pray for micah

In Episode 39, Micah hosts Rev. Jason Carle—America’s most epic boss on record to have ever supervised Micah Chrisman himself at one point. Jason serves as the pastor of Overland Park Presbyterian Church, where he has dedicated the past 14 years of his ministry. Originally from northern Wisconsin, Rev. Carle's upbringing took an adventurous turn when, at the age of 11, his father, also a Presbyterian pastor, was called to serve as a missionary on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The Carle family spent 5 years on the island before returning to the United States and settling in Blue Springs, MO. Today he is happily married to Melissa Carle, and together, they are blessed with two children, Roslyn (17) and Sam (15). In addition to his passion for open and inclusive ministry, Rev. Carle has a penchant for video games and intricate tabletop games with thick rule books. He embraces a wide range of interests, exploring activities often associated with the term "geek," and he takes pleasure in trying his hand at various geeky pursuits.

The Pray for Micah Podcast starts off 2024 with another special guest and Kansas City friend, Emmy Harr. Ember, AKA Emmy, is a guide, transformational healer, mentor, soon-to-be published author, and a steward. She is the creator of Rippled Vibrations, a suite of group programs for Beings of Sacred Service (BOSS’s) to radically expand, connect, and detox their body, emotions, and spirituality through the means of electric living water in order to enter into a more hydrated way of life, and business. After creating her first 6-figure business at the ripe age of 26 through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (the cleansing waters of the body), she knew she needed to hydrate the way she did things. Now Emmy guides others to hydrate the relationships in their lives. As a steward of the land, the body, Money, and children, she often sees life through the interconnectedness of movement, money, and water and brings a childlike ease to those around her. Emmy is passionate about bringing people to nature, as by turning to Nature – we turn to ourselves. She believes by leading with service, this is how we create an entirely new paradigm for this beautiful planet we call Mama.

Join Micah for a 2023 Christmas special where he interviews his parents, Gordon and Shari Chrisman. Experience some their life stories and journeys, from falling in love to starting a family and serving in ministry together for over 40 years. This is pt. 2 of a two-episode series where fans get to hear some Chrisman family lore! Gordon Chrisman, holding his Master’s of Divinity and BA degree in InstrumentalVocal music education, has pursued his career in Christian ministry as Music Director/TV producer with Kansas City Youth For Christ, Youth Minister of Plaza Heights Baptist Church, and Senior Pastor of Celebration Community Fellowship. Now in his retirement, he serves part time on staff as Minister of Discipleship at First Baptist Church Grain Valley. A quiet man of deep faith, Gordon would rather enjoy a cup of coffee with a small group of men discussing the pressing issues of life, than to preach to crowds of thousands or be a featured performer on any platform. A humble man, Gordon Chrisman holds the highest honor that any man may attain in this life… he is deeply respected and loved by everyone who has ever known him. Now at the age of 71, Gordon could have comfortably retired, spending his weekends at the lake, and enjoying the fruits of his labors. Instead he has devoted his time to loving God and people in genuine relationships. He and his wife, Shari, have been married 43 years. They have five grown children and nine grandchildren. Shari Chrisman’s main claim to fame here on this Pray For Micah Podcast lies solely on the wonderful fact that she is Micah’s mom and Chief Prayer Intercessor for him! The true originator of the "Pray for Micah" movement. After a professional career spanning 5 decades, Shari has had a marvelous and totally fulfilling life as: Assistant Manager of the Kansas City Philharmonic, Assistant Manager of KYFC TV50, Drama Director/Writer for Kansas City Youth for Christ, Acorns & Oaks Homeschool teacher & mom, and Agency Manager for Allstate Insurance until retirement in 2021. Currently she devotes her time to travel & ministry with her husband of 43 years, mentoring her five children, enjoying her 9 grandchildren, and building relationships with women, encouraging them and equipping them to love God and others.

In Episode 33, Micah hosts fellow Kansas Citian, Kyle Hollins. Kyle has traveled a road that is all too common to men and women that come from humble beginnings. He went through homelessness, drug sales, and gang life, which landed him incarcerated for 90 plus months. Today, he is a seminary student, attributed writer, and founder of Exile Promotions and Consulting, along with The Lyrik’s Institution. As Chief Executive Office of The Lyrik’s Institution, Kyle utilizes cognitive-based programming to support students to master in the Creative Arts and take part in paid internships to become market value assets. Between teaching, public speaking, and using the science of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Kyle is now able to give back to a community from which he felt he took so much from.

