Episodes

“It's just a very sad thing that across many nations, as people get fearful, they tend to go out and buy more firearms,” says Rick Sarre, member of Community of Christ’s Peace and Justice Team, and guest for this episode of Say What? Join hosts Mary Anne and Kassie for an in-depth conversation with Rick about 2025 World Conference Resolution G-12: Promoting Peace by Reducing Gun Proliferation and Violence. You’ll hear some staggering statistics about gun ownership and gun violence, and the re...

As Community of Christ moves closer to the historic moment of considering the call of the first woman President/Prophet of the church, Stassi Cramm, there is no better time to reflect with Karin Peter and historian extraordinaire, Wendy Eaton, to take a look across the years at all the women who have had a prophetic influence on the church and its people. In this episode of Cuppa Joe, Wendy presents seven women, some of whom we’ve heard of and some who are new to Project Zion listeners. Listen i...

It’s the first Sunday of Lent... a time for looking inward. Be advised, you can’t blame everything on the devil. Well, you could, who would you be fooling? Sometimes you have to take responsibility for your own actions. Making responsible choices is up to you. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith as they enter the wilderness with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and a special “visitor” to see how Jesus will respond when the pressure is on. Download Transcript Thanks for listening to Faith Unfiltered!...

Aliyah and Mike are back in the Swarm at Graceland University, and this time they’re sitting down with senior, Ishbel Wilson. Ishbel hails from Independence, Missouri and the Liberty Street congregation where she established a strong foundation in the church. She’s continued her connection through various ministries at Graceland while working on a triple major. You’re sure to enjoy this short episode where Ishbel tells a little about herself and her hopes for the church. Download Transcript Th...

It may seem strange that on a Christian Holy day where many disciples will walk around with a smudge of ash on their foreheads for all to see, we have a scripture passage that tells us to pray and fast privately in our “closet.” Why don’t we wear the smudge of ash in a place where only we and God can see it? Well, the smudge is a symbol of the condition of our hearts ... repentant, mortal, humble. What matters is not the words we say or the significance of what we gave up for Lent (our act of fa...

What significance, if any, do ashes have in your life? Are they just the dirty remains left by a forgotten fire, or do they symbolize something meaningful? Throughout history and across cultures and traditions, ashes have had a number of symbolic uses. Join Blake Smith in this episode of Awaken to God’s Presence, as he invites us into a season of repentance and self-reflection using ashes as the focus. Take the time to consider the significance of ashes in your own context and life circumstance,...

We all have those special places where we’ve experienced God’s presence (the Holy Spirit), and for some reason we let ourselves believe that we need to return to that place to find God again. It’s in those places that we want to “pitch our tent” so to speak. If we’ve learned nothing else in this season of Epiphany, we know that God is up to something, and when God reveals God’s self, it may just be so we’ll have the courage to come down off the mountain and get to work. Today’s passage takes us ...

If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to be a part of the change with regard to the climate emergency, grab your coffee and settle in. This episode of Say What? Is the second part of a two-part conversation between Kassie and Mary Anne and their guests, Paul Bethel and Laurie Gordon regarding G-5: Climate Emergency – Fossil Fuel Reduction, a resolution up for consideration at the 2025 Community of Christ World Conference. Here, you’ll find some concrete ways to make responsible choices regardi...

In order to understand the depth of the climate crisis we are facing, Laurie Gordon suggests we may need to connect with our inner mystic. Laurie, and Paul Bethel, are the guests of Say What for this conversation about resolution G-5: Climate Emergency – Fossil Fuel Reduction which will come before the 2025 Community of Christ World Conference. Hosts Kassie Ripsam and Mary Anne Bennett-Ripsam sat down with Laurie and Paul to explore the resolution as well as the underlying issues that require it...

We sing about it, we talk about, we say that it is at the heart of God, but when it comes to sharing it with those we find undeserving, we have second thoughts. “It,” of course, is LOVE. In this week’s Coffee to Go, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith return to the Gospel of Luke and Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. Join them for a look into the difficult-to-swallow list of those Jesus tells us we should love. Then, take a look at your own list of “lovable” people and see who needs to be added ... no m...

From rule-following teenager to mischievous Gracelander, to volunteer leadership in the church and a career in technology and business sales, Shannon McAdam (she/her) has spent her life journeying with God in community. Now, Shannon has accepted a call to the Council of Twelve. Join host Robin Linkhart as she sits down with Shannon to get to know her better and to explore her faith journey. A strong advocate for women and First Nation peoples, Shannon brings a deep passion and care for the needs...

After 20 long years of self-sustaining ministry, including her most recent role as Midlands Mission Center President, Kat Hnatyshyn has said yes to a role that requires a change in career... but not a change in passion. In this episode of Nice to Matcha, host Robin Linkhart sits down with Kat, a first-time guest at Project Zion, for a closer look at the moments that have led her to say yes to a call to the Council of Twelve Apostles. Settle in for a conversation filled with energy, passion, and ...

