Podcast appearances and mentions of sandra van opstal

What roles can and should women play in peacemaking movements? How can we connect the struggle for justice across contexts in a way that furthers the work of mutual flourishing and collective liberation? What does it mean to be an effective ally, advocate, and friend?This week, we are joined by our friend, author, preacher, trainer, liturgist, activist Sandra Van Opstal. Sandra is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice, a movement led by people of color to mobilize a lifestyle of faith and justice. Sandra recently joined the And Still We Rise Conference put together by our friends at CMEP, a conference intentionally created by and for women. After two trips to the region this year, one with Telos in May, and this recent one in November, Sandra shares with us what it looks like to be an effective advocate for our friends in Israel/Palestine, especially in this horrific moment. --Learn more about Chasing Justice If you're enjoying the podcast, become a monthly donor to Telos!Subscribe to the Telos NewsletterRead and share the Principles and Practices of Peacemaking

Mikayla Nembhard and Sandra explore how communal self-care and rest sustain long-term justice work. Sandra shares insights on overcoming burnout, processing emotions and offers practical ways to cultivate resilience. Join us to learn how rest can become an act of resistance and why community support is key to staying engaged in the work of justice.   Sandra Van Opstal is the Executive Director of Chasing Justice. Sandra is a second-gen Latina living on the west side of Chicago. She is an international speaker, author, and activist. Sandra's initiatives in holistic justice equip communities around the world to practice biblical solidarity and mutuality.   Mikayla Nembhard is a Content Creator at Chasing Justice. She is a television producer and editor of On The Path as seen on Yes TV Canada. And she co-hosts The Brave Girls Podcast for Brave Global, a charity designed to empower and uplift young women and girls everywhere. Mikayla holds a BA in bilingual communications from York University.    We have an active Patreon community where you can access the full video interview and more resources. Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate  

