Broken but Beautiful: Why Church is Still Worth It

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to his childhood friend Andy Polk, best remembered in the Conway house for mentoring J.P.'s youngest brother in track. Andy serves as a history professor at Middle Tennessee State University, specializing in religious history. Recently, Andy released the book "Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics, and the Making of an American Religion". In this thought provoking conversation, Andy encourages Christians to understand the manipulative tendencies of politics and the compromises often involved in the thirst for power.

In this episode, J.P. and Drue talk about the new book by Kelly Speck, "Hope in the Heartache: A Journey of Growth and Grace with a Special Needs Child." They discuss J.P.'s interview with Kelly and her husband Travis, a life long friend. They delve into the world of families with special needs and shed light on how to walk alongside the hurting while finding God's hope in this world.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to Melody Jones, the mother of one of his close friends. If you've spent 5 minutes with Melody, you feel like you've known her your entire life. She's a natural story teller with the courage to look for Jesus in every story, especially the hard ones. This episode contains references to physical abuse and domestic violence.

J.P. and Drue discuss recent (even surprising) social science research on the health benefits of faith community and practice.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to his friend Pieter Valk, a counselor and the director of Equip. They discuss how and why contemporary churches seem to cater to families and kids as well as the challenges singles face in church culture. Pieter shares thoughts on solutions, including the creation of the Nashville Family of Brothers.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to his longtime friend Namayo Kendrick, a math teacher and minister in Nashville. Namayo shares how church helped him grow as a person at a crucial time in his life. They explore how church can be a grace filled community that encourages moral development and spiritual maturity.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to his longtime friend Tom Carroll. Years ago, in the early 2000s, J.P. and Tom were part of a weekly Bible study/prayer group. They delve into a common issue - how do I process the good and bad of my childhood faith and find a way to return as an adult? Tom shares his experiences growing up in the Catholic Church, his time in agnosticism, and his later return to the Catholic Church.

In this episode, J.P. and Drue discuss a conversation J.P. had with his friend, Lindsey Krinks. She serves as a Street Chaplain with Open Table Nashville. She encourages us all to ask deep, hard questions about poverty and housing as we pursue faithfulness to Jesus. Earlier this year, Lindsey released a thought provoking book, "Praying with our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets."

Drue and J.P. reunite to reflect on season 1 and discuss the direction of season 2.

In this episode, Drue shares an interview with his former college professor and now good friend John Mark Hicks. They discuss how self-preservation creeps into the church, the importance of remembering our identity as “gospel-ed” people, and the beauty of what is happening when we gather together as God's people.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to his buddy Rob Reeves, a volunteer youth mentor who worked with J.P. at a former church. Rob talks about his long journey to Jesus by saying, “I came to the cross kicking and screaming.” He talks about some deep disappointment in a church experience yet demonstrates how that same church has been a source of incredible strength and faithfulness in his life.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to some beloved mentors, William and Alwanda Carothers. They discuss racism, hypocrisy, the importance of saying “I'm sorry”, how serving facilitates healing, and why sticking around is worth it.

In this episode, J.P. and Drue take a break from interviews to process this big question, “What is church?” If church is not building focused but relational focused, when does someone become church? As many pursue more organic and less traditional ways of doing Christian community, what can we learn?

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to a long time friend and mentor, Beth Stafford. They discuss the pain of church splits and the transformative power of relational hospitality.

In this episode, J.P. introduces Drue to some of his beloved mentors, Tommy and Becky Holland. They discuss the challenges of walking with others through deep pain, power plays, hypocrisy, belonging, kingdom identity, and the beauty of multi-ethnic churches.

Drue and J.P. explore how churches with thick cultures create social capital which helps everyone, not just the church herself. Then, they discuss how realistic expectations of "hard stuff in church" actually leads to growth. Finally, they offer four questions to ask when choosing a church.

Drue and J.P. discuss the unique expressions of beauty found in local churches. They explore the impact of open, weekly gatherings, intergenerational community, ethical accountability, and transnational identity.

Drue and J.P. discuss the cloud of suspicion and distrust around church. The path towards renewal must begin with repentance and confession of sin.

Join J.P. Conway and Drue Clark as we process both the brokenness and beauty of church life. New episodes coming in January.