Podcast appearances and mentions of ken wytsma

KEN WYTSMA, Founding Pastor / Seventh Sunday of Easter / 1 John 5.9-21

Ken Wytsma discusses his journey from being a high-achieving leader to one slowed down by chronic illness and how this has made him relook at his identity. Throughout this conversation, Ken shares a lot of wisdom gained from doing pastoral and justice work for decades, including how to go at a sustainable pace. Ken is a pastor, entrepreneur, and thought-leader. He is the founder of The Justice Conference, which has reached over thirty thousand people across eleven countries with a message on a theology of justice and God's call to give our lives away. Ken is also the author of Pursuing Justice, The Grand Paradox, Create vs. Copy, Redeeming How We Talk, The Myth of Equality, which was named as one of the Top-Five Religion Books of 2017 by Publishers Weekly. www.kenwytsma.com   You can also watch the podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ih_pqKd-1us   Flip Side Notes: Join an upcoming Beyond the Battle online group at www.beyondthebattle.net   Support Flip Side sponsor Angry Brew by using promo code FLIP at angrybrew.com or fivelakes.com to pick up some Angry Brew or Chris' Blend coffee at 10% off.   Get a free month of Covenant Eyes at www.covenanteyes.com using promo code BEYOND   Get a free month of Accountable2You keyword accountability: a2u.app/beyond (do not use “www”)   Support the show and get some sweet swag by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/noahfilipiak – includes exclusive access to email the show and request topics.