Today, we're talking all about the recently-released Confession of Evangelical Conviction:-        What the confession is and what it says-        Why we signed it and got involved promoting it-        How the American church got to the point where a confession of very basic political theology like this is necessary-        And after that conversation, we talk the many layers of Christian nationalism involved in the debacle at Trump's recent trip to Arlington National CemeteryMentioned on the episode:-        The Confession of Evangelical Conviction, and the associated resources-        The video we produced to promote the confessionCredits-            Follow KTF Press on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Subscribe to get our bonus episodes and other benefits at KTFPress.com.-        Follow host Jonathan Walton on Facebook Instagram, and Threads.-        Follow host Sy Hoekstra on Mastodon.-        Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra – listen to the whole song on Spotify.-        Our podcast art is by Robyn Burgess – follow her and see her other work on Instagram.-        Editing by Multitude Productions-        Transcripts by Joyce Ambale and Sy Hoekstra.-        Production by Sy Hoekstra and our incredible subscribersTranscriptIntroduction[An acoustic guitar softly plays six notes in a major scale, the first three ascending and the last three descending, with a keyboard pad playing the tonic in the background. Both fade out as Jonathan Walton says “This is a KTF Press podcast.”]Sy Hoekstra: When we first started doing this work and we published our anthology, we went on a couple of podcasts about it. A common thing that people asked of us at the time was, where do you think the White American church, where do you think the like 81 percent of the church, the White evangelical church that voted for Trump is going? And the first time I said it, I sort of surprised myself and I was like, look, it's being cut off the vine for not bearing good fruit and thrown in the fire. There's been a long time coming of a divorce, like a complete split between White evangelicals in America and followers of Jesus.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Sy Hoekstra: Welcome to Shake the Dust, seeking Jesus, confronting injustice. I'm Sy Hoekstra.Jonathan Walton: And I'm Jonathan Walton.Sy Hoekstra: We have a great show for you today. We're doing something a little bit different. We are talking about a bit of a movement, a little, a confession that we have signed onto that we're a part of that we're producing some media around that you may have seen by the time this episode comes out. And it's a confession of sort of evangelical faithfulness to Jesus in a political context. And it is probably a little bit off the beaten path of kind of some of the political commentary that we normally engage in. And we wanted to talk to you about why we think it is a good and strategic thing for us to do during this season, give you some of our thinking behind how we kind of strategize politically and think about ourselves as part of a larger theological and political movement.So I think this will be a really good conversation. We're also gonna get into our Which Tab Is Still Open and talk to you about Christian nationalism and whiteness through the lens of Donald Trump doing absurd things at Arlington National Cemetery [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: But we will get into all of that in a moment. Before we do, Jonathan Walton.Jonathan Walton: Hey, remember, if you like what you hear and read from us at KTF Press and would like for it to continue beyond the election season, I need you to do two things. Go to KTFPress.com and become a paid subscriber. Now, you could also tell other people to do that as well if you've already done that. We've got a ways to go if we're going to have enough people to sustain the work, but we think it's valuable, and I hope you do too. So go to KTFPress.com, sign up, and that gets you all of the bonus episodes of this show, access to our monthly Zoom calls with the two of us and more. So again, KTFPress.com. Become a paid subscriber.What is the Evangelical Confession of Conviction, and Why Is KTF Involved?Sy Hoekstra: All right, Jonathan, let's get started in our conversation. We've signed onto this document called The Confession of Evangelical Conviction. We've produced some media around it. First of all, what is it and what does it say?Some Basic Political Theology That We Need to Restate at This Cultural Moment with UnityJonathan Walton: [laughs] Well, I think the question of what it is, it's words [Sy laughs]. Like there's these things that we put together, it's words. And I think the reason that it's powerful is because of when and how it's said. And so these are basic confessions that every Christian should believe, but it seems like the reason that we're doing it right now and that I've signed onto is because there are seasons when the discipleship and formation of the church needs to be plain and centered. And so being able to say, “I give allegiance to Christ alone,” and then have that be reverberated across denominations, across movements of quote- unquote, Christians around the country that are usually so disparate, they usually don't communicate, they usually disagree with each other in very public ways, to say, “Hey, hey, hey.”We need people to understand who don't follow Jesus, that when Gandhi said, “I like Christ, I don't like Christians,” that's part of the problem. We are part of that problem. Where we don't articulate what we know, what we believe, what we know to be true. I think this is an articulation of that, speaking particularly to a cultural and political and social moment that needs the clarity that Jesus can bring.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. So this is just to get into the weeds of it. It's a confession signed by I would say, the sort of extreme ends, at least to the people that we know about right now, I don't know who's gonna sign it in future, but center-right to more progressive left. And the basic confessions, like the seven statements of the confession are, “We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. We will lead with love, not fear. We submit to the truth of Scripture. We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division. We are committed to the prophetic mission of the Church. We value every person as created in God's image.” And “We recognize godly leaders by their character.” So this is very basic theology [laughs] like you said. And you got a little bit at why it matters to put this out there, why we are involved. I agree with you. I think it's more about the context and it's also about who is saying it more than it is about the content.Because, and by the way, we should say we are giving you our reasons for signing this and why we think it's important. This is not… like there's a group of people that were involved in writing it, so there's lots of people involved who we don't know precisely why they signed [laughs] or precisely why the people who wrote it decided it was necessary. We're talking to you about our opinions. So to me, if you have something that says we pledge our allegiance to Christ alone, that's a rebuke of Christian nationalism to me.We judge godly leaders by their character, that's a rebuke of people who argue that Trump is a godly leader or a leader who has been appointed by God in some way or another. So those are important things to say. And it's with people across a pretty big spectrum of, as I said, the political range. Would Jonathan and I go a lot further than this if we said what we thought is important for political discipleship? Yes, we would, and you know that, because you've heard our other episodes. Or if you haven't, go listen to our other episodes [laughs]. We would go a lot further than that, yes. But we think, I think it's good to work with a broad range of people during a political campaign.Reaching a Broad Audience and Pushing the American Church to ChangeSy Hoekstra: Like I think when you're talking about discipleship at a moment when tensions are extremely high around theology and politics, it is good to do these kinds of things where you are trying to scale your efforts.Where you're trying to reach as many people as possible in the hopes that you will change some minds, both so that they will more faithfully follow Jesus, and in this specific context, so they won't vote for Donald Trump. That's one of my personal reasons for being involved in this [laughs]. And that's how you do campaigns in general. That's how campaigns operate. You try and call as many people as you can. You try and put commercials out there as widely as you can toward your targeted audience, whatever. Not in the hopes that the vast majority of the people who see it are going to suddenly be like, “Oh my goodness, I agree with everything you say,” but in the hopes that you'll reach enough of the people whose minds you can change to make a difference in their decision when it comes to November.You will reach them and you will start to be one of the people who affects their choices, is what I'm trying to say. So I don't know, that's kind of the strategy of it from my point of view. It is a similar way of thinking to me from the anthology. When we published the anthology four years ago, it was different because we were letting people say their own beliefs. And it was people from all over the spectrum kind of saying why they weren't voting for Trump in whatever way they saw fit [laughs], on whatever topic they saw fit. That was our approach. But this is the way some other people are going to do it, and we're gonna be happy to work with them in that way.Jonathan Walton: I think for me, I see the political strategy of it. I see the strategery that's happening, to use a word from SNL. My hope is that…Sy Hoekstra: From SNL 25 years ago [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yeah. My hope… [laughs]. It was such a great sketch. “Strategery,” it was so good. “I'm the decider” [Sy laughs]. So I think one of the things that stands out to me, particularly in reviewing it more and assign it and then come on board, is, I hope that this is a Belhar Confession type moment for the United States and followers of Jesus. Particularly, because when we look at the Dutch Reformed Church, the Dutch Reformed Church was the theological backbone and framework for apartheid in South Africa. They gave the covering for those things to happen. It gave theological and moral legitimacy to a movement that was oppressive, violent, exploitative, and un-Christian at every level. Because there are Christian leaders who are willing to say, “You know what? This is really good. This is actually right. This is good and just, and God intended this.” And we have the exact same type of nonsense happening in the United States.There are quote- unquote, prophets and apostles and preachers and teachers and publishing houses and Amazon independent book publishers rolling out materials that say, “America first.” America is the kingdom of God. America is the kingdom of heaven. America is this baptized land on the earth, as opposed to being a land that is rooted in land theft, genocide, violence, patriarchy, greed and exploitation. Which it is that. It's actually not the kingdom of God at all. And so I hope that this creates a groundswell that goes beyond November 5th and beyond January 20th. And could this be a pivot point of orientation for people who followed Jesus to say, “You know what? Actually Jesus didn't say any of that.” If all of these people, right, left, middle, above, otherwise are saying this, maybe I should consider. “Oh, Randall Balmer said that, and Mercy Aiken” [Sy laughs]? “Shane was there too? Alright. Shane is on the same page as Curtis Chang and Sandra Van Opstal? Alright, let me jump in and get on this.” That's what I hope happens, is that it becomes impossible to avoid the question of allegiance to Jesus, or allegiance to the United States. Just like in South Africa the question was, are you pledging allegiance to apartheid or are you gonna follow Jesus?Sy Hoekstra: I totally agree with that. And I would say that it is 100 percent in line with the sort of premise of this podcast, which is helping people shake the dust and walk away [laughs] from the places where the word of God is not accepted as Jesus put it. And you let your peace return to you and you move along on your way.Jonathan Walton: Yes.How Did We Get to the Point Where This Confession Is Necessary?Sy Hoekstra: So let's actually talk about that thing that you were just saying. The thing where all these people from these different walks of life are coming together to make this specific statement at this time. How did we get here, aside from the obvious thing that Donald Trump is very good at uniting people who oppose him [laughter]. How did we get to this point in the church in America?Jonathan Walton: I think we need to narrow the scope a little bit.Sy Hoekstra: Okay.Jonathan Walton: Of how we got to this point, I think I would start at Acts 2 [laughter]. But, and then the church and then the alliance with the empire to escape persecution. Constantinople like Nicea, I mean…Sy Hoekstra: Let's focus on America.Jonathan Walton: Yeah, let's focus on the United States.Sy Hoekstra: [laughs] Zoom in a little bit.The Moral Majority Took Us Very Far down a Path Away from JesusJonathan Walton: I think that one of the pivot points in the United States is 2008 in the ascendance of Barack Obama. With Barack Obama, you have what was roiling and starting with Al Gore, but like can Christians vote for Democrats and still be Christians? Because with the ascendance of the moral majority, with what Randall Balmer talks about this coalescing around abortion as a position, and then the policies laid out by Jerry Falwell. And there was a conference in 1979 in Houston. Lots of organizations came out of that gathering. And so when those types of things occur, I think we are living in the wake of that wave, but that wave wasn't really challenged until 2008 when many, many, many, many people said, “Oh, I wanna vote for Barack Obama.”And so with the ascendance of Obama, then the question particularly among the Black community from evangelical Christians is like, can you be a Christian and vote for Obama? And that was talked about extensively in Tamice's book, Faith Unleavened, which is amazing. And that scene that she describes of the dissonance between the White evangelical church that she was sitting in, and the conversation she was having with her grandma on the phone, who she called Momma.Sy Hoekstra: Where her family was having a party because Obama had been elected and her White church was having a mournful prayer service.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. I think a lament session basically, for the United States being now overtaken by a demonic force. And so I think if we start there and move forward, like if this was a ray coming from a point, then the line actually starts to diverge from there, from the center point. And now we are actually so far apart that it's very, very difficult to justify what's happening. So if we're at our end points right now, we have followers of Jesus legitimizing sexual violence by saying Trump is fine. You have followers of Jesus legitimizing fraud, saying that that's fine. You have followers of Jesus legitimizing insurrection, saying that's fine. We are way, way down the road and very far apart from these basic confessions.And so I think people that are co-opted and indoctrinated by Fox News and the conservative White evangelical and conservative Catholic and conservative… because there's a smattering of Christian movements that have so aligned themselves with political power that it is very apparent even to non-Christians, that this is not Christ-like. And so I think for us, similar to the church in South Africa, to say, “Hey, we need to just make very plain every person is made in the image of God, and you shouldn't enslave, violate and steal from people.”If we could articulate that and do that, and have a movement around that, then I think that is how we got here, is that basic tenets of following Jesus have stayed the same, but forces, institutional, the powers, the principalities, and also people who chose to align themselves with that have taken the ball and run so far down the road that even people who don't follow Jesus and folks who just have basic biblical engagement are seeing that this is just not the way. And so I think followers of Jesus across the spectrum are starting to say, “You know what? This is a moment that we can actually speak into.”The White Evangelical ChurchA Divorce between White Evangelicals and Followers of JesusSy Hoekstra: Yeah, I agree with all that. I think, I mean, look, when we first started doing this work and we published our anthology, we went on a couple of podcasts about it. A common thing that people asked of us at the time was, where do you think the American church, where do you think the like 81 percent of the church, the White evangelical church that voted for Trump is going?” And the first time I said it, I sort of surprised myself, but I was like, “Look, it's being cut off the vine for not bearing good fruit and thrown in the fire.” That's it. There's been a long time coming of a divorce, like a complete split, I think, between White evangelicals in America and followers of Jesus.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: White evangelicals have had a whole long history of being involved in, as you said, in the exact same way that the Dutch Reformed Church was involved in apartheid, just being involved in everything. Every [laughs] terrible thing America's ever done, we've been there cheering it on and supporting it in all kinds of ways. And I think a lot of what Trump in particular, and it's sometimes a little bit hard to put my finger on why it was him, but Trump in particular, I think highlighted to a lot of Christians who viewed themselves as kind of like just nice, gentle, center right Christians who were a part of a larger movement where maybe there were some people who were a little bit off the deep end, but overall, these institutions and these people are trying to accomplish good things in the world and follow Jesus faithfully, realized that that wasn't the case.I think there are a lot of people who realized that they actually had opinions about what it meant to follow Jesus that were dramatically different than the average person in their institutions, or the average evangelical Republican.Policy Debates for White Evangelicals Have Been a Cover for Power HungerSy Hoekstra: Peter Wehner, I think would be one of these people, who writes for the New York Times. He was a George W. Bush speech writer. He recently wrote an article saying, “Look, Donald Trump has explicitly said that if you took one of these super restrictive state abortion bans and you passed it in Congress and you put it on my desk, I would veto it. I would not pass a national abortion ban.”Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Which for the pro-life movement, that's the end goal. That would be [laughs], that would be the thing they've been fighting for for decades [Jonathan laughs]. And he has said, “I will not sign this.” And do you hear anything about that from Franklin Graham [laughs]?Jonathan Walton: So Al Mohler was on the Run-Up of the New York Times this week, when you listen to this probably like two weeks ago, talking about how, “Hey, Donald Trump just said he's not gonna sign a national abortion ban. What's your position on that?” And his position hasn't changed, because again, it is framed as you all are the radical people, not us. We are the victims, not you. There's a constant revision of reality that they are gonna continue to turn out and communicate that is rooted in fear and a lust for power and control and dominance. And that is toxic as all get-out, and obviously un-Christian.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah, that was the end of my point, was that a thing that people have been arguing for a long time, which is that, this focus on abortion, this focus on prayer in school, or this focus on whatever the evangelical issue of the day is, has in fact been about power from the perspective of the leaders.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Maybe not the rank -in-file people like marching and the March for Life or whatever.Jonathan Walton: Exactly.Sy Hoekstra: But the leaders are after power, and they always have been. That's what, if you go back a couple years to our episode with Mako Nagasawa, the first episode of season two where we talked about abortion. That's what his whole book is about, is the history of abortion policy and how it's almost never been about abortion. It's almost always been about something else like anti-immigrant sentiment or professionalizing the medical profession or whatever. It's always been about some other issue of people trying to establish themselves and gain power over somebody else. That's what I think a lot of people are realizing, and so a lot of people who are, I think more to the right in the group of people who have signed this document that we have are on that journey, like are in the middle of it.Or not in the middle of it, but they've been going on it for a few years and they've been rejected by who they thought were their people for saying things like, “Hey, should we maybe adhere a little more closely to the teachings of Jesus?” [laughs] And now they're saying, okay, they've gotten to a point where they're like, “I need to draw a line in the sand. I need to make something clear here.” And that I think is different. That is genuinely different than eight years ago when everybody was, a lot of people in the middle were just kind of waffling.