Listening At the Fire

EPISODE 33: FSC SCREEN CLUB, FLEABAG LISTEN HERE PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS LIVE PANEL AUDIO. In the 33rd episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares the panel discussion she moderated during about the groundbreaking Amazon Prime/BBC series, Fleabag, created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Panelists include: Sarah Nawrocki, Director of Wealthy Theatre and Lydia VanHoven-Cook, co-founder of the Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival. Episodes of Listening at the Fire can be found at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. To donate to the Fountain Street Church podcast, visit fountainstreet.org/giving NOW AVAILABLE ON STITCHER, APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more info on rental opportunities or upcoming events, visit https://grcmc.org/theatre. Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Engineer/Post-Production: James Hughes Special thanks to: Sarah Nawrocki, Lydia VanHoven-Cook, Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival Discussion Google Slideshow can be found HERE Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the 32nd episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares the panel discussion she moderated during the 2019 Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival about the FX series, Pose, which highlights the ballroom scene in New York City, which gave birth to the art of drag performance as we know it today. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS LIVE PANEL AUDIO.  Panelists include: Sarah Nawrocki, Director of Wealthy Theatre; Carlos Garay-Negron, board member of the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation, and West Michigan drag performers Dia Elektra and Dice Santana. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Sarah Nawrocki, Dia Elektra, Dice Santana, Carlos Garay-Negron, Grand Rapids Trans Foundation, MI Drag Brunch, DisArt, and the Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.  

In the 31st episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares a conversation between Dr. Yusef Salaam (The Exonerated Five) and Professor Jermaine Reese, Director of the Police and Corrections Academy at GRCC. Dr. Salaam was the keynote speaker at the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held at Fountain Street Church on January 20, 2020. This event was produced in partnership with GRCC's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Grand Valley State University; and Davenport University. During this discussion, Dr. Salaam highlights: The power of messaging in conveying the realities of others The nuances of the Criminal Justice system Challenging historically archaic perceptions about persons of color within the context of police work The philosophy and importance of noble community policing practices   "In 1989 when Yusef Salaam was 15 years old, he was accused and convicted of attacking and raping a woman who was jogging in New York City’s Central Park. Salaam was one of five teenagers convicted of the crime; they collectively became known as the Central Park Five, and their lives were upended and changed forever.Their convictions were vacated in 2002 after spending between seven and thirteen years of their lives imprisoned. The unidentified DNA in the Central Park Jogger Case, unlinked to any of the five, had finally met its owner, a convicted murderer and serial rapist who confessed. The convictions of the boys, now men, were overturned, and they were

In the 30th episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares the panel discussion Sarah Nawrocki moderated from the FSC Screen Club event featuring the Netflix series, Stranger Things. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS LIVE PANEL AUDIO.  Panelists include: Shirley Griffin, Director of Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival; and Sarah Nawrocki, Director of the Wealthy Theatre; and Tony Griffin, Co-Founder of Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival. Support Thriller! Chiller! by visiting https://www.thrillerchiller.com/. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Sarah Nawrocki, Tony Griffin, Shirley Griffin, and Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.  

In the 29th episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares the panel discussion she moderated from the FSC Screen Club event featuring the Pop TV series, Schitt's Creek. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS LIVE PANEL AUDIO.  Panelists include: Thomas Pierce, Director of the Grand Rapids Pride Center; Shirley Griffin, Director of Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival; and Sarah Nawrocki, Director of the Wealthy Theatre. Support Grand Rapids Pride Center by visiting https://www.grpride.org/. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Sarah Nawrocki, Thomas Pierce, Shirley Griffin, The Grand Rapids Pride Center, and Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.  