Summary:  In this episode, we review the many ways we fail to love ourselves, through self-hatred and through indifference toward ourselves.  We discuss the ways that unlove for self manifests itself, contrasting a lack of love with ordered self-love through the lens of Bernard Brady's five characteristics of love.  We discuss the impact of a lack of self-love on your body.  I then invite you into an experiential exercise to get to know a part of you that is not loving either another part of you or your body.   Lead-In “Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie--Dust unto dust--The calm, sweet earth that mothers all who dieAs all men must; Mourn not your captive comrades who must dwell--Too strong to strive--Within each steel-bound coffin of a cell,Buried alive; But rather mourn the apathetic throng--The cowed and the meek--Who see the world's great anguish and its wrongAnd dare not speak!”― Ralph Chaplin, Bars And Shadows Intro I am Dr. Peter Malinoski, clinical psychologist and passionate Catholic and this is the Interior Integration for Catholics Podcasts, coming to you from the Souls and Hearts Studio in Indianapolis, Indiana.   This podcast is all about bringing you the best of psychology and human formation and harmonizing it with the perennial truths of the Catholic Faith.  In this Interior Integration for Catholics podcast, we take the most important human formation issues head on, without trepidation, without hesitation -- we don't mince words as we directly address with the most important concerns in the natural realm, the absolute central issues that we need to address with all of our energy and all of our resources.   We have been working through a series on trauma and well-being -- starting with episode 88.  In the last episode, episode 96, I Am a Rock: How Trauma Hardens us Against Being Loved -- we discussed the impact of trauma on us accepting love from others, including God.   In this episode, we're addressing how trauma sets us up to refuse to love ourselves.  Welcome to Episode 97 of Interior Integration for Catholics, titled "Unlove of Self:  How Trauma Predisposes You to Self-Hatred and Indifference"  It's released on September 5, 2022.   It is so good to be with you, thank you for listening in and for being together with me once again.  I'm glad we are here and that we are exploring the great unlove of self.   The great unlove for self -- like the uncola ads from 7-UP in the late 60s throughout the 70s and 80, even into the late 90s. What does unlove of self mean -- OK, I get it that it's refusing to love myself -- but what does that mean?   You might tell me that if I don't love myself, then I am hating myself.   All right.  Let's go with that.  Let's explore self-hatred and self-loathing  Define self-hatred Self-hatred is hatred directed toward oneself rather than toward others  Verywellmind.com article titled "Self-loathing" by Jodi Clarke, a licensed professional counselor  Self-loathing, or self-hatred, is extreme criticism of oneself. It may feel as though nothing you do is good enough or that you are unworthy or undeserving of good things in life. Self-hate can feel like having a person following you around, all day every day, criticizing you and pointing out every flaw, or shaming you for every mistake.   Brennan Manning  In my experience, self-hatred is the dominant malaise crippling Christians and stifling their growth in the Holy Spirit. Not sure I agree with that -- depends on the definitions.  Shame and the fear of shame overwhelming the self are such drivers of self hatred.   Angel Ploetner, Who Am I? Dissociative Identity Disorder Survivor “Shame plays a huge part in why you hate who you are.” Shame is so central  Check out episodes 37 to 49 of this podcast for a whole series on shame.    Eric Hoffer It is not love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world. Basil W. Maturin  We never get to love by hate, least of all by self-hatred.  Lori Deschene  “We can't hate ourselves into a version of ourselves we can love.” The primary way we hate ourselves -- for parts of you to hate other parts of you.  I am talking about intra-psychic hatred.  Hatred within you, for you, by you.   IFS description of the self Reference Episode 71: A New and Better Way of Understanding Myself and Others  Definition of Parts:  Parts are like separate, independently operating personalities within you, each with own unique prominent needs, roles in your life, emotions, body sensations, guiding beliefs and assumptions, typical thoughts, intentions, desires, attitudes, impulses, interpersonal style, and world view.  Each part also has a different attitude or position toward other parts of you and different beliefs and assumptions about your body.  Robert Falconer calls these parts insiders.   Like in the movie Inside Out.  Your parts have different roles within your self-system.   Your parts have a very narrow, limited vision when they are not in right relationship with your innermost self.  Each of your parts usually has a strong agenda, something that they trying to accomplish, some good that that part is seeking for you.    Polarizations  Examples of polarizations in the most recent weekly reflection -- The Counterfeits of Self-Giving from August 31,2022.  How parts get polarized around the idea of giving of self Compliant surrenderer vs. feisty protector  Self-sacrificer vs. rebel  Check that out.   Bessel van der Kolk, in his excellent book "The Body Keeps the Score" devotes all of chapter 17 to Internal Family Systems.  Very accessible book, I've recommended it before to many non-clinicians.  There's a reason it has been the top selling book on trauma for the last seven years running.  A book like that comes around once in a generation.  In 1992, It was Judith Herman's seminal book Trauma and Recovery.  23 years later, it was The Body Keeps the Score.   To examine Unlove, we are going to contrast unloving with loving.  Let's review the five general characteristics of love -- from Bernard Brady, his 2003 Christian Love: How Christians through the Ages have Understood Love.-- drawing heavily from the work of Christian phenomenologists.  I introduced his five characteristics of in Episode 94, The Primacy of Love and I expanded on them in Episode 95 Trauma's Devastating Impact on our Capacity to Love.  Love is affective, love is affirming, love is responsive, love is unitive, love is steadfast.  Those are the five characteristics of love that Bernard Brady distilled from his historical review of how Christians have seen love through the ages.  Love is affective, love is affirming, love is responsive, love is unitive, love is steadfast.  So let's break down what happens when one part of you is hating another part of you.   Love is affective -- love is emotional Love rejoices in the beloved -- Protestant Theologian R.H. Neibuhr writes in his 1977  By love, we mean at least these attitudes and actions: rejoicing in the presence of the beloved, gratitude, reverence, and loyalty toward him.  p.35   Many positive emotions are associated with love Delight, Bliss, Happiness  A sense of fulfillment  Warmth, appreciation   What does hatred or loathing for another part look like?  How do parts hate each other? Self hatred is also affective -- it's also emotional.  But in a very different way that ordered self-love is.   Disgust regarding the another part  Anger toward another part  Contempt for the body -- anger + disgust = contempt  Example:  Let's say there is a fearful part of you that is very frightened of public speaking – of making presentations in front of other people. And now, for your work, you are required to make an important presentation in front of your supervisors and more senior executives within your company. Another part of you, your perfectionistic part, has led you to rehearse your presentation, to the point where you almost have it memorized. Your last performance in front of your bedroom mirror was so good. But now, in front of your audience, your fearful part locks you up. You find yourself stuttering, stammering, and your inner critic is a railing in hatred against your fearful part. That inner critic is saying things like, "Why are you such a sniveling frightened little coward? It's just a simple presentation, dumb ass, we've practiced it over and over, we have it down.  Get yourself together, this is really important, and you are screwing it up and making us all look bad.  Who knows what will happen if we can't pull this off." The more intense your inner critic gets in its hateful attack on your fearful part, the more the fearful part freezes.  After the presentation ends, the inner critic continues to bash the fearful part, ruminating about how poor the presentation was.   Love is affirming Love says yes to the other at the same time as love says yes to oneself.  In parts thinking, there is a open-hearted yes to all the parts.  Not just some parts, not just the "acceptable" parts of us.  All part are welcome to the table.   In self-hatred, one or more parts attack the unloved part -- not just superficially, but they hating parts go after the identity of the unloved part the self-hating parts want to destroy the hated part, or at least banish the hated part from having a voice, from having a seat at the table  In our example, you can see how the inner critic is trying to get rid of the fearful part, trying to suppress that part with its fear.    From Jodi Clarke's Verywellmind.com article:  Typical self-hating thoughts may include:     "I knew we would fail."       "Why do I even try?"     "I'm a loser."     "No one wants to be around me."     "Look at me screwing up again."     "Can't I just be normal?"     "I hate myself." Richard Bach   The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid.  When other people affirm the person who is dominated by a self-hating part, the affirmation doesn't really sink in.  It doesn't work.  The person all caught up in self hatred can't hear the affirmation, can't take the affirmation in.  Richey Edwards  “People say to the mentally ill, ‘You know so many people think the world of you.' But when they don't like themselves they don't notice anything. They don't care about what people think of them. When you hate yourself, whatever people say it doesn't make sense. ‘Why do they like me? Why do they care about me?' Because you don't care about yourself at all.”   Love is responsive:  Love is an active response for the well-being of the other.  It's about participating in the promotion of the highest good for the other, potential for the other How can I help you to flourish?  How can I help you toward your highest good?   In self-hatred one or more parts tear down the hated part.  There is a response to the hated part, but it's not a positive one.   Rather than attuning to the hated part, the hating parts seek to silence it and suppress it without really getting to know the hated part.  Not interested in the hated part's experience -- why the hated part thinks, feels or assumes what it does.   In our example, the inner critic is responsive to the fear of the fearful part, but in hateful way -- seeing the fearful part as counterproductive and threatening the wellbeing of the whole person, and thus feels justified in the bullying, heavy-handed approach taken.   Love is unitive  Bernard Brady:  The fruit of love is unity.  Love unites.  It is in the very nature of love to bring together.  p. 279 Hatred divides.  It polarizes within.  The fearful part and the inner critic have no common ground because of the hatred.   Hatred fragments within.  It shatters the self.  Order self love helps to integrate all the parts, providing space for all parts to be seen, heard known, and loved. Love integrates parts, inviting them into a collaborative, cooperative relationship with the innermost self and with all the other parts.  We give this internal unity a special name -- interior integration.  That is what this podcast is all about.  Interior integration for Catholics.   Love is steadfast Steadfastness in self-love requires acceptance of all parts for there to be resilience.  Hatred contributes to the inner system of the self being brittle and fragile.     Hatred doesn't generally come from our innermost selves  Self:  The natural core of the person, the center of the person in the natural realm.  This is who we sense ourselves to be in our best moments, and when our self is free, and unblended with any of our parts, it governs our whole being as an active, compassionate leader.  Unharmed by trauma, by attachment injuries, by relational wounds, by negative life experiences.   Catholics don't believe in John Calvin's concept of total depravity, that we are sinful and morally corrupt through and through.  Catholics don't believe we are snow-covered dung heaps, like Martin Luther taught.  We are still ontologically good, still made in the image and likeness of God.   We want to be recollected, we want the self governing all of our parts Like the conductor -- leading the musicians in an orchestra Like the captain -- leading and governing all the sailors on a ship.   When we are recollected, in self, 8 C's Calm  Curiosity  Compassion  Confidence  Courage  Clarity  Connectedness  Creativity   We also have the capacity for kindness The only exception:  unless we've committed the unforgivable sin, blaspheming against the Holy Spirit  CCC 1864:  “There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss” (No. 1864). Repudiating life, love, truth, mercy, forgiveness -- irrevocably, through hardness of heart.  That is possible, or Jesus would not have warned against it.  Walking dead.   What does self-hatred mean for our relationships with our body? We are body and soul composites.  We are embodied beings.   Bessel van der Kolk:  The Body Keeps the Score -- groundbreaking work summarizing how much trauma becomes embodied  Another way for you to hate yourself  -- or more specifically, for a part of you to hate your body.   Examples of actively hating the body  Active examples 4 Extreme cases -- starting with extreme cases -- Suicidal Acts, Body Dysmporphic Disorder, Body Integrity Identity Disorder, Self-Harm (aka Self-mutilation).   Suicidal acts -- I did a whole series on suicide in this Interior Integration for Catholics podcast.  Episodes 76-80 Suicidal part -- desperately seeking relief from intense pain and distress   Other Reason -- these are the core reasons. -- review them in episode 76 and got into how parts are active around suicide in episode 78 The Desperate Inner Experience of Suicidality  Attachment needs not met -- Episode 62 A felt sense of safety and protection, deep sense of security felt in the bones  Feeling seen and known heard and understood -- felt attunement  Felt comfort, reassurance  Feeling valued, delighted in, cherished by the attachment figure  Felt support for the best self   Integrity Needs not met All of the above.  Each one of us needs help to develop our sense of self, our identity  I exist  my existence is separate from others --  I exist in my own right, a separate personIs bounded, has boundaries  My identity is stable over time and across different situations -- there is a continuity  I can regulate myself -- I have some self-control.   Is integrated -- coherent interconnections inside between aspects of experience -- self-cohesion  Is active, with agency, can effectively function in the world  Is morally good -- ontologically or essentially good and thus has intrinsic value and worth, apart from others' opinions.   I can make sense of my experience and the world around me  Mission and Purpose in life  We also need to make good choices -- seek what is good, true and beautiful in life   Body dysmorphic disorder   Appearance preoccupations: The individual must be preoccupied with one or more nonexistent or slight defects or flaws in their physical appearance. Verbally abusing the body Body shaming yourself -- a part of you calling your body fat, ugly, physically unattractive, calling your body out on the perceived unattractive features -- my eyes are too far apart, my lips are too thin, my skin is too bumpy, and what about that zit that just appeared.   Repetitive behaviors: The individual must perform repetitive, compulsive behaviors in response to the appearance concerns.  Behaviors: mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, reassurance seeking, or clothes changing.  mental acts such as a part of you comparing one's appearance with that of other people.   -- getting on tiktok and saying, that person's body is so gorgeous and I'm a just a pig.  Ruminating about what others have said about your body or what they might say about your body.  Sometimes it's all just in the realm of fantasy.   Differentiation from an eating disorder: Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a rare, infrequently studied and highly secretive condition in which there is a mismatch between the mental body image and the physical body. Subjects suffering from BIID have an intense desire to amputate a major limb or severe the spinal cord in order to become paralyzed or to become blind or deaf. Self-harm  or self-mutilation, sometimes called cutting Really not understood well by most people -- dismissed as something only a crazy person would do.   It's a symptom.   Forms include Cutting  Burning or branding, scalding with hot water  Picking at the skin, reopening wounds or severe scratching  Carving the skin  Trichotillomania   Head banging Hitting oneself Biting oneself Self-poisoning Self-starvation (deliberate) Getting into fights Reasons for Self Harm  The Punished Self, the Unknown Self, and the Harmed Self – Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Self-Harm Among Adolescent Girls -- August 2021 Frontiers in Psychology Norwegian researcher Line Indrevoll Stänicke1 -- Qualitative Study of 19 adolescent girls  Superordinate themes “I deserve pain,”  “I don't want to feel anything,”  “I'm harmed, and no one cares.”  “I deserve pain,”  “I don't want to feel anything,”  “I'm harmed, and no one cares.”  8 Reasons for Self-harm Desire to release unbearable tension or providing relief from overwhelming emotions  At times [self-harm] also silenced the chaos in my head, briefly pausing the repetitive flashbacks and body memories."  Desire to regain control  Fighting depersonalization -- "Self-harm proved to me I was real, I was alive.  (mind.org.uk)   Numbness can feel like death -- need to feel anything at all.   