Episodes
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Bridie Boyd is, among other things, a chaplain at Hillmorton hospital, a psychiatric care facility in Ōtautahi (Christchurch). She is also involved in advocating for, and supporting, women in the Anglican environment in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
We talk about both of these roles. What drives her in her advocating for others? What draws her to love those others neglect or even despise?
We discuss what the role of chaplain actually involves and the challenges and rewards of doing such a role with people who are struggling in their mental health. Bridie also shares about her own mental health journey, how that has helped her in her role, and what she has learned along the way.
Within the kōrero we talk about embracing awkward spaces to learn from one another, the way chaplains hold hope for people when they can't hold it for themselves, and how valuable people are no matter who they are or what they're experiencing.
If you'd like to support the work of the hospital chaplains, head to ichc.org.nz
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Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Caz and Em are the hosts of the fantastic podcast, the Bloody Bible.
Outside of the podcast they are Dr Carolyn Blyth and Dr Emily Colgan - academics in the world of theology who have found ways to share their research so that it is digestible for the general public. On the Bloody Bible, Caz and Em explore some of the more violent passages in the Bible, linking them to modern true crimes, and behaviours and attitudes that are still in play today. They also help us see the stories from the perspective of the victims, something the Bible itself doesn't necessarily do for us.
We talk about how they became interested in these kind of topics, why they started the podcast, and what they've learned from linking these stories to modern day true crime. We talk about power and control, patriarchy, feminism, how to read the bible well, seeing things from the perspective of others, and the harmful ways that biblical texts are used to justify heinous behaviour
A warning that we do talk about a range of violent crimes such as gender based violence, including rape, and murder, so if you find those subjects hard please look after yourself, and feel free to skip this episode, or see the list of support services below.
Check out the Bloody Bible at bloodybiblepodcast.com or on Facebook, and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out the Shiloh Project at shilohproject.blog
Support Services
Mental Health Foundation helplines (NZ) https://mentalhealth.org.nz/helplines
Lifeline Australia https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Suicide Prevention Helpline (UK) https://www.spuk.org.uk/national-suicide-prevention-helpline-uk/
Crisis Text Line (USA) https://www.crisistextline.org/
List of sexual assault support services (NZ) – https://sexualabuse.org.nz/resources/find-sexual-assault-support-near-you/
RAINN (USA) – https://www.rainn.org/
Helping Survivors (USA) – https://helpingsurvivors.org/
Rape Crisis (UK) – https://rapecrisis.org.uk/
Rape Crisis Scotland – https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/
Full Stop (Australia) – https://fullstop.org.au/
Shine (NZ) - https://www.2shine.org.nz/
Family Violence - It’s Not Okay (NZ) - https://www.areyouok.org.nz/
National Domestic Violence Hotline (USA) - https://www.thehotline.org/
Women’s Aid (UK) - https://www.womensaid.org.uk/
1800 Respect (Australia) https://www.1800respect.org.au/
Find a Helpline (lists helplines internationally) https://findahelpline.com/
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Monday Mar 25, 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Dr Pauline Stewart is an educator, a psychologist, an Anglican Priest, and when she was an age when many would be hanging up their work clothes, she was starting up a charity to support the family and friends of people with alcohol or other drug habits.
We talk about her time as a teacher and why she moved into psychology. We discuss her time working for the Ministry of Education as a psychologist. And we talk about Family Drug Support, the charity Pauline founded to educate and support people whose loved ones are misusing alcohol or other drugs. Pauline shares about why and how it started. We get into evidence based practice and why that is important, and Pauline shares about the opportunity she sees in this area to use new technologies including A.I.
Find Family Drug Support on their website, fds.org.nz or find out how to financially support them here
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Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) are an organisation working with Christians in places where being Christian is dangerous. Where either there are restrictive laws, or simply open hostility towards those who follow Jesus.
I am joined in this conversation by Voice of the Martyrs NZ National Directors and their Events Coordinator.
We hear about how Voice of the Martyrs work with endangered Christians around the world. Their empowering way of supporting and getting alongside the persecuted church. The risks involved for them as they do it. And how the rest of us can partner with them to support those who are suffering for their faith.
Check out VOM on their website, Instagram, or Facebook. Also check out prisonersoffaith.org for info about writing to Christians in prison.
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Monday Mar 04, 2024
Catching Up With - 03 - Jeremy Faumuinā
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
This time we are Catching Up With episode 7 guest, Jeremy Faumuinā.
Jeremy talked last time about trusting his intuition, about serving neglected and abused children in Samoa, his social work with youth and the family based approach he takes to that, and about how his son coming out as gay shifted his world from anti to ally when it comes to the rainbow community. It's definitely worth a listen if you haven't heard it already.
Jeremy joins me on Catching Up With to talk about his move to the NZ Police, still working as a social worker focussed on supporting young people and helping them succeed at life, and also the work he is now involved in with the organisation Moana Vā to support Pasifika people in the rainbow community.