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Yeah, right.Sy Hoekstra: Were not really sure what to do yet. And they still viewed the people on the far right who were all in for Trump as possibly a minority on their side, or possibly just something like a phase people were going through. Something that would flare up and then die, and it just didn't turn out that way. I think that's kind of how I view a lot of how we got to the place that we are now.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: Again, zoomed in on America and not looking at the entirety of church history, which is where you wanted to go [laughter].Jonathan Walton: Yeah. And I mean, and I'll name some of the people that are key to that. So, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, like her book Jesus and John Wayne, Jemar Tisby's book, The Color of Compromise. And we could also throw in some Christianity adjacent, but loved by them books as well. So like all of the quote- unquote, anti-racist books, where people who are trying to leave the race-based, class-based, gender-based environmental hierarchy that White evangelicalism enforces, like I wrote about that in Twelve Lies as an explicit book. But you could say that Ibram X. Kendi's book is trying to get away from that. That White Fragility is trying to get away from that. That all of these books pushing back against [laughs], what now is called like Trad Wife and all these different things, it's trying to push back against these things. They're trying to call people to another reality because the one that some people have found themselves in is deeply unhelpful and not Christian.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. I feel like that's been like you're refrain of this podcast. “And also, not Christian” [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Not Christian. Right.Sy Hoekstra: And not Jesus.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: Do we have any other thoughts on this subject, or do we want to jump into our segment?Jonathan Walton: I just think people should go sign it.Sy Hoekstra: Oh, yeah.Jonathan Walton: And there's a fun bible study there that [laughs] we talked about two weeks ago on the podcast and spread the word about it. I think it's gonna be a good thing.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah, the link to the website, the people who organized it, Jonathan said, “Hey, you can put the Bible study that we talked about in our last episode up, if you want a place for people to go to scripture on these subjects.” And they did.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: So that's cool. We will have the link to the confession in the show notes, as well as the link to the video that we created, which has a bunch of the signers of the confession reading parts of it, which we would love it if you would all share as widely as possible on your social media, and share the confession as well. We hope that this, as I said, changes somebody's hearts and minds, has some good effect on some people both in their discipleship and in their politics, which is what we're all about.Jonathan Walton: Yeah. Amen. There's actually a worship album that came out too. So along with Phil Vischer's cartoons for kids that can be shown in churches, there's a Return to Love album by a bunch of folks that you all may know like Will Matthews, Crystal Lewis, Ryan Edgar. These are folks that have led worship in great places that the evangelical world has followed for a long time. And so having worship leaders willing to call us out as well is pretty great. Along with Phil Vischer, because these videos will definitely be great for kids.Sy Hoekstra: Is that worship album already out?Jonathan Walton: Yeah, it's out right now [laughs]. You could click on it.Sy Hoekstra: I don't know how they did that that fast. That's incredible [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Hey man, listen. There's a thing called the Holy Spirit.Sy Hoekstra: [laughs].Jonathan Walton: And I think we all know that when Jesus moves, Jesus can do some things.Which Tab Is Still Open?: Trump at ArlingtonJonathan Walton: And so let's get into our segment, Which Tab Is Still Open?, where we dive a little deeper into one of our recommendations from the newsletter. And remember, you can get our newsletter for free by signing up for the mailing list at KTFPress.com. You'll get recommendations on articles, podcasts, and other media from both of us on things that will help you in your political education and discipleship. Plus, you'll get reflections to keep you grounded and hopeful as we engage in this challenging work together. News about KTF and what's going on, and a lot more. So go get that free subscription and a paid one too. Alright. So this is your recommendation, so let's jump into it.Sy Hoekstra: This actually has a lot to do with what we were just talking about.Jonathan Walton: Yes, it does.Sy Hoekstra: This is all about Christian Nationalism [laughter]. And Trump kind of stepping in it when it comes to dealing with his Christian Nationalist followers. So here's the story, and the article that I recommended in the newsletter was actually, it both gave the details of the story, but it was actually for me, an example of kind of the thing that I was critiquing [laughs]. It was an Atlantic article, and basically the facts of what happened are as follows. Trump went to Arlington National Cemetery, which if you don't know, is I just learned the second, not actually the largest, the second largest national cemetery in the country.Jonathan Walton: Oh. Huh.Sy Hoekstra: The largest one's on Long Island, Jonathan, I had no idea.Jonathan Walton: What!Sy Hoekstra: [laughs] Yeah.Jonathan Walton: [laughs] I did not know that.Sy Hoekstra: So the people who are buried in Arlington are soldiers who served in active duty. Some of them died, some of them were retired and passed away later. And then like very high ranking government officials, like Supreme Court justices or presidents or whatever. So Trump went and visited a specific spot that had I think 13 soldiers who died during the evacuation of Afghanistan when there was a suicide bomb attack from the Taliban.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: And he did this basically to highlight Biden administration screw ups. You didn't handle this evacuation well. And so because Harris is part of the administration, he's criticizing his opponent. And he went and took some pictures, which is fine, but he then was like specifically taking pictures in this area and like narrating a video talking about Biden screw ups and everything. And an employee of the cemetery pointed out correctly that campaign activities are illegal under federal law [laughs] at Arlington National Cemetery. And they kept going anyways. And they got in a little bit of an argument with her, and then later to the press said that she is mentally ill and was having a mental health crisis in that moment, and that she needed to be fired.And, fortunately the cemeteries said, “No, that's all a lie, and she was correctly telling you that you shouldn't have been doing what you were doing and et cetera.”Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: But there were a number of people, and I don't know if this is a majority or anything like that, but there were actually some Trump supporters who viewed this as a violation, like something that Trump really shouldn't have done. He was being disrespectful to the dead, the troops who were there, by doing partisan stuff at the National cemetery. It was not necessarily about the things that he was saying, but just by conducting yourself in a way that you're not supposed to conduct yourself at a national cemetery.Sy's Experience with Arlington and it's Strong Christian NationalismSo here's my in for this. I have a very long history of military [laughs] service in my family. Somebody in my family went on Ancestry.com one time, and I have a direct ancestor who was a drummer boy in the Continental Army with George Washington [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Oh, wow.Sy Hoekstra: And somebody who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. And my great-grandfather was in World War II in Korea, grandfather was in Vietnam. And my grandfather who was in Vietnam, he died when I was about 10. My grandmother remarried a very highly decorated army colonel also from Vietnam, who he passed away and we had a funeral for him at Arlington. And Arlington does like 20, 30 funerals a day. So if you're a rank-in-file soldier, it's like a very, it's an in and out thing [laughs]. But because of either his rank or his awards or both [laughs], it was an event, Jonathan. It was like, we had the bigger, more beautiful chapel, and then we had a procession, because I can't see, I can't tell you how many it was, but at the very least, dozens of soldiers with a commanding officer taking his casket from the church to the burial site, there was a 21-gun salute. There was the presentation of the flag with the shell cases from the 21-gun salute to my grandmother. It was a big thing.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: And if you've been to Arlington, you know that one of the key messages there is that the people who served America and the army served the kingdom of God, served Jesus. That is what they did. They served, and they may have died serving heaven [laughs] effectively. And so what that means is this is one of the holiest sites for Christian nationalism. This is one of the places where you go to be reassured with some of the highest level, like some of the world's greatest pomp and circumstance. The world's most convincing showing of pageantry and religious activity that the United States Army and the people who died serving it are also serving God, which is, you can't get more Christian nationalist than that.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: Which is also why we have talked about Christian nationalism, actually far more common than people think it is [laughs]. It is absolutely normal in how we talk about the military. So what I think happened here with Trump is that because what I believe about Trump is that he's a conman to the core. He is pure... he's like self-interest incarnate [laughs]. He is out to promote Donald Trump and nothing more, and nobody more than that.Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: I think he forgot that his self-interest can actually diverge from Christian nationalism [laughs]. I think that he forgot that he can step on his people's toes in a way that he doesn't want to. And he's basically going to look out for where those things diverge in future in order to not have this happen again. Because he's just there doing what he does, which is promoting himself anytime, anywhere at all costs. And he forgot that one of the things that he harnesses, which is Christian nationalism, is not actually something that he believes in, and so he can misfire [laughs]. The irony to me is that I want to gain enough power to do anything and not be held accountable for it to better myself in my own position, is a pretty good summary of how kind of the operating principle of the US military in our foreign policy has been for so long.So it's actually, it's like [laughs], it's two entities, a former president and the US military kind of clashing in their basically excuse making for their own unaccountability and their own sin. Which is how I view the Christian nationalism of a place like Arlington. What I just said Jonathan, is [laughs] blasphemy to a [laughs] lot of the people that I probably, to some people that I know personally. So I will just acknowledge that. But that is what I believe, and I think is true to the Bible. So hopefully you can at least give me that credit [Jonathan laughs]. Jonathan, boy, did I just talk for a long time. I'm sorry. I actually had in the outline that I wanted to ask you first what your thoughts were before I went on my rant, and I just couldn't help myself. So, [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Well, Sy, I mean…Sy Hoekstra: Jonathan, what are your thoughts?Jonathan Walton: I think one, I just appreciated the explanation of the closeness, why it's still open for you. Because I think when I was writing Twelve Lies, I wrote about the military, and I wanted to say, “Oh, they're only going to these types of communities to get people.” That would've been my hypothesis or was my hypothesis, but the research proved different.Sy Hoekstra: And when you say that, you specifically mean exploiting like poor Black and Brown neighborhoods?Jonathan Walton: Yes.Sy Hoekstra: You're saying like, “We'll get you into college, we'll give you benefits, et cetera, if you come fight and die for us.”Jonathan Walton: Exactly. And so…Sy Hoekstra: Potentially die for us.Jonathan Walton: Right, there's this exchange that's gonna happen for your body. Whether alive or dead, there will be benefits and resources for you or your loved ones. And so I went in with that lens, but what my research showed me was that the majority of people who serve in the military are family. Their parents were in it, their grandparents were in it, their cousin was in it. It's actually like only about two percent of the United States population is affiliated with the military. We're recruiting from the same groups of people. And this would also be true for law enforcement. People who were in it essentially raise their children and bless and send them into it as well as most often. It's not actually about income.The income, if I remember correctly, was between 50 to 70 thousand dollars a year in a household, which in a rural area is at the time, 10 years ago, felt like a living wage. And so that reality was also something that's interesting for me. So when Trump came out against Mark Milley, when Mark Milley challenged him to say, “Hey, you will not use me, quote- unquote, the military, as a prop in your racism, standing in front of St. John's church holding that Bible up,” which was literally the distorted cover of our book, our anthology, because these things were happening. When he insulted John McCain, that was a moment where the military and I think those who are beholden to Christian nationalism tried to speak up. Tried to say, “Hey, we won't do this.” But then the ball continued down the road.I don't know what the fallout of the Arlington stuff will be, but I do know based on Up First the NPR podcast this morning in the morning that we're recording September the seventh, they said the military and the employees actually let this go. But the reason they brought it back up was because Trump got on Truth Social , used platform and stature to say, “This did not happen. There was no altercation. This person had a mental health episode.” And when you go into that, that's where I think the, “We will not be disrespected” thing kind of came up. Like what do you mean? No, we're gonna talk about this and we're gonna name that. You will not desecrate this holy site. Holy in holy site of Christian nationalism, as you were saying.So I hope that there are more people that are offended, because I think that if we allow ourselves to be offended, to be bothered, to be uncomfortable, then maybe there will be some movement. Because I think you're absolutely right. He is, you said self-interest incarnate. I think that is a great quote [laughs].Trump Cheapened the Spiritual Cost People Pay to Be in the MilitaryJonathan Walton: What's painful to me, so I too have, my father was in Vietnam. My brother was in the Navy, my uncle was in the Army. My other uncles were in Vietnam. And Brodnax, the town where I'm from, has many gravestones from Vietnam and Korea. And so what is fascinating to me is the level of belief that you have to have to commit acts of atrocity or commit acts of violence. Like Shane Claiborne would say, we were not made to kill people, you have to be taught to do that.And I am in no way condemning a soldier or a person who's in military service, who's listening. That's not what I'm saying. I'm observing, it costs us something to do these things. And I think the thing that Trump did was cheapen the cost that many, many, many thousands of people have paid for something that they thought was a collective interest blessed by God when Trump said, “No, you are a pawn in my game. And I will use you for my benefit.” Now you again, you will have people that say that's what's happening anyway. Trump is just doing in like what everybody else does behind closed doors. But I think that tension that he articulates or brings up for us, I hope it's allowed to rise to the surface, and then we can have a conversation about the cost.Like the silent war in the military right now is that even soldiers who have not seen active duty are committing suicide. I hope it brings to the surface the, like my dad, Agent Orange ruined some of his life. They're still figuring out what the effects of that were. You have people who are saying they support troops in one hand, but then voting against resources and benefits for them in the other hand, when the legislation comes up. Lauren Boebert did that yesterday. I hope that the perceived belovedness of our veterans and military versus the reality of how they're exploited and taken advantage of and dismissed and cast aside, we would actually acknowledge that and then do real work to ensure that they don't end up on the street.They don't end up stuck on painkillers. They do get the medical resources they need. They do get the mental health support that they need. Their families do get the resources that they need on and off-base and not just a discount at the PX. If that could be the conversation because of this, then I'd be very glad.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Just one more thing you said there. You said lots of people use the military as pawns and it's true. Or like props for their campaigns. It is just another one of those things about Trump where he will just do what everybody else did, but he'll turn it up to 11 [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Yeah, no, yeah. It's true.Sy Hoekstra: Everybody else, every politician, if they have a military background, if their family does, if they can visit a military site or whatever, they do it all the time. And even if their love for the military or for America is real, it is also true that they use them for their campaigns [laughs]. Use them to prop up. That has been… since we elected George Washington, the general of the Continental Army, has been true [laughter]. Right?Jonathan Walton: Right.Sy Hoekstra: So Trump is just the one who says, “Whatever your rules of decorum are, I'm going to break them.” And in most cases, that is actually his appeal. “Yes. I break rules of decorum and there's no consequences. And that's because these elitist can't tell me what to do and we need to take back power.Jonathan Walton: Oh Lord have mercy, Jesus [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: You need someone like me who can just break through all this nonsense.” You know what I mean?Jonathan Walton: Right. Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: That's usually his appeal. And in this case, it just happened to be that he crossed the wrong line for some people. I'm sure there's a lot of people who probably don't care [laughs].Jonathan Walton: Right. It may not wrangle a lot of people, but I hope it wrangles the right people.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: And him stretching out this poop that he stepped on and not wiping it off his foot and continue his campaign, I hope that roils people. He is a disrespectful person.Sy Hoekstra: Yeah.Jonathan Walton: And for Christians, literally James chapter four, it's that God opposes the proud. We are called to be humble people, and so I pray for Trump. I pray for his family. Not that he would win an election and all those things, but literally that they would come to know Jesus. Literally that they would know the freedom in him. Literally, that they would be able to experience the freedom that money cannot purchase and privilege cannot provide for you. And so I say all these things in hopes that everyone who is watching what happens is disquieted because we should not be comfortable with what's happening. Especially as followers of Jesus [laughs].Sy Hoekstra: Yeah. Amen to that Jonathan. Amen.Jonathan Walton: Yeah.Sy Hoekstra: I think we'll wrap it up there. Just as a reminder, as we finish, please again, go to KTFPress.com, get that newsletter and sign up as a paid subscriber to support everything that we do. We're centering and elevating marginalized voices. We're helping people seek Jesus in their discipleship and in their politics. We really do need some more support than we have right now if we're gonna make this sustainable kind of past this election season. So please do come and sign up as a paid subscriber at KTFPress.com. Our theme song is “Citizens” by Jon Guerra. Our podcast Art is by Robyn Burgess, transcripts by Joyce Ambale, editing by Multitude Productions. I am the producer along with our lovely paid subscribers. Thank you so much for joining us, and we will see you in two weeks.[The song “Citizens” by Jon Guerra fades in. Lyrics: “I need to know there is justice/ That it will roll in abundance/ And that you're building a city/ Where we arrive as immigrants/ And you call us citizens/ And you welcome us as children home.” The song fades out.]Jonathan Walton: Give me one second. One moment. I'm gonna get the name right so that you don't have to go edit this later [Sy laughs]. … So yes, we… Robert Mohler. The—Richard Mohler. Al Mohler. That's his name [Sy laughs]. Al Mohler [laughs]. It says R dot Albert Mohler. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ktfpress.com/subscribe