Self-hatred  Feeling the need to self-punish "I hated my body and blamed it for what I'd been through, so felt it needed punishing. (mind.org.uk) Marya Hornbacher, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia   “I wanted to kill the me underneath. That fact haunted my days and nights. When you realize you hate yourself so much, when you realize that you cannot stand who you are, and this deep spite has been the motivation behind your behavior for many years, your brain can't quite deal with it. It will try very hard to avoid that realization; it will try, in a last-ditch effort to keep your remaining parts alive, to remake the rest of you. This is, I believe, different from the suicidal wish of those who are in so much pain that death feels like relief, different from the suicide I would later attempt, trying to escape that pain. This is a wish to murder yourself; the connotation of kill is too mild. This is a belief that you deserve slow torture, violent death.”  Blaming your body for others' actions romantic partner breaking up with you -- not attractive enough  Being raped -- hating body because it attracted unwanted attention of the rapist.   To express pain, communicate or share the internal experience to others, to make visible what is felt within.   A way to distract from some worse experience, e.g. intrusive thoughts.   Association with others who self-harm -- peer group.   Five general characteristics of love from Bernard Brady -- looking at how they contrast with parts' hatred for the body.  Love is affective -- love is emotional Hatred regarding the body  Disgust regarding the body  Anger toward the body  Fear of the body  Contempt for the body -- anger + disgust = contempt  Fueled by envy of other people's bodies.   Love is affirming  Devaluing the body -- Body Shaming Seeing the body as evil   De-facto Manicheanism All matter are seen as evil -- including our bodies  St. Augustine adhered to Manicheanism for a while before his conversion, and then strongly refuted it.   Hatred of the body.   Love is responsive And love is responsive to the body's legitimate needs.   or ignored.  In self-hatred toward the body, those needs are condemned  Love is unitive Can be a kind of separation of the body from the self.  I am not my body.  This is not by body.   Love is steadfast   So that is self-hatred.  But self-hatred isn't actually the most common or important form of failing to love the self.   What is the most common and most important failure to love the self?  The great sin against the self, if you will? Indifference.  The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.  “The Beloved Ego: Foundations of the New Study of the Psyche” by prominent Austrian psychologist Wilhelm Stekel. The text was translated from German into English by Rosalie Gabler and published in 1921.  The quote was expanded and made famous by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel in a 1986 US News and World Report article The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.   Indifference is so, so common.  We can be so indifferent to ourselves and to others. ― David Mitchell  “The world's default mode is basic indifference. It'd like to care, but it's just got too much on at the moment.”  Aristotle “Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.”     W. Somerset Maugham British playwright, novelist, short story writer The tragedy of love is indifference Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft wrote in his book Prayer for Beginners that Indifference is more truly the opposite of love than hate is, for we can both love and hate the same person at the same time, but we cannot both love and be indifferent to the same person at the same time What does indifference to the self mean to the parts The biggest form of unlove -- indifference.   Define indifference --  an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical, virtual, or physical life.   and the world. not caring about oneself.  Disregarding oneself, Abandoning oneself, not caring about oneself. Wait a minute, Dr. Peter -- I thought that was what we Catholics were called to do.  Being dead or numb to oneself  Evil is the absence of good (privatio boni) -- privation theory of evil --  this idea was implicit in some of Plato's writings, but he never stated it implicitly   Plotinus further developed the idea And St. Augustine really refined it.  City of God:  For evil has no positive nature; but the loss of good has received the name “evil.” Examples of indifference to the parts  Lack of awareness Parts disconnected from the self or fused with the self have very partial vision      Lack of caring Make up some examples here.   Five general characteristics of love -- from Bernard Brady Love is affective, love is affirming, love is responsive, love is unitive, love is steadfast.   Love is affective -- love is emotional Apathy toward the parts.  Not caring about them, not interested.  Parts pursuing their own agendas inside with little regard for the wellbeing of others parts.   Trauma begins in terror but ends in apathy.”  ― Brian W. Becker ― Khang Kijarro Nguyen  “Apathy is as dangerous, invisible, and contagious as an asymptomatic virus carrier.” “Apathy is a silent killer.” ― Frank Sonnenberg,     Love is affirming “The stronger you cling to your armor of indifference, the more it strips you of your humanity.” ― Abhijit Naskar, No Foreigner Only Family    Love is responsive “there are people capable of eating popcorn at the movie of your agony”― StephanieR oberts, Rushes from the River Disappointment   Nina MacLaughlin, Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung  “His eyes they held the most dangerous thing, they held the top of the sins. Indifference. Indifference. A vacancy where human care should be."  “We may not choose apathy, but when we choose anything other than love and empathetic justice, we get apathy by default.”― Ken Wytsma,  Love is unitive Love is never fragmented; it's an inseparable whole which does not delight in bits and pieces. John A. Andrews  Love is steadfast Polarizations lead to tension inside and instability   What does indifference to the self mean to the body Bessel van der Kolk:  … traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: the past is alive in the form of annoying interior discomforts. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and in an attempt to control these processes, the often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings in a numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from themselves.   Examples of indifference to the body  Lack of awareness Parts disconnected from the self or fused with the self have very partial vision   Less extreme, passive examples of indifference to the body -- we've all done at least some of these.   Problematic eating or drinking Too much caffeine (hooked on energy drinks or coffee)  Misuse of alcohol  Overeating  Too much sugar  Too much junk food  Eating to soothe oneself when upset, sometimes called emotional eating  Eating when bored  Skipping meals   Smoking Not exercising at all -- too little physical activity -- or too much exercise Poor ergonomics Overdoing the screen time -- 10 hours a day on the computer is hard on the eyes Low activity levels  9.3 hours of sitting per day, more than 7.7 hours of sleeping today Not going outside Allowing yourself to get really sunburned or dehydrated or exhausted Not using the bathroom when you need to Poor clothing choices -- not bundling up in winter -- the man in the hoodie when it's 15 degrees out in wintertime, woman wearing high heels when it's not a good choice,  Misuse of the smartphone -- using your smartphone in bed Poor sleep habits, going to bed too late Misuse of sex -- not caring for your body in sexual situations.   Not getting medical or dental care for your body that would be good and right ignoring a treatable condition  Ignoring symptoms   Poor hygiene Five general characteristics of love -- from Bernard Brady Love is affective, love is affirming, love is responsive, love is unitive, love is steadfast.   Love is affective -- love is emotional Indifference to the body.  Just not caring about the body, apathy toward the body.  Looking at only the utilitarian functionality of the body.  The body as a container or vessel for your mind or soul or psyche.     Love is affirming -- indifference to the body can mimic detachment or poverty Love is responsive -- Lack of awareness about the body.  Very disconnected.   La belle indifference:  The term “la belle indifference” is a French term, which translates to “beautiful ignorance.”[1] La belle indifference is defined as a paradoxical absence of psychological distress despite having a serious medical illness or symptoms related to a health condition. Not being interested in your body.  Love is unitive Not seeing your body is part of you, disconnecting from your body Love is steadfast 1 Cor 3:16-17.   Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.   Experiential Exercise on Unlove -- the failure to love  Cautions difficult material -- how and why we don't love ourselves.   window of tolerance Upside -- Fight or flight, sympathetic activation  Downside -- Free response -- dorsal vagal activation, shutting down, numbing out,  don't have to do this exercise, can stop at any time, reground yourself  no steamrolling parts  Good to do this exercise when you have the time and space and privacy -- not while driving or engaging in other activities that would require you to divide your attention.   Options Take what is useful to you  Feel free to go your own direction if that seems what's best  Feel free to pause the audio and really settle in and do extended work inside if that seems best  Can have pens, pencils and paper to write down things that are helpful -- like a journal -- or to map out things, draw if that's helpful.  Can pause the recording at points where you would like to have more time to do your internal work.   A lot of gentleness with and for yourself.  Moment here for your to really care for yourself.   Luke 10:27 Love your neighbor as yourself -- we are supposed to love ourselves in an ordered way And that means loving the parts of ourself that are in need.  With care and compassion If you get distracted, that's ok, that's common.  You can just refocus, or if that's not possible, then focus in on that distraction -- get curious about why a part of you needs to distract you.   Body scan -- locating -- finding. -- Call that a trailhead Tension in muscles  Stomach pain or gastrointestinal distress  Headaches  Fatigue   Could be other trailheads Images or dreams that come back to mind  Memories, sounds, beliefs or assumptions   Focus in on that one sensation or inner experience that reflects some kind of distress or agitation about you not loving you.   That experience will lead you to a part -- we will call the part you are focusing on, your target part.  A part that is not loving some other part of you in some way Your target part Might be hating another part of you  Your target part Might just not be caring about another part of you.   Your target part Might be trying to suppress or silence that other part.   Listen in to what that experience, that body sensation or that impulse or desire or image or memory or belief. Really notice that target part.  How do you experience it?  Let's see if we can work with one part at a time.  You can do this reflection and guided exercise over again with multiple parts if you'd like.  But see if your parts inside can agree to let you work with one part.   We are going to ask that one part not to flood you with its intensity.  That's a safety thing.  We are asking that part not to overwhelm you with its distress.  We want to be separate but near, so that you as the self can have a relationship with that part.  If your target part fuses with you or blends with you, you can't have a relationship.  See if that part will agree not to overwhelm.  Just ask it.  See what the response is.  If it agrees, then  Really sense that part.  See that part or sense that part, however that part is becoming more apparent to you.  How old is that part?  Some parts of us are very, very young.  Even preverbal.   Really listen to what that target parts wants to share with you, what it wants you to know.   How is that target part trying to help you?  What is that target part's good intentions.   How are you feeling toward that part, toward that experience Compassion  Connection  Curiosity -- genuine interest  Calm   If feeling negative, can we get concerned protector parts to soften, to relax back so that you, as the self, can connect with your distressed target part?  If not, focus on the concerned protector part.  Really get interested about why that part is not ready to let you connect with your target part.  There's a reason.  Parts always have good intentions for us.   Let your target part tell you all about what its experiencing with the other part -- the unloved part.   Emotions Anxiety  Sorrow -- deep emotional pain  Anger  Numbness   Thinking -- assumptions, beliefs Really be open to these beliefs, asking protectors not to censor them if possible.  Concentration issues.   Behaviors -- why does the part do what it does? What does this conflict connect back to for your part -- when did the part feel the same way in your history?  Checking to see if there's a concerned protector part trying to speak for your target part -- like a spokespart who wants to interpret the parts experience.  See if that concerned protector part can soften and relax back and let the target part speak for itself.   How is that part doing now?  Changes in your body?   Can the part feel love from you?  xWhere are you with: Compassion  Connectedness  Curiosity  Calm   Winding up Can write down what you learned, what was helpful, what came to you -- giving your parts a voice on paper.   Can do this exercise again with a different part  Gratitude for all your parts -- all have good intentions are trying to help  This doesn't have to be the end of connecting with your target part -- doesn't have to be a one-off experience, can check in with that part again.  Action Plan Looking ahead: next episode, number 98 -- ordered self-love -- now that we've covered all the ways that we can fail to love ourselves, we will be learning what it means for us to be loving ourselves in an ordered way.   Fr. Jacques Philippe -- 2008 Book Called to Life:  This self-love is good and necessary, not egoism that refers everything to "me," but the grace to live in peace with one's self, consent to be what one is, with one's talents and limitations. Love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self grow together and sustain one another as they grow. If one is absent or neglected, the other to suffer. Like the legs of a tripod, all three are needed in order to stand in each leans on the others. St. Thomas Aquinas  -- bringing in some of the work of Dr. Mary Julian Ekman, Religious Sister of Mercy. Self-love is the ground of human action, where the conscious choice to love self transforms self- love into self-friendship.  Proper self-love (amor sui ordinatus) is indispensable for perfecting the human person by making the soul more like God, who knows and loves himself by his very essence.    This movement toward self-perfection is hindered by improper self-love (amor sui inordinatus)   St. Augustine will also help us, as we explore how disordered self-love regards the self as an end, but ordered self-love sees the self as a means to the proper end of love.   Promotions  Ann-Marie Klobe -- Ready for Love: An online retreat for single Catholic women over 35 who are ready to connect deeper with their Faith, the Saints, and find a Godly relationship.  The Ready for Love retreat airs October 3-17, 2022  So many single Catholics are operating from a place of disconnection, and my goal is to restore their trust in God's plan for their life, help them feel like they have a purpose in this world, and provide training on topics such as the Saints, forgiveness, beauty, and trusting in God.  Anne-Marie did an extended experiential exercise with me as part of this retreat.  She discovered and explored some hidden reasons that could be obstacles in romantic intimacy.  She did some beautiful work that she will share with the women who attend the retreat.   Anne Marie and I are also planning for me to do a 60-minute live Q&A for the Ready for Love retreat -- where the women on the retreat can bring their questions to me about the ways that they reject ourselves as persons, the ways in which they refuse to love themselves, what it would mean to be married, and about discovering their primary identity as a beloved daughter of God.   The website for the retreat was not quite up yet at recording time.   You can go to Anne Marie Klobe's website -- https://www.anne-marieklobe.com  I will be letting you know more about it and provide links in the weekly reflections that I email out on September 14 and 21-- if you haven't been getting the weekly email reflections, sign up for them, and have them delivered to your email inbox every Wednesday.  Go to Souls and Hearts.com and click  the box that says "Get Dr. Peter's weekly reflection in your email inbox each Wednesday. Those weekly reflections are deep dives that I write each week about critical human formation topics -- those weekly reflections are the written companions to this podcast.   The Resilient Catholics Community.  The RCC.  I am inviting you on an adventure of being loved and of loving.  That is what the Resilient Catholic Community is all about.  Check it out at soulsandhearts.com/RCC   The RCC is all about working through your human formation issues -- the ones that lead to all the unlove you have for yourself.  The self-hatred and the indifference to self, the failures to love yourself in an ordered way, so that you can love got with all of your being -- with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind and all your strength, with every fiber of your being.   It's all about learning to be gentle but firm with yourself -- it's all about integration.  It's all about resilience.   All about restoration -- recovering from being dominated by shame, fear, anger, sadness, pessimism, whatever your struggle is in the depths of your human formation We do this work experientially -- so many experiential exercises -- so we work not just in your head, and not just in your soul, but also in your heart.   And we do the work step by step -- in a very clear program.   Check it out at soulsandhearts.com/rcc -- we open registration for new members every June and December.   I'm inviting you to join me and more than 100 other faithful Catholics on this pilgrimage to much better human formation.  Get on the waiting list for the cohort that begins in December 2022.  soulsandhearts.com/rcc Talk with me about it in conversation hours call my cell 317.567.9594 any Tuesday or Thursday from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern time for conversation hours.    