There’s no better place to give a sermon about community than on a plain (aka a level field). All communities may not put everyone on the same level, but in God’s Kingdom, every field is a level playing field. The blessings and woes of such a community ought to be felt by all. In today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus lays it on the line with the disciples...proclaiming both blessings and woes. What’s left for us to decide is if we’re going to come down on the blessing side or the woe si...

Since an early age, Adam Wade has sensed the movement of God in his life... affirming at each step that he was being called to new things. But that doesn’t make it any less frightening, or any less daunting. In this episode of Nice to Matcha, you’ll get the chance to listen in to a conversation between Adam and host, Robin Linkhart, in which Adam shares his journey to his current call to the Council of Twelve. Stand together with Adam at the water’s edge, imagining the vastness of God and lookin...

Someone once said, “you get out of life what you put into it.” Well, David Anderson ought to be getting a lot out of life, because he has certainly put a lot into his life, his career, his family, and his ministry. And, at the heart of it all, a love for people ... and food! Now he’s ready to focus most of his energy on his grandchildren. Join hosts, Mary Anne and Kassie, as they sit down with David Anderson to get a better idea of what prepared him for the role of President of the High Priest Q...

There are other ways to determine your abundance than just by counting what’s in your “net.” Sometimes our abundance lies in the gifts and skills with which God has blessed us. In today’s Gospel passage from Luke, the disciples end up with enough fish to fill two nets and sink their boats, only to have Jesus ask them to leave it behind and follow him. Jesus seemed to know that God’s abundant grace combined with their abundant gifts would be enough to do what they were being called to do...fish f...

Imagine a world where we worked together, sharing physical, financial and human resources ... a world where the skills and creativity of a variety of persons across geographical spaces were shared in order to magnify the possibilities of ministry and growth. Imagine a place called Guthrie Grove, where that’s exactly what happens all the time. You actually don’t have to imagine. Instead, grab a cup of coffee and listen in as host Robin Linkhart sits down with Noel Scherer and Janelle Anders, the ...

February is a month that has been established as Black History Month. Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t need a month dedicated to persons and voices that have not otherwise been acknowledged for their incredible contributions to our shared history? Join host Blake Smith for this time of meditation meant to focus our attention on the forgotten and/or silenced voices that are equally important in the telling of our story. Pause for a few minutes to consider the choices each of us need to make so t...

We tell ourselves ‘It’s just not fair!’ ... when someone gets something they don’t deserve, especially when we think it ought to be given to us ... you know, the righteous ones! But Jesus was famous for turning things on their head, rather than doing things the way they “ought” to be done. It is, after all, the way of God’s reign. Too often we, like those who were in the synagogue when Jesus read from Isaiah, are amazed at Jesus’ words ... until we find that they’re words of challenge rather tha...

It’s funny how God can move in your life in ways that you feel both a comforting sense of knowing and a discomforting sense of panic at the same time. Kind of like when you’re called into a new leadership role, like ... say ... President of the Quorum of High Priests and member of the World Church Leadership Council. In this Nice to Matcha episode with host Robin Linkhart, Jenn Killpack shares her journey of life and ministry ... a journey that has been a blessing to the church in both good and ...

Some people just can’t seem to get enough of Graceland University, and that’s because it is a safe place to explore who you are and who you want to become. Andrew Wolsey, the guest for this episode of Coffee in the Swarm is about to finish up six years at Graceland ... four years as an undergrad student, and two years as a graduate assistant in Campus Ministries. Join Andrew and hosts, Aliyah Farrell and Mike Hoffman as they chat about the journey so far, and what’s still ahead. Andrew first sa...

We don’t need a sermon, we need a call to action... and that’s what we get in the fourth chapter of Luke. And, it’s at the heart of the Community of Christ Mission Initiatives. In this episode of Coffee to God, hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith talk about Christ’s brief appearance in the synagogue where he quotes from Isaiah, and then proclaims that “this has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The question is, were they listening? Are we? And, are we ready to hear it for what it is ... and respond...

The call to prayer made by one woman in Lamoni, IA in the late 1800s sparks the interest of thousands of women around the world and raises the ire of a lot of men. Eleanor Kearney hasn’t been spoken of much in the church, but she’s another of the unsung women heroes of the church. Because of her feistiness and determination, and in spite of her hearing disability, Eleanor played a significant role in engaging women in ministry and raising awareness of women’s contributions to the church. Join ho...

So much energy. So much passion. So many gifts and interests. Picking up where they left off, Robin Linkhart and Joey Williams continue the conversation surrounding Joey’s faith and calling journey. Part two of the conversation moves beyond Joey’s college years and into full-time ministry followed by ministry through other avenues, and then back again. In this episode, you’ll get a real glimpse into Joey’s heart for God and for all of God’s people. Download Transcript Thanks for listening to F...