#003: I'm Betraying My Savior a Little Bit

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Tonetta talks about being a speaker at 16 in front of 800 people. Anthony talks about hearing God's voice in middle school. The pastors talk about feeling invisible in their profession.

Key Topics Discussed:

Early Ministry & Calling

• Early experiences preaching/teaching as teenagers
• - Sensing divine calling at a young age
• - Gender barriers in ministry
• - Navigating seminary and education Identity & Ministry
• - Being LGBTQ+ in church leadership
• - Representation in pastoral roles
• - Barriers faced in evangelical spaces

Wrestling with authenticity and calling Pastoral Work

• - The invisible nature of pastoral ministry
• - Balancing business operations with spiritual care
• - Managing church communications and marketing
• - Setting boundaries and avoiding burnout
• - Dealing with secondary trauma
• - Building genuine relationships with congregants

Spiritual Leadership

• - Teaching scripture and theology
• - Cultivating prayer lives
• - Creating space for spiritual formation
• - Walking alongside people long-term -
• Paying attention to the Spirit's movement
• - Building biblical imagination

Administrative Challenges

• - Running a nonprofit organization -
• Managing volunteers and programs
• - Tracking attendance and engagement -
• Handling church finances and budgets
• - Balancing different aspects of church leadership
• - Wrestling with church marketing and growth

Legacy & Future Hopes

• - Teaching people to pray
• - Building beloved community
• - Creating spaces for authentic faith
• - Helping people connect scripture to local context
• - Supporting marginalized Christians
• - Maintaining spiritual health long-term

Anthony shares memories of living in poverty and foster care. Tonetta grew up in a middle-class family with a dad who knew how to work the system. The pastors explore how churches can ask for money without being manipulative. They agree that life is too short for single-ply toilet paper.

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• Personal money stories and family backgrounds
• The evolution of credit card usage
• Church fundraising practices - both ethical and problematic
• The spirituality of fundraising
• Stewardship and the common good
• Alternative economic systems within church communities

• Perichoresis - The mutual indwelling and relationship within the Trinity
• Stewardship vs. ownership
• The concept of "giving until it hurts"
• Trust and mutuality in financial relationships
• The relationship between capitalism and Christian giving

• "The Spirituality of Fundraising" by Henri Nouwen
• Works by Mia Birdsong
• "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The parable of the Widow's Mite (Mark 12)
• "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis

"Life is too short for crappy toilet paper."

"Grace meaning that not the expectation of return a gift, meaning there are no strings attached and capitalism just, it strings everywhere."

"The forces of oppression are well funded."

• Anthony Parrott
• Tonetta Landis-Aina

LOAM Episode 1: "Bring Your Chickens"

What is church? In this debut episode of LOAM, co-pastors Tonetta Landis-Aina and Anthony Parrott explore the essence, tensions, and beauty of Christian community. From underground churches in Yemen to food pantries in Iowa, they unpack personal experiences that have shaped their understanding of what makes church... church.

Key Conversations
- The "isness" of church: Beyond programs and buildings
- Church as a fellowship of difference
- The power of marginality in Christian community
- Tension between institutional structures and authentic relationships
- Multi-generational community as "burning bushes"

Featured Quotes & References
- Eugene Peterson on the "ontological church"
- C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters on the visible vs. invisible church
- Dr. Willie James Jennings's commentary on Acts
- Jamar Tisby on the Civil Rights Movement as America's third Great Awakening
- Dallas Willard: "Your system is perfectly tuned to get the results you're getting"

Scripture Referenced:
- Ephesians 2 (God's household)
- Acts 1-2 (Birth of the church)

Questions for Reflection:
1. What experiences have shaped your understanding of church?
2. How do you navigate the tension between church as institution and church as community?
3. Where do you see "burning bushes" in your faith community?

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