In light of violence and division, authors of Loving Disagreement: Fighting For Community Through the Fruit of the Spirit, Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos, share how the fruit of the spirit brings joy, hope and goodness in the midst of tension. This episode is an encouragement and admonition to us today, to allow God to transform and grow us in the …

In this episode Chealsia chats with her spiritual director, Dr. Janet Hinds, to help you demystify spiritual direction so you can consider how it could help you grow in both your relationship with God and your calling. They chat about the origins of spiritual direction, how it's different from counseling and how it's been an impactful resource thro…

Jesus is making all things new, and that includes restoring harmony between humanity, God and the community of creation. In this episode, Indigenous author, activist and scholar Randy Woodley, helps you participate in God’s story of restoration by replacing a divisive worldview with a more Indigenous one that leads to practices of restoration, reco…

Christians know they need others. But attempts to meet that need are often so messy and draining that they end in isolation. Chealsia chats with Hung Lu, a spiritual care collaborator and someone her friends trust to care for them, about his experience with a communal care group gone right. He shares tips for how a collaborative approach can be bet…

On her journey to find belonging as a bi-racial Korean-American, Tasha Jun’s longings led her to Jesus and a deeper embrace of God’s love. In this episode, she shares some of that journey, including wisdom and practices to help you deeply belong too. She also expounds on some of Chealsia’s favorite parts of Tasha’s poetic memoir,Tell Me The Dream A…

It’s a lie that your value is tied to your usefulness or productivity. For Justin McRoberts, tying your value to your usefulness steals your ability to live whole and loved. Chealsia chats with author and coach, Justin McRoberts, about the wisdom in his book, Sacred Strides: The Journey to Belovedness in Work and Rest, to help you experience joy in…

How can engaging anger and disappointment bring you closer to God and help you love others? In this intimate conversation with spiritual care collaborator, Dominique Dawson, Chealsia learns about the prayer practices Dominique developed to help herself and others take account of losses, get to the bottom of desires and experience God’s restoration.…

For Sandhya Oaks, avoiding grief stunts your ability to experience deep joy. As a spiritual director and story coach she helps people see God’s heart in every part of their story, through presence and kindness. In this episode, she gives us examples of breath prayer as a grounding practice to anchor you in God’s love along the way. For more resourc…

Feeling distant from God is something we know way too well. The Bible talks about God being with us, that he will never leave or forsake us and that he is present everywhere at all times. Chealsia chats with Puerto Rican author and podcaster, Lisa Colón DeLay, about how we can continually experience the peace and joy found in God’s presence, and th…

Created For director, Wendy Chen, joins hosts Chealsia Smedley, Kathia Avilez and Michele Davis to chat about this past season, their personal pursuits of wholeness and where God is leading them to live in light of His redemptive story. We’ll return for Season 5 in the fall, but in the meantime feel free to follow us on instagram @_createdfor, sign…

Sin detaches us from ourselves, God, and each other, but so does the colonial spirit that has fragmented a lot of our theology. We chat with Jimmy McGee, the president, and CEO of The Impact Movement, about decolonizing, deconstructing, and reconnecting to truth and our kinship so that we can follow Jesus into wholeness. This episode was co-hosted …

When we feel hung out by the church, how do we stay grounded? Sara Billups, author of Orphaned Believers, helps us find our way back to Jesus, to community and ultimately to experiencing a whole-hearted faith by sharing her own story and giving us a vision for a spacious, non-anxious spiritual formation that can help ground us as we carry each othe…

Burnout and trauma triggers led Dina Martinez to therapy, sabbatical and embracing her collective nature to find ways to heal, rest and belong in both her relationship with Jesus and in her community. After 13 years as a national director with the ministry Destino, we invite you to be encouraged by what she's been learning--from Biblical insights t…

Jesus’ upside down kingdom brings cosmic, communal flourishing. We get practical with Timothy Isiah Cho about how we can both experience and partner with God in seeing heaven on earth. From his work with the Racial Justice and Unity Center, to his small business, Mosaic Coffee, he shares how God has led him to seek solidarity, thriving and restorat…

From boldly advocating for human dignity to separating the gospel of Jesus from the cultural hypocrisy that claimed him– writer and historian, Jasmine Holmes shares how the histories of Black Christians have shaped her own calling and continue to help her show grace, set boundaries and walk closely with Jesus today. For more resources, scripture an…

