Cancel Culture and the Search for Truth w/ Wendy Cunningham

“I have always believed that the music of the church has the power to shape the message of the church.” Robby Valderrama

Church attendance is down. Awareness of racial inequality is up.  Many families are struggling to make ends meet, all while the music of the church is slowly but surely learning to embrace diverse voices. Three years after the start of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear our host Robby Valderrama share brand-new data along with his one-of-a-kind insight on where the American church is, and where it might be headed.

On this episode, hear Robby discuss:

• How economic policies are affecting the local church, and what to do about it
• Exclusive data and inside analysis on today’s worship music industry
• The future of the Praise Hands Podcast

Each episode on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“People sometimes have strong criticisms of contemporary worship without actually knowing it.” - Glenn Packiam

Glenn Packiam is a songwriter, a theologian, and an Anglican priest pastoring at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. His recent books Worship And The World To Come and The Resilient Pastor are helpful and hopeful guides for Christian leaders who are navigating leadership in our current global health crisis.

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Glenn talk through:

• His experience as a Malaysian-American in the worship music industry
• Three Congregational Worship paradigms that shape Sunday mornings
• Key takeaways from his research on congregational worship

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“We are not establishing some new morality that is an over-realized understanding of heaven on earth. Reparations are love of neighbor.” - Duke Kwon

Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair is a brand new book from Pastor Duke Kwon and cultural educator Gregory Thompson that’s sending shockwaves through the American church. On this timely and hotly debated topic of reparations to the African American community, Kwon and Thompson use theology and history to argue that the church has a unique moral responsibility to repair our nation’s original sin.

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Duke and Gregory talk through:

• Frameworks for understanding racism, white supremacy, and reparations
• The church’s crucial role in developing America’s racial caste system
• How Christian creatives can use their repentant imaginations to create change

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“The perception that Christianity is a ‘White man’s religion’ is the single greatest obstacle to the Gospel in the world.” -Vince Bantu

Vince Bantu is an assistant professor of Church History and Black Church Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and a director of the Meachum School of Haymanot, a seminary that offers education from Afrocentric and Biblical perspectives. 

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, Vince explores the history of the global church and the struggle for modern people of color as they wrestle with the racialized stigmas of Christianity, discussing:

• Christianity’s multicultural heritage and how it can be reclaimed today
• The Pan-African Church’s historical relationship with the Roman Church, Islam, and White America 
• How past theological and cultural disagreements affect current racial reconciliation conversations

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“There is a mysticism to life with God. If we believe that God is present with us, how can there not be?” Rich Villodas

 

Some of the most ancient practices of the church, like contemplation and silence, still have much to teach us in our always-on, always-connected world. In his book, The Deeply Formed Life, pastor and author Rich Villodas shares personal insight on how spiritual union with Christ can fuel a life of justice.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Rich and Robby discuss:

• How Christian meditation differs from other mindfulness practices
• The role that silence can play in our corporate worship experiences
• The challenges in building authentically multicultural churches

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“The beauty of God is not limited to our culture. Are we willing to create space?” - Jaewoo Kim

Josh Davis and Jaewoo Kim from Proskuneo Ministries and their families moved to Clarkston, Georgia, one of the most diverse square miles in the entire United States. On their street, they live, work, homeschool their kids together, and co-lead a vibrant multicultural worshipping community.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast featuring co-host McKenzie Abbott, Josh and Jaewoo share:
• How to cultivate a worshipping community vs simply creating worship experiences
• The cultural challenges immigrants face in American churches
• What John’s visions in Revelation can teach us about multicultural worship

Each episode on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

In honor of our 50th Episode, Robby chatted with past guests on a fun and laid-back Praise Hands Podcast 50th Episode Zoom Party, including a quick appearance from Robby’s wife. Watch the Zoom on YouTube, or hear audio-only on your podcast app of choice.

