What does inclusion ask of us when faith moves from what we believe to how we see, love, and stand alongside one another?

In Part Three, the final conversation of our LGBTQIA+ & the Church series, guest host Jackie Blue-Turner welcomes Tasharre Sanders back to guide us into a conversation about transgender inclusion, gender, faith, and allyship.

Together, we continue learning the language of the LGBTQIA+ community, explore gender and the gender binary, and return to the Genesis creation story to consider what it means to be made in the image of God. Through questions, personal stories, and honest reflection, the conversation considers the beautiful diversity of creation and the importance of relationship in shaping how we understand one another.

The conversation then moves from understanding toward practice. What does it mean to be an ally? How might our faith call us to continue learning, create safer spaces, advocate for others, and recognize the humanity of people whose experiences may be different from our own?

As this three-part conversation comes to a close, another question emerges: What do we mean when we talk about sin, and how does our understanding of sin shape what we believe about everything else?

As always, our hope isn't to tell you what to think. It's to create space to listen, learn, ask questions, wrestle faithfully, and trust that God is present in the conversation.

A Special Thank You

Special thanks to Jackie Blue-Turner for graciously stepping in to host this final conversation in Gina's absence and helping us hold space for learning, questions, and community.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

What happens when the faith we've inherited begins to meet the questions we're asking now?

In Part Two of our LGBTQIA+ & the Church series, Tasharre Sanders guides us deeper into the conversation as we explore Scripture, interpretation, and the theological ideas many of us have carried for years.

Together, we consider the biblical texts commonly referred to as the “clobber passages,” explore affirming approaches to interpreting these Scriptures, and examine how context, history, culture, and our understanding of the Bible shape what we believe. The conversation also makes room for an important question: What happens when our desire to affirm LGBTQIA+ people still carries remnants of the theology we're trying to unlearn?

This is a conversation about more than changing our minds. It's about recognizing the difference between inherited and examined theology, making room for deconstruction, and understanding that faithful growth often takes time.

As always, our hope isn't to tell you what to think. It's to create space to listen, learn, wrestle faithfully, and trust that God is present in the conversation.

About This Series

LGBTQIA+ & the Church is a three-part Summer Listening Series from The Faith Studio exploring one of the most significant conversations unfolding within Christianity today.

Guided by theologian and educator Tasharre Sanders, these conversations invite listeners to move beyond easy answers and into deeper curiosity. Together we examine Scripture, church tradition, lived experience, critical thought, and the changing landscape of contemporary Christianity through the voices of people from different Christian traditions.

Rather than offering debate or definitive conclusions, this series models what it looks like to wrestle honestly with difficult questions in community. Whether you are firmly decided, deeply questioning, or simply hoping to understand more fully, these conversations offer a gracious space for learning, reflection, and faithful dialogue.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Every meaningful conversation begins with listening.

In Part One of our LGBTQIA+ & the Church series, Tasharre Sanders lays a foundation for the journey ahead by inviting us to explore our own assumptions, questions, and experiences. Through personal storytelling, practical vocabulary, and thoughtful dialogue, she introduces listeners to key LGBTQIA+ terminology while examining how family, church, culture, and relationships have shaped our understanding over time.

More than an educational conversation, this episode becomes an invitation into curiosity.  Together, participants wrestle with the relationship between faith and identity, explore different Christian theological perspectives on faith, sexuality, and belonging, and reflect on how communities—and our own hearts—can be transformed through honest conversation and God's ongoing work within us. 

About This Series

LGBTQIA+ & the Church is a three-part Summer Listening Series from The Faith Studio exploring one of the most significant conversations shaping the Church today.

Guided by theologian and educator Tasharre Sanders, these conversations invite listeners to move beyond easy answers and into deeper curiosity. Together we examine Scripture, church tradition, lived experience, critical thought, and the changing landscape of contemporary Christianity through the voices of people from different Christian traditions.

Rather than offering debate or definitive conclusions, this series models what it looks like to wrestle honestly with difficult questions in community. Whether you are firmly decided, deeply questioning, or simply hoping to understand your neighbor more fully, these conversations offer a gracious space for learning, reflection, and faithful dialogue.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

The Grace Conversation Continues is the final episode in our Perspectives of Grace series.

Following our conversation with Rhonda Johnson, members of the Faith Studio community stayed behind to continue reflecting on what grace means in everyday life. What emerged was an honest and thoughtful conversation about faith, suffering, belonging, questions, and the many ways God's grace meets us along the journey.

Join us as we pull up another chair and continue the conversation.

Thank you for listening to Perspectives of Grace. We hope this series has invited you to wonder more deeply, listen more generously, and discover grace in places you may not have expected.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Summer Listening Series | Perspectives of Grace

This episode is part of the TFS Summer Listening Series — a curated collection of conversations selected for the slower, more reflective pace of summer. This week we're revisiting Perspectives of Grace*, a three-part series (plus a bonus episode) exploring how different Christian traditions understand and experience grace.*

Did you know that our Christian faith is not uniform? Under the broad umbrella of Christianity lives a rich spectrum of belief, practice, and encounter with God. The Perspectives series was created to sit with that diversity — not to debate it, but to learn from it.

Perspectives of Grace invites three voices from three different denominational traditions to answer one question: What does your church believe about grace?

It's an opportunity to listen well — to hear how our Christian neighbors approach God, how their theology shapes the way they move through the world, and perhaps to find something that broadens our own understanding of this vast, grace-filled God.

In this conversation, Alisa Castilla reflects on grace through the lens of the Church of Christ Holiness USA.  In this interview, Alisa offers some interesting perspectives on grace beyond the singular and popular thought of it being unmerited favor.  This presentation is also followed by a thought provoking dialog amoungst the Faith Fam community. 