In the third episode of Listening At the Fire Season 2, host Virginia Anzengruber embarks on a bit of a quest to narrow down a condensed history of modern-day Christmas by learning of its pagan roots from the team at 3 Pagans and a Cat Podcast, getting a bit of real-world testimonials from a professional Santa Claus, and getting an answer to the question: why is Christmas marketable year-round? with a conversation with the Vice President of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland -- the largest Christmas store in America that is open 361 days a year (and just so happens to be located in Frankenmuth, Michigan -- only a short drive away). We'll also hear a Christmas poem from our Senior Minister, Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden ("The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus" by Ogden Nash).   New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: 3 Pagans and a Cat Podcast, Maria Bronner Sutorik, Ned Rouse, and Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/ Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the second episode of Season 2 of Listening At the Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber sits down with Cate from This Podcast is Haunted, and her husband, writer Stephen Pell, to discuss the much loved animated series of their Christian youths -- VeggieTales.  They talk Christian culture, parables and how they're relevant regardless of faith practice, and how "Silly Songs With Larry" was as influential in shaping their senses of humor as Saturday Night Live or Weird Al Yankovic.  Show Notes:  Bible Man Feature Films For Families, "Rigoletto"    New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Cate at This Podcast is Haunted and Stephen Pell Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In Episode 1 of SEASON 2 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber brings you a CROSSOVER episode with our friends at the True Myth Media podcast. Michael and Seth asked Virginia to come on their show to talk about films that have had a spiritual impact on her and the first movie on deck is the Steven Spielberg/Robin Williams classic, Hook. Virginia, Michael, and Seth talk about the themes of: being seen, childhood evolving into adulthood, trust, and love. Coincidentally, this episode was recorded on the anniversary of Robin Williams' death this year, and the group analyzes the collective trauma the world felt upon news of the beloved comedian and actor's untimely death, and the impact one person can have on us as individuals and as a larger community. As always, if you'd like to support the show, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you'd like it to go to the continuation of this podcast.  *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre. Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Michael and Seth at True Myth Media.  Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.  