Sandra Van Opstal visits and begs the question, "What if?" Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice, a movement led by people of color to mobilize a lifestyle of faith and justice . She is an international speaker, author, and activist, recognized for her courageous work in pursuing justice and disrupting oppressive systems within the church. As a global prophetic voice and an active community member on the west-side of Chicago, Sandra's initiatives in holistic justice equip communities around the world to practice biblical solidarity and mutuality within various social and cultural locations. https://chasingjustice.com/sandra-van-opstal/ https://redeemerwichita.church/  

This is a replay of an episode we released only to patrons of The Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast. While we take a small hiatus from normal programming to attend to the work of The Transforming Center as well as a special Digital Film Capture project we invite you to revisit some of our previous seasons.    Please visit our website to learn more about the work of The Transforming Center and our Digital Capture project!   For our patrons during the Lent season we recorded a special conversation with Sandra Van Opstal. Sandra sat down with Ruth and Tina to discuss why lent is so significant to someone who was formed in a Latina Roman Catholic tradition, how the Transforming Center helped make the bridge to a reforma-costal BIPOC pastoral space as well as why diverse spiritual practices lead us to solidarity and mutuality.  This conversation was insightful and important for us all as we seek to be leaders doing God's important justice work. Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina and the executive director of Chasing Justice. She is an author, pastor, and activist reimagining the intersection of faith and justice. Her work centers on chasing justice under the mentorship of the global church, for the mobilizing of the next generation of leaders. Sandra has given leadership in global movements such as Lausanne, The Justice Conference, and Urbana Missions Conference. She has also had a strong domestic presence as an executive pastor at Grace and Peace Church and as an activist on the west-side of Chicago. Sandra serves as a board member for CCDA. She holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in urban leadership and transformation. She is a contributor to the New York Times Bestselling book A Rhythm of Prayer and she's also the author of The Next Worship. If you'd like to hear more content like this, become a patron! Patrons receive an overflow of bonus content from the episodes, including exclusive conversations between Ruth and guests, clips that we couldn't fit into the final cuts, and more! Become a patron today by visiting our Patreon page!   The Transforming Center exists to create space for God to strengthen leaders and transform communities. You are invited to join our next Transforming Community:® A Two-year Spiritual Formation Experience for Leaders.  Delivered in nine quarterly retreats, this practice-based learning opportunity is grounded in the conviction that the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self!

