Michael and Phebe close out the first half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with a benediction by Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today, Founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries and founding board member for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Dr. Nicole talks about hope as a metric for success and the key ingredient for having a peaceful life. Hope is part of our Christian life, and she reminds us through the inspiration of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” why it’s important to have hope in the midst of hopefulness with God’s strength. For the Good of the Public podcast will return with new episodes in September. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Hope is something that actually makes a difference in our everyday lived realities, and it is something that is cultivated in our communities. It’s cultivated in our churches. It’s cultivated by a faith in the everlasting love and salvation of Jesus Christ. And it’s actually an essential resource for public life.” -Phebe [01:34]

“Nicole is very much someone who embodies our mission, our identity as an organization. She is an incredible leader.” -Michael [02:07]

“The challenge of our faith isn’t just to have hope in good times. The challenge of our faith is how do we have hope when everything around us looks dismal, horrible, hopeless.” -Nicole [11:06]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[02:54] About Rev. Nicole Massie Martin

[03:33] Habakkuk 3:17-19

[10:06] Hope in absolute chaos

[14:08] It’s our job to see the .1%

[18:50] Shaping us for the call

[26:16] Outro

REFERENCES

• Nicole Massie Martin
• Christianity Today
• Soulfire International Ministries
• Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender by Nicole Massie Martin
• For the Good of the Public Summit
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America by Michael Wear

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

X: @CCPublicLife

Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

Instagram: @ccpubliclife

Mentioned in this episode:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

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In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, we hear from Rachael Denhollander about Christian resources for confronting abuse. Rachel is an attorney, educator and author who was the first person to pursue criminal charges against Larry Nassar, USA gymnastics team’s doctor, in 2016. Her act of activism inspired other women to come forward and has turned her experience into becoming a powerful advocate and consultant about the realities of abuse. Rachael provides a stirring, challenging keynote address on what is required to build a culture that recognizes human dignity and opposes abuse.

Content Warning: This episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including sexual abuse that may be triggering for some individuals.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Rachael shows us how we can draw from the resources of the Christian faith to gain insights that get closer to the heart of reality than we would otherwise.” -Michael [00:49]

“One of the most meaningful aspects of the talk for me was hearing Rachael reflect on the character of God. She talks about how throughout scripture, God is referenced as a refuge and a safe place, and an ever-present help in trouble. And that is exactly what the church should be, and most importantly, the people within the church that are a safe place to come to.” -Phebe [02:27]

“What I find so beautiful as a Christian is that as Christians, we are actually uniquely positioned to speak to a culture of abuse, and to bring hope to those who have suffered devastating wounds.” -Rachael [18:32]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:01] About Rachael

[06:39] A starting point

[10:07] Who was the most helpful?

[18:51] Just and unjust

[23:23] A few framework concepts

[27:56] Outro

REFERENCES

• Rachael Denhollander
• CNN: Read Rachael Denhollander’s full victim impact statement about Larry Nassar
• What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander
• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

X: @CCPublicLife

Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

Instagram: @ccpubliclife

Mentioned in this episode:

For the Good of the Public Summit 2025

For the Good of the Public Summit '25

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