Explore every episode of the podcast Still Christian

Sarah and Katie reflect on the incredible female authors and stories featured in Season 3, and how each woman offers a unique viewpoint of both the harm and the hope of evangelical church culture. *Bonus: Listen for a super compelling preview of our upcoming season!

How can we attune our ears to the still, small voice of God when we are surrounded by constant noise--and how might the church be complicit in turning up the volume? In her winsome and wise upcoming book Slow Childhood, author Grace Pouch proposes that offering the next generation a slower, more intentional pace of life in which it is possible to live both conversationally and relationally with God starts with us.

What does it look like to disentangle ourselves from toxic forms of Christianity while maintaining the joy of our faith? For Jesus followers who are tempted to give up when this process gets messy, Kate Boyd provides gentle guidance and a wise path forward in her recent book, An Untidy Faith. Join Sarah and Katie as they chat with Kate about what it means to have one’s faith expanded by love of God and neighbor.

Sheila Wray Gregoire's The Great Sex Rescue helps readers identify the lies they've been taught about marriage and sex and how to re-discover what God intended for couples to thrive. Join us as we talk with Sheila about the toxic distortion of Biblical principles that has left many couples confused and hurt and as we discover what a renewed vision of healthy marriage and sex looks like for Christians today.

*Contains sexual references

"They love the church. . .so why not fight for it?" With these words award-winning journalist Sarah Stankorb describes the courageous women featured in her bestselling book Disobedient Women, which tells the story of how a group of faithful women exposed layers of abuse and corruption within the evangelical church using the power of the internet. Join us as we learn from Sarah Stankorb how speaking up about church hurt has become a courageous act of advocacy on behalf of the voiceless.

Is it possible for faith deconstruction to be a formative spiritual practice that does not lead to de-conversion or losing one’s identity? Author Angela J. Herrington believes that it is. Join hosts Sarah and Katie as we talk with Angela about her new book, Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself, and what it means to take a fearless inventory of one’s faith in a way that leads to a deeper, more authentic, abundant life.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Still Christian Podcast! To kick of our In Her Words series, Sarah interviews Katie about her journey of becoming a writer, re-discovering her voice after trauma, and the importance of uplifting female voices who are working to heal church hurt through the craft of writing.

*This episode may or may not include Katie reading an exclusive excerpt from a book she handwrote when she was 7 years old called The Christmas Pony. You're welcome.

The final episode of our Still Christian Through Suffering series, in which Katie and Sarah reflect upon the brave and sacred stories of faith and suffering shared this past season, and Sarah somehow manages to work in "Footprints in the Sand". . .again.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Companions in the Darkness by Diana Gruver
• God Thou Art Love by Robert Browning (song version here)

Growing up in the church, many of us were taught "Divorce is never an option." But is that actually the heart of God for women and men whose partner has emotionally or physically left the marriage? Join hosts Katie and Sarah in their conversation with Gabby, who has journeyed through the pain of divorce and offers her perspective with integrity, gentleness, and wisdom.

Where is God when we do not feel safe within our own minds? Hosts Katie and Sarah interview Anglican teacher, scholar, and poet Greg Jeffers about his journey of recovery from trauma-related OCD. Greg's candid sharing of how God met him in unfathomable pain offers hope and illumination to those who find themselves walking in darkness and in need of light.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Stop it!" - Bob Newhart video
• The Sacredness of Questioning Everything book
• Hurting with God: Learning to Lament with the Psalms book
• The Psalm on the Cross: Learn More about Psalm 22, Christ’s Song of Sorrow and Victory article

Where is God in the darkness of depression? Hosts Sarah and Katie interview Diana Gruver, author of "Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt," about her own experience with depression and finding her way through the dark. Diana's story and insight provide hope for those who have experienced or are currently experiencing depression-- even when life feels hopeless and God seems absent.