A groundbreaking show! TEJ's first 8 and 1 conversation! You probably know Sandra from the Enneagram Daily Reflections Series, she authored 40 Days on Being an 8. If you don't know her yet, get to meet her and her husband Karl in today's episode. Don't get distracted by the frog talk in the start of this conversation, it's going somewhere... The importance of Intentionality "Let's make it happen." Justice Parenting “I have a motivation of how do I make sure no one can scold me for anything.” - Karl (1) “Rest feels like a choice to me, and I've had to undo that.” - Sandra (8)   PLUG TIME! Know Your Number with Suzanne in Kansas City at Resurrection UMC this June! June 23-24 at their Leawood Campus, tickets are only! $30!!! What a great weekend vacation getaway! CLICK HERE for all the information and to get your tickets. Looking forward to seeing you there! Is it time for you to join an LTM Cohort? While you're discerning, click on the link below for all of the info, dates, expectations, and the application. Don't wait until it is too late to apply for the De/Re-Construction Cohort! The deadline is June 30th! Apply for the LTM Cohort Program   TODAY's INTRO: Wedding Crashers (2005 New Line Cinema) Sandra Van Opstal on TEJ podcast (January 2022) Brooklyn 99 - S3: E13 The Office - S5: E15

Chris had the opportunity to speak with 3 first-time podcast guests at CCDA. They discuss their recent books, genuinely diverse worship and the dynamics of being Latino/a in ministry leadership in our cultural moment.Books & Writing Mentioned in this Episode:If you'd like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World by Sandra Van OpstalBrown Church: Five Centuries of Latino/a Social Justice, Theology and Identity by Robert Chao RomeroWhy Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel TatumSanta Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes by Justo GonzalezPedro Paramo by Juan RulfoEl Trino Dios Y La Mision Integral by Rene Padilla, Pedro Arana, Samuel EscobarVoices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson

Justice has become such a trendy topic but we forget there are people behind each injustice. In this episode, we talk about who are the people who are part of marginalized groups and communities and how we can serve them better with how we communicate to them but also about them. Whether you're a person that belongs to a marginalized group or not, this is a session that engages you in new ways and approaches on how to have mindful and significant conversations around justice. This is actual a portion of one of our Compassionate Conversations Sessions founder here: https://www.thefullgarden.com/compassionate-conversations-course We learn from Sandra Van Opstal - the founder of Chasing Justice (chasingjustice.com) as she walks us through what the Bible says about serving and seeing the marginalized. Connect with us: -Follow host - Pricelis: instagram.com/pricelispd -Follow our community: instagram.com/we.are.full -Join our email list: view.flodesk.com/pages/6215291dd328ec5152cf122e -Check out our website: wearefullcollective.com and pricelispd.com

Welcome to Chasing Justice Season Two. Professionalizing justice work is unhelpful. I hope you are ready to rebuild a just world by pursuing our collective liberation and flourishing. In this intro episode Sandra frames why we get stuck in ideas and what we need to move forward.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. Live Justly Cohorts for emerging leaders start October 13th.  Apply now at ChasingJustice.com/livejustly.  Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! We have an active Patreon community where you can access the full video interview and more resources.  Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

What a joy to speak with Sandra Van Opstal again for the podcast! This time we talked about her timeless book that’s getting a new release, The Next Worship. Originally published in 2016, this message is as relevant for the church today as it was when it first appeared in bookstores (in some ways, maybe … Continue reading Episode 155 – Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Living justly can be tricky; parenting children to live justly can be all the more complicated. This week on 20 Minute Takes, Nikki Toyama-Szeto talks with Sandra Van Opstal and Karl Ostroski about justice parenting. Sandra is a pastor, activist, and executive director of Chasing Justice and Karl is a an information technology consultant. Listen in as they talk through their intentions as they help their kids navigate the world, the joys and complexities of fostering, and practical tips for how to lead families to live justly. (This episode is longer than most, but we believe the extra content is well worth your time!)Follow Sandra on Twitter and Instagram.Follow Karl on Twitter.

Jesus warned us that the end times would bring a weakening of the church, and today, the Marxist infiltration behind the pulpit proves we are living in the eleventh hour. Jon Harris, the founder of Conversations that Matter and creator of Last Stand Studios, warns of troubling activity within the church landscape. Jon, who has made many truth-telling documentaries that cover subjects like cancel culture and exposing the 1619 Project, encourages people to take a stand for truth no matter what the cost. Will Christians be benchwarmers or participants in proclaiming God’s Word as the corruption of communism in the church continues to be revealed? TAKEAWAYS Sign up for the FREE webinar on Navigating Cancel Culture on April 6, 2022 Break Every Chain film showcases the reality of addiction and Christ’s redeeming grace AbortionWorker.com helps women find freedom from the abortion industry Jon Harris reveals fraudulent Christian leaders like Russell Moore and Al Mohler and the dangers of the church embracing social justice

Sandra Van Opstal (pastor, author and activist) joins David Kinnaman to talk about the transformative power of the Enneagram, why self-reflection is essential for every leader's development journey and how the Church can move beyond relief work into pursuing justice.    –   State of Your Church: Barna's State of Your Church webcast will give you new data-informed insights into how people are growing in their faith and will equip you with powerful tools to help you measure what matters in your own church ministries. This free 90-minute webcast is airing on Tuesday, March 1st at 1:00pm ET, hosted by Carey Nieuwhof, Nona Jones and David Kinnaman. To sign up today, go to Barna.com/stateofyourchurch.   Watch this episode on YouTube: Barna Group   Follow Barna at: Instagram: @barnagroup Twitter: @davidkinnaman | @barnagroup Facebook: Barna Group

Sandra Van Opstal, executive director and co-founder of Chasing Justice, joins hosts Karen and Chris to discuss how “worship without justice is just not worship.” They also explore how the choices we make about what to spend, what to give and what to keep are connected to justice; the two words that can shape our practice of loving our neighbors; and why it would be great to have a 7 year old in every small group! Chasing Justice Forty Days on Being an Eight, Enneagram Daily Reflections Emmanuel Katongole We'd love to connect with you. Visit our website; follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter; or send us an email at faithformation@crcna.org. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/open-to-wonder/message

http://www.sandravanopstal.com/Forty Days on Being an 8 (book)

How do you bring your concerns for the injustice of your own community without taking up space with others? How can we see anti-racism as a journey and not a fight? In this episode, which was originally a patreon exclusive, Kathy and Sandra speak the truth about long lasting collaboration.   Also this is Kathy's last official episode with Chasing Justice, so don't miss it! For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

This season finale is a sweet celebration between our hosts as they reflect on what this experience has meant to them thus far. It has served as a steady lifeline for us all in the midst of the challenging last year. It has also been a warm welcome to the journey that they are on individually and collectively as they show up week after week bringing their full authentic selves to the conversation.    In efforts to be good stewards of what God entrusted us with, we will continue to create a space for people of color to be known and seen, and guidance for those in the pursuit of justice. We look ahead expectantly to how we will be stretched, challenged and spurred on right alongside you in Season 2!   Host: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez Guests: Emma Tautolo, Sandra Van Opstal, Tyler Burns Guest IG: @etautolo @sandravanopstal @burnsclan_ Producer: Caleb Dea Social Media & Marketing: Jazzlyn Venkataya Designer: Cameron Stingley Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez   Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast   The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com