In dealing with disruption, doubts, friend’s de-conversions and despair over the last few years, Rasool Berry shares the spiritual practices, biblical stories and personal life-lessons that helped him hold on to hope, so that we can too. Rasool serves as a teaching pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, New York and is also the Director of Partne…

Whether we are deconstructing or decolonizing, experiencing displacement or belonging– God meets us. We chat with Kat Armas, author of Abuelita Faith and the forthcoming, Sacred Belonging, about overlooked wisdom and recognizing how God meets us in both the weighty and the seemingly insignificant moments of our everyday lives. Check out our show no…

Is “Christian” culture clouding your view of Jesus? Drew Hyun gets it. From church hurt, shame and a superficial faith to emotionally healthy discipleship and becoming communities who are shaped by the love and grace of Jesus-- check out this "real talk" conversation with the Hope Church NYC pastor and founder. You can find an episode reflection wi…

Following Jesus in the fullness of her Indigenous identity, reclaiming her ancestor’s sacred ways and noticing God’s goodness, uniquely reflected in our communities. We chat about this and more with Renee Kylestewa Begay, the director and co-founder of Nations. Hosted by Cru See the show notes for an episode reflection and more resources. Resources…

The co-founder and president of Civil Righteousness, a movement that pursues restorative justice and reconciliation through spiritual, cultural and economic renewal, Jonathan Tremaine "JT" Thomas kicks off season 4 . He talks about his own calling while sharing practical ways to dream with God and see our lives, communities and cities transformed b…

Created For returns weekly for new episodes starting Tuesday, March 14th! Our season 4 hosts, Michele and Chealsia, give you an inside look into some of the conversations we've had about being rooted in our heritage, restoring our presence with God and reimagining our flourishing. Season 4 gets deep and practical and we can't wait to share it with …

Racially motivated hate crimes, mass shootings, and other tragedies have made so many of us feel unsafe in the world. In this latest episode of the Created For Podcast, Wendy Chen shares how she tries to make sense of her feelings about current events, and how she finds healing and is learning to bring her entire self to her faith walk. Wendy is on…

“Faith is always asking to put flesh on.” In this episode Drew Jackson invites us to explore how our profession of faith is connected to our story, context, neighborhood, historical context, and embodied life. As we pay attention, engage in truth telling, lament, and explore our questions we can understand more of who God created us to be. Drew is …

As a minority woman growing up in a rural community, Tiffany Bluhm often wondered, “Where do I fit?” But her feelings were satiated when she found Jesus. In this episode, Tiffany discusses her faith journey and how her ethnic identity intersects her identity in Christ. She discusses parenting her multi-ethnic family; her experiences leading her to …

Milton Massie takes us on a journey through Scripture to more deeply understand God’s heart for the marginalized and disenfranchised. As we learn how to marry the Great Commission and Great Commandment, we see a beautiful picture of God’s kingdom. Milton invites us to “keep the way of the Lord” by participating in restorative justice and through a …

BONUS EPISODE: The episode we are releasing today is a little different for us. What we are giving you today is a conversation between three friends that share some key things in common. They are all women of color and they are all single. And they are navigating following God when life doesn’t turn out as planned. Whether you are single or not, th…

Drew Hyun shares his journey of sacrificing the idols of money and prestige at the altar in exchange for God’s presence. He also shares his Asian-American experience and how the incredibly equalizing message of the Gospel compelled him to Jesus. Drew Hyun is the Founder and Pastor of Hope Church Midtown as well as the co-founder of the New City Net…

We are joined this week by author, illustrator and advocate Danielle Coke. Better known as Oh Happy Dani, she tells us about her experience of coming face to face with Jesus’ mercy and grace and her journey to discovering present purpose. We also dive deep into Oh Happy Dani’s work on how to love our neighbors well in a moment of tragic injustice. …

Are you struggling to discern your unique calling? You’re not alone. Expectations of others, false messages we receive from Christian culture and a weakness-mindset make it difficult to discern the invitation God has for us. In this episode, leadership development coach and consultant Tracey Gee gives practical steps to not only discover what God c…

In a world where so many of us have relationships damaged by political and ideological differences, how do we love well? Rich Villodas diagnoses the forces behind the fractures we feel in our relationships and our world and gives us tools for moving forward in a way that honors God, ourselves and others. We discuss trauma, finding our voice, and ho…

In this episode, Terry Wildman invites you on a journey to rediscover the Scriptures through the Native lens. Terry Wildman’s ancestry is Ojibwe and Yaqui. He is the lead translator and project manager for the First Nations Version, an Indigenous translation of the New Testament. Storytelling, the cultural practice of naming, and embracing the Grea…