*This episode has live panel event audio. In Episode 25 of the Fountain Street Church podcast Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares the panel discussion from the Summer Screen Club event focusing on the Netflix TV series Orange Is The New Black. Created by Jenji Kohan and based on teh book by Piper Kerman, OITNB is a dramedy that takes a look at the lives of the women of Litchfield Correctional Facility, and the escalating injustices perpetrated by the privatized prison complex.  Virginia is joined by panelists Sarah Vesely (director of The Wealthy Theatre) and Shirley Griffin (co-founder of the Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival) to discuss the story theory, visual structure, and overall world of Orange Is The New Black.  You can get more info by visiting the Show Notes from this event.  Our nonprofit sponsor for this event was Citizens for Prison Reform, an organization whose "current focus is bringing unity, support and knowledge to families and supporters of prisoners, along with raising awareness among members of the Michigan legislature of the urgent need for reform of our current corrections system. The ongoing lack of oversight and accountability within the Michigan Department of Corrections, which has led to numerous human rights violations within the justice system needs to be addressed." You can support their organization by visiting http://www.micpr.org/donate.html and be sure to follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MICitizensforPrisonReform/. As always, if you'd like to support the show, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you'd like it to go to the continuation of this podcast.  *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Editor: James Hughes Special thanks to: Sarah Vesely and Shirley Griffin for their time and expertise in this panel event. Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In episode 24 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber sits down with members of the Fountain Street Church 150th Year Anniversary Committee: Todd Johnson, Judy Botts, Charlie Gallmeyer, and Ruth Stein to discuss their thoughts on the monumental task of planning a year's worth of events to celebrate our 150th Anniversary. There's also mention of our very special 150th Anniversary Grand Celebration Street Party, taking place on Sunday, September 15th, on Library Pl. just outside of Fountain Street Church. For more information, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/fsc150. Special thanks to James Hughes for the mixing/mastering of this episode.  As always, if you'd like to support the show, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you'd like it to go to the continuation of this podcast.  *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre.   Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Mixing/Mastering: James Hughes Special thanks to: Todd Johnson, Judy Botts, Charlie Gallmeyer, and Ruth SteinTheme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In Episode 23 of Listening At The Fire, the podcast from Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, host Virginia Anzengruber takes a deeper look at the homelessness and housing insecurity crisis facing America, and the Housing First model of approaching that crisis. Virginia speaks with Rev. Kelly VanBrouwer, Associate Director of Heartside Ministry in Grand Rapids, "a relationship-based social service agency that has provided for our neighbors in the Heartside area for over 35 years. Strong partnerships and collaborations with other community agencies help us to create a safe, vibrant and opportunity-rich community." Virginia also speaks with Jeffrey King, Director of Advancement and Communication at Community Rebuilders, a nonprofit organization based in Grand Rapids that is committed to the model of Housing First in their advocacy, that works with state and local agencies to end homelessness in West Michigan.  Lastly, Virginia speaks with James McNorton, one of the many homeless congregants of Fountain Street Church, to hear about a pilot project he is developing in partnership with FSC, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and Heartside Ministry -- comfort kits and resource packets for those who are newly experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. If you are interested in donating to James' Comfort and Resource Project, please reach out to Virginia at VAnzengruber@fountainstreet.org or visit fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you would like it to go to James' project.  To learn more about housing insecurity in America, please visit https://www.hud.gov/ -- the national website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Please consider donating financially to Heartside Ministries, Community Rebuilders, and if you're unable to donate monetary resources, please consider donating your time and energy into advocacy for those who need it most.    As always, if you'd like to support the show, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you'd like it to go to the continuation of this podcast.  *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Wealthy Theatre. A proud service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, Wealthy Theatre is a beautifully restored historic landmark, upgraded with state of the art technology. Originally opened in 1911, Wealthy Theatre is now a community venue and free speech platform that is home to a diverse range of stage productions, concerts, movie screenings and more. With two traditional auditoriums as well as dance studios and meeting rooms, the Community Media Center’s Wealthy Theatre is equipped to host a wide variety of events. For more information on rental opportunities or upcoming events, please visit https://grcmc.org/theatre. Episode Credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Rev. Kelly VanBrouwer, Jeffrey King, and James McNorton Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In episode 22 of Listening At the Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber moderates another panel discussion from our Summer Screen Club series - this time focusing on the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, this series focuses on a dystopian future where a tyrannical religious government relegates women to class systems that force them to bare children for government officials.  Virginia is joined by panelists Sarah Vesely (director of The Wealthy Theatre) and Shirley Griffin (co-founder of the Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival) to discuss the story theory, visual structure, and overall world of The Handmaid's Tale.  Unfortunately, some audio issues prevented the entire session from recording, so you will hear a bit of a jump in topics, but if you'd like to follow along with some of what was discussed in the gap of missed audio, please find the slideshow and panel notes here: Show Notes. As always, if you'd like to support the show, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/giving and specify in your donation that you'd like it to go to the continuation of this podcast.  *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. Planned Parenthood of Michigan: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-michigan Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Sarah Vesely and Shirley Griffin for their time and expertise in this panel event. Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In episode 21 of Listening At The Fire, the podcast from Fountain Street Church, host Virginia Anzengruber sat down with Rev. Christopher Roe (Minister for Spiritual Life and Learning), Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden (Senior Minister), and Jack Woller (Executive Director) to have a roundtable discussion about the challenges of an independent church in 2019.    Church decline statistics: https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/517785/ https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/attendance-at-religious-services/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/what-should-america-do-its-empty-church-buildings/576592/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/religious-participation-survey/496940 https://www.apnews.com/f15241378057486ea437cad490a2ed67   Free Yoga classes at FSC Wednesday evenings through EmbodyGR: https://www.feelbetterdogood.org/ FSC Screen Club events: https://www.fountainstreet.org/screen-club FSC Book Club and Social Events: https://www.fountainstreet.org/interest-groups To reach out to Virginia regarding ads on Listening At The Fire, please email: VAnzengruber@fountainstreet.org for more information.   *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Rev. Christopher Roe, Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden, and Jack Woller for their time and energy in the making of this episode. Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Brain" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In Episode 20 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares an edited panel discussion from the first of our Summer Screen Club events focusing on Shrill - the hilarious and poignant series on Hulu starring Aidy Bryant - based on the novel "Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman" by Lindy West.  One night each month this Summer, Fountain Street Church will host a panel discussion featuring regional non-profit organizations, and film & television experts to dissect, analyze, and discuss some of today’s most thought-provoking TV shows. All Summer Screen Club events are free and open to the public. You watch the shows at your own pace, on your own schedule. Once a month we will meet to talk about them. It’s like a book club that you can binge watch. The Summer Screen Club is presented as part of Fountain Street Church's new education initiative: The Learning Commons. To find out more about The Learning Commons, please visit: hhttps://www.facebook.com/TheLearningCommonsAtFSC. Panelists for this event include Sarah Vesely, Director of the Wealthy Theatre; and Lydia VanHoven-Cook, Co-Founder of The Grand Rapids Feminist Film Festival and Board Member of Better Body Image Conference (our non-profit sponsor for this event). Special thanks to our media sponsor for this series: Grand Rapids Community Media Center, who are committed to broadening media literacy in West Michigan and beyond. To find out more about all of these organizations, please check out the links below! GR Community Media Center: https://grcmc.org/ Better Body Image Conference: https://www.betterbodyimageconference.com/ GR Feminist Film Festival: https://www.grfff.org/ For more information on future Summer Screen Club events (all FREE and open to the public, and hosted at Fountain Street Church), please visit: https://www.fountainstreet.org/screen-club.  