This episode is a thought-provoking discussion about the many and varied topics we've covered in Season 1 from the state of our country to the multifaceted suffering we endure and everything in between. Our guests share about the ways that they were met, challenged, and spurred on towards hope and healing in their pursuit of justice.    We are being joined by a returning and beloved guest, Emma Tautolo, as well as by first time guests, Sandra Van Opstal and Tyler Burns. Sandra is the Executive Director and Founder of Chasing Justice and Tyler is the VP of Brand & Story for Chasing Justice as well as the President of The Witness BCC.   Resources: Chasingjustice.com Thewitnessbcc.com Venmo @EmmaTautolo    Host: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez Guests: Emma Tautolo, Sandra Van Opstal, Tyler Burns Guest IG: @etautolo @sandravanopstal @burnsclan_ Producer: Caleb Dea Social Media & Marketing: Jazzlyn Venkataya Designer: Cameron Stingley Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez   Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast   The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com

It's time for Part 2 of this dialogue! Conversations about collective identity are important but what does a BIPOC existence offer us as distinct communities of color? Are there communities that like the term more than others? How does our daily reality shape whether or not we will lean into an identity beyond Blackness or Latinidad? When there is so much work that needs to be done even in those distinct identities who has the energy to take on more? Tyler Burns, VP of Brand and Story, joins Sandra Van Opstal in a reality check on why these questions are necessary for our BIPOC identity (if one even exists). Together, they address the pain in amongst their own communities and how that impacts the ability to envision a collective win. They also invite us to the spiritual practices of protest and coalition as a way of embodiment. Tyler Burns is a pastor, speaker, and podcaster. He currently serves as the President of the Witness: A Black Christian Collective. You may recognize his voice from the Pass the Mic Podcast.

Conversations about collective identity are important but what does a BIPOC existence offer us as distinct communities of color? Are there communities that like the term more than others? How does our daily reality shape whether or not we will lean into an identity beyond Blackness or Latinidad? When there is so much work that needs to be done even in those distinct identities who has the energy to take on more? Tyler Burns, VP of Brand and Story, joins Sandra Van Opstal in a reality check on why these questions are necessary for our BIPOC identity (if one even exists). Together, they address the pain in amongst their own communities and how that impacts the ability to envision a collective win. They also invite us to the spiritual practices of protest and coalition as a way of embodiment. Tyler Burns is a pastor, speaker, and podcaster. He currently serves as the President of the Witness: A Black Christian Collective. You may recognize his voice from the Pass the Mic Podcast.

Collective socio-political terms such as "Asian American", "BIPOC", and "POC" were developed over generations. Are these terms helpful or harmful for communities of color? What is gained or lost when we use them? This straightforward conversation between Kathy and Sandra went so deep, so fast that we had to split it into two parts. Lean in and interrogate with them how our faith informs our sense of identity in communities of color. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.   Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Collective socio-political terms such as "Asian American", "BIPOC", and "POC" were developed over generations. Are these terms helpful or harmful for communities of color? What is gained or lost when we use them? This straightforward conversation between Kathy and Sandra went so deep, so fast that we had to split it into two parts. Lean in and interrogate with them how our faith informs our sense of identity in communities of color. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Kathy and Sandra offer their expertise from mentoring BIPOC leaders on why ethnic identity development is critical for the work of justice. Hear from their wisdom on the process of identity formation and how coming home to oneself makes us a force in against white supremacy and injustice. They even go through Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatums stages on Identity formation. When we understand our past and ourselves more deeply we can create a future in which we integrate Jesus and Jesus. Learn how we can pursue goodness and beauty in every vocation and circumstance as people who live justly. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Media can hurt or heal us in our journey towards collective liberation. Kathy and Sandra talk about the role of media from Kathy's professional experience. They also tackle policing, doomscrolling, and messy conversations media. Hear about their favorite shows that hold space for processing that some of our churches do not. How is it that Shondaland and Marvel are inviting nuance and vulnerability that multi-ethnic justice spaces are not having? AND...At the end we have an exciting announcement! For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Sandra and Kathy help us take a collective breath together as we process the Chauvin verdict, the murders of young black and brown lives, and as we continually face a system that is designed to dehumanize BIPOC bodies. Sandra shares about her experience at the marches and why culture and beauty matter to how we process injustice. They helps us consider why a symphony of our responses in each of our distinct communal experiences is what we need for this justice journey to work. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

White supremacy sucks for all of us. What do we embody our collective liberation in a lifestyle of justice? What it mean to be a neighbor who is seeking justice? We can talk about justice, without locally living our love in public. Hear concrete examples of ways BIPOC leaders are practicing embodied solidarity. Allow the stories to encourage and challenge us to chase justice together. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In this episode, Dr. Madison Pierce and Dr. Josh Jipp interview TEDS alumna Rev. Sandra María Van Opstal, Co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice, a movement led by people of color to mobilize a lifestyle of faith and justice.Josh and Madison talk to Sandra about her calling to equip BIPOC leaders and to help predominately White organizations develop hospitable and multi-ethnic spaces characterized by mutual love and respect.We hope you learn as much as we did!Want to check out more of the Rev Van Opstal's work? Check out her Amazon author page (here). Some recent highlights:Forty Days on Being an Eight (IVP, 2021)Her recent contributions to The Rhythm of Prayer (Convergent, 2021; NYT Bestseller) and  No Longer Strangers (Eerdmans, 2021)The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World (IVP, 2015)Seminary Now curriculum on The Next Worship This episode is also on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/bj6NLq-VJm0

What is an acceptable ‘American’ story? Why some stories seen as normative and others categorized as ‘foreign’. Kathy and Sandra talk about the Golden Globe winning movie Minari and why telling our story is not only for our freedom but to confront false narratives and pursue our collective liberation. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

How can we advocate for ourselves and others? How do we hold space for one another and with one another? This episode features a conversation between our hosts Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang about exploring what collective liberation looks like for each of us as we move forward. This is the work of Chasing Justice, the unglamorous, uncomfortable conversation of showing up for one another. Listen in as we continue to have deeper conversations between our communities. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Season Two continues with the second half of our dynamic conversation with co-host Kathy Khang as she bring in her longtime friends Barnabas Lin and Jazzy Johnson to address inter-ethnic solidarity. In Part 1, they spoke to 'grief policing' and making space for one another's stories. They go even deeper in Part 2. This conversation is beautifully and painfully honest. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are. Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

S07 E05 This week on the Danielle Strickland Podcast, season Mind Blown, Danielle and James were honoured to be joined by guest Sandra Van Opstal! It was a conversation filled with revelation, challenge, tension, joy AND practical ideas. This episode will help us all move toward being a Kingdom people!For more from Sandra, go check out her website sandravanopstal.com and Chasing Justice - her latest initiative to keep Jesus at the centre.

Today, I’m chatting with Sandra Van Opstal: https://www.instagram.com/sandravanopstal/?hl=en (Instagram) | http://www.sandravanopstal.com/ (Sandra's Website) | https://chasingjustice.com/ (Chasing Justice Website) Connect with me! —> https://www.instagram.com/morganharpernichols/ (Instagram) —> Garden24 (https://garden24.co/ (shop)) —> https://www.youtube.com/user/itsmorganmusic1 (YouTube)

Today, I’m chatting with Sandra Van Opstal: https://www.instagram.com/sandravanopstal/?hl=en (Instagram) | http://www.sandravanopstal.com/ (Sandra's Website) | https://chasingjustice.com/ (Chasing Justice Website) Connect with me! —> https://www.instagram.com/morganharpernichols/ (Instagram) —> Garden24 (https://garden24.co/ (shop)) —> https://www.youtube.com/user/itsmorganmusic1 (YouTube)

Season two starts with a dynamic conversation with our co-host Kathy Khang as she bring in her longtime friends Barnabas Lin and Jazzy Johnson to address inter-ethnic solidarity. In Part 1 they speak to 'grief policing' and making space for one another's stories. This conversation is beautifully and painfully honest. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are. Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In the last interview episode of 2020 Kat chats with author, speaker, pastor (and so much more) Sandra Van Opstal! Kat and Sandra chat about Sandra's upbringing: being the daughter of immigrants and how that has influenced the way she teaches and leads others in navigating their place in the world. Kat and Sandra also chat about recentering power and why we specifically need to center historically vulnerable women. Sandra also shares about how her experiences in different denominations and within different communities has led her to believe that it's our uniqueness and our differences that give us an opportunity to sharpen one another—and we must be willing to interrogate that within ourselves and each other so that we don't end up with idolatrous theologies and perspectives.