Jessica Wiarda is an illustrator and a designer. She is a registered member of the Hopi Tribe, and her work focuses on blending traditional Native American Hopi design with contemporary color palettes and design trends. Her apparel brand HONOVI feature various forms of authentic, Hopi-designed apparel, including scarves and hats. She shares how the…

Eva Ting is the founder of Here to Honor, a centralized and curated resource hub providing training, tools, and service for end-of-life needs and grief support. She shares about collective calling and the importance of living, dying and grieving well. See show notes for episode reflection, transcription and resources.…

Christian Serge seeks to make beautiful things. An Emmy-award-winning editor, and co-creator of the first 3D-360 camera, making films that cause what he calls "fierce compassion" is one of his life goals. Christian discusses the many turns his calling has taken through music, film and his neighbors. See show notes for episode reflection, transcript…

Amanda Best's passion is loving and advocating for lower income communities. In this episode, she shares about her journey, including lessons about God's grace she's learned along the way. See show notes for episode reflection, transcription and resources.By Cru

Dr. Kelly Mark is a clinical psychologist passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. She believes the work of restoration to God and each other happens in community. Listen to how she is still growing, recognizing her own brokenness, and finding a sense of belonging. See show notes for episode reflection, transcription and resources.…

Josh Chen is a dreamer and a storyteller, who's passionate about inviting others into God's captivating story. By listening and asking questions of those around us, Josh thinks we can understand each other's deep longings and how God can meet us there. See show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources…

Meet our new podcast host, Julie Chang, and hear more about who'll be featured on season two of the Created For podcast.By Cru

In this final episode of the season, Samantha Holland has a conversation with Wendy Chen, Executive Director of Cru Embark to discuss her reflections on the podcast series. Wendy shares how her family's immigrant story connects with her calling and how limitations can become invitations. They discuss mutuality, belonging, culture and how God is wri…

Rasool Berry, teaching pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, shares his ideas on moral imagination, argument culture, and what it means to be a faithful presence. He invites us to embrace diverse perspectives, to be culture makers, to be quick to listen, and to gain the fullness and richness of what God is doing in the world. See show notes for …

Hand-lettering artist, graphic designer and community advocate Jocelyn Chung shares about her fierce loyalty and devotion to her elders and others in her Asian-American community. She invites us to expand the picture of what it means to be a creative and to live a deeply rooted life in the beloved community around us. See show notes for episode ref…

Author and Bible teacher Jo Saxton invites listeners to align our lives with the Word, the way, and the work of the Kingdom of God. She discussed contextualized theology, burnout and losing your way, and what it looks like to serve God within the confinement of our current realities. See show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources.…

Pastor of New Life Church in Queens and author of The Deeply Formed Life, Rich Villodas invites us into a life of discerning God's presence. This episode explores staying present with one another despite our differences, embodiment as an outworking of the gospel, and redemptive uses of technology to draw us to God and to each other. See show notes …

David Robbins shares how following Jesus requires surrender, vulnerability and community. The president of Family Life, he shares his journey through a variety of realities, including the changing seasons of marriage and family, life in New York City and navigating a global pandemic. see show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources…

Even though Liz Bohannon didn't get funded on Shark Tank, she kept dreaming. One small dream at a time, she watched a global community form through her business, Sseko Designs. She shares about creating instead of always critiquing, focusing on what we are for and not against, and what she learned from a statue in the park near her house. See show …

Chris Ghubril grew up bicultural, in white churches and schools yet with 100% Arab American parents. Listen in as he describes how his story has informed the work he does to pave the way for other bicultural Christians, and to reach people across cultures for Christ. See show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources.…

Elizabeth McKinney invites you to reimagine loving your next-door neighbor. In this episode, she explores giving and receiving other people's kindness, her experiences neighboring during a pandemic, and why healthy boundaries help you love other well. See show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources…

Justin Giboney shares how his own story informed his views on idealogical tribes and social action. He invites us deeper into our calling, as believers, to love our enemies using 'moral imagination,' to live in community, and to stay anchored in Scripture. see show notes for episode reflection, transcript and resources.…

Welcome to Created For, an exploration of calling and purpose. Episode 1 featuring Justin Giboney premieres March 2nd. Connect with us today at Cru.org/createdfor and on instagram @_createdforBy Cru

This is my personal 5-part Mental Health Tool Kit I wish to share to my audience. I hope you learn something new from this episode.