In Episode 19 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber illuminates the history of the show's title, which is borrowed from a book of poetry that was published at Fountain Street Church in 1998.  Virginia reads the preface, by editor Linda Rosenthal, and then invites you to listen to a selection of poems from this book, read by current Fountain Street Church members and staff -- many of whom are poets themselves.  A massive thank you to our readers: Meredith Bradley, Jean Reed Bahle, Danny Heck, Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden, Nessa McCasey, and Neil Kaufman. The list of poems read in the episode is below: "The Squirrels in Loring Park" by Sherryl Acey (read by Meredith Bradley) "Attitude" by Barbara N. Amberg (read by Danny Heck) "Donna" by Virginia Minor Rankin (read by Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden) "Working with Words" by Beth Sanders (read by Nessa McCasey) "To the Beach" by Ralph K. Rye (read by Jean Reed Bahle) "Wet on Wet" by Virginia Braley (read by Neil Kaufman) "Retro-Life" by Marion H. Smith (read by Meredith Bradley) "The Dragonfly" by Sarah A. Borisch (read by Danny Heck) "October 25th Thanksgiving in Grenada, West India" by Virginia Minor Rankin (read by Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden) "Like Dorothy" by Gail Rutgers (read by Nessa McCasey) "On the Fringes" by Beth Sanders (read by Jean Reed Bahle) "Felis Domestica" by Patricia Clark (read by Neil Kaufman) "Before You Can Let Go" by Meredith Bradley "Still Births" by Ted Damstra (read by Danny Heck) "For Dian (My Sister)" by Gail Rutgers (read by Nessa McCasey) "Grace" by Beth Sanders (read by Jean Reed Bahle) "Y'all" by Neil Kaufman "Snow" by Lauren Farrar, Age 10 (read by Danny Heck) "The Peace I Need" by Nessa McCasey "Fear and Invisibility" by Neil Kaufman "Does the Loving Do Us Any Good?" by Nessa McCasey "Educating You Strength to Yourself" by Neil Kaufman "Right to Own Your Life" by Nessa McCasey "The Rear View" by Jean Reed Bahle   Connect with the many poetry groups available for participation at Fountain Street Church: Spiritual Expressions: contact Nessa McCasey at poetnessa@gmail.com Join Nessa in a safe, healing writing group. This workshop does not require that you have writing skills or experience; rather, Nessa brings prompts to encourage discussion and personal expression (as a journal entry, memoir or an essay, even a list of words). There is no judgment or critique of writings. Each participant may choose to share or keep private their writings. She models positive responses which tend to inspire a love-fest of creative expression; she has worked with many people who have found the pleasure of their own wellbeing through creativity. As a certified poetry therapist, Nessa McCasey works with individuals, couples, and groups to facilitate their writing in a healing manner. Poetry therapy is part of the expressive arts in Healing (as are music therapy, arts therapy, etc.). She is a mentor with--and the past Director of--the International Academy for Poetry Therapy, an education/training organization for the field of poetry therapy/therapeutic writing. A graduate of the University of Michigan in English, she offers courses (including online) in poetic forms, poetry as healing, writing through life's transitions, creative coaching/problem-solving. Suggested donation of $15. https://fscspiritualexpressions.wordpress.com Friday Morning Poetry Group: contact Louisa Nally at pnally@comcast.net Poet Neil Kaufman can be found at: https://thefolktransformer.bandcamp.com/

In Episode 18 of Listening At the Fire, the podcast from Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, host Virginia Anzengruber invites Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden to share a travel log story from his most recent pilgrimage -- this time to Cape Town, South Africa. Fred regales us on his somewhat perilous guided journey up Table Mountain, his visit to the National Museum, and his musings on why travel is part of his spiritual process.  For more information on Table Mountain, please visit: https://www.tablemountain.net/ and https://www.capetown.travel/explore-cape-towns-iconic-table-mountain/ and https://tablemountainnationalpark.org/.  If you enjoy this episode, please leave us some feedback -- we'd love to potentially make some of Fred's travel logs a bit of a recurring series on the podcast.    Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor/Sound Recordist: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to: Rev. Dr. Fred Wooden for sharing his journey. Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "In My Mind" is available on Spotify, and her single "Blurry Now" is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.  