Film production, cinematography, and meaningful storytelling are some of the major topics discussed in Episode 31 between Micah and film producer, DeVonte` Brown. As a Detroit native planted in Kansas City, DeVonte` brings a variety of original perspective to every project as a cinematographer and film director. His passion for his craft and the respect he has for every crew member is something he holds dear. Coming from Detroit, MI, DeVonte` had to grow up faster than most. Although he wasn’t as well off as others, he made the best of the life he was given. Through all the hardship and life lessons, he has gained a hearty work ethic, a strong spirit, and a bright smile.

In Episode 30, Micah interviews Beto Lugo-Martinez, a co-executive director at CleanAirNow where he serves as an environmental justice organizer. Based in Kansas City, MO, Beto is dedicated to amplifying community voices in the fight against environmental racism and addressing the systemic exclusion of frontline communities in decision-making processes. His own experience growing up near a petrochemical facility drives his work at the intersection of environmental justice, climate, and public health.

Micah and Lucy share a lot of laughs in Episode 26 as they discuss a range of topics like marijuana legalization in Missouri, the limitations of science and understanding consciousness, and the nature of God and reality. Lucille Cody is the host of the High & Doing Things Podcast, which is a real-time, unedited, unscripted show where you can hear some funny conversations about herself and other interesting humans. It’s also full of singing, interviews, field trips, & random commercials for things that do or do not exist in real life.

In Episode 24, Micah invites multidisciplinary creative, Jessie Van Der Vyver, onto the show to discuss his work in the community and his 2023 film projects that are in development. Jessie has worked in the commercial/narrative/television industry for over 14 years. He grew up as a "hardcore Christian", but over the past 6 years has made a shift in his beliefs. Together they share about their spiritual journeys, the meditation tools they use for personal growth and self-reflection, and how these practices reveal a deeper understanding of our collective consciousness.

Micah starts off the new year by interviewing Justice Gatson, a Kansas City activist and founder of the Reale Justice Network. The nonprofit is a Black-led group advocating for a range of political and social justice issues that directly impact Black and Brown communities like birth justice, survivor support, participatory defense teams, community housing, "buy the block", and the community bail fund. In the episode, Micah and Justice discuss her upcoming documentary, DocuCourse: A Changemaker's Story—Bails & Bonds, which features her life's work and is set to release in March 2023. They also dive into the community projects and social issues that Justice is currently working on this year.

To celebrate the 20th episode of the Pray for Micah Podcast, Micah hosts a longtime friend, Sharaden Staten, and they discuss his psychology research on the "Sandwich Generation" and the excitement of cultivating a lifelong learner's mentality. Sharaden is a local educator and musician. He's the creator of the Black Stacey band, which brings the spirit of "Electric Church" to the Midwest and pairs subtle notes of R&B, funk, soul, and rock, dramatically blending it into a raw, eclectic mix. At the end of episode, listeners will have the pleasure of sampling Sharaden's music as the two perform an impromptu tiny desk concert in Micah's podcast studio.

Micah hosts his close friend, Ben Carpenter, for Episode 11 of Pray for Micah. Ben is Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group’s Climate Safe Neighborhoods Outreach Coordinator. In his role, Ben explores and communicates the relationship between the climate crisis and institutionalized racism, builds the capacity of residents to self-advocate for the equitable distribution of resources, and helps to organize residents to intervene in policy and planning systems.

In Episode 10 of #PrayforMicahPod, Micah hosts Josiah Duff. As a part-time pastor, Josiah is interested in apologetics, philosophy, economics, personal development, film, music, and art. He’s an aspiring writer, speaker, and Christian hip-hop artist. In this discussion, they explore reparations for Black Americans, social justice within the Gospel, and of course being homeschoolers.

In Episode 6, Micah is joined by Kansas City's favorite Nick "Pick" Pickrell, who is a local activist, pastor, and performer. Nick is the founder and organizer of The Open Table, a progressive Christian church in midtown that seeks to be a place of peace and reconciliation in a city divided. They talk about antiracism work, church trauma, punk music, Chinese buffets and spirituality.

In Episode 5, Micah hosts Sean East and they explore consciousness, the human tendency to consume and cause destruction, and of course, sexy bass players. Sean East is a sensitive, overly detailed (to a fault), and hardworking individual who cherishes connection and vulnerability with other people above most things. In his career, he specializes as a gaffer in lighting applications for film productions and enjoys the social atmosphere of working on a set. At home he is a writer, full time thinker/feeler and musician who spends a lot of time dreaming about the release of his next projects that have been years in the works. He's also a fan of good food, emotions, and spending time outdoors.

In Episode 4, Micah hosts Nathaniel Bozarth, a local historian, anti-racist creative, and data scientist. They explore the traumas of White Supremacy, Christian hegemony, and shame culture, as well as discuss ways for restoring our collective Humanity.