Desiree Segura-April and her husband are United Methodist missionaries serving throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and currently living in Honduras. As a Resource Person for Children at Risk Ministries, Desiree is passionate about creating safe spaces for children and shares with us how her life growing up in the Pacific Northwest continues to influence … Continue reading "Give Love: Keeping kids safe in Honduras with Desiree Segura-April"

Get Your Spirit in Shape - United Methodist Podcast

Give Love: Keeping kids safe in Honduras with Desiree Segura-April

Helen Roberts-Evans grew up in the United States, in Chicago. But returning to the continent of Africa, to Liberia, where she was born, was a lifelong dream. Today, Helen is a United Methodist missionary, serving in Liberia. In this special Advent episode of “Get Your Spirit in Shape,” we chat with Helen and learn the … Continue reading "Give Love: Serving Liberia’s Children with Helen Roberts-Evans"

Give Love: Serving Liberia’s Children with Helen Roberts-Evans

Linda Bruner is a cradle Methodist, raised in the church as a preacher’s kid. Today, Linda works for the global denomination as senior manager of connectional giving and marketing for United Methodist Communications. We talk with Linda about her enduring United Methodist roots, what generosity means to her and why being part of a local … Continue reading "Giving, Gratitude & Generosity with Linda Bruner"

Giving, Gratitude & Generosity with Linda Bruner

Food blogger and ministry leader Annette Spence talks about using food to help share God’s love and connect with our neighbors—a practice Jesus knew well. For more than 20 years, Annette has told the stories of the Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church in her role as editor of the The Call, the conference’s … Continue reading "Food, faith & finding connections with Annette Spence"

Food, faith & finding connections with Annette Spence

Thinking about what she had not read in parenting books was the springboard for the Rev. Kim Meyers when she started writing Parenting with Perspective. Kim’s new book is a candid look at the various stages of child rearing, from bringing home our newborn babies through guiding our adult children. We talk with Kim about the sometimes messy … Continue reading "The messy reality of raising kids with Kim Meyers"

The messy reality of raising kids with Kim Meyers

Christmas 2020 felt like it was stolen. Many of the things we enjoy most about the season—travel, parties, exchanging cookies, and singing Christmas carols/hymns in a filled sanctuary—were not the same. It made us feel a bit more Grinchy than we may have ever felt before. In this episode of Get Your Spirit in Shape, Crystal … Continue reading "Finding faith in the story of the Grinch with Matt Rawle"

Finding faith in the story of the Grinch with Matt Rawle

For our 100th episode, we talk with Bishop Minerva Carcaño. Not only is she the current bishop of the San Francisco Episcopal Area, she is the first Hispanic woman appointed as a district superintendent in the continental United States and the first Hispanic female ever elected bishop. She is a leader in social justice ministries, … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Minerva Carcaño"

Meet Bishop Minerva Carcaño

As Jesus is preparing his disciples for when he will no longer be with them in the flesh, he tells them how those who believe in him will continue his work. But he doesn’t leave it there. He then says, “and they will do even greater things than these” (John 14:12 NIV). Wow! Can we … Continue reading "Work, Innovation and Doing Greater Things with Len Wilson"

Work, Innovation and Doing Greater Things with Len Wilson

While some bishops in the United States serve episcopal areas that include three or four states, Bishop Patrick Streiff serves one that includes 14 countries. The Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area consists of 12 countries in Europe and two in Africa. In addition to talking about his amazing work as a bishop, in this … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Patrick Streiff"

Meet Bishop Patrick Streiff

United Methodist pastor and author the Rev. Sherry Cothran invites us to take a closer look at the stories of some of the wild and holy women of the Bible. While we may be familiar with Esther, Rahab and others, Cothran teaches that their lives and circumstances hold clues for healing our own pain. In … Continue reading "Wild and holy women with Sherry Cothran"

Wild and holy women with Sherry Cothran

Many of us have experienced trauma and how the danger of unhealed trauma can keep us from connecting with one another and with God. In this episode, our new cohost Crystal Caviness speaks with the Rev. Dr. Ron Bell about his book that teaches us how, step by step, to tackle the important work of … Continue reading "The healing journey for trauma with Ron Bell"

The healing journey for trauma with Ron Bell

The Rev. Arthur Jones, preaching pastor at St. Andrew UMC in Plano, Texas, is the author of a new book called Solid Souls. In this conversation, we talk about what the soul is and some common misconceptions. Arthur teaches that when we keep an eternal perspective, we make better choices for ourselves, the people around us, … Continue reading "Cultivating Solid Souls with Arthur Jones"

Cultivating Solid Souls with Arthur Jones

Growing up as a preacher’s kid in Kentucky, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett dreamed of a career in athletics. A passion for education, led to a career in pastoral ministry, but those lessons from her athletic background never left her. For example, in basketball no one makes every shot. “So it’s so important not to focus on … Continue reading "Meet Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett"

Meet Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett

Recently, many of us have grown increasingly comfortable in digital spaces. We may have worshiped on Facebook, connected with family on Zoom, had a meaningful conversation over Twitter, or joined a prayer group on Twitch. All of which raises questions about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ online. The Rev. Ryan … Continue reading "Digital discipleship: Being a presence of grace with Ryan Dunn"

Digital discipleship: Being a presence of grace with Ryan Dunn

The United Methodist Social Principles call us to faithful engagement with the world around us. They remind us of our connection to God, one another and the created world. Living a life in service to God and others has been part of our United Methodist history since John Wesley in the 1700s who visited those … Continue reading "Life together: The UM Social Principles, with Sharon Austin"

Life together: The UM Social Principles, with Sharon Austin

Looking for a healthier spiritual life? UMC.org’s free 30-minute podcast, brought to you by United Methodist Communications offers interviews, advice, and resources, to help you get—and keep—your spirit in shape.

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Get Your Spirit in Shape - United Methodist Podcast

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