0:00:33 Patrick Chappell
0:30:30 Lex The Advocate
0:52:00 Barna Group’s Brooke Hempell
0:57:50 DJ Chuang
1:17:08 Thank You’s and Fake Ending
1:19:53 Jackie The Educator
1:25:57 Ricky Ortiz

Listen around the hour-mark for details on how to enter to win, as well for an exciting announcement from Robby on a living legend who he’ll be interviewing shortly for a new episode.

 

Time Codes (along with guest’s original episode title):

 

0:00:33 Patrick Chappell (EP28 “The Myth Of "Organic" Diversity”)

Hear Patrick share about his new role as a campus pastor, and about the ways his church is looking to move past traditional models to reach and empower their neighbors. Also, hear about his unfiltered, unashamed obsession with the rock band Weezer.

 

0:30:30 Lex The Advocate (EP5 “Sex Trafficking: A Survivor's Story”)

Hear Lex share about her new role with Exodus Cry fighting sex trafficking through films, public policy, survivor care, and directly confronting pornographic channels.

 

0:52:00 Barna Group’s Brooke Hempell (EP26 “Data And Diversity: A Call To Dig Deeper”)

0:57:50 DJ Chuang (EP22 “Cultural Competency, Shame, And Generosity”)

Hear Brooke share about her new podcast “Race And Redemption”, and hear both Brooke and DJ share about their experience and data findings surrounding the church’s status through the global health crisis. Learn about DJ’s new podcast and other issues (such as generosity and church health during 2020) from an Asian American Christian leader’s perspective.

 

1:17:08 Thank You’s and Fake Ending

1:19:53 Jackie The Educator (EP8 “Hurt, Hustle, and Healing in Black America”)

Hear about the mind-blowing growth of Jackie’s Black Christian Influencers, along with the story of how Robby and Jackie’s connection led to their friendship and Kingdom collaboration.

 

1:25:57 Ricky Ortiz (EP27 “Rethinking Urban Church Planting”)

Hear Ricky share about his experience pastoring a NYC church plant that had 65% of its members displaced due to Covid-related moves. Hear him share vulnerably about how he realized that his church as a whole wasn’t as committed to their neighborhood as he had hoped, and what he’s doing to encourage a new culture of outreach and mutual accountability.

 

About Praise Hands Podcast

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“The culture of social media has made us bold in the wrong ways.” Wendy Cunningham

On January 5th, 2021, third-party voter Wendy Cunningham was a highly successful entrepreneur who was loved and respected by her business partners across the country. Two days later, after peacefully attending the January 6th rally in Washington DC, she was cut out of a lifelong friendship, labeled a racist, and had her family’s lone income source threatened by colleagues.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Wendy open up about:

• Why a third-party voter like her made the trip to DC
• Her on-the-ground experience on January 6th
• What it’s like to be cancelled in cancel culture

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“I think we trust politicians’ words more than God’s Word when it comes to immigration.”

Moving from a Trump to a Biden presidency, The Immigration Coalition founder Rondell Trevino shares his family’s immigration journey, along with how the church in America can have its priorities right on this urgent and complicated issue.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Rondell share:

• How Rondell’s family navigated through the U.S. immigration process
• His thoughts on Christian Nationalism and idolatry
• Why Christians must be pro-life across the political spectrum

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.

“You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference.” Danielle Coke

At the beginning of 2020, Danielle Coke (@ohhappydani) had 700 Instagram followers and an iPad. A few months later, her racial justice-themed artwork went viral, causing her to gain 300,000 Instagram followers in one week, and leading her work to be featured on the Today Show, Buzzfeed, NBC, and countless other media outlets. 

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Danielle share:

• The creative process behind her popular artwork
• Tips for building a brand around your passion
• How her relationship with Jesus shapes her social justice work

 

Each week on the Praise Hands Podcast, join Robby Valderrama and learn from creative, cross-cultural solutionists at the American intersection of church, race, music, and economics. Support the show at http://praisehands.com/donate.