Calvary Life Podcast

Supporting Families with Special Needs with Won Yu

According to the CDC, about 1 child in 7 in the United States will be diagnosed with a disability. And while there are many avenues of support for these children, an often-overlooked group suffers as well alongside them- their siblings. 

On today's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, we meet Calvary member, doctor, and founder of A Touch of Guidance for Siblings of Special Needs Children Won Yu. Together, he and Eric discuss Won's experience as a doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic, his family's journey of growing with his son's developmental disorder, and how his son's diagnosis drew him and his wife to better serve the often-forgotten siblings of children with special needs. 

If you would like to learn more about disability ministries at Calvary, check out calvarylife.org/bridge.

Disabilities and the Church with Melissa Brosch

"Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded, it is a relationship between equals." - Pema Chodron

In today's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Eric sits down with Melissa Brosch, longtime Calvary member and Disability Ministries Pastor! Together, they explore Melissa's story of getting connected with disability ministries, the importance of honoring someone's age and stage in life, and why the best disability ministry is the one that doesn't exist.

If you're interested in learning more about how to co-labor with people with disabilities, check out disabilityministryconference.com for training and resources. You can also find book recommendations from Melissa at the Calvary Bookstore, and on our website at calvarylife.org/bridge.

Powerful Faithfulness with Tom and Gayle Shook

If you knew that making the decision to follow God would lead you to spending decades in an impoverished country with a completely different language and culture, would you still choose Him?

This was just one of the life-changing decisions faced by our guests on today's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Tom and Gayle Shook. Together with Eric, they share their journeys of finding Jesus, living and ministering in Mongolia, and how the Lord captured their hearts for refugees from all over the world. 

If you would like to learn more about what Tom and Gayle are doing these days, or find out more about Voice of the Refugees, you can reach out via email at thomasandgayle@gmail.com. You can also learn more about global missions at Calvary by visiting calvarylife.org/global. 

Life After Covid with Chuck Gustafson

When 2020 started, very few people knew what COVID-19 even was, let alone how greatly it would impact our regular way of life. For many, it meant a sudden halt to office life, school, and social calendars. But for some, like Chuck Gustafson, that impact was felt with life and death consequences. 

In this week's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Eric got to sit down with Chuck Gustafson and talk about life with Covid. Chuck shares the story of catching the virus, the Lord's generous faithfulness in healing him, and how he is using his story to share God's love with everyone he meets. 

You can now watch the Calvary Life Podcast, as well as just listen to it! Check us out on our YouTube page to watch all of this season's episodes.

Social Media Crash Course with Grace Wakeling

Is Facebook just for "old people" now? How harmful can Instagram be? And what exactly is TikTok, and how does it work?

In today's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Eric Wakeling sits down for a crash course in social media with the expert- his seventeen year old daughter Grace Wakeling. Together, they explore the details of what TikTok is, how Gen Z uses different social media platforms for different purposes, and even discuss some of the parental guidelines in the Wakeling home!

Safe Families and the Church with Karen Bergstrom

We're back with a brand new season of the Calvary Life Podcast! Kicking us off is a discussion with long-time Calvary member, clinical psychologist, and National Regional Director of Safe Families for Children Karen Bergstrom. 

Together, Eric and Karen talk about the crisis of unsafe environments for children in this unique season of quarantine, and how the Church is uniquely equipped to step up to meet the need. They explore how Karen's family of origin impacted her heart for serving children, what it means to be a "turkey thrower", and why we should avoid being ones!

If you'd like to join in with the mission of Safe Families, you can check out the Safe Families website at safe-families.org, or see the local ministries Calvary serves (including Safe Families) at calvarylife.org/local. 

We also have a brand-new feature of the Calvary Life Podcast- video! If you'd like to sneak a peek inside the studio, you can watch Eric and Karen in-person (and socially distanced) on our Youtube and Facebook pages.

How to Read the Bible with Craig Hill- Rebroadcast

How do you read the Bible? Isn't it just like any other book? It may seem like a silly question on its surface, but it has far-reaching implications. On today's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Eric is joined by pastor, professor, and biblical scholar Craig Hill to explore this very topic! 

Together, Craig and Eric discuss what it takes to read the Bible well, and how anyone can do it. They talk about studying the Bible vs reading it devotionally, the importance of approaching Scripture with humility, and how our culture and location can influence what we read in the biblical text. Craig also gives his recommendations for resources and tips to read the bible well.

If you are interested in any of the resources mentioned in this episode, or if you would like to discover others, check out the Corner Bookstore at Calvary on Sundays before and after the service, throughout the week, and at calvarylife.org/corner.

The Necessity of Cultural Conversations with Victor Milan

When the Bible calls us to consider others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), how does this influence how we have conversations about race and culture? Are we willing to risk feeling uncomfortable for the sake of understanding our brothers and sisters in Christ?

 

Calvary Church is a community that is Better Together. And while cultural differences bring depth and beauty to every group, they can also provide opportunity for misunderstandings, hurt, and division. 

 

In a continuation of last week's theme, Eric sits down with Victor Milan, one of Calvary's Hispanic Ministries pastors, to discuss racial justice and cultural diversity. They discuss how multitudes of small interactions can build up to big emotions, what it's like to not feel a sense of belonging to any one culture, and how a correct understanding of the Gospel is key to healing the woundings and bridging the gaps that can divide us all. 

 

If you'd like to learn more about Calvary's Hispanic ministries, visit them online here.

Racial Injustice with Courtnie Dowdy

Ahmed Arbery. George Floyd. These names have dominated headlines in the past weeks for the tragedy and injustices they suffered. So as believers, how do we respond? How are we called to act when we encounter racial discrimination and oppression? 

Today, Eric discusses this topic with Calvary's High School Pastor, Courtnie Dowdy. Together, they explore the idea and meaning of privilege, Courtnie's experience growing up as a black woman in predominantly white spaces, and what Jesus' life tells us about how we should respond to and work against racial injustice. 

If you would like to explore this topic further, check out the resources Courtnie and Eric discussed below: 

Books- I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Insider Outsider by Bryan Loritts

Accounts to Follow- Jackie Hill Perry: Instagram, Twitter; Bryan Loritts: Instagram, Twitter; Jo Saxton: Instagram, Twitter; Albert Tate: Instagram, Twitter

When to Submit to Government

When the United States government restricts the gathering of people, is that an infringement on our religious freedom? What do we do if we believe our government leaders are foolish and wrong? What does the Bible say about how to behave when those in authority over us are hard to respect? 

On this week's episode of the Calvary Life Podcast, Eric explores how we should consider our current circumstances as the Body of Christ- how we love the people we disagree with, submit to the government officials in authority over us, and protect our right to worship the Lord. In times as turbulent and challenging as these, it is vital we seek Biblical guidance on how to proceed in grace, truth, and love. 

If you would like to learn more about how Calvary is serving our community in this time, or if you would like to sign up to give or receive aid, visit us online at calvarylife.org/help and calvarylife.org/pantry.