In Episode 17 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber shares excerpts from Fountain Street Church's First Annual PRIDE Celebration that was held on June 2nd.  To watch the entire service, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwF9OdMlZK8 Special thanks to our A/V Coordinator Danny Heck and the entire PRIDE Celebration steering committee, all of our speakers, performers, and musicians for lending their time, talents, and stories to this beautiful celebration. As Danny said during the service, "To the allies in the room, I have a suggestion: understand your privilege -- it informs your every move. Allyship is not an achievement. It's a lifelong endeavor towards battling oppression. And it's a growing process that takes a lifetime to cultivate. For the queers in the room: let's reclaim the life and liberty that has always rightfully been ours, and finally be free to pursue our happiness together."   Drag Performance of "This is Me" by Dia Elektra: https://www.instagram.com/dia.elektra/ Performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Amber Kilpatrick, Mark Lavengood and Dutcher Snedeker:  https://www.facebook.com/AmberKilpatrickYoga/  https://www.facebook.com/marklavengoodmusic/   Thank you to the sponsor organizations for this event. Please follow their links below to find out how you can participate in community and be a supporting ally: Grand Rapids Pride Center: https://www.grpride.org/ Grand Rapids Trans Foundation: https://grtransfoundation.org/ Free Mom Hugs Michigan: https://www.facebook.com/FreeMomHugsMichigan/ Arbor Circle: https://arborcircle.org/ Drag Brunch Grand Rapids: https://www.facebook.com/DragBrunchGR/ HQ Grand Rapids: https://hqgr.org/ Red Project: https://redproject.org/

In Episode 16 of Listening At The Fire, the podcast from Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we take another look at the last 2 weeks of Sunday 11AM sermons from our Minister of Spiritual Life and Learning, Rev. Christopher Roe.  As we pay homage to our historic 150 years of Fountain Street Church programming, Rev. Roe challenges us to not only accept and embrace the anxiety we feel in the transitional nature of year 151 and beyond; but in part 2 of his series, offers up a true alternative future of Spiritual Life and Learning opportunities at FSC, West Michigan and beyond: The Learning Commons at Fountain Street Church.  NPR article about Allendale, MI Public Schools fight for sexual education: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/01/706944327/when-the-conversation-doesnt-include-you-lgbtq-sex-ed-in-a-small-town   Church decline statistics: https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/517785/ https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/attendance-at-religious-services/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/what-should-america-do-its-empty-church-buildings/576592/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/religious-participation-survey/496940 https://www.apnews.com/f15241378057486ea437cad490a2ed67   More information will be released about The Learning Commons in the coming weeks and months. Be sure to follow Fountain Street Church on all of our social media channels, and stay up-to-date with all of the latest news at fountainstreet.org.    *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Monday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Recordist: Conor Bardallis Special thanks to: Rev. Christopher Roe for his challenging words Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In episode 15 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber hosts a roundtable discussion on the phenomenon of Parasocial Relationships and the grief associated when those relationships end. Specifically, the discussion revolves around our relationships to fictional characters, namely those featured in Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and a few examples of real-life individuals whose deaths deeply affected us. Parasocial Relationships as defined by Oxford Reference: http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100305809  This discussion features: Cate from This Podcast is Haunted, Michael McDonald from True Myth Media Podcast, and FSC's own A/V Coordinator (and producer of a forthcoming Star Wars narrative podcast) Danny Heck!  *TURN UP YOUR VOLUME ON THIS ONE! *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at noon at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Recordist: Danny Heck Special thanks to: Cate, Michael, and Danny! Find out more about them below! This Podcast is Haunted: https://www.facebook.com/ThisPodcastIsHaunted/ True Myth Media Podcast: https://www.truemythmedia.com/ Danny Heck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedannyheck Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube. Articles used for research of this episode:  https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-our-make-believe-relationships-with-celebrities-shape-our-social-lives https://www.popsci.com/mourning-fictional-characters http://time.com/3834589/grief-counselor-mourn-fictional-character-death/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140807121527.htm

In episode 14 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber explores some of the history of dynamic concerts at Fountain Street Church that started in the 1960s. She speaks to concert organizer and long time FSC member Carolyn Heines, and she sits down with West Michigan music legend Randy Marsh, drummer for the band Phlegethon, who opened for The Byrds when they performed their sold out shows at Fountain Street Church.  Be sure to check out our LIMITED EDITION reprints of 5 classic FSC concerts past, including: BB King, Dave Brubeck, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. You can purchase one of the hand-numbered limited edition prints at https://www.fountainstreet.org/shop.    http://www.westmichmusichystericalsociety.com/fsc-2/   *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at noon at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, and most podcast apps and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Recordist: James Hughes Special thanks to: Carolyn Heines, Randy Marsh, and the FSC Archives Committee.  Music in the episode: "Prelude to an Odyssey" by Phlegethon   Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and is featured in the newest season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In episode 13 of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to have a conversation with Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, the founder of the nonprofit organization Queer Clergy Trading Cards (http://queerclergytradingcards.org/), whose work in Queering the Church is a powerful example of the work that churches and bodies of faith should be doing today. Her dissertation on Queeering Proclamation within the global church takes Queer Theory in conversation with Critical Race Theory and Homiletical (preaching) Theory -- and how it all "weaves together to create a condition of possibility for the word entering the world itself to be queered, and to queer what comes around. How is the way we talk about the gospel transforming ourselves and transforming lives, even outside the institutional context of church?"  Rev. Dr. Chris Davies mentions: Anna Carter Florence (Preaching as Testimony), Bishop Yvette Flunder (Community of Radical Inclusion), and John McClure.   *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at noon at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube. Special Thanks to Rev. Dr. Chris Davies. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.    

