Across neighborhoods, cities, and communities, things are changing fast, and not everyone knows how to respond.

In Frisco, Texas, a growing and increasingly diverse community has brought both opportunity and tension. When fear and harmful rhetoric began showing up in public spaces, local faith leaders and neighbors made a different choice: to show up, stand together, and respond with love.

In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Kristin Warthen sits down with Rev. Billy Echols-Richter and Katrina Watland of Grace Avenue United Methodist Church to explore what it really means to love your neighbor in a changing community. Together, they reflect on real moments of division, the courage it takes to speak up, and how curiosity, relationship, and faith can move people beyond fear.

This conversation begins in Frisco but echoes far beyond it. Communities across Texas and the country are navigating growth, diversity and change, and the question remains the same. How do we live together well?

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
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Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Across the country and here in North Texas, conversations around immigration, enforcement and public policy are often loud and divided. But what does it look like when people of faith step into these moments not with anger, but with prayer, presence and compassion?

On this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins and Rev. Kristin Warthen sit down with Rev. Eric Folkerth and Pastor Rocio Bamihe to talk about their involvement with CLEAR, the Clergy League for Emergency Action and Response. CLEAR is an interfaith coalition of clergy in the Dallas–Fort Worth area who respond to urgent issues where faith, justice and community life intersect. Within that broader coalition are clergy from many religious traditions, including several United Methodist pastors. In this episode, Eric and Rocio share about their experience participating in that work and offering a Christian witness rooted in prayer, compassion and accompaniment.

They describe weekly prayer vigils and pastoral presence outside the Dallas ICE field office, where clergy gather to pray, offer quiet support to families navigating immigration appointments, and seek compassion and wisdom for everyone involved. The conversation also reflects on a recent gathering in Washington, DC, where United Methodist leaders across the connection joined together in worship, prayer and public witness around immigration and faith.

Together, the conversation offers a thoughtful look at what it means to follow Jesus through presence, prayer and compassion in complex moments.

https://www.cleardfw.org/

https://jfondfw.org/

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/united-methodists-lead-witness-for-immigrants

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
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Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Across campuses and communities, many young adults are asking real questions about belonging, purpose and leadership, and they are not walking away from faith as much as they are searching for something deeper and more authentic.

Rev. Daniel Hawkins visited the Rekindle Summit to sit down with Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, President of Brite Divinity School, Rev. Evve Kuykendall, Wesley Director at the University of Texas at Arlington and Thevnin Rumende, head of the UTA Wesley board that organized the Summit. Together, they reflect on what they are seeing among college students and emerging leaders and why the future of the church is already taking shape on our campuses.

They speak candidly about loneliness, leadership formation and why young adults are drawn to churches that offer real responsibility, meaningful discipleship and space to wrestle with honest questions. The conversation challenges the idea that lowering expectations leads to greater engagement and instead points toward partnership, mentorship and shared leadership across generations.

https://brite.edu/

https://rekindlesummit.com/

https://utawesley.org/

Website - htcumc.org
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Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Church hurt is real. Spiritual trauma is real. And healing is possible.

In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, host Rev. Kristin Warthen is joined by Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez and special guest Joshua Harris for a thoughtful and compassionate conversation about the ways faith communities can sometimes become places of pain, even when they are meant to be places of healing.

Recorded just before a book tour event for Holy Hurt by Hillary L. McBride, this discussion explores the impact of spiritual trauma and the wounds that can form through difficult experiences within churches or under spiritual leadership. Together, they reflect on how harm can occur in sacred spaces, how leaders grow in awareness and accountability, and how individuals begin the slow and courageous work of repair and reconnection. They also highlight the many faith communities that are intentionally becoming safe, trauma-aware places of care and restoration, where healing is not carried alone but experienced in honest and supportive community.

Some of the topics in this episode may feel heavy. If you are carrying spiritual wounds or processing religious trauma, we encourage you to seek support from a trusted pastor, counselor, or licensed mental health professional.