Junkyard Wisdom Generosity is Messy Roy Goble and Ken Wytsma March 21, 2022

Ken Wytsma said: “The kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom. It beckons us to gamble all, to trust radically, to come and die so that we might live--to give our lives away.” It takes all of that and more…and that is the topic on today's A Critical Faith podcast with Pastor Sue Coller of First Presbyterian church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

KEN WYTSMA, Founding Pastor / Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

KEN WYTSMA, Founding Pastor / Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Lee 2 Tesalonicenses 3:16–18 Si hubiera una grabación de nuestra conversación durante todo un día, ¿qué revelaría? Al reproducir nuestras palabras, ¿sería glorificado Dios en nuestro idioma? En su libro, Redeeming How We Talk (Redimiendo cómo hablamos), Ken Wytsma y A. J. Swoboda escribieron: “Las palabras no son para darnos poder sobre los demás. Las palabras son dones para ayudarnos a adorar a Dios y servir a las personas”. A lo largo de sus dos cartas a los tesalonicenses, y especialmente en la lectura de hoy, Pablo usó el lenguaje exactamente de estas formas intencionadas por Dios. Primero vino otra palabra de oración, bendición y alabanza. Pidió que el mismo Señor de paz les diera “paz siempre y en todas circunstancias” (v. 16). “Paz” significa un sentido total de bienestar construido sobre el fundamento de la paz con Dios (Romanos 5:1; Filipenses 4:7; Colosenses 3:15). Los tesalonicenses necesitaban tal paz particularmente en este momento porque la falsa enseñanza sobre el día del Señor los había inquietado y sacudido. Sin duda, también estaban comprensiblemente ansiosos por la persecución que habían estado enfrentando desde la fundación de su iglesia. En todos los casos, la paz está íntimamente conectada con la presencia de Dios, por eso Pablo también oró: “El Señor sea con todos ustedes” (v. 16), una oración que ya había sido contestada por Cristo: “Y les aseguro que estaré con ustedes siempre, hasta el final del mundo” (Mateo 28:20). Luego, Pablo autenticó la carta tomando la pluma y escribiendo un versículo él mismo (v. 17). Anteriormente explicamos cómo funcionaba esto para verificar al autor de la carta. Finalmente, cerró: “Que la gracia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo sea con todos ustedes” (v. 18). Esta también es nuestra esperanza y oración para ti. En respuesta a nuestro estudio de las cartas de Pablo, ¿por qué no escribir una propia? Escribe a un amigo y cuéntale lo que aprendiste de 1 y 2 Tesalonicenses este mes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there was a recording of our conversation for an entire day, what would it reveal? As our words played back, would God be glorified in our language? In their book, Redeeming How We Talk, Ken Wytsma and A. J. Swoboda wrote: “Words are not to give us power over others. Words are gifts to help us worship God and serve people.” Throughout his two letters to the Thessalonians, and especially in today’s reading, Paul used language in exactly these God-intended ways. First came yet another word of prayer, blessing, or benediction (v. 16). He asked that the Lord of peace would Himself give them “peace at all times and in every way.” “Peace” means a holistic sense of well-being built on the foundation of peace with God (Rom. 5:1; Phil. 4:7; Col. 3:15). The Thessalonians needed such peace particularly at this time because the false teaching about the Day of the Lord had unsettled and shaken them. They were no doubt also understandably anxious about the persecution they’d been facing ever since the founding of their church. In all cases, peace is inextricably connected with God’s presence, so Paul also prayed, “The Lord be with all of you”—a prayer that had already been answered by Christ, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Next, Paul authenticated the letter by taking up the pen and writing a verse himself (v. 17). We’ve previously explained how this worked to verify the author of the letter. Finally, he closed, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (v. 18). This is our hope and prayer for you as well! >> In response to our study of Paul’s letters, why not pen one of your own? Write to a friend and tell them what you learned from 1 and 2 Thessalonians this month.

This week I speak to Ken Wytsma, a pastor, author, thought leader, and founder of The Justice Conference, about his recent battle with chronic pain and Crohn's disease. We speak about pain, drugs, missions, the work of justice, as well as his experience as a pastor and leader within the evangelical church tradition. Ken has profound insight into culture, church, and a theology of suffering that I know is going to both encourage and challenge you.

In this episode Alisa shares her heart and what the Lord has been teaching her with the current events in our country.  Playlist:  I Won't Forget (Instrumental) - Bethal Music (5:05) The Bones - Maren Morris (3:17) Water (feat. Ant Clemons) - Kanye West (2:48) Graves into Gardens - The Worship Initiative & Shane (5:22) Resurrecting - Elevation Worship (7:47) What a Beautiful Name (Accoustic) - Hillsong Worship (4:15) The Worship Medley: Reckless Love/O Come To The Alter/Great Are You Lord (feat. Davies) (6:47) RESOUCES:  Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison  Be The Bridge Website I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by  Michelle Alexander The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma

MeaningfulHQ.com | 284. Be the Leader You Want to Have | We're in the middle of a crisis on top of a crisis, on top of a crisis. Many of us look to our leaders in times like these—to guide us and give us answers. But if you're not getting answers you like, it's time for YOU to step up and be the leader you wish you had.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Article: "How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change" by Barack Obama - https://medium.com/@BarackObama/how-to-make-this-moment-the-turning-point-for-real-change-9fa209806067 Books mentioned in this episode: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (https://amzn.to/3dvLsmd) The Myth of Equality by Ken Wytsma (https://amzn.to/2MouhHo) White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo (https://amzn.to/2XzJvzX) **** Do You Have Self-Improvement Questions You’d Like Me To Cover?   - Email: questions@deanbokhari.com   Connect with me on:   - Facebook.com/Dean.Bokhari   - Twitter.com/deanbokhari   ****   Support The Podcast By Supporting Our Sponsors:   FlashBooks Too Busy To Read? Get top Business + Self-help Book Summaries you can read or listen to in under 20 minutes. Hundreds of titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Get started for just $1 today at https://www.getflashnotes.com/subscribe   Audible Get a FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at Audible when you use this link: audibletrial.com/dean. Over 150,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Learn more and get started at audibletrial.com/dean

Ken Wytsma is lead pastor of Village Church, a multicultural Christian community in Beaverton, Oregon

Welcome to Season 3 of Not Many of You Should Become Teachers. In this shortened "book club" episode, Dave considers Chapter 8 of The Grand Paradox by Ken Wytsma that deals with personal calling and mission, sometimes called "vocation" in Christian communities. Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com  @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Not Many of You Should Become Teachers,' is a podcast that explores the world of K-12 education as it intersects with Christian faith. In this episode Dave shares from his end of semester reflections. He also dives into The Grand Paradox, by Ken Wytsma, specifically the chapter on doubt. Dave talks about what it means to have honest doubt vs stupid doubt, and how that translates into being skeptical and not cynical. Music by Josh Woodward (www.joshwoodward.com).  www.notmanyofyou.com  @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches

Welcome to Season 3 of Not Many of You Should Become Teachers. In this episode, Dave and Riley interview Alanna Banta, High School English Teacher. Alanna has been teaching her students about learning from different voices and what it means to be skeptical. This episode also includes part five of the Grand Paradox Book Club (by Ken Wytsma). Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com  @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Ken Wytsma leads a conversation about God's vision for true unity in His Church. This is session 2 of the 2019 Geneva College Convergence Conference.