“…you can be a powerful man and accost women. You can have daughters and accost women without remorse. You can be married and accost women. You can take photos and project an image to the world of being a family man and accost women without remorse and with a sense of impunity. It happens every day in this country. It happened here on the steps of our nation’s Capitol. It happens when individuals who hold the highest office in this land admit, admit to hurting women, and using this language against all of us.”  These comments were part of speech given from the floor of the House by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y in response to profane comments that Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., made about her in an exchange earlier this summer. Sandra and Kathy are back today to discuss the layers of harm in these comments and the way many white men in power feel permission to speak this way to women of color. They also discuss practical ways to address a culture of misogyny in Christian public and private spaces.  For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.  These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In this episode, host Erin has a conversation with Sandra Van Opstal that challenges some of the narratives about diversity, inclusion, and unity. Sandra is a second-generation Latina and a pastor at Grace and Peace Community on the west-side of Chicago.  She is a preacher, liturgist and activist who is re-imagining the intersection of worship and justice.In her fifteen years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Sandra mobilized thousands of college students for God’s mission of reconciliation and justice in the world. Sandra served as Director of Worship for the Urbana Missions Conference, Chicago Urban Program Director, Latino National Leadership Team (LaFe), and Northwestern University Team leader (Multiethnic fellowship).Sandra’s influence has also reached many others through her leadership and preaching on topics such of worship and formation, justice, racial identity and reconciliation, and global mission. She has been featured at Wheaton College, North Park University, The Justice Conference, Evangelical Covenant conferences, Willow Creek Association conferences, and various churches.  Sandra serves as a board member for Evangelicals for Justice and the Christian Community Development Association.  Sandra was also the Worship Director for the IFES World Assemblyin Mexico 2015,  Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Jarkarta 2016 and Global Gathering in South Africa 2018. She is also the Executive director and Co-founder of Chasing Justice In addition to her ministry experience, Sandra holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois and has been published in multiple journals. She has authored God’s Graffiti Devotional, Still Evangelical, The Mission of Worship and The Next Worship.In this episode, Erin quotes from the book Prophetic Lament, which is also highly recommended. 

What happens when we demolish without having a commitment to rebuild? How will it impact our faith if we just tear it down?  Deconstruction and reconstruction requires reflection, guides, and a diverse community so we can keep ourselves honest.   Sandra and Kathy are back with a vulnerable conversation about the cost of interrogating our faith as people of color. This candid dialogue helps us to know why it’s important to center communities who have typically been marginalized and how that brings hope along the way in our path towards rebuilding.  For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.   Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! If you are in the process of rebuilding, here are some books written by BIPOC that will help you get there. Order from ivpress.com using the code CJPOD and get 30% discount. Brown Church The Next Worship Hermanas Raise Your Voice Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0 The Way Up is Down A Sojourner's Truth Bread for Resistance Liberation is Here Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In this moment we need to hear from Pastor Sandra Van Opstal. Celebrity worship pastors using their social media to shut down people lifting up Amos. Other celebrity worship leaders lead revivals that provide the soundtrack for Trump-style white supremacy that risks more lives during a pandemic that has claimed the lives of 163,000 people in the U.S.A. already. All this to sing over the top of people protesting injustices, sometimes literally in the places people like George Floyd have been murdered, without the family’s permission or the communities consent. When we thought of people to speak into this reality, the incredible work, witness and writing of our friend Pastor Sandra Van Opstal came to mind. Sandra Van Opstal latest book is called “The Next Worship” and captures some of her international leadership to see the church embrace every tribe and tongue as we become a worshiping people pursuing justice. Pastor Sandra is a second-generation Latina and the co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice and Executive Pastor for Grace and Peace Community. Sandra Van Opstal lives on the west-side of Chicago [USA] with her husband and two boys where she works as a liturgist, author, pastor and justice activist at the intersection of poverty, race and global mission. https://chasingjustice.com/about/ Featured on this episode: Pastor Sandra Van Opstal Drew Hart Jarrod McKenna

In this moment we need to hear from Pastor Sandra Van Opstal. Celebrity worship pastors using their social media to shut down people lifting up Amos. Other celebrity worship leaders lead revivals that provide the soundtrack for Trump-style white supremacy that risks more lives during a pandemic that has claimed the lives of 163,000 people in the U.S.A. already. All this to sing over the top of people protesting injustices, sometimes literally in the places people like George Floyd have been murdered, without the family's permission or the communities consent. When we thought of people to speak into this reality, the incredible work, witness and writing of our friend Pastor Sandra Van Opstal came to mind. Sandra Van Opstal latest book is called “The Next Worship” and captures some of her international leadership to see the church embrace every tribe and tongue as we become a worshiping people pursuing justice. Pastor Sandra is a second-generation Latina and the co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice and Executive Pastor for Grace and Peace Community. Sandra Van Opstal lives on the west-side of Chicago [USA] with her husband and two boys where she works as a liturgist, author, pastor and justice activist at the intersection of poverty, race and global mission. https://chasingjustice.com/about/ Featured on this episode: Pastor Sandra Van Opstal Drew Hart Jarrod McKenna

Brandi is joined by Sandra Van Opstal of Chasing Justice (https://chasingjustice.com/about/) to talk about white supremacy in how we see, experience, and practice worship. She offers invitations to reclaim our humanity from internalized racism, from...honestly, just bad music, and from practices that don't actually reflect who God is and what God is doing in the world. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, rate, review, and if you feel like it, join us on patreon for extra content as well as other available perks. Transcripts are available about a week after release on buzzsprout under the transcripts tab!Patreon.com/brandinico

“People of color decolonize, but white people deconstruct” "What does the process look like for women of color and how does this look different for my white counterparts? What do we believe, and why do we react a certain way when we hear things that challenge that belief? Sandra and Kathy are back with an important conversation about Christian beliefs, deconstruction, and reconstruction for people of color. How do our lived experiences intersect with our faith and our ethics? For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book  Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.   Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

"Why does it seem like no matter what, you're made to feel bad for who you are?" "What would it look like for us to just accept who we are, know that it's meaningful and live out of that bold reality?" Part 5 of our 5-Part Podcast Series with Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang features a life-giving conversation about chasing justice in our bodies. "What does it mean to speak about the things we do in the bodies we have?"  Kathy and Sandra candidly discuss what it means to show up and accept who we are in our own bodies as we attempt to rebuild a just world. This means considering who we are and also prioritizing how we can care for our bodies as we continue this important work.  For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized!  Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

What can our movie categories teach us about language? What does it mean to preserve our language within our community? We’re back with the next part of of our 5-Part Podcast Series with Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang features an important conversation about the experiences of language that they’ve had in their adult lives. They answer the key question: “How do we keep and honor our language despite attempts to remove or devalue it?” For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Part 3 of our 5-Part Podcast Series with Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang features a conversation about “empathy and envy”. Kathy and Sandra discuss what it means to chase justice in different life stages and the responsibility each of us has to carry the work of justice in our unique situations. They also share how the forces of patriarchy and scarcity creates envy in our hearts. For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice. These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Together, we can rebuild a just world.  Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In episode 101, we meet Sandra Van Opstal and Karl Ostroski - an amazing couple who shares about their work, their relationship, and raising children who care about justice! Sandra is the Executive Director of Chasing Justice, a movement led by people of color to mobilize a lifestyle of faith and justice, and Karl is a consultant. Sandra and Karl dive into what it's like to married to someone who grew up very differently from the other - from culture, age, and class. This duo is raising sons who are both five, born two days apart, and they also share with us about their experience in raising bi-racial children and how to encourage them to be justice-minded. Listen up for three things: cross-cultural marriage, wing woman, and TOWG. There's so much practical wisdom in this episode!To learn more:https://chasingjustice.com/Welcome to the Love or Work Podcast, hosted by Andre Shinabarger (Physician Assistant, Grady Hospital) and Jeff Shinabarger (Social Entrepreneur and Founder of Plywood People). They are asking the question: Is it possible to change the world, stay in love and raise a healthy family? 100 interviews where Jeff and Andre learn from other working families in the journey of marriage, purpose and parenting.Website: www.loveorwork.comHome Together: A date night right where you areInstagram: www.instagram.com/loveorworkLove or Work is a project of Plywood People.Plywood is a non-profit in Atlanta leading a community of start-ups doing good.www.plywoodpeople.com

An update for this week. #BlackLivesMatterListen to Jemar Tisby's episode here.Listen to Karen Gonzalez's episode here.Listen to Sandra Van Opstal's episode here. Listen to Propaganda and Dr. Alma Petty's episode here.

"I wish I could..." Have you ever felt like you wanted someone else's life or moment? Part 2 of our 5-Part Podcast Series with Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang features a powerfully candid conversation about the impact of jealousy and envy in justice spaces, specifically for women of color.  For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.  These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Today’s episode of Chasing Justice is SPECIAL. Join our Executive Director Sandra Van Opstal and our co-host, writer and speaker Kathy Khang for Part 1 of an illuminating 5-Part podcast series!  For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.  Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.  These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode! Support Chasing Justice  ||   Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice  ||  PayPal:  paypal.me/ChasingJustice  ||  Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

In episode 16 we sit-down with Sandra Van Opstal. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, pastors at Grace and Peace Community on the west-side of Chicago. She is a preacher, liturgist and activist who re-imagining the intersection of worship and justice.In this episode Daniel and Jess discuss with Sandra about being an activist in order to change how we worship. After the episode, special guest Seth (Daniel’s Dad) makes an appearance, and Daniel Jess discuss the burdens that women carry when speaking publicly. Find out more about Sandra: http://www.sandravanopstal.com/about/Host, Daniel Kunkel (shorturl.at/exIZ1)Co-Host, Jessica Senbetu (shorturl.at/gjLO7)Producer, Scott Bolin (shorturl.at/kloX9)Graphics, Gabe Senbetu (shorturl.at/ikJR7)Our theme song is by Joel Adam Russell (http://joeladamrussell.com/) Follow us on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/eib.podcast/?hl=enCheck out our website: eibpodcast.com

Sandra Van Opstal, pastor, author, and activist, preaches an Easter message about the communal nature of suffering and the global church’s witness of hope in the midst of it. This audio is a recording from Fuller’s All-Seminary Chapel on April 24, 2019. Music at the beginning and end of this audio stream is taken from a recent album entitled REVERE | RESTORE, created and recorded by members of the Fuller community under the leadership of Ed Willmington, director of the Fred Bock Institute of Music at Fuller’s Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts.

