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In this special episode in honor of Memorial Day in the United States, we talk with Major Robert Kinnune, an Army chaplain stationed at Joint Base Lewis McCord in Washington State. His discusses his career path in the military, bringing him to a decions 12 years into being an engineer to become a military chaplain. We review what his day was like leading up to this nighttime interview and cover the particular challenges of being a military chaplain throughout the “life cycle” of a soldier — from basic training (boot camp) to retirement. A nice episode to garner a greater appreciation for those who serve in the armed forces.

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Just in time for every taxpayer’s favorite day — April 15 — David Wills, president of the National Christian Foundation, joins us to discuss religious charity and how government spending & taxes can affect where private donations flow. We discuss some potential changes to the tax code, including the definition of what might count as a “charitable organization.” Anyone who runs a charitable organization or who makes even the smallest of financial donations to religious groups will want to listen to this episode.

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How does someone who grew up in a religiously apathetic household and who was not interested in school become the president of a theological seminary? And how does that same person challenge the typical norms of academia by promoting theological education via distance learning and online education? We talk with Dr. Rick Walston, founder and president of Columbia Evangelical Seminary, as he discusses his history and the challenges associated with creating a seminary where students are not physically present on campus. We discuss what type of students are interested in such education as well as how academic accreditation factors into online learning. We also reflect upon the utility of studying theology as it pertains to connecting with everyday folks who sit in the pews on Sunday.

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In the wake of several highly publicized shootings, we look at how safe churches are, and what they can do to improve their safety, with Jim McGuffey, and independent security consultant who specializes in church security. We not only look at how exposed houses of worship are exposed to violence, but also examine other more common forms of crime including arson, vandalism, and embezzlement. Mr. McGuffey leads us through a quick security assessment and provides a couple tips for enhancing church security. The reasons for why churches often ignore such measures is examined.

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One year ago, we interviewed Pastor Matt Boswell who was part of a small team that created a church in one week’s time. We return to the scene of our initial interview to see what has changed over the course of the year. This is a fascinating interview that provides insights into how churches grow and change. We tackle a wide range of topics including how church’s maintain attendance and enthusiasm, why more people are getting married on water skis, what pastors learn from visiting other churches, why popcorn buckets may or may not be a good thing for collecting tithes, and Matt’s theory of pacifism. Plus, Tony reveals his biggest fear in church. Interested in how church’s operate? This podcast is for you!

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While our recording studio gets a major upgrade, and with your host taking a short break, we bring you one of our all-time favorite episodes that aired in 2011. Get your yee haw on as we go West to discuss cowboy churches. Daniel Stiles, rodeo announcer and ordained minister, discusses his life ministering to cowboys and cowgirls. We talk bull riding, cowboy pride, the challenges of living in the country, and how the cowboy church movement has expanded since the late 1970s. Dan also relates a remarkably inspirational story how cowboy ministries made a difference in the life of one young man who was down and out. The podcast finishes with an outstanding observation about Christianity and life in the US from the vantage point of the countryside. (Special secret: This has been my favorite interview to date.)

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What happens when a congregation or a denomination finds itself beset with conflict? Who you gonna call? Tony invites Gary Friesen, executive vice-president of Peacemaker Ministries, to explore the world of Christian reconciliation services. Peacemaker Ministries is a non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of providing third-party conflict resolution services for religious groups and also provide training services for clergy and laity to avoid or de-escalate conflict on their own using biblical principles. This is a fascinating look at what happens when things don’t always go smoothly in church.

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What is it like to be a practicing Christian in the world of secular academia? While many Christian professors teach at religiosly-based universities where public profession of faith is either encouraged or expected, Christian academics working in state colleges and universities operate under a different set of constraints. Kimberly Conger of Colorado State University shares her thoughts with Tony based upon a set of panels at the most recent Christians in Political Science conference at Gordon College. We discuss whether or not there exists strong biases against Christian professors, how one deals with students both in the classroom and during office hours, and how one’s faith affects research.

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Rev. Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute discusses his new book, “Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy.” Our discussion delves into Fr. Sirico’s personal history, the nature of greed and envy, the role of profits in an economy, volutarism & individual charity, and why capitalism is a morally superior system than socialism. Along the way, we talk about the communal organization of the early Church Fathers, the Pilgrims, and Rev. Sirico’s thoughts on Ayn Rand. We conclude our discussion with an examination of President Bush’s faith-based initiative and the recent controversy involving the US Catholic bishops and the Obama administration’s health care mandates.

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If you need to get a daily fix of religious-related news, where are you going to go? Real Clear Religion, of course! Jeremy Lott, the editor of Real Clear Religion and other related news portals, joins us to chat about how the Interwebs have changed the way we hear about religious news. He reveals the history of the “Real Clear” network of news sites (or “intelligent aggregators”) and how RCR fits into that general model of internet sites. We then talk about the various media trends Jeremy has seen over the years, including some discussion on the state of religion & politics and the upcoming election.

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