Ken Wytsma speaks at Geneva's Convergence Conference about racial inequality and ways to bring unity and restoration in our communities.

Welcome to Season 3 of Not Many of You Should Become Teachers. In this episode, Dave and Riley interview Juliet Hiller, 4th Grade Teacher and Faculty Associate @ TWU. Juliet loves Bob Goff and Fine Arts and more! This episode also includes part four of the Grand Paradox Book Club (by Ken Wytsma). Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Welcome to Season 3 of Not Many of You Should Become Teachers. In this episode, Dave and Riley interview Adam Woelders, Head of School at Langley Christian School. Adam has taught in both the public school system and at independent schools. His diverse experiences bring a lot to the conversation about faith and learning. This episode also includes part three of the Grand Paradox Book Club (by Ken Wytsma). Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com  @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Welcome to Season 3 of Not Many of You Should Become Teachers. In this episode, Dave and Riley take time to debrief the Kuyers Institute Conference, "Shaping Christian Learning" at Calvin University. Our debrief includes work from many scholars, including Beth Green, Ken Badley, Maxie Burch, Rhonda McEwan, David I Smith, Albert Cheng and others. A highlight you won't want to miss is the "Practicing Faith Survey" - in which we talk about the assessment of faith formation. This episode also includes part two of the Grand Paradox Book Club (by Ken Wytsma). Practicing Faith Survey (NMOY Notes) Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Welcome to Summer School! Faith and learning AND relaxation. Enjoy a chill pace and some shorter summer episodes. In Ep. 3, Riley and Dave look forward to reading The Grand Paradox by Ken Wytsma and how it can be an important tool for our graduating students. Ken Wytsma - @kjwytsma Follow Not Many Of You Should Become Teachers: www.notmanyofyou.com @notmanyofyou @MrRileyDueck @MrMcFTeaches Music by Josh Woodward - www.joshwoodward.com

Honored to have Ken Wytsma back on the podcast sharing about his book Redeeming How We Talk: Discover How Communication Fuels Our Growth, Shapes Our Relationships, and Changes Our Lives. About the Book:  Technology has made it easier than ever before to share just about everything: pictures, ideas, even the ups and downs of your morning errand run. Yet all our talking doesn't seem to be connecting us the way it promised to. That's because we don't need to talk more, we need to talk better. Redeeming How We Talk explores what the Bible has to say about that central aspect of life and relationships--conversation. The Scriptures show us that words have remarkable power--to create, to bless, to encourage, to forgive. Imagine how we could spark change in our families, churches, and communities if we learned to use words like Jesus did. By weaving together theology, history, and philosophy, Ken Wytsma and A. J. Swoboda help us reclaim the holiness of human speech and the relevance of meaningful conversation in our culture today. About the Author:  Ken Wytsma is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur. Ken is the lead pastor at Village Church--A Multicultural Community in Christ. He is also the founder of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice, and the founder of The Justice Conference--a yearly international conference that exposes men and women to a wide range of organizations and conversations relating to justice and the biblical call to give our lives away. Ken lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters. Connect with Ken: KenWytsma.com Twitter Instagram For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/257.

Honored to have Ken Wytsma on the show sharing about his fabulous book Create vs. Copy: Embrace Change. Ignite Creativity. Break Through with Imagination. About the Book:  Today's leaders simply can't succeed without putting creativity in their toolbox. If you don't think you're creative, that may sound discouraging. But take heart: creativity can be taught and practiced, and Create v. Copy shows you how. This short, punchy book explores various aspects of creativity and imagination and leads you toward a healthy, confident, more innovative life mindset. It celebrates the good news of your God-given capacity to create and helps you harness it to take charge of your life, navigate changing times, and ultimately, flourish and succeed.  Having traveled to dozens of countries, founded the leading international conference on justice and theology, and collaborated with scores of nonprofits, Wytsma is uniquely fit to help us be culture-shapers in a world of global change. He blends theology, history, and cultural observation to show us what being God's creative image-bearers might look like today. Whether you're a parent, CEO, pastor, or politician, this fresh look at contemporary leadership will challenge the way you view your position of influence, and it will equip you to adapt and thrive in our perplexing yet exciting cultural climate. About the Author:  Ken Wytsma is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur. Ken is the lead pastor at Village Church--A Multicultural Community in Christ. He is also the founder of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice, and the founder of The Justice Conference--a yearly international conference that exposes men and women to a wide range of organizations and conversations relating to justice and the biblical call to give our lives away. Ken lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters. Connect with Ken: KenWytsma.com Twitter Instagram For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/256.

KEN WYTSMA, Lead Pastor, Village Beaverton / When God Tells You How to Think

KEN WYTSMA, Lead Pastor, Village Beaverton / When God Tells You How to Think

This week in episode 3 I have Gary Ashby Jr. join me as we talk about being a Christian creative, what that looks like, and more. See Gary's portfolio here: gwashbyjr.myportfolio.com/ *The following Amazon links are affiliate links and help support this podcast* Create vs Copy by Ken Wytsma: amzn.to/2ErwxHG Called to Create by Jordan Raynor: amzn.to/2GYzXXz Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull: amzn.to/2JnZl7B Creative Potential by Luke McElroy: amzn.to/2qbB3ov The 46 rules of Genius by Marty Neumeier: amzn.to/2q9nLd3 Interested in being on the podcast? Visit www.alyssatillett.com/tillett-teatime-podcast/ Follow me! Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoralyssatillett Instagram: www.instagram.com/alyssatillett

In this conversation I talk with my friend Janell about the 5 things she has learned about racism. This conversation was originally part of a small conference that Janell spoke at and she was willing to share her five main points on the podcast. References to all resources are linked below. 1. Racism is real. 2. We must put aside shame so we can learn. 3. Our nations history matters. 4. Proximity is important. 5. What do we do with this information? References: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah: https://www.amazon.com/Born-Crime-Stories-African-Childhood-ebook/dp/B01DHWACVY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528319233&sr=8-1&keywords=born+a+crime Propaganda – 20 Years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqAS2lPISa8 Roots Series (remake): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=airEw5tG9eo The Myth of Equality by Ken Wytsma: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Equality-Uncovering-Injustice-Privilege/dp/0830844821/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1528319348&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=the+myth+of+equality&psc=1 Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Mercy-Story-Justice-Redemption/dp/081298496X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528319371&sr=1-1&keywords=just+mercy+by+bryan+stevenson&dpID=51VYZ%252Bgf58L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: https://www.amazon.com/Hate-U-Give-Angie-Thomas-ebook/dp/B01M0614T9/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528319400&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hate+u+give All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds: https://www.amazon.com/All-American-Boys-Jason-Reynolds-ebook/dp/B00YNIIR3C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528319441&sr=1-1&keywords=all+american+boys Seven Seconds: https://www.netflix.com/title/80117555 Fruitvale Station: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334649/ Thirteenth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66F3WU2CKk Lime Ricki: https://www.limericki.com/ Mindy Maes Market: https://mindymaesmarket.com/?rfsn=664269.e0d24f Janell's Instagram: @janelliott8

