Episodes

  • What Counts as Doing Something?; Kathryn Stinson; 29-Sep-2024

    What Counts as Doing Something?; Kathryn Stinson; 29-Sep-2024
    Sep 29 2024
    Am I doing enough? How do I justify self-care when others are suffering? How do I balance personal well-being with the moral imperative to take meaningful action? In this talk, we’ll look at how American individualism and superhero narratives shape our understanding of what counts as “doing something,” and we’ll re-anchor ourselves in collective strategies for long term change and growth.
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    24 mins
  • Lay Leadership at the Society: Lessons and Inspiration from the Trenches to the Board; Krystal White, Cathy Pickard, Alan Easton, and Blake Marduk; 22-Sep-2024

    Lay Leadership at the Society: Lessons and Inspiration from the Trenches to the Board; Krystal White, Cathy Pickard, Alan Easton, and Blake Marduk; 22-Sep-2024
    Sep 22 2024
    Come learn from our diverse and exceptional panel of both long-time and new lay leaders. They will discuss the impact of volunteering and leadership in their own life and in our community.
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    30 mins
  • Organizing Congregations to Positively Affect Change; DeMarco K. Davidson; 15-Sep-2024

    Organizing Congregations to Positively Affect Change; DeMarco K. Davidson; 15-Sep-2024
    Sep 15 2024
    In a polarizing world of politics, how can congregations be supportive in eliminating misinformation and disenfranchisement to clear the way for positive community changes?
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    49 mins
  • What is the Meaning of Life? Playful Absurdity!; Brian Vandenberg, PhD; 25-Aug-2024

    What is the Meaning of Life? Playful Absurdity!; Brian Vandenberg, PhD; 25-Aug-2024
    Aug 25 2024
    Rev. Brian, an ordained clergyperson in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, will explore the Pastafarian Path to enlightenment. This spiritual journey does NOT require that you earnestly confess your transgressions and restrict your sex life to the “missionary” position; retreat into silence, meditating on your breath with a silly smile; endure a month’s days of starvation and evenings of gluttony; refrain from drinking alcohol, coffee, Coke and Pepsi and wear church sanctioned underwear; or sacrifice your son’s foreskin for your religious beliefs. Do you think life is absurd? Do you think this is funny? Yes? Congratulations—you have found The Way!
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    25 mins
  • Authentic Joy: Barriers, Boundaries and Beyond Yourself; Blake Marduk; 18-Aug-2024

    Authentic Joy: Barriers, Boundaries and Beyond Yourself; Blake Marduk; 18-Aug-2024
    Aug 18 2024
    I took some time to interview several members of our organization about what brings joy to their lives. In doing so, I have been able to identify various commonalities that they’ve spoken about. After doing so I’ve divided these themes into Barriers, Boundaries, concepts that are beyond just yourself. In a time of political strife that many of our members appear to be obsessed with, it’s important to actively seek joy and engage in things that bring it about within yourself and your community. Many people still associate me with the darkness of my opening words back in September, but I’d like to shed some light on how life can be beautiful after tragedy.
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    28 mins
  • Another Spectrum?? – What Asexuality Can Teach Us About Being Human Together; Rebecca Mackelprang; 11-Aug-2024

    Another Spectrum?? – What Asexuality Can Teach Us About Being Human Together; Rebecca Mackelprang; 11-Aug-2024
    Aug 11 2024
    After a short reflection on my own journey to embracing my aspec identity, this presentation will introduce the definition of Asexuality and several key terms. Asexuality will be discussed in the context of human diversity, amatonormativity, queer platonic and other “non-traditional” relationships, and various types of attraction. Emphasis will be placed on Asexuality as a prompt for a paradigm shift in addition to being a sexual orientation in need of embrace and recognition.
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    21 mins
  • Abortion in Missouri: What’s Next and Why; Allison Hile, MA; 4-Aug-2024

    Abortion in Missouri: What’s Next and Why; Allison Hile, MA; 4-Aug-2024
    Aug 4 2024
    What if the ballot initiative reinstating Roe doesn’t pass? What if it does? What will be different for people seeking abortion care in Missouri? What has changed in the past two years since Roe fell? Get an inside view of what’s going on and what you can do.
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    34 mins
  • History of Antisemitism; Rabbi Scott Shafrin; 28-Jul-2024

    History of Antisemitism; Rabbi Scott Shafrin; 28-Jul-2024
    Jul 28 2024
    Hatred and bias against Jews as a people or ethnic group has existed for thousands of years. The Holocaust, in which the Nazis and their collaborators murdered six million Jews in Europe, was one of the worst examples. But antisemitism didn’t start or end with the Holocaust, and antisemitism in the modern world is both a prelude to, and inextricably woven into, other forms of prejudice, bias, and hate. Together we will learn more about the deep roots of this bias, how it continues to affect our communities today, and what we can do to recognize and fight it.
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    43 mins