Connect with Jeremy at vaconcepts.co.nz
Or check out Moana Vā on Instagram, Facebook, or their website.
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Monday Feb 26, 2024
87. Ruth Schmidt - Fired for Taking a Stand, and What Happens Next
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Ruth Schmidt (she/her) is a pastor pursuing ordination with the United Church of Christ in the USA. She was also a senior director at Fuller Theological Seminary, California, until she was fired in January 2024 for refusing to sign Fuller's statement of beliefs. Just two weeks after she was fired for standing up for what she believed in, we recorded this conversation.
In the weeks afterwards Ruth publicly shared, in what I thought was a respectful and hopeful way, looking to stand against the injustices she saw and invite decision makers into conversation. We talk about what happened and why. We talk about Ruth's feelings throughout this, her hopes for the situation, and the courage she has seen rise up in others. We also discuss the ripple effect this all had for students and staff at Fuller, and what happened as a result in those first two weeks.
You may not know of Fuller, but this conversation goes to something much bigger than this one institution. It's about justice. It's about coercive power. It's about listening to those who are different from you. And ultimately, it's about love and how we show it to one another.
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Links to find a Gaza Peace Pilgrimage near you:
Worldwide - https://www.gazaceasefirepilgrimage.com/
Aotearoa New Zealand - https://www.commongrace.nz/
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Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Sophie Fasi-Mohenoa is part of a small but growing group called Christians for Peace in Palestine Aotearoa that has arisen in the midst of the Israeli war on Gaza. Our conversation is grounded in her time living in the West Bank, working with Messianic Jews and Palestinian Christians looking to drive peace in the region.
We talk about how Christians for Peace Aotearoa came about, what they are involved in and are hoping to achieve, what she learned from her time living in Israel/Palestine, her experience as a foreigner in an occupied land, the hope that she found there, and what we can do from the other side of the world.
It's a conversation that is very timely, and gives us much food for thought and action.
Here are some links mentioned in the episode:
Christians for Peace in Palestine Aotearoa on Instagram or Facebook
Sign the open letter to the NZ Government to call for a ceasefire
Lent - Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage information
Listen to Across the Divide Podcast on Spotify
Watch Daoud Nassar sharing about the Tent of Nations
Also check out James Beck's podcast, Ngā Here: The Many Connections on Spotify or Apple Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts).
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Monday Dec 11, 2023
85. Donna Dyson - Losing Sight, Gaining Vision, and Finding Your Spark
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Donna Dyson is a fantastic human with a beautiful story. Her life has changed significantly on several occasions, yet she has managed to pivot, and to keep finding ways to move forward, bringing life to others as she does it. She is an educator, an author, an award winning song writer, and much, much more.
We talk about teaching, literacy, health conditions and disability. We talk about music and creativity. We hear about to moments of Donna's life that marked significant endings, and how she turned them into new beginnings. We hear about joy, passion, and a love for people, as well as the beauty of seeing people's hearts. This is a truly hope filled episode to finish the year with.
Find Donna at donnadyson.com
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Monday Dec 04, 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
It's a busy, crazy time of year for many but it's also a time that can be really hard for those already doing it tough. For those living on the streets or those who have accommodation but can't afford the necessities of life, without support life simply isn't manageable, especially in a season where they are often forgotten.
Orange Sky is an organisation based out of Australia that, through a huge number of volunteers around Australia and New Zealand, offer a free service to allow people doing it tough to wash and dry their clothing, and have a safe, hot shower at the same time. They have vans kitted out to allow a portable service to visit different locations on different days.
Brodie and Raina are two of Orange Sky's volunteers, based here in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. So on a very wet and miserable day I went to meet with them at their Christchurch base in the Kairos Food Rescue warehouse.
You may hear the rain on the warehouse roof come and go through the episode, but that just serves to remind us how important it is that Orange Sky exist.
We talk about what Orange Sky is and how they both came to be involved. We talk about the types of people who use the services on offer and the difference it makes to them, and we talk about what Brodie and Raina have learnt from volunteering for Orange Sky.
Check out Orange Sky Aotearoa at orangesky.org.nz or find them on Facebook or Instagram
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Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Catching Up With - 02 - Julia Grace
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Julia Grace talked to us last time about her journey with mental health, the work she was doing speaking into that space, and her recognition that there isn't a line separating well and unwell, but that we're all on a continuum of mental health. It's a profound and fun kōrero and definitely worth a listen.
Julia joins me on Catching Up With to talk about how the journey of speaking in the mental health space is going, her recent appointment as president of the Professional Speakers Association of New Zealand, and most excitingly, her upcoming book, Be Kind to Your Mind.
Order Julia's new book here, or check out her website, juliagrace.co.nz, Facebook, or Instagram.
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