On this week's podcast, Marcus sits down with Jeri Stroade. From growing up in small farm town in Kansas to developing a heart for the displaced, she finds herself helping a special group of people right here in Mobile, AL. Tune in to hear about where she came from, her greatest life lessons, and her current role as the Executive Director at Dwell Mobile. Jeri: I'm Jeri Stroade, I'm the Executive Director of Dwell Mobile, it's a non-profit in Mobile that helps refugees. Marcus: Awesome. Jeri it's good to have you on the podcast today. Jeri: It's good to be here. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: Thank you. Marcus: Now, I've learned a little bit about the area in which you operate and so I'm glad that we're getting, this will be able to shine kind of a light on something that people may or may not understand. But before, we get into all of that as part of this podcast we like for people to know a little bit about the person behind the effort. And so, why don't you tell us a little bit about who you are and where you're from, where'd you go to high school, college if you went, are you married? Just give us some backstory. Jeri: Okay. Well, I'm from Kansas, so the Midwest not the south. And I went to high school in a town called Pretty Prairie Kansas. Marcus: Gotta love Kansas for those names. Jeri: Yes, you do. Marcus: Yes. Jeri: And it was named after an old Mennonite woman who when she came through she said, "Oh my, what a pretty prairie." Marcus: Pretty Prairie Kansas. Jeri: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Marcus: I can imagine the graduating class was quite large at your high school. Jeri: Yes, yes. No, I think 27. Marcus: Oh my gosh. Jeri: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Marcus: Wow. Jeri: Yeah. So, the town was 600. Marcus: My graduating class had more people than your town had in it. We had I think close to 700 people in our graduating class. Jeri: Wow. Yep. Marcus: Our high school was close to 4,000 people. Jeri: Wow, yeah. Marcus: So, yeah. Jeri: Yeah, it was very small. Marcus: Anyway. Jeri: I moved around growing up and moved back there in high school and I was a little scared about how small it was, but I loved it. And went to college at Kansas State. Marcus: Very good. Jeri: University. From there got a degree in agricultural economics. Marcus: That's useful. Jeri: It is useful actually. It's very useful. I do use it all the time, you would never think that but I do. Marcus: Speaking as somebody who has an English degree. Jeri: Ha, ha. Marcus: So, I'm similarly useful. Jeri: Right, right. Yeah, you have people when you tell them that degree that everywhere from they don't have any clue what you do to, "Oh, you should know a little bit about everything because that sounds like a very useful degree." Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: I'm single, no family here, family back home. Marcus: Back home. Jeri: But, yeah. Marcus: Still in Pretty Prairie? Jeri: No, Manhattan now. Manhattan, Kansas. Marcus: Oh, wow. Okay. Jeri: Where Kansas State is. Marcus: That's a far stretch from Pretty Prairie. Jeri: Oh my goodness. Marcus: Manhattan? Phew. You gotta love it when states name a city or a town after like a major metropolitan area. I mean like Manhattan, you're like, "Oh, yeah they're in Manhattan but it's Kansas." You know, population 1,200. Jeri: That's right. Marcus: You know. So, how in the world first of all did you find yourself in Mobile, and then starting a non-profit? Jeri: Well, I never thought I would be in Mobile. You know, a funny story about Mobile. I came down here for a conference for Ag Economics. I had like a paper in it and it was down at the ... Marcus: Convention Center? Jeri: ... Convention Center. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: And I went down, presented, came back and somebody said, "How'd you like it?" And I guess, I do not remember saying this but I guess I said, "Oh, it was nice but I would never want to live there." And this girl reminded me of that when I decided to move here. She said, "Do you remember when you said this?" Which, no. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: My degree was in Ag Economics, International Development. Marcus: Okay. Jeri: Emphasis, and so I kind of thought I'd be overseas working with like a US Aid type of thing or something like that. And just sort of my path changed a little, I started getting interested in refugees before anybody really knew what they were, and even kind of myself. But I had always kind of had a heart for the poor, had a heart for different cultures, and it seemed to mesh that way. And then basically I came down here because friends of a friend had started this church and did this international student stuff down here. And so, I was looking at what they were doing and I liked what they were doing. I was ready to move away a little bit an I thought, "I'm going to go try that." And that was seven years ago. I didn't expect to be here this long. Marcus: Wow. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Yeah, no, it's funny how at times the very thing in which you don't expect to happen is exactly what happens. Jeri: Right. And I love what I'm doing. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else so it's funny to me because I would have never put myself here in doing what I'm doing. Marcus: Well, I mean you kind of answered what is normally my next question. So, I usually ask, what was your first job and were there any lessons that you still remember from that? And I guess that still applies. You talked a little bit about how you found yourself in Mobile and starting this non-profit, but go back in time to ... Do you remember your first job? Jeri: My first job ever? Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: It was probably babysitting. Marcus: Like, no, I mean your first job outside of the normal. Jeri: Like professional job? Marcus: I normally tell people, think of around when you were 15, 16, 17 years of age. Jeri: Okay. Marcus: And you were flipping burgers or making sandwiches somewhere, that job. Jeri: Okay. My job was I drove a wheat truck. Marcus: A wheat truck? Jeri: Yes. Marcus: In Kansas. Jeri: Because I was in Pretty Prairie Kansas. Marcus: Yes, I love it. Jeri: And everybody farmed. Marcus: No, that's cool. Jeri: So, I wanted a summer job and you could make a lot of money. You worked a lot because you had harvest and everything. Marcus: Right, yeah. Jeri: And there was this guy, he was like the head of our youth group sponsor or whatever and he said, "Yeah, you can come work for me." And so, I drove a wheat truck for him. Marcus: Very cool. Now, were there any lessons that you learned out of that first job that you've carried with you? Jeri: I mean, the typical one that I mean it's true, is hard work. There wasn't anything harder than sitting out there waiting. You would sit out there and then you'd work 12, 13, 14 hour days and come back and do it again the next day. I think overall I ended up working for him for like a full, that was just during harvest and then I ended up working for him for a full summer, and he was very gracious to me. I would sometimes drive through the wrong field or mess up his equipment, like hit it on the elevator when I went through, so I wasn't the best wheat truck driver. But he was always very ... I mean I think he got a little irritated but he was always very gracious and generous, and so patient. And so, I feel like I carry that with me now of even for myself being patient with myself when I mess things up. But also trying to be patient with other people I'm working with. Marcus: You know it's interesting because I don't know that I've ever explained why I ask that question. Well, one of the reasons why I ask that question is because of how you just answered. So, you talk about the patience and generousness of this man and how you still carry that with you, well that is the intention behind this. And also just to get business owners thinking about, well if you're hiring people they carry those lessons that you provide to them into their life. And how you impact their life can either be a positive impact or it can be a really negative impact because I think we've all worked for people where it's just like, "How was this person even born? They're just horrible individuals." So, I'm appreciative of how you answered because it is very true. Those lessons, they're oftentimes carried with us into our professional careers and into our adult lives. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Right? Jeri: That's good. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: It's good for me to remember at this point of I'm on the other end now where people are working for me in different capacities. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: So, it's good. Marcus: Especially anybody that's working with interns or young people of any kind. It is a testing of your patience to deal with young individuals because oftentimes they don't have the skill set and they're coming to you basically for on the job training. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Anyway. So, how did you get started as Dwell? And do you call it Dwell or Dwell Mobile? Jeri: Both. Marcus: Both? Okay, so I'll just refer to it as Dwell. Jeri: Yeah, that's good. Marcus: How did you get started as Dwell? Jeri: When I came down here I worked with a group of people called All Nations Community Church and they had an international church. And my question was, do you do anything with refugees? And they said, "Oh, we want to." So, I came down to help them start an outreach for refugees. And as I got into it I saw the guy I worked with was very wise and said, "Why don't you just go listen to them? Get to know them and listen to what they need." And so, I did that and I heard, "We need relationship." And so I started thinking, "How can this group of people, the church, build relationships with this group of people, these people coming as refugees?" And so, as I got into that I saw several things, one of them was it takes a lot to help one family who's coming here. They need a lot. The other one was, so many people I started meeting in Mobile, like outside of that little church, it was little, didn't even know there was refugees here, but they wanted to be involved. Marcus: So, pause there for a second, and I'm going to mess this up. From my understanding is that Mobile is one of x number of communities around the United States that refugees are regularly sent to. Jeri: That's right. I don't know the x number. Marcus: Okay, you don't know the x number either? I wanted to say that it was like one of 12 or 20 or something. I mean it's not a large number of communities that get refugees. Jeri: It's the only city in Alabama. Marcus: Okay. Jeri: I know that. Marcus: And so, I know a little bit about this in the sense that I know that when a refugee family is brought here there are cultural differences, how do they integrate themselves, how do they learn the language oftentimes? They don't know how to get around? You start thinking about if anybody's traveled overseas, that's just going for a vacation and oftentimes you have a lot of disposable income and you're going over and you can pay people to overcome your shortcomings as a member of their society. But when you're thinking about somebody who doesn't have a lot coming here. So, how do you all work with those types of folks to help them integrate? Jeri: Right. When they come they get resettled by an agency, there's nine different ones around the US that have said, "We'll resettle refugees." We are not one of them, it's like Catholic Charities is the one here in Mobile. And so, they get six to nine months of help through Catholic Charities. So, Catholic Charities sets them up with an apartment, gives them a case worker, helps them get a job, helps them get enrolled in school, things like that. We step in kind of at the end after that's over. And so, if you can imagine, I often tell people that too of just like going to a new place where you have to learn the language, any professional skills or training you've had in your former life don't apply here. And then you have to restart over, how long that would take you. And so, we're looking more in the development world. There's a relief and there's development. And sort of like Catholic Charities provides the relief and the start. We look more at trying to provide the development like helping them. And so, one of the things that we do see ... We do several things but a lot of what we do is based in the relationships, that we try to help people ... Marcus: Yeah, it can be very lonely thing to move. Jeri: Yes. And they're often coming from places were community is so much more important than here. So, that's what I hear a lot. Like I just heard, I don't know I got an email a few weeks ago and we had, had this cultural night. This guy emailed and said, "Thank you ..." He had just arrived in February and this was in March, he's from somewhere in Africa. And he said, "For the first time in my life since coming to Mobile I have been lonely. And I want to thank you for everything you're doing because for the first time in a month me and my family felt connected to people when we came to this event you guys had." Marcus: Yeah, that's amazing. Jeri: Yeah. And I think and I'm seeing this of if you ... We do some other things too, some other like practical things, but that relational network when they're come especially from those cultures, that provides a structure. And you're out there on your own, you left, you went through all these circumstances to get here and then you get here and you're on your own again. And so, if you can provide some relationship stuff, that helps them to feel like they have the network they need to try things. And helps with depression, it helps with a lot of things that in our society I think a lot of times we have a fear of some of these people. And so, one of the things that connection can help with, if there is a reason to be afraid of them being radicalized they won't. Marcus: Right. Jeri: If they feel connected to their community. Marcus: They have a familiarity and a connection then they're not going to go in that direction. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: I know that this is news now because for years refugees have been coming here and nobody really said anything about it. And granted at some level it was a little bit scary just because of the sheer number of people that could have been brought. And there have been some issues in other countries where you bring in so many people into one area and it changes the culture of that area. Putting all that aside, that's not happening here. Jeri: Right. Marcus: And so, doing our best as a country that has a good heart and has a lot to offer, whether it's welfare or education or whatever just being good stewards of that and sharing it with those people that we've brought here, it's cool that you guys have kind of taken on that mantle to kind of help onboard them, to borrow a technolgoy term, we're onboarding you into the American way. That sounds like such a horrible thing to say but hey, it fits, you know. So, anyway, that's very cool that you do that. Jeri: Yeah. And I think one of the things as you're talking about some of that, that I'm thinking about is so many of the people that we talk to and we help we hear from them that they know their lives will not actually be better here. You're talking about acclimating and everything, but they have hope for their children. Marcus: Right. Jeri: And so, they've come and they've left. And these are people who I think that it's important to make the distinction, they have come through the UN, they've been in a refugee camp for five to seven years, they've gone through in all total one and a half to two years of screening, you know vetting. Marcus: Right. Jeri: So they didn't just wander here. Marcus: Right. They didn't land here on a boat. Jeri: Right. And so many of them come because of they see that it's an opportunity, they have opportunities here for their children that they wouldn't have. Marcus: Yeah, and we're often times talking about doctors and lawyers and professional people that you're saying they know that their lives aren't going to be better off but they're hopeful that their children are. You know they're coming here and giving up often times what they fought so hard for as their livelihood and their accepting a lesser position in life because they know that the opportunities that their children are going to have. And interesting to me because I often talk about the immigrant mentality. My father came here with the Peace Corp in the 60's if I remember correctly. Jeri: He came here? Marcus: Came here with the Peace Corp in the 60's. And it's hard for me to recognize the difference in how he raised me because I was raised by him, so I don't know any different, but the truth is that there's something very different about the immigrant mentality when you come to the United States, there's all the acclimation and stuff like that. Now, he came to teach Portuguese to people that were in the Peace Corp because they were going to Brazil in order to help people. And so he had some ability in language and stuff like that, so he didn't have that issue but he did, I'm sure there was some periods of ... I've been to the town where he grew up, there ain't nothing there. Jeri: In Alabama? Marcus: No, so my father in Brazil. Jeri: Oh, in Brazil. Marcus: I've been to the town that he's from in Brazil and no offense Dad if you're listening to this but even I guess it was 30 years or so ... when did I go? It was like 1990, so it was like 30 some odd years later, there still