awana

Stevo Thompson had it made in the shade. As he approached high school, he would have celebrity status as a starting quarterback.

But sports had become an idol for Stevo, and that was all about to change, with the very first play of the very first game. A dramatic turn of events got him back on track with the Lord, and oriented him in a completely new career as a Christian rap artist.

Learn how Stevo's heart started to wander and how it came right back, even stronger.

Our Sendoff today features Stevo's very own music, Make Me Change.

Helpful links:

Stephen Thompson, Spotify.
Make Me Change, Spotify.
Follow Stephen on Instagram.
Stephen's new music video, Distant.
Follow Stephen on Youtube.

AWANA Christian discipleship program for kids.

Moody Bible Institute

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OneWay Ministries

Justice Renée, born trans-female, was raised in a Fundamentalist Evangelical Home. Her father was a leader in the Young Earth/Creation Science movement in Utah and surrounding states through the 1980s and 90s. She was taught through shame to hate her trans identity. 

In her preteens, Justice dedicated her life to Jesus and began ministry work with her church, AWANA, and CEF and gave her first evangelistic message at 13. 

She went on to get Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies with a Missions Emphasis from Frontier School of the Bible, was Youth Pastor in Nebraska, worked at Christian Camps, and a CrossWorld Missions Candidate preparing for missions in Thailand. 

In 2009, responding to the Housing Crisis, she founded “Tears of the Patriots”, a Tea Party Group connected with Libertarian and Christian Nationalism. Due to a myriad of reasons, Justice Renée re-examined her belief system over a period of 7 years ending with leaving the church. She opened to her partner about her gender issues in 2019 and transitioned in 2020. 

Currently, Justice Renée works as a Systems Engineer at Target, helps amplify diverse voices through Secular North Productions, and raises her two kids with her partner in a co-housing community. She shares her story with others to give hope and move communities forward through the “Din of Conversation”. She found freedom in acceptance and a path forward from the hate. 

Stepping out from behind the camera, Justice Renée has begun opening up in a more public way to build connections with others and amplify the "Din of Conversation".

Here's the rest of the story Joy's story!   

A 59-year-old mother of six , Joy's an elementary school teacher and former fundamentalist, pentecostal Christian currently residing in the Pacific Northwest.

Joy spent over 5 decades loving Jesus with her whole heart, mind, and strength. 

She taught her children to do the same. Her oldest, at about age 19 or 20, came home from a year abroad declaring she was no longer a Christian. This devastating news forced Joy on a search for answers that could help win her eldest back to Jesus. 

However, as many of us who've found ourselves in this very situation understand -- the evidence Joy discovered, after many months of reading, studying, and watching debates  completely dismantled those pillars she had erected to uphold her faith. And before she knew it, her entire belief system had collapsed with a deafening thud. 

The next several years were tremendously difficult and yet exhilarating as she left the church (her entire support system!!), ended her 30-year marriage, and started anew.

During those troubled years, Joy wrote a memoir called Joy Unspeakable, Toxic Faith and Rose-colored Glasses, as a way to process and make sense of it all. "I chronicle the ways in which my rose-colored glasses (a metaphor for my faith) distorted reality and robbed me of agency from the time I was a small child until my 50s when the glasses finally fell off." You can find her memoir on Amazon -- here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Unspeakable-Toxic-Rose-Colored-Glasses-ebook/dp/B08NFNT2GC

Larry Fowler is the founder of https://www.legacycoalition.com. You'll find some new thoughts and opportunities for outreach and ministry in your church while listening to this episode. Larry Fowler has in the last four years started a ministry I have never heard of or thought of before. I think this will be an inspiring and thought provoking episode for you! Enjoy it!

In this episode I chat with Valerie Bell, CEO of Awana Clubs International. She shares her passion for child discipleship and the importance of raising children who can function in our current culture without breaking under the pressure to conform. 

“All people can and should learn the Scriptures. The Bible matters to everybody. We owe it to our friends, no matter what the disability, to open up the Word of God for them and help them be able to receive it.”
–Gina Spivey

This week on the podcast Crystal has invited Carrie Jones, a special education teacher, and Gina Spivey, a special needs pastor, to talk through ways we can make the gospel accessible to everyone. With a passion to help kids of all abilities engage and participate in the body of Christ, they are working to remove any barriers that might hinder a child with special needs from learning the Bible. Listen as Carrie and Gina share ways that you can be proactive in the classroom or at an event so that all kids are loved and successful at learning God’s Word. You won’t want to miss their example of how to encourage children with limited language abilities to memorize Scripture!

For more information about practical ways to create an inclusive ministry environment, download your free copy of Pathways to Belonging at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

*Joni and Friends was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada who in a diving accident was left a quadriplegic at 17 years old. Ministry began as Tada, joined by friends around her kitchen table, responded to letters she received from people with disabilities in search of support. Over the past 40 years, the ministry has grown to serve thousands of people impacted by disability worldwide: Joni and Friends has delivered more than 150,000 wheelchairs and Bibles through Wheels for the World and provided Christian care to 63,000 special needs family members through Family Retreats. The organization also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. For more encouragement, download the Joni and Friends radio podcast in English or Spanish, and view inspirational videos on the Joni and Friends website.

www.joniandfriends.org*