Central Podcast
A Conversation With Friends
103. What’s the next thing for our 2024 Seniors?
April 30, 2024 • Hannah Green, Hannah Shepherd, Gracie Robertson
It’s both really exciting and a little scary for our senior class as the end of the school year draws to a close. Today’s episode features 3 Hannahs, 3 lefties, and 3 seniors entirely born and raised here at Central. The joy coming from these seniors is evident, and they each have a unique heart for service. From dreaming of being a teacher, a vet, and one other profession (listen to find out), the experiences that they’ve had with their faith community are shaping their way forward and what they intend to pursue after high school. It is obvious how God has been at work in each of these young women! Listen to the conversation at http://www.amarillocentral.org/media. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Hannah Green, Gracie Robertson Hannah Shepherd
102. Elder Highlight: Meet the Tidwells!
April 17, 2024 • Hannah McNeill, Mark Tidwell, Carrie Tidwell
It was a personal invitation that helped bring them to Central, and you’ll quickly pick up on Mark’s excitement for God’s people and his hopes for Central. From a passion for the local church to ice cream every night, there’s a lot to love about Mark and Carrie. If you haven’t met them yet, allow us to introduce you! Throughout our conversation, we’re reminded that we lead out of our stories—out of our flaws and weaknesses—and that there is a real tension between planning and leading versus surrendering to God’s plan and his guidance. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Mark Tidwell, Carrie Tidwell, Mic Biesboer
101. What do we do with Revelation?
February 22, 2024 • Hannah McNeill, Greg Dowell, Mic Biesboer
Baldness, talking donkeys, and dragons—this is what we find in God's Word! There are a multitude of mysterious things in Scripture, and Revelation is a book of the Bible that, honestly, leaves us with more questions than answers. So what do we do with Revelation? Have a listen to some of our thoughts and questions, as well as a special opportunity for you to engage with these Scriptures. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Greg Dowell, Mic Biesboer
100. SPECIAL: Challenges to Racial Diversity in Churches
January 17, 2024 • Hannah McNeill, Kendall Dean, Ian McLoud
SPECIAL EPISODE: Hannah McNeill and Mic Biesboer interview Kendall Dean and Ian McLoud on the challenges they have faced in bringing diversity into a church context. They discuss their stories of what they experienced, what happened next in their faith, and how there's hope as we move forward to racial healing. Today's conversation is hosted by Central Church of Christ and the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action. This is a longer episode, but we pray that the conversation is encouraging and insightful. We hope you'll hang around to listen!
99. Witnessing Joy in Kenya: A Mission Report
October 18, 2023 • Greg Dowell, Gracie Robertson, Tiffani Robertson
“This is something I want to shape my life around.” That’s the response Gracie had when asked how she was impacted by her trip to Kenya. Central sent a team to Kenya this summer, and they got to witness the joy of the people in Kenya—the love and acceptance they have for others. How is God moving in Kenya? Listen to how this Central team had a chance to participate in what God is doing across the world. Speakers: Greg Dowell, Tiffani Robertson, Gracie Robertson, Hannah McNeill
98. A Trip to Colombia: Mission Report
October 10, 2023 • Hannah McNeill, Steve Cearley, Lanny Newton
In a city of around 11 million people, Byron and Sandra Cana are leading some of the mission work we support, and this summer Central sent a team of 9 people to visit them in Bogota, Colombia (specifically in Suba). In today’s episode, we discuss some observations about the culture in Bogota, witnessing the church interact with their community, and the church being able to put down permanent roots with newly purchased property. Listen to this episode for this year’s mission report on the trip to Colombia. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Steve Cearley, Lanny Newton
97. A Theology of Fun
October 5, 2023 • Mic Biesboer, Hannah McNeill
We take our beliefs and our faith very seriously. But sometimes as Christians, we take ourselves a little too seriously. We don’t usually think about fun as part of living a faithful life. What does it mean to understand the intersection of faith and fun? As Jesus states in John 10:10, how can we have life to the fullest? Pursuing a life of fullness requires not just joy but enjoyment. If all of your life is driven by purpose, you’re missing out on the fullness of life. Listen to the conversation here. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Mic Biesboer
96. Emptiness Leads to Spiritual Fullness
September 27, 2023 • Hannah McNeill, Tim McMenamy, Mic Biesboer
Do you ever say no to yourself? Fasting is a practice of self-denial to find space to attend to God. The emptiness we experience during fasting creates the space for God to act in us—that’s where the practice becomes spiritual. Where do we see fasting in Scripture? What is a wise way to enter into the practice of fasting? The point of any spiritual practice is to get in tune with the heart of God. And there is the deeper experience of doing this as the people of God by fasting together as a collective practice. Listen to the conversation and consider joining us in our fast on October 4. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Tim McMenamy, Mic Biesboer
95. Life Means More With Worship
September 20, 2023 • Kevin Schaffer, Hannah McNeill
Why do we worship the way we do? How can we view daily life as worship? In today’s episode you will hear a portion of the “More to Life” series where Kevin Schaffer shares some of his heart for worship as well as some things he’s learning about the history of worship. As we consider how we worship, these words from Jack Reese tell us some important truths. “Christian worship is not about our personal satisfaction. Worship is about lordship. It’s about surrender.” He also says, “Worship is God’s initiative, not ours. God is not our audience. We are God’s. The question is whether or not we are listening, seeing, responding.” Think about how you worship as you listen to this episode.
94. Find Your Joy – Lori's Story
September 11, 2023 • Lori Stone, Hannah McNeill
It began in 2014 with small symptoms, lot of doctor visits, and not many answers, and not long after, Lori was unable to walk. In today’s episode, you’ll hear Lori Stone’s story in her own words as she shares her experience with us. God kept saying to Lori, “Find your joy,” and we’re so glad He did. Even with chronic pain and limitations within her body, God has given Lori ways to create beautiful things and find purpose from God in her struggles. Have a listen!
93. How to Seek Racial Healing
August 8, 2023 • Hannah McNeill, Jerry Taylor, Mic Biesboer
As a church, we are taking an honest look at racial healing. What is our part in bringing about racial unity? How do we as Christ-followers interact with others in the world who are different from us? Leading us into the topic is Dr. Jerry Taylor of ACU. While many people approach the topic of race from a cultural, political, or social position, as Christians we don’t begin there. Dr. Taylor shares that being attuned to the voice of God and the work of Jesus and the Spirit within us will lead us into the place where we can listen to others and engage in the work of racial healing. “It is possible for us to care about each other and to have some impact on each other’s lives. We can be human beings helping each other repair the broken places of our souls.” Sit in on our conversation with Dr. Taylor as he provides insight on the spiritual journey that enables us to reach across racial boundaries. Mark your calendar for August 20th when Dr. Jerry Taylor will be the guest speaker for our Faith Forum, leading us in 3 sessions that Sunday. Faith Forum is a safe place to discuss relevant topics and have open conversation, and we’re excited to engage this topic together. Learn more here: http://www.amarillocentral.org/faith-forum. Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Jerry Taylor, Mic Biesboer, Greg Dowell
92. How Camp Blessing Blessed Our Students
July 6, 2023 • Mesa Allison, Central Students
“I saw God unite everyone.” “I saw God when the campers prayed.” “I saw God in the fact that no one was excluded.” “I saw God in how the campers were moved by the Gospel and by how much God loves them.” And these are just a small representation of all that our students came away with after serving at Camp Blessing. In this episode, you'll hear directly from our group who recently returned from helping facilitate a camp for students with special needs. They witnessed in person how vulnerability and selflessness can transform our interactions with one another. The lessons they learned sound a lot like Christ—how he modeled love, compassion, and serving to all people. Like the prayer at the end of this episode states, we too ask for a heart like the heart of Jesus. Speakers: Mesa Allison, Joe Shepherd, Hannah Green, Ethan Schaffer, Hannah Shepherd, Lucy Cearley, Liz Green, and McKinley Shepherd
91. The Scoop on All-Church VBS
June 26, 2023 • Mary McNeill, Sara Nickson, Taylor Edmundson
We are launching something new this summer: All-Church VBS. “But isn’t VBS always all-church?” Well, we always have adults volunteering. But this year—adults are participating! No dropping off your kids to have all the fun. This is ALL of us showing up to join in! The goal is our 4-year-old kiddos signing up along with our 44-year-olds not to be outdone by our 84-year-olds. All are invited, activities are geared toward all ages, and it’s to participate, not volunteer! It’s 4 nights of fun, beginning at 6pm each night, July 30th – August 2nd. Listen to our conversation for a sneak preview of the theme as well as what to expect for each night of All-Church VBS. We do ask that you sign up to help us with logistics—we want there to be enough burritos, banana splits, noodles, and coffee to go around (not necessarily in that order). Click https://amarillocentral.shelbynextchms.com/external/form/6a9dd76c-cbbc-4ebe-a53a-621260db5fad to sign up. We can't wait to VBS with you! Speakers: Mary McNeill, Sara Nickson, Taylor Edmundson
90. Serving Others Through Suffering
June 19, 2023 • Greg Dowell, Mic Biesboer, Koben Puckett
“A man without purpose is lost.” Today’s episode delves into the question of suffering and struggle through the stories of Koben Puckett, Mic Biesboer, and Greg Dowell. Each has personal experience with struggle, and they discuss these times of difficulty and pain. What do we learn from living through darkness? What gives us hope in the face of struggle? Koben discusses how he had a shift in perspective to find things to be thankful for in the midst of trials, and this change of heart equipped him to help others. They also discuss the difference between managing old pain versus fresh pain. Through their stories, we see how God has a beautiful way of working through our difficulties to allow us to care for others, by serving others out of our weakness. The Press On Foundation gave Koben a purpose, and we as a church are supporting Koben’s upcoming event. The Koben Puckett PBR is July 8th, and you can still reserve your $10 tickets https://amarillocentral.shelbynextchms.com/external/form/3336e51e-d8f8-42f8-91f4-6be9b714ec3b. If you want to learn more about the Press On Foundation, click https://www.pressonfoundation.org/. Speakers: Greg Dowell, Mic Biesboer, Koben Puckett
89. Gearing Up for Summer with Bailey & Carson
May 31, 2023 • Mesa Allison, Carson Holt, Bailey Mundy
Our summer youth interns are here!! And we begin where all good conversations should—discussing what our spirit animals are. But we quickly get into things of depth. We talk faith formation and what has grown us as well as what we’re passionate about related to faith and God’s church. From a deeper understanding of mission to delving into the depth and truth of God’s word, Carson and Bailey have a great perspective to share with our students this summer. Listen in to get a preview of our interns and the heart they bring to ministry! Speakers: Hannah McNeill, Bailey Mundy, Carson Holt, Mesa Allison