wasn't anything there. Jeri: Wow. Yeah. Marcus: It's a little salt mining town in Brazil in the North Eastern tip. And so, I can only imagine what it was like for him to come to the states. I think he landed if I remember correctly in Upstate New York and then he kind of migrated to Ball State, went to school got his undergrad and part of his Master's degree at Ball State, and then ended up moving out to DC. But all that to say is, I have discussions with people and I very much can tell somebody who was raised by parents who are not of the United States versus somebody that was raised ... there's this scrappiness like this understanding like, you have got to ... And it's not all, I'm generalizing, but the immigrants often times they have sacrificed a lot to be here so there's a lot of pressure put on the children because there was so much sacrifice. Jeri: Right. Well, and I'm not first, second, third generation but I think about a lot of times, I think about the difference between a Mid West culture and a Southern culture. Marcus: Oh absolutely. Jeri: Because I moved here. But, in the Mid West there was always this pioneering type of thing that's going on because that's the people who moved there. Marcus: Right. Jeri: The people who had to go settle the land and all this stuff. And actually statistically like it's real the percentage of immigrants that start their own ... you probably know this. The percentage of immigrants that start their own business is higher than the percentage of native born Americans, and then also the percentage of refugees within that is higher. Marcus: Right. Jeri: And so, you think about there's a, yeah I guess that pioneering spirit because yes these people have left because they were forced in some ways to leave but there's people who stayed too. Marcus: Right. Jeri: And so, if they're forced to leave then they have that ... I mean it's probably sort of a make it or break it, you have to, but also just some of the people I've met and I work with is just like they're just always thinking, "Oh, you could do this. You could do this as a business. You could do this. You could do this." Marcus: Right. Jeri: And that's one of the things and reasons I'm doing what I'm doing is because even more so after I've gotten into it I see, like I feel like our society is missing out on the richness that they have to offer us, if we put them in this box and stick them over here. Marcus: Right. Jeri: Like our mission statement is providing opportunities for refugees to thrive. Like, if we don't do those things then our society I think is missing out. Marcus: Right. Well, and I think there's a lot to learn. I will say that the one thing that I have very much appreciated about the South is their focus on family. Jeri: Yes. Marcus: Right. And so, growing up in the Northern Virginia area it was a very transient area and often times people were moving there because of a job and they weren't moving there because their family was there. They were just passing through, they were going to spend three to five years and then they were moving on to wherever they were going to be stationed next. And so, there's not a big web if you will of extended family but here in the South there, and so, I very much appreciated that. So, what I'm about to say does not apply here but there's a lot to be learned from those other cultures and about the importance of family and the importance of that foundation. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: And so, I think it's cool that not being from the South but you're giving them, you're showing them the Southern hospitality that this area's known for. Jeri: Right. And one of the things ... I agree. And one of the things that has struck me about working here in Mobile specifically is how much of the focus is on family and so, there's several people I've worked with over the years, both refugees and Mobilians that you bring somebody to visit, which they love it when people come to visit their homes. But sometimes you get a family and you bring that American family to visit and you're bringing like 10 people because you have the kids and the sisters and the whatever. And there's been times that I sit there and I look at it in these little apartments and I'm thinking, "Oh, we're eating too much of their food," or, "Oh, we're really making a mess," or, "We're filling up their apartment, and it's probably too loud for them." And then I have to remember like, "No, they're from somewhere where they have seven sisters and you would visit them every day but they're not there anymore." And so I do think that's a very unique strength that Mobile and the South has as far as welcoming people is like, you bring the whole family and you welcome them as a family, and that's how they think. Marcus: Yeah, absolutely. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Alright so we're going to get back on track because I have these questions but I'm just so fascinated by what you really like. Yeah, I'm just wanting to dive into it. If you were talking to someone that wanted to get started and running their own non-profit ... Jeri: Okay. Marcus: ... what's the one bit of wisdom that you would impart to them? Jeri: These are the hard ones. Marcus: Oh yeah. Jeri: The one bit of wisdom? As I have done this and gotten to know myself more, I know I'm the visionary person, which means I'm the person that's not the best at details. Marcus: Sure Jeri: So I think a bit of advice that I would say is, one, you can do it. You know if you're the visionary, if you find yourself like that, because sometimes I get paralyzed cause I think, "Oh there's this huge vision," and I don't even know how to start by making it happen. No, that's not true, break it down into little pieces and do a little bit of a plan and take that next step, and you will have something before you know it. The other thing would be to get a team of people around you, or one, or two people around you who agree with your vision who are good with the details, and then educate yourself. There's so many things when you start some thing that it's just like, "Oh, there's this whole other world of this or whole other world of this," and if you know a little bit you realize how much you don't know. And I think more and more going forward I need to find people who know those things more than, "Oh, I need to just know about everything." Marcus: Yeah, there's this as you're bootstrapping something, to borrow a business term, as you're bootstrapping something there's often times the necessity to go out and learn things because you don't have the ability to have somebody handle something. But as you grow it's more important, the velocity with which somebody else can just execute on something and you hand that off as a responsibility is much more important than you actually learning everything about it and executing it. It's a switch as an organization matures. And there was something else that you said in there about being a visionary. And often times in the business world the visionary is the CEO. Jeri: Right. Marcus: And so, your description is, well the Executive Director is really that role as the CEO of a company. And so, if somebody is a visionary then that's perfectly fine, as a matter of fact starting and running an organization is probably what God intended for you to do. But you also need to be cognizant of who it is that you are and find other people like you were describing that buy into the vision and have them help you execute on the details. Jeri: Right. Marcus: So, now it's perfect. Jeri: Yeah. And the thing I'm noticing now as we're growing, which I don't know if this is going to get into other questions, but, is the structure of it the more I don't get excited about structure, but the more I see that we can have some of that, that doesn't suck the life out of the organization, like a good structure that it will take stress off of me. Marcus: Exactly. Jeri: Because then it's not on your shoulders it's on the structure that you're building. Marcus: Right. No, most definitely. I even tell the team here when I hire people it's because I'm hiring them to take over something that I am just not having time to do. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Right? Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: And so, the more that you can kind of hand-off those pieces of responsibility, the more effective your organization becomes. Now, what are you all currently working on at Dwell? Any efforts or anything that you can talk about? Jeri: Yes. Yeah. Well we're finishing this up but we just started our big program is cultural acclimation classes sort of. Marcus: Okay. Jeri: And we partner with Spring Hill College, the Foley Center, and we have the classes actually there because they have English classes on the other nights. And so, we were thinking some of the people going there could also come to our classes. But we restructured them a little this Spring. So, we run them for eight or nine weeks, Spring and Fall, and a lot of it is built around building community and meeting people. And so, that's what most of our programs or events are structured like that. I tell people like you go in and it feels very messy or kind of chaotic, and sometimes it is really chaotic. Marcus: Embrace it if it exists. Jeri: Right. But there's life. There's lots of life to it. So, we meet one night a week, eat dinner and this semester we have changed them so they can pick from different tracks that they want to do. And so, they can pick English, GED, citizenship classes, driving classes. And then we have a whole nother program for the kids at the same time. Marcus: That's cool. Jeri: We're finishing that up and then this summer is going to be more just getting volunteers in homes and vising and stuff like that. And then some of that stuff happening organically. Marcus: Nice. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Very cool. Are there any books, podcasts, people, or organizations that have been helpful in moving you forward? Jeri: Yes. Marcus: Okay. You're going to have to expand on that. Jeri: There's a lot. Books, podcasts, organizations, or people? Marcus: People, yeah. Jeri: I always go back to this book and this is not a business book but it was really helpful for me. One of the things that I look at is, I'm a person of faith so I think, how does my faith work out practically in my life? And that's what I'm talking about, how does it inform how I serve people? And there's a book called Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma who is a Creative Director at World Vision. Marcus: Okay. Jeri: And he writes about God's heart for justice basically. And so, that has helped me even in the thing that I call our organization is a value based organization, so we have these values we run off of and when we are looking at new things to do, does it match up to this value? And even in how we run things we have these values that we want to make sure get hit on and that we're operating from. And so, just that book has helped me see those things are legitimate. It's not just like a fluffy thing but it's ... I don't know if he would be listening to this, Todd Greer has helped me a lot. Marcus: Oh, don't do that. Jeri: Come on. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Todd can be an influential person. Jeri: Yes, he can be if he wants to be. Marcus: If he wants to be. If he so chooses. No, we love Todd. He's doing wonderful things now up at University of Mobile. Jeri: Yeah. Marcus: Now, what's the most important thing that you've learned about running a non-profit? Jeri: Wow. Marcus: I didn't tell you these were going to be easy questions. Jeri: I know, I was hoping you would send them to me before. Marcus: No, no, no, no. Jeri: So I can look smart. Marcus: I did that once or twice and you could feel it in the answers that the person gave. Jeri: Oh, yeah. Marcus: It was just too polished. Jeri: They were ready. Marcus: And I was like, "No, that's not how we're playing this game." I want everybody giving her a few more seconds here, so I want everybody that's listening to this podcast to know they have never seen these questions. Now granted the questions get asked often times on previous episodes but unless you've listened to these a lot you're not going to recognize that there's some repetition in the questions. Those of you that listen understand that there is a lot of repetition but she's never seen these questions before so she's over here in the hot seat. Jeri: So, the one most important thing? I also like to talk so I can tell you like five. I would say for a non-profit, especially I feel like the area I'm in, knowing when you need to rest is one of the most important things. Marcus: Okay. Jeri: Because I'm doing what I'm doing because I have a heart for helping people but if I don't rest then pretty soon I get bitter and I don't really want to help anyone. Marcus: Right. And giving yourself the freedom to do that. Jeri: Giving yourself the freedom to do that. And having little like ... this was actually a book I started reading that Todd recommended called Called to Create and the guy ... No, it was on something else, anyway. I heard somebody say once, "You get what you celebrate." And so, the idea is you have to celebrate the little things that happen are sometimes reflective of bigger things that are happening. So I always think ... And it's in one of our values of we're not going to meet every need and we can't, but it's more like what you're called to be doing. And so, I just have to remind myself, I can't jump if I see you need a car and a job and an apartment. Marcus: You can't just provide that. Jeri: I'm not going to be able to do all that stuff. Marcus: Yeah. But you can be a friend. Jeri: I can be a friend. Marcus: Right. Jeri: And so, if I can do that and then if I can have my limits of, "Okay, well that's great, sorry you need a car but, okay." Marcus: I'm not Daddy Warbucks. Jeri: Yeah. So, that gives me a lot of freedom to go ahead and then go be your friend. Marcus: Right. Jeri: And I think that's important otherwise I would be burnt out, I would not have any vision or passion left, and I would not be able to help others to do the things that I'm doing as well. Marcus: I think that principle applies in business too. So often times we talk on this podcast about how business owners have a tendency because it is their baby, they have a tendency to get wrapped around the axle when it comes to their business and that's all they want to focus on. And the truth is that you have to force yourself to not just focus on that but also to take time away because it's often times in those times away when you have your greatest visions, and your epiphanies about what it is that you should be doing. Jeri: Yes. Marcus: And you also start to see the weaknesses in your business or the strengths in your business. Anyway, that principle definitely applies in a number of different ways. Now, tell people where they can find you. Jeri: www. Marcus: You don't have to do that. You can leave off the www thanks. Jeri: You can see I'm a very technical person. ​ Marcus: Okay. Jeri: We're on ​. Marcus: Facebook. Jeri: We're on ​. Marcus: Okay, very good. Does your organization have any needs? Jeri: We do have needs, yes. Marcus: Okay, what are some of those needs? So, somebody out there is listening and they're so inclined, what would be the one or two things that you would ask them to do? Jeri: Well, we ... I mean I was just telling you we have a fundraiser coming up soon that's probably passed by the time people will hear this but we're always in need of funds. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: This is kind of what we tell people, we have a good base of starting of good programming, I like it. And we have great volunteers, we can always use volunteers. The thing about volunteering is I ask for certain levels of commitment to that because it's not helpful to hae somebody like float in and out a lot. Marcus: Good. Jeri: Because we're trying to build relationships. Marcus: Yeah. Right. Jeri: So, if you have the time and you want, volunteering is great. The fundraising part and the money part I feel like we're operating at this level right now, we're growing, it's good. We will not be able to operate at this level very long because I will burn out and so will other people if we do not get money raised. Marcus: Right. Jeri: So, that would be something people can do. Marcus: Yeah, funding and volunteering. Yeah, so if you have money and you're so inclined sometimes that's what you're called to do. Jeri: Right. Marcus: That gift of giving is definitely very strong in some people. And so, this is definitely a worthy organization. And if you just have a heart for people and becoming friends with those that are the disenfranchised of the world. They've been placed in a new place and don't really know anything about it, then this is a great organization to get plugged into. Jeri: Yes. Marcus: Well, I want to thank you again for coming on the podcast. Any final thoughts or comments you'd like to share? Jeri: I don't think so. Thank you for having me. Marcus: Yeah. Jeri: I appreciate it. Marcus: Absolutely. No, I love it. Jeri: It was fun. Marcus: We call ourselves the Mobile Alabama Business Podcast, but we also sit with people that we feel like have something great to offer and you are definitely one of those people with a heart and passion that you're pursuing the refugees in this area. So, thank you for what you're doing. Jeri: Thank you. Yep. Marcus: So, I appreciate your willingness to sit with me and share your journey as a non-profit Executive Director, it's been great talking with you. Jeri: Yes, you too. Thank you very much.

