practice should engage our bodies, why online church might not be our best option, how important being seen is to being know, and how much our bodies know before it registers with our brain. Learn more about our work in the Office of Church Engagement on our website www.whitworth.edu/oce

    39 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

This is a podcast about belonging. Belonging to a community of faith, despite that undeniable tension of possibility and mess. Together we will ask questions like: How do we unashamedly love and hope for the church while still honestly holding her failures? How can the church foster spaces of true belonging? How do we find our “fit”? Why should we care at all? Join us as we puzzle through how to reconcile an imperfect church with a perfect savior and our own walk with God. Hosted by the Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement

Information

  • Creator
    Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Whitworth University Office of Church Engagement
  • Show Website
    Where We Belong