Whether you are navigating your own story, walking alongside someone who is, or serving in ministry and seeking to lead with greater awareness, this conversation invites you toward honesty, healing, and renewed trust.

Explore Holy Hurt by Dr. Hillary L. McBride: https://a.co/d/0gQQdO34

Discover more from Joshua Harris at https://clearandloud.com/

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
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TikTok - @horizontxumc
YouTube - @htcumc
Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Is the algorithm shaping your faith more than Scripture, community or the voice of Christ?

This week on POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Lupina Villalpando Stewart and Rev. Preston Morgan to explore how social media algorithms form our attention, influence our beliefs and shape the way we see one another. Together, they wrestle with a timely question for the church today. In a digital world driven by clicks, feeds and endless scrolling, where we still have a choice in what we watch and follow, what are we allowing to form us as disciples of Jesus?

Through honest conversation, pastoral wisdom and Wesleyan insight, this episode reflects on community, repentance and the sacred reminder that every person we encounter is called beloved by God. Rather than rejecting technology altogether, the discussion invites listeners to consider how the Holy Spirit might still work through digital spaces to draw us closer to Christ.

Whether you are a church leader, a thoughtful social media user or someone longing for deeper spiritual formation, this conversation offers hope, clarity and practical encouragement for following Jesus in an algorithm-driven age.

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
Instagram - @HTCUMC
TikTok - @horizontxumc
YouTube - @htcumc
Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Connection is at the heart of what it means to be United Methodist, and in this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Alan McGrath, Rev. Mark Sheets, and Rev. Yvi Martin for a thoughtful and hope-filled conversation about why that connection still matters today.

Together, they reflect on borrowed brilliance, shared wisdom, the communities that shape ministry, and the moments of crisis where being part of something bigger makes all the difference. Through stories of leadership, calling, and formation, the conversation reveals how God works through relationships, places, and people to form disciples over time.

Whether you are clergy, laity, or simply curious about the wider life of the church, this episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a reminder that we were never meant to follow Christ alone.

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
Instagram - @HTCUMC
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Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

This week on POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Melissa McDuffee Beal, Senior Pastor of FUMC Cleburne, hosts guest speaker Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross, Senior Pastor of Noblesville First UMC in Indiana, and Rev. Erin Sloan Jackson of Munger Place Church in Dallas. Together, they reflect on what bold faith looks like in practice, how women in Scripture model courage and conviction, and why discernment, wisdom and community matter as much as speaking up.

This episode was recorded at the Horizon Texas Conference's Women's Retreat, Altogether Bold, and offers a glimpse into the conversations, themes and questions that shaped the weekend. With courage, honesty and deep faith, the discussion explores what it means to live boldly as women of Christ in today's world.

Listeners are invited into a deeper understanding of boldness not as volume or certainty but as faith rooted in love, justice and a willingness to listen for God's call. Whether you attended the retreat or are simply longing for encouragement to live your faith more fully, this episode creates space to pause, reflect and be renewed.

Some of Rev. Nicole's podcasts:

https://godblessthisholymess.podbean.com/

https://stlukesumc.com/thewell

If you want to be involved with the next Altogether retreat reach out to Joy@htcumc.org

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
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Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference

Faithful experimentation is becoming essential to the life of the church today. Drawing from lived ministry experience, Rev. Daniel Hawkins, Rev. Dr. Michael Beck and Rev. Al Martin explore how new expressions of church take shape through trust, patience and a willingness to learn.

Through stories and reflection, this episode examines how churches navigate change, test new ways of being in relationship with their communities and remain attentive to where the Spirit is already at work.

For more from Michael Beck visit his website: https://michaeladambeck.com/

Explore fresh expressions at Perkins School of Theology https://www.smu.edu/perkins

Website - htcumc.org
Facebook - @HTCUMC
Instagram - @HTCUMC
TikTok - @horizontxumc
YouTube - @htcumc
Spotify - Horizon Texas Conference