March 28, 2018 • Ken Wytsma addresses the Wheaton College campus community.

Ken Wytsma shares his final sermon as Lead Pastor | Global of Antioch Church. He reflects on the last eleven years of Antioch and the importance of Church.

Ken Wytsma shares his final sermon as Lead Pastor | Global of Antioch Church. He reflects on the last eleven years of Antioch and the importance of Church.

This video is about Ken Wytsma lecture

White people find race challenging to talk about. Far too often conversations around race summon feelings of shame and anger. Author, pastor and justice activist Ken Wytsma helps us talk about white privilege and white supremacy. How can we have the...

Ken Wytsma brings us face to face with what we really believe about grace. Luther said, “To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing.”

Ken Wytsma brings us face to face with what we really believe about grace. Luther said, “To be convinced in our hearts that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace alone is the hardest thing.”

Ken Wytsma, Lead Pastor | Global, and Pete Kelley, Lead Pastor | Local, share with Antioch about the vision of the Church and introduce our new sermon series, The Reconciliation Of All Things.

Ken Wytsma, Lead Pastor | Global, and Pete Kelley, Lead Pastor | Local, share with Antioch about the vision of the Church and introduce our new sermon series, The Reconciliation Of All Things.

Confusion is a lack of clarity. We are confused at who our Enemy truly is - how he works, when he works, and what he uses as weapons.

Confusion is a lack of clarity. We are confused at who our Enemy truly is - how he works, when he works, and what he uses as weapons.

My guest is Ken Wytsma. He is the lead pastor of global ministries at Antioch Church and is president of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice. His most recent book is "The Myth Of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege." Ken is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur. His work takes him around the world as a frequent international speaker on justice, theology, and leadership. Ken is known for his depth of insight and ability to inspire others to think deeply about faith, life, and leadership. Publisher’s Weekly called Ken, “one of the new breed of evangelical Christians returning to scripture to redeem justice as a central tenet of faith.” Ken is the founder of The Justice Conference, which has reached over thirty thousand people across seven countries with a message on a theology of justice and God’s call to give our lives away. He is also the lead pastor of global ministries at Antioch Church and is president of Kilns College, where he teaches courses on philosophy and justice. Ken also served for several years as the executive director of a creative office for World Relief and has experience as a senior partner for a brand strategy and marketing firm. Ken is the author of Pursuing Justice, The Grand Paradox, Create vs. Copy and The Myth of Equality. He has written widely, with articles appearing in RELEVANT Magazine, Huffington Post, Church Leaders, Worship Magazine and more. Ken lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters. Special Guest: Ken Wytsma.

Ken Wytsma continues our series in Judges with a word about Gideon.

Guest speaker Ken Wytsma shares a theology of justice.

Guest speaker Ken Wytsma shares a theology of justice.

Support The PodcastKen Wytsma

“I don't have a creative bone in my body.” You've probably said that before, or heard someone say that before. But Ken Wytsma won't say it. And if he hears it, he won't believe it. “Artistic ability is a talent some possess,” he writes in his latest book, Create Vs. Copy. “Creativity is a human trait.” In our fast-paced and rapidly changing world, it's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or anxious. According to Ken, creativity is one of the keys to break through the anxiety and flourish in leadership and life.  “Imagination not only helps us see more clearly what is, but what should be,” Ken says.  In this episode, Ken explains why creativity is an important leadership quality, explores the connection between justice and imagination, and tells us why fairytales are not just stories for children – they're for adults too. More info about Ken Wytsma: www.kenwytsma.com.  More info about The Justice Conference: www.thejusticeconference.com.au.  Subscribe to Life & Faith: www.bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast.