The Bless Up Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tribe Collective
The Bless Up Podcast is the absurd journey of three church planters who re-introduce familiar ideas in unfamiliar ways. Our hosts, Corey, James, and Rachel, share their experiences, mishaps, and passions through a perfect blend of laughs and cultural commentary. Listen in and bless up.
theblessuppod
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It’s rare that we enter spaces and relationships with no expectations, so the important questions to be asking are: where did these expectations come from and have I communicated them? In today’s episode, hosts Rachel Hunka, James Talbert and Corey Hunka share their experiences with unclear or uncommunicated expectations and the freedom they’ve found from setting more realistic expectations for themselves, their teams, and those they’re leading. Listen in for practice tips that you can apply today.
Connect with our hosts on Instagram:
Bless Up @the.bless.up.podcast
James @james_thomas_talbert
Corey @coreyhunka
Rachel @rachelhunka
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Bless Up ✌️
Confrontation in life is inevitable and while it can be something we dread, there’s a way to do it well. In today’s episode, hosts Rachel Hunka, James Talbert and Corey Hunka discuss confrontations they’ve experienced that have gone well and made them better people, leaders, and friends. Listen in and find encouragement today that your friendships can withstand hard moments and that you can bring challenges without burning bridges.
Connect with our hosts on Instagram:
Bless Up @the.bless.up.podcast
James @james_thomas_talbert
Corey @coreyhunka
Rachel @rachelhunka
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Bless Up ✌️
What's a moment you thought you could never bounce back from... embarrassing or otherwise? In today's episode of The Bless Up Podcast, Rachel, James, and Corey remember some epic EPIC moments then dive into scripture for encouragement in restoring credibility when you think all hope is lost.
Connect with our hosts on Instagram:
Bless Up @the.bless.up.podcast
James @jamesthomastalbert
Rachel @rachelelyseh
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Bless Up ✌️
This episode dives in really deep really quick as Rachel and James interview Amelia Banks on the connectedness of our mind, body, and soul. Amelia is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), a licensed professional counselor (LPC), and a church planter alongside her husband, Kendrick, who we met on the podcast in Season 2. Amelia is devoted to seeking justice and holistic health for individuals and her community, which is extremely evident as we listen and learn from Amelia in this episode.
To connect with Amelia further, you can email her at Amelia@pennysparrowtherapy.com or visit https://pennysparrowtherapy.com/#counseling
You can also find more about her church and sign up for monthly newsletters at HisKingdomCollective.com.com
Connect with our hosts on Instagram:
Bless Up @the.bless.up.podcast
James @jamesthomastalbert
Rachel @rachelelyseh
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Bless Up ✌️
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
It's usually James and Corey having the sports debates on the podcast, but this week Rachel is weighing in a bit -- is this a football house divided... by Taylor Swift? It wouldn't be the Bless Up Podcast without some random debates, a few laughs, and a discussion on faith. Listen in as our house moves from football to manna and discuss how to have your faith mature with you and what to do when following Jesus doesn't feel as exciting as it used to be.
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
From Edy's interesting habits to why one pastor quit his job and how his parting words impacted us all, the next season of Bless Up is starting off at full speed! Join Rachel & James with special guest Edy Herrera as they reflect on the article that's swept the ministry corners of the internet and discuss how to make an impact on your church community.
Read the article here: https://www.restorativefaith.org/post/departure-why-i-left-the-church
Connect with our hosts on Instagram:
Bless Up @the.bless.up.podcast
James @jamesthomastalbert
Rachel @rachelelyseh
Edy @thewildherreras
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Leading When You’re Not in Charge… And We’ve Been Fired Quick
We’re taking a deep dive into the world of women in leadership with special guests Tara Beth Leach and Bethany Hammer. Tara Beth joins us as the Lead Pastor at Good Shepherd Church and co-founder of Propel Ecclesia, cohorts for women in ministry. Bethany is the Propel Ecclesia Coordinator and has over a decade of experience in church leadership. Listen in as our hosts, Rachel, James and Corey, have a discussion on difficult moments in leadership and invite our guests to share best practices for empowering women in their leadership.
For more on Propel Women and Propel Ecclesia, follow @PropelWomen on Instagram and visit PropelWomen.org/Ecclesia. Use discount code FreeApply to waive your application fee and apply for the next round of Propel Ecclesia Cohorts.
Find our guests on Instagram:
@TaraBeth82
@BethanyHHammer
@PropelWomen
Follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to stay connected.
Bless Up ✌️
It’s easy to disqualify ourselves and come up with a thousand reasons why we aren’t leading anyone… but no matter where you find yourself positioned on the org chart of work, home, or life, you are leading someone. So how do you lead when you feel like you don’t have control of anything happening around you? Listen in as our hosts, Rachel, James and Corey discuss what they’ve learned about leading when you’re not in charge and the comical reasons they’ve been fired from previous jobs.
This begins a series of our hosts, Rachel, James, and Corey responding to your questions. A few weeks ago, we asked on Instagram what you wanted to know — everything from episode topics to host intro questions.
Today we’re discussing character, spiritual, and leadership development and the worst way anyone has ever ruined a pair of shoes. Listen in as our hosts laugh ‘til they cry and share their best insights on personal development.
And don’t forget to follow @the.bless.up.podcast on Instagram to get your questions in for this series!
There are some things that worked and were great as a kid, but they just don’t hold up into adulthood. It’s the same with our faith. There comes a time in all our lives when we have to move from milk to steak, metaphorically speaking. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss maturing in their faith and the practices that helped them along the way.
The debate over the best chicken in the world continues, but -- despite James & Corey's passion -- that's not the actual point of this episode. Today, our hosts hit the hard topic of "the pit of despair" and the ladder to getting out. Listen in as Rachel, James, & Corey discuss difficult issues happening in our communities today and how Jesus responds in similar situations.
The question many people wonder and few are bold enough to ask: does the church just want my money? Well — here are 3 church planters ready and willing to respond. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss their decade-plus of wrestling with the idea of fundraising and the Church.
In this episode, our hosts kicked off something new: Fake Ad Content. For this week’s fake ad, check out the people we love at Lighthouse Ministries @lhmcanton // cantonlighthouse.org
Competition is what we make it — we can make each other better or we can take each other out. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss unearned awards, healthy competition, and what happens when we play an infinite game.
Things get a little chaotic today as our hosts — Rachel, James, and Corey — seek to answer the question, “Can faith and doubt coexist?” Grab some popcorn and get ready to laugh a little at the guys’ ridiculously held theories, but then we promise to deep dive into Scripture so you can draw your own conclusions on the connections between faith and doubt.
The stuck place — that in-between waiting place where you don’t wanna quit (but you kinda do) and something’s gotta give but you aren’t sure what and you know you’re where God wants you but you’re sure He didn’t mean like this… The stuck place. Today, we’re talking about engaging in that place. It’s not that we gotta quit or gotta leave, it’s that we need to reframe our engagement — engage in the way that brings us joy. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss the ways they’ve learned to find joy, remove the pressure, and engage when seasons change.
The stuck place — that in-between waiting place where you don’t wanna quit (but you kinda do) and something’s gotta give but you aren’t sure what and you know you’re where God wants you but you’re sure He didn’t mean like this… The stuck place. Today, we’re talking about engaging in that place. It’s not that we gotta quit or gotta leave, it’s that we need to reframe our engagement — engage in the way that brings us joy. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss the ways they’ve learned to find joy, remove the pressure, and engage when seasons change.
Exhaustion, overwhelm, and a desire to abdicate all responsibilities are all very real feelings. But — most of the time — giving in to quitting isn’t an option we can or should choose. So what do we do? Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss times they’ve quit and how they’re learning to combat a quitting mindset.
For more on GiANT’s 5 Gears and connecting well, reach out to Corey at coreyhunka.giantos.com/store
In the busiest season of the year, it’s easy to just plow through your social calendar like you do the snow in your driveway — with no real intention and just the goal of getting through. But, what if we showed up for gatherings ready to connect instead of just counting down the minutes? In today’s episode, Rachel, James, and Corey dive into the 5 ways we approach our time and the best ways to be prepared to connect.
For more on GiANT’s 5 Gears and connecting well, reach out to Corey at coreyhunka.giantos.com/store
We’ve all been in that conversation where someone all the sudden flips everything to be about them — “the me monster” — but did you know there’s more than one way to be a Me Monster? Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss the times it’s necessary to focus on yourself, and when it’s time to make space for others.
Sometimes what we KNOW is true and what we FEEL is true don’t align — so what do we do when the two don’t align? Join Rachel, James, and Corey for an honest conversation on our feelings and the truth.
Sometimes we over-complicate what’s actually needed to welcome people into our lives and relationship with Jesus. Join Rachel and James with special guest Rob Browning for a discussion on making space for God to move in our homes and relationships.
In the rise-and-grind culture we live in, we rarely take time to pause, reflect, celebrate, and remember all God has done. Stopping to remember isn’t a waste of time — it’s a spiritual discipline. Listen in today as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss Ebenezers in their ministry journeys and encourage us to do the same.
Way too often we find ourselves at the end of the day wondering where all our time went. Or when a holiday arrives and we’re wondering why we don’t have any money to buy gifts. Where’d all our time and money go?! It’s PACL. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey introduce a new term and challenge us to pay a little closer attention to how we’re using our best resources.
When we live trying to follow Jesus, we sometimes find our words and actions well-intended but misplaced. Our priorities are slightly off. Join James, Rachel, Corey, and special guest Jada Gilliam, in this episode for a discussion of our alignment. Who and what have we aligned ourselves with? And how can we realign when we find ourselves a little off?
Balance is a necessity, but can sometimes feel impossible to find. In today’s episode, Rachel, James, and Corey discuss finding the balance of living in your strengths, identifying your weaknesses, and delegating when possible.
Want help finding your strengths?
Take the GiANT worldwide 5 Voices test at http://Giant.tv/coreyhunka (free)
To go deeper with GiANT, connect with Corey at cjhunka@gmail.com
No matter who you are, where you’re from, or what your career is, there is something all of us have in common: at some point in our lives, we’ll find ourselves in a position of waiting. The posture we take in our waiting is what makes or breaks us during that time.
We might be able to say anything, but is it actually helpful to say everything that comes to mind? This week, Rachel, James, and Corey look at the power of words “A fool’s mouth is his devastation, and his lips are a trap for his life.” Proverbs 18:7 CSB
PART 3 OF 3
Let’s continue the discussion on the idea that we can do anything we want… but is doing whatever we please actually good for us? Rachel, James, and Corey tackle the idea that our decisions can undermine our influence if we are not careful with the choices we make.
In this week’s episode, Rachel, James, and Corey begin a discussion on things in life and culture that are permissible, but maybe not be beneficial. As followers of Jesus, what do we do when gray areas present themselves?
This week we have a special guest, OlaDele Okuwobi. Dele is an organizational pro and joins Rachel and James to discuss wisdom he’s gleaned from years of leadership and submission to the hard processes life takes you through. Listen in and get ready to take notes because Dele drops some fire.
Stay in touch with Dele:
Instagram:
@deleokuwobi
@21stcentchurch
@loveandunityproject
No matter what your goals are in life, you’ll go through some kind of process to meet them. And “the process,” whatever that is, can get painful. James, Rachel, and Corey dive deep into what they’ve experienced while hitting the process head on.
Today isn’t all about Encanto but we are absolutely talking about the movie sweeping culture right now because it PREACHES. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey absolutely talk about “Bruno” today because we can’t just ignore the things we don’t want to hear.
Whether you’ve been following Jesus for 2 days or 20 years, you have or will soon experience times where it feels like God is silent. Is he really silent? How do we respond? Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss God’s silence on this episode of the bless up podcast.
Working with other people and organizations gets messy 100% of the time. In this episode, Rachel, James, and Corey discuss best practices and moments of failure as they’ve collaborated over the years.
In this episode of the Bless Up Podcast, Corey, James, and Rachel discuss going back to our roots to remember who we are and were created to be, instead of focusing on who we think we should be.
We got more special guests! Join us for discussions with Lamont and Danielle from Los Angeles and Vincent from Louisiana… more great pastors from the Tribe Collective. In this week’s episode, we discuss what it means to have church in the wild.
Lamont @lamonthartman
Danielle @daniellerkemp
Vincent IG is Alvinvsmith
Email: vince@thecirclechurchla.com
Facebook: The Circle Church of Alexandria
Rachel, James, & Corey are joined by Tribe Collective guests Trey Grant & Kendrick Banks from Texas. Listen in as they talk church planting, food, Holy Spirit lessons, and of course… Walker Texas Ranger.
Connect with Trey:
IG @treygrant_
Church thewellchurchkeller.org
Connect with Kendrick:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bankskw
Ever plan something and it doesn’t go as planned? That’s because you’re a person. It happens to literally all of us. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss failed plans and learning to plan in ways that honor God.
RESOURCES:
The Vincent House || thevincenthouse.com
GiANT Worldwide || giant.tv/coreyhunka
Have you ever felt the need to prove yourself, your abilities, or your faith to someone? If you said no, you’re lying. Or you’re just way better than us. Listen in as Rachel, Corey, and James discuss the timeless issue of proving ourselves to the world around us.
RESOURCES
GET YOUR TICKET TO ABSURD 2021 AT ABSURDCONFERENCE.COM
It’s pretty safe to say we’ve all found ourselves in at least one questionable situation… questionable decisions made, questionable leadership over us, questionable something. But, God can use even that. Listen in as Rachel, James, and Corey discuss questionable situations they’ve been in and how they’ve learned to look to God to navigate them.
RESOURCES
GET YOUR TICKET TO ABSURD 2021 AT ABSURDCONFERENCE.COM
The Dangers of Casual Reading The Bible is confusing, let’s be honest. It’s meant to be read reverently and with context. Rachel, James, and Corey discuss misunderstandings and tools to better grasp what we’re reading.
Tools Referenced:
30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders Observation
Inductive Bible Study Method
Tyndale Life Application Study Bible
Season 1 Finale: Special guest, Bless Up Podcast producer, JD Laird! Join Rachel, James, & Corey as they interview the man behind the scenes on his passion for all things creative.
Rest is a cuss word in the grind culture of the US. But, it’s necessary. And it’s biblical. How do we rest? Why should we rest? Listen in as Rachel, Corey, & James try to figure it out.
Christianity throws around the word, “calling” all the time, but what does that even mean? And, how do we find it? Listen in as Rachel, James, & Corey talk about their journeys to finding their place in the Church.
Jump in for part 2 where James, Corey, and Rachel go from deconstructing our faith to picking up all the pieces and reconstructing what we believe.
This is part 1 of a 2 part series. In this episode, Rachel, Corey, and James hit the tough topic of deconstructing your faith and asking questions.
In this week’s episode, Rachel, James, and Corey are joined by Pastor Mandy Codispoti to