In Episode 12 of Listening At The Fire, Virginia Anzengruber talks to Dr. Rev. Fred Wooden, Lead Minister at Fountain Street Church, about a series he's working through at the pulpit, "Lenten Practices for Liberals and Other Heretics" - Lent is a time of practice for religious individuals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t partake in some practices for yourself. Fred walks through 15 alternative options for non-religious and non-traditional Lent practitioners, including: keeping a diary, observing a sound fast, and writing a letter by hand. We explore traditions of Jewish, Nazarite, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian traditions, and Fred elaborates on the organic connection between spirit and body that transcends any religion or belief, and the importance of feeling centered and present in that spirit through action and meditative practice.   *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at noon at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber "Lenten Practices for Liberals and Other Heretics" : Dr. Rev. Fred Wooden posts 1 & 2:  Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the 11th episode of Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber takes listeners through a female-centric episode in honor of International Women's Day. We look at women-focused service projects that Fountain Street Church is involved with, including the FSC Choice Fund and The Hygiene Project. Virginia illuminates a short and incomplete list of just some of the incredible women who have graced Fountain Street Church over the last 150 years, and we hear from FSC Governing Board Member and Women's Association Member Katie Reilly Mitchell, who reads us the essay she wrote for the March 2019 edition of the FSC magazine, The Chimes, on A Brief History of the Women's Association at Fountain Street Church.  If you are listening to this on premier day - #InternationalWomensDay - then you have time to join us for our special Women's History Service on March 10th, which will have a sole focus on the incredible and irreplaceable impact that women have had on our history.    *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at noon at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber "A Brief History of the FSC Women's Association" written and recited by: Katie Reilly Mitchell Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the tenth episode of Listening at the Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber moderates a conversation with celebrated sex educator and speaker Zoë Ligon about her relationship to sexuality, trauma, healing, and spirituality -- and the tension points in her life that connect them all. An audience Q&A session followed. Connect with her at zoe@spectrumboutique.com Zoë Ligon is the owner of Spectrum Boutique in Detroit, Michigan. She is the host of the "Sex Stuff" series on SuperDeluxe, is a freelance collaborator with TIME, Refinery29, and Yahoo Style (among others), and her Instagram profile (@thongria) has over 210k followers and is growing daily.   EPISODE NOTES: “Sex Stuff” Series on YouTube from SuperDeluxe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iFNXkJhuA Queer Clergy Trading Cards, by Rev. Dr. Chris Davies: http://queerclergytradingcards.org/ Peterson Toscano, “Transfigurations: Transgressing Gender in the Bible”: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/transfigurations.html? - DVD via Barclay Press http://a.co/d/huIiuPD - Amazon digital video   Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors Alternate Translation: Genesis 37, 39-45 The Hebrew word (I said Greek in the recording -- it’s Hebrew!) for “robe” or “coat” here is “Ketonit Passim” (Genesis 37:3) The only other time this phrase for robe is present in the Old Testament is in 2 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 13 tells the story of Tamar, King David’s daughter, who was raped. In her mourning, she rent her garment/tore her dress. The Greek word for “dress” here is “Ketonit Passim” or simply, a “princess dress” (2 Samuel 13: 18-19) If we take this interpretation (which, it has to be at least one possible interpretation, because it’s there in the text), and apply it to the Joseph story, it is possible that Joseph’s brothers attacked him and tore his robe because there was something transgressive about the clothing he was wearing -- perhaps he was wearing a “princess dress”?   Sex Education Resources and Educators: Ericka Hart: https://www.instagram.com/ihartericka/?hl=en Rachel Cargle: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/?hl=en Layla F. Saad: https://www.instagram.com/laylafsaad/?hl=en J. Mase III, poet, “Josephine” & “Reconciling my Queer Faith”: https://www.instagram.com/jmaseiii/?hl=en | https://bit.ly/2EoYoeJ Red Hot Suz: https://www.redhotsuz.com/ Carly S: https://twitter.com/makeupandsin?lang=en Crash Pad Series, Queer Sexuality: http://crashpadseries.com/ “Romans 1:18-32 amidst the gay debate: Interpretive options” by Jeremy Punt, Department of Old & New Testament, University of Stellenboch: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/hts/article/viewFile/41234/8622 Open Path Therapy Collective: with $49 joining fee and sliding scale ($30-$60 per session), works without insurance: https://openpathcollective.org/ WOCSHN: Woman of Color Sexual Health Network, database of health professionals doing internet based treatment http://www.wocshn.org/ AASECT: American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors, and Therapists https://www.aasect.org/ “Inside the Scam of The Purity Movement”, https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a26026217/sexual-abstinence-joshua-harris-purity-movement-scam/   *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church. New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast. Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Guest Speaker: Zoë Ligon, owner of Spectrum Boutique https://spectrumboutique.com/ Special Thanks To: Rev. Dr. Chris Davies for providing research and source material, and especially for responding to me while on vacation. Be sure to check out Queer Clergy Trading Cards at http://queerclergytradingcards.org/ Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the ninth episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening At The Fire, host Virginia Anzengruber takes a deeper look at the longstanding practice of Reverence for Life Sunday, which originally began as Albert Schweitzer Day.  Born in the Alsace-Lorraine, Germany in 1875, the son of a Lutheran pastor, Albert Schweitzer is noted as a medical doctor; a theologian, philosopher and minister; a writer and humanitarian; a Nobel Peace Prize winner; an organist; a scholar on the life of Jesus Christ; a missionary; and someone who influenced something called the Organ Reform Movement (more info on that HERE). Schweitzer's philosophy of Reverence for Life garnered him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.  Virginia examines Fountain Street Church's longstanding history and relationship with Dr. Schweitzer, and see how this practice of honoring all life and the will to live has evolved since the very first Albert Schweitzer Day at FSC in 1948.    *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Voice Actors (in order): Stephen Pell, Scott Pell Excerpt from sermon by Rev. Duncan Littlefair, "Is Albert Schweitzer A Christian?" made available through the tireless efforts of our Digital Archivist, Dick Wood.  Watch the entire 2018 Reverence for Life Sunday Service on YouTube HERE.  Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the eighth episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber shares the Summer Series "sermon" that she gave ths past summer. She spoke on her journey to joining FSC as staff (Florida by way of working in Hollywood); the pains of leaving a community you were raised in; and the joys of being able to connect with a NEW idea of a "religious experience" -- one which Protestant Theologist Friedrich Schleiermacher calls an "intuition of the infinite." Watch all Summer Series Speakers on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SzfI7hqO5VI *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the seventh episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber digs into the history of our immense pipe organ, affectionately known as Catherine the Great. Interviews include our volunteer historian (and Archival Engineer) Dick Wood, and then a conversation our senior minister Fred Wooden had with our long time Music Director and Organist, Marilyn Ossentjuk.  Marilyn tells us a little bit about her relationship to this magnificent instrument, and teaches us some Organ 101 -- an plays some incredible live music too! Read more about this incredible pipe organ in an article from longtime FSC member (and current FSC Governing Board member) Carol Kooistra in the October 2018 edition of our monthly magazine The Chimes, HERE. This is the first in a series of episodes that will publish throughout 2019 celebrating our 150th Anniversary as a church. To find out more about our 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 2019, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/fsc150 *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.    New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Interviews: Dick Wood, Dr. Rev. Fred Wooden, Marilyn Ossentjuk Music: "Now Thank We All Our God" played by Carlo Curley (with Bev Howerton); "Ride of the Valkyries" played and arranged by Carlo Curley.  Additional live music: Marilyn Ossentjuk Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the sixth episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber hosts a roundtable year in review of 2018 with FSC Executive Director Jack Woller, and Education Director Christopher Roe to recount some of their most memorable moments of 2018 and look forward to incredible things in 2019! To find out more about our 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 2019, please visit https://www.fountainstreet.org/fsc150 *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast   NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the fifth episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber takes a look at Summer Services at Fountain Street Church. We hear a sermon selection from Beverly Drake, a former Fountain Streeter. Beverly preaches hard on the greatest commandment of LOVE. We take a look at that in the spirit of a pluralist church, using Biblical scripture to contextualize this as the greatest directive we've been given by god.   We hear from: Beverly Drake, and her full service can be found HERE via YouTube. All of our services can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/fountainstreetchurch/videos *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast   NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES, and always at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast.   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber A/V Technician: Conor Bardallis Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.