Pastor, Liturgist, Author, and Activist Sandra Van Opstal joins us for Episode #9 as we take an honest look at the difference between justice and compassion. We'll discover that justice is more than just an easy fix or simple solution or temporary handout.  Together, we'll be given practical next steps to get off the sidelines and start becoming real activists in our world.

Kathy Khang, Author, speaker and leadership consultant talks coaching and cultural competency today. They discuss tips for people who feel they have lost their voice and ways to grow in cultural competency beyond having a friend who is from a different culture.  Kathy also explains the important difference between diversity and cultural competency.   Discussion questions: 1) What are you doing intentionally to grow your cultural competency? 2) How could you be coached or mentored (directly or indirectly through things like podcasts and books) to grow your cultural competency in this next season?   Recommended Resources:   Raise your voice: why we stay silent and how to speak up - Kathy Khang   The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander The making of Asian America - Erika Lee The warmth of other suns - Isabel Wilkerson Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson The next worship - Sandra Van Opstal   KathyKhang.com Instagram.com/Mskathykhang Twitter.com/MsKathykhang   Follow Lead Stories Podcast to interact with Steph and Jo: Twitter: @LeadStoriesVox Instagram: @LeadStoriesPodcast Facebook: LeadStoriesPodcast Connect with Jo at www.josaxton.com @josaxton Connect with Steph at www.pastorsteph.com @pastorsteph Subscribe on iTunes to have the podcast automatically download to your device every week or listen at www.leadstoriespodcast.com www.leadstoriesmedia.com   Don’t forget to check out Lead Stories Community at www.leadstoriesmedia.com/community

What's the goal of worship? Is it authenticity? Quality? Comfort? Sandra Van Opstal has a much more radical suggestion: How can our worship represent every culture, tribe and tongue? How can churches embody that vision every Sunday?

In Part 5 of the book How to Fix a Broken Record, Amena uses a play on the classic PC reset, by calling this section Ctrl+Alt+Surrender to talk about the things in life she tried to control, the places she learned to surrender and the ways she is learning to care for her soul. In this episode of the podcast about the book, Amena talks with pastor and author of The Next Worship, Sandra Van Opstal about soul care in community and the vulnerability of surrender. For more info on Sandra Van Opstal visit http://www.sandravanopstal.com/.

Sandra Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, is the executive pastor at Grace and Peace Community on the west side of Chicago. She is a liturgist and activist who is passionate about re-imagining worship that mobilizes for reconciliation and justice. In her 15 years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Sandra mobilized thousands of college students for God’s mission of reconciliation and justice in the world. Sandra served as director of worship for the Urbana Missions Conference, Chicago Urban Program Director, Latino National Leadership Team (LaFe), and Northwestern University team leader (Multiethnic fellowship). Sandra’s influence has also reached many others through her leadership and preaching on topics such of justice, poverty, racism, racial identity, reconciliation and global mission.

Racism is a curse, but diversity is a gift.  How can we embrace that gift in the areas of influence that God has given us?   In this episode Jo and Steph discuss how we can seek out and pursue cultural diversity and the richness of perspectives that accompany it as individuals, churches and society as a whole.   First steps to grow in intercultural competence: 1. Seek relationships with people who are different from you. 2. Read, Listen, Learn - grow in knowledge and experience of diversity. 3. Be mentored by people who are different than you and mentor others.   The Underground Network, Tampa, Florida - http://tampaunderground.com/   Read Listen Learn: Resources on Diversity: The Global Church Project - www.theglobalchurchproject.com Latasha Morrison - Be the Bridge - www.beabridgebuilder.com Dr. John Perkins & Christian Community Development Association - http://www.ccda.org/ Disunity in Christ by Dr. Christena Cleveland - http://www.christenacleveland.com/ The Next Worship by Sandra Van Opstal - http://www.sandravanopstal.com/ Austin Channing Brown - http://austinchanning.com/ Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil - www.saltermcneil.com/   Questions for discussion: 1. Is there cultural diversity in your daily face-to-face relationships? How can you further embrace culturally diverse relationships in your local community? 2. Think about the books you read, the podcasts and music you listen to - are they culturally diverse? How can you seek different cultural perspectives in those areas? 3. Who are the people who are mentoring / influencing you right now and who you are mentoring / influencing? How can you grow in diversity in those areas?   Follow Lead Stories Podcast to interact with Steph and Jo: Twitter: @LeadStoriesVox Instagram: @LeadStoriesPodcast Facebook: LeadStoriesPodcast Connect with Jo at: www.josaxton.com @josaxton Connect with Steph at: www.pastorsteph.com @pastorsteph Subscribe on iTunes to have the podcast automatically download to your device every week or listen at www.leadstoriespodcast.com www.leadstoriesmedia.com 

Racism is a curse, but diversity is a gift. How can we embrace that gift in the areas of influence that God has given us? In this episode Jo and Steph discuss how we can seek out and pursue cultural diversity and the richness of perspectives that accompany it as individuals, churches and society as a whole. First steps to grow in intercultural competence: 1. Seek relationships with people who are different from you. 2. Read, Listen, Learn - grow in knowledge and experience of diversity. 3. Be mentored by people who are different than you and mentor others. The Underground Network, Tampa, Florida - http://tampaunderground.com/ Read Listen Learn: Resources on Diversity: The Global Church Project - www.theglobalchurchproject.com Latasha Morrison - Be the Bridge - www.beabridgebuilder.com Dr. John Perkins & Christian Community Development Association - http://www.ccda.org/ Disunity in Christ by Dr. Christena Cleveland - http://www.christenacleveland.com/ The Next Worship by Sandra Van Opstal - http://www.sandravanopstal.com/ Austin Channing Brown - http://austinchanning.com/ Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil - www.saltermcneil.com/ Questions for discussion: 1. Is there cultural diversity in your daily face-to-face relationships? How can you further embrace culturally diverse relationships in your local community? 2. Think about the books you read, the podcasts and music you listen to - are they culturally diverse? How can you seek different cultural perspectives in those areas? 3. Who are the people who are mentoring / influencing you right now and who you are mentoring / influencing? How can you grow in diversity in those areas? Follow Lead Stories Podcast to interact with Steph and Jo: Twitter: @LeadStoriesVox Instagram: @LeadStoriesPodcast Facebook: LeadStoriesPodcast Connect with Jo at: www.josaxton.com @josaxton Connect with Steph at: www.pastorsteph.com @pastorsteph Subscribe on iTunes to have the podcast automatically download to your device every week or listen at www.leadstoriespodcast.com www.leadstoriesmedia.com 

What's worship going to look like in this diverse world? Sandra Van Opstal, worship pastor, shares her thoughts on how worship will be changing in a more diverse and multi-ethnic country. She provides insights on the difference in worship styles based on culture and ethnic background. Her newly released book, Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World, gives more insights on multi-ethnic worship and the need for the community to embrace this more. Get more on the links and show notes at www.samuelyoon.com

In this moment we need to hear from Pastor Sandra Van Opstal. Celebrity worship pastors using their social media to shut down people lifting up Amos. Other celebrity worship leaders lead revivals that provide the soundtrack for Trump-style white supremacy that risks more lives during a pandemic that has claimed the lives of 163,000 people in the U.S.A. already. All this to sing over the top of people protesting injustices, sometimes literally in the places people like George Floyd have been murdered, without the family's permission or the communities consent. When we thought of people to speak into this reality, the incredible work, witness and writing of our friend Pastor Sandra Van Opstal came to mind. Sandra Van Opstal latest book is called “The Next Worship” and captures some of her international leadership to see the church embrace every tribe and tongue as we become a worshiping people pursuing justice. Pastor Sandra is a second-generation Latina and the co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice and Executive Pastor for Grace and Peace Community. Sandra Van Opstal lives on the west-side of Chicago [USA] with her husband and two boys where she works as a liturgist, author, pastor and justice activist at the intersection of poverty, race and global mission. https://chasingjustice.com/about/ Featured on this episode: Pastor Sandra Van Opstal Drew Hart Jarrod McKenna