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Summer Listening Series | Perspectives of Grace

This episode is part of the TFS Summer Listening Series — a curated collection of conversations selected for the slower, more reflective pace of summer. This week we're revisiting Perspectives of Grace*, a three-part series (plus a bonus episode) exploring how different Christian traditions understand and experience grace.*

Did you know that our Christian faith is not uniform? Under the broad umbrella of Christianity lives a rich spectrum of belief, practice, and encounter with God. The Perspectives series was created to sit with that diversity — not to debate it, but to learn from it.

Perspectives of Grace invites three voices from three different denominational traditions to answer one question: What does your church believe about grace?

It's an opportunity to listen well — to hear how our Christian neighbors approach God, how their theology shapes the way they move through the world, and perhaps to find something that broadens our own understanding of this vast, grace-filled God.

In this conversation, Rhonda Johnson reflects on grace through the lens of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion) — sharing both theological grounding and a personal encounter with grace that stays with you.

Our host for this episode is Jackie Blue-Turner.

Episodes for our Summer Listening Series will be available for your enjoyment on the first and third Thursdays of the month throughout the summer.

We're glad you're here for the summer. Take your time with this one.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

In this studio session, we have captured a portion of worship as we prepared to look at 1 Corinthian 12:12-27 and delve into an exciting collaboration of ideas and dawnings around the concept of community and belonging.

If you have any thoughts or questions as you listen to the podcast, please feel free to leave us a comment.  We would love to hear your voice on the topic.

We hope this conversation might broaden our understanding of this vast God with whom we engage. 

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Summer Listening Series | Perspectives of Grace

This episode is part of the TFS Summer Listening Series — a curated collection of conversations selected for the slower, more reflective pace of summer. This week we're revisiting Perspectives of Grace*, a three-part series (plus a bonus episode) exploring how different Christian traditions understand and experience grace.*

Did you know that our Christian faith is not uniform? Under the broad umbrella of Christianity lives a rich spectrum of belief, practice, and encounter with God. The Perspectives series was created to sit with that diversity — not to debate it, but to learn from it.

Perspectives of Grace invites three voices from three different denominational traditions to answer one question: What does your church believe about grace?

It's an opportunity to listen well — to hear how our Christian neighbors approach God, how their theology shapes the way they move through the world, and perhaps to find something that broadens our own understanding of this vast, grace-filled God.

In this conversation, Kathy Tessin reflects on grace through the lens of the Presbyterian Church (USA) — sharing both theological grounding and a personal encounter with grace that stays with you.

Episodes for our Summer Listening Series will be available for your enjoyment on the first and third Thursdays of the month throughout the summer.

We're glad you're here for the summer. Take your time with this one.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

We welcome back to the podcast Gina Brown, who founded an inclusive and diverse space for conversations about the intersections of our intuition, wisdom, and lives. It's called the Faith Studio. In part two of our conversation, we discuss how the Faith Studio offers itself as one of those precious spaces where we are seen for who we are and feel able to fully embrace the complexity of our story and emotions.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

The Faith Studio welcomes Debbie Rigaud to the Studio.  Debbie is a New York Times best-selling author in the Young Adult division.  In this live-in-session podcast, Debbie shares her love of writing, the spiritual connection that she has developed with journaling as a spiritual practice, and some of the struggles to remain connected to the practice.

This year, Debbie is in conjunction with The Faith Studio as we endeavor to develop the spiritual practice of journaling for our community.  If you would like to join us journaling from weekly prompts, please sign up here.

This is part one of a two-part recording.  Subscribe to The Faith Studio Podcast and have our podcast delivered directly to your inbox. 

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

We welcome back to the podcast Gina Brown, who founded an inclusive and diverse space for conversations about the intersections of our intuition, wisdom, and lives. It's called the Faith Studio. In part one, we discuss the kind of attention it takes to welcome the wisdom in the room; the role curiosity plays in transformative conversations; and how people in Gina's community are endeavoring to sort out the role religious traditions may play in their story and in the faith they live daily.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Gina Brown is the curator of The Faith Studio, where the guiding scripture is, “for where two or three are gathered together because they are mine, I will be right there among them.”

In this episode, we go deep on memories and experiences of communities that encouraged us to be ourselves; and some that asked us to leave parts of ourselves behind.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Gina Brown is the curator of The Faith Studio, where the guiding scripture is, “for where two or three are gathered together because they are mine, I will be right there among them.”

In part one of conversation, we discuss how our communities of faith can encourage people to show up in their own vernacular, to share about their experiences of God in conversation with others, and to grow as a result. Gina's reverence for the mysteries of faith, and her own open heartedness toward God and her neighbors, create a truly special kind of community that makes spaces for awareness of the Divine to grow.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Join us at the table for Part Two of this two part series on "Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Seminary" 

Podcast Guest:
Graduating Seniors: Ashley N. Dixon of The Interdenominational Theological Center and Gina N. Brown of Columbia Theological Seminary

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.

Learn More

The Faith Studio exists to hold the church door open a little wider through conversation, connection, and exploration. We create thoughtful spaces for the faithful, the curious, and the tired to wrestle honestly with faith, life, and God's grace.

Step into the fullness of The Faith Studio ecosystem—a space where faith, community, and care meet. Whether you're gathering with us live, going deeper on your own, or simply looking for a place to exhale, there's a place here for you.

🌿 Visit us at TheFaithStudio.org

Follow along on Instagram @the.faithstudio and join Breathe—our email community where we slow down together, tend to what's growing, and make space for what matters.

Ready to go deeper? Journeying Through the Seasons of Faith is an invitation to move through your faith with intention—season by season, step by step.

If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to think about, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who might benefit from it, and continue the conversation with us.

Until next time, Grace and Peace, Faith Fam.