In the fourth episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber takes a look at Character School at Fountain Street Church. We explore how this "Sunday School alternative" came to be in practice at FSC, including its inception in the 1950s, when Fountain Street Church participated in the Union College Character Research Project, headed by psychologist Dr. Ernest M. Ligon.  We hear from: Dr. Rev. Fred Wooden, Evie Bowers, Katie Reilly Mitchell, Rev. Christopher Roe. Oh, and Eleanor Roosevelt. (Trust us, you don't want to miss this.) ​ *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  ​ Articles cited in this episode/used in research: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/98259145/ [article cited from hard copy source made available through the Fountain Street Church Archives]   New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast   NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES!   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber A/V Technician: Conor Bardallis Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Special thanks to Callie Cherry for her research support for this episode.  Letter from Eleanor Roosevelt provided by the Fountain Street Church Archives. Special thanks to Archives Department members Phyllis Penny and Vickie Bergers for their ongoing support and dedication.  Music from the episode provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com/ Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube. 

In the third episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber examines a visit from famed American Suffragette Susan B. Anthony to Fountain Street Church (then Fountain Street Baptist Church) in 1899. The discussion includes a look back through the FSC archives; a conversation with President of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, Gina Bivens; a re-enactment of one of TIME Magazine's Top 10 Speeches of All Time; and a look at 2018 Midterm Election CNN exits polls, and what they show us about the continued trend of white female voters voting against the interests of intersectional feminism.  Special thanks to Gina Bivins, Jean Bahle, Jack Woller, Stephen Pell, and Catie Rose for lending their voices and voice talents to this episode. *The views of the host are not necessarily the views of Fountain Street Church.  Articles cited in this episode/used in research: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/georgia-governor-kemp-abrams/575095/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/28/opinion/sunday/suffrage-movement-racism-black-women.html https://www.pewtrusts.org/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/09/04/polling-places-remain-a-target-ahead-of-november-elections https://www.cnn.com/election/2018/exit-polls/texas https://www.cnn.com/election/2018/exit-polls/georgia https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/texas-voter-id-law-women-vote https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/07/politics/stacey-abrams-brian-kemp-georgia-governors-race/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/news_women_in_congress?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_source=facebook https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/25/texas-voter-id-supreme-court-decision https://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/jun/25/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-obama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act_of_1965#cite_note-86    New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES!   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber A/V Technician: Conor Bardallis Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Susan B. Anthony voice actor: Jean Bahle  Grand Rapids Herald voice actor: Jack Woller Fountain St. Church bulletin voice actor: Stephen Pell Music from the episode provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com/ Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.   

In the second episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber examines a sermon from 1949 in which Rev. Duncan Littlefair addressed the congregation as a "Rabble Church." We look at how that applies to our current Senior Minister Fred Wooden and explore the idea of Objectivity vs. Impartiality.   We discover that our illustrious history of ministers spoke at length and with vigor about action, during great times of war and turmoil in our country; and our current ministers lead by example, in a time when people are craving more authenticity and transparency from their leadership.  The discussion includes: Senior Minister Dr. Rev. Fred Wooden, Virginia Anzengruber, with archival footage from the sermon "Our Political Problems" by Rev. Duncan Littlefair, June 5th, 1949. Full text of that sermon can be found here.  Archival footage made available due to the tireless efforts of our Archival Engineer, Dick Wood.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES!   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Engineer: Conor Bardallis Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Archival Engineer: Dick Wood Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.   

In the debut episode of the Fountain Street Church podcast, Listening at the Fire, Virginia Anzengruber hosts a roundtable discussion on the function of church in 2018; what the mission of an independent, pluralist church is (or what we hope it can be); and everyone's best memories of working for this 149-year old organization.  The discussion includes: Senior Minister Fred Wooden, Associate Minister Jason Hubbard, and Executive Director Jack Woller III.  New episodes of Listening at the Fire will release every other Friday at https://www.fountainstreet.org/podcast   Episode credits: Producer/Host: Virginia Anzengruber Sound Engineer: Conor Bardallis Editor: Virginia Anzengruber Theme song: "Alone Again" by Kingsbury. Her new song "Blurry Now" is available on Spotify, and the new music video for "All Gone" is now on YouTube.