Where is God when our suffering has no foreseeable end date? How do we cling to God through chronic illness when there are no guarantees we will be healed in this lifetime? Counseling student, sister, and friend Jeanine Gorzalski vulnerably shares her story of communing with God through immense physical and spiritual suffering. Whether you are experiencing chronic illness yourself or you know someone who is, Jeanine's story offers hard-earned wisdom and hope along with practical ways to support someone in pain.

Where is God when we lose who we love most? Why does suffering seem to drive some people closer to God, and others further? Sarah and Katie invited mother, wife, and minister Faith Titus to share her story of clinging to God while suffering the unimaginable. Faith's story is the first in a series of conversations we are hosting with Christians who have journeyed through immense pain yet still believe that God is good. *Trigger warning: Death of children

Welcome to Season 2 of the Still Christian Podcast! Our next series of episodes will feature the stories and wisdom of people who have experienced deep suffering yet still call God good. In this episode, Sarah and Katie introduce the series by exploring the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" as well as wading through the deep waters of popular allegorical Christian poem, "Footprints in the Sand."

What's the most important thing we want our children to know about God? And how do we raise them to love and trust God without perpetuating past harm? Join hosts Sarah and Katie along with special guest and winsome parenting wizard Laura Bretheim as they explore the challenges and gifts of cultivating our children's faith in today's world. *This is the final episode of Season 1. Stay tuned for more episodes coming this fall!

Part two of our daring and delightful conversation about spiritual disciplines with author and speaker Diana Gruver.

Mentioned in this episode:

How Many Hours of Your Week Are Dedicated to God? article by Diana Gruver

Sword drills. Quiet time. Giving God your first fruits. Sound familiar? Then "Have we got a show for you!" (<-If you read this in Bob the Tomato's voice a la Veggie Tales circa 1997, you're in the right place.) If you've ever felt guilty about not doing it right when it comes to spiritual disciplines, we hope you'll join us as we explore what moving from guilt to freedom looks like in our pursuit of God.

Mentioned in this episode:

A song that will haunt you in your nightmares

Is the B-I-B-L-E still the book for us?* Is it more than a rule book or an inspirational collection of writings? Join Katie and Sarah along with pastor and spiritual director Drew Dixon as we take a closer look at how the Bible shaped our lives while growing up in church and how we relate to it differently now. (*Spoiler alert: it is.)

Mentioned in this episode:

Is It Time to Quit 'Quiet Time?' article from Christianity Today

From Sunday School to Catholic Mass, Sarah and Katie share their circuitous, sometimes painful, often hilarious journey of losing and finding church again . . . or at least looking for it in hope of something more.

Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the inner workings of this podcast as Sarah & Katie answer questions submitted by our vast audience (thanks Mom!). Topics include: Cheesy Christian sayings that are actually true, Christian platitudes that sound true but are hurtful and false, why we still go to church, mission trips, and more!

Did the True Love Waits movement keep its promises to those who pledged their purity? Was it worth it to those who waited to have sex until marriage? Sarah and Katie explore the many complications that arise when we equate purity with virginity, while also casting a new vision for future generations.

Remember the popular purity culture book I Kissed Dating Goodbye? Hosts Sarah and Katie sure do. If you've ever contemplated kissing dating goodbye (or have actually done it!), hats off to you. Bless you. Let's talk about how weird that was.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Statement on I Kissed Dating Goodbye (from Josh Harris himself!)

Is finding God's will for our lives an elusive treasure hunt, or is it something we can live into and understand? If the well-intentioned yet foreboding admonishment "Don't waste your life!" has ever made you a wee bit anxious, this episode just might be for you.

In this riveting continuation of exploring what it means to be saved, Katie and Sarah find final and definitive answers on who's saved and who's not, all while solving the vast and complex problems of the universe. Kidding. But you should tune in anyways, because there are goats.

What does it actually mean to "be saved?"  With thoughtful reflection and a healthy dose of levity, Sarah and Katie unpack a concept that is often confusing and can leave people with more fear than joy.

Join us as we share our compelling friendship origin story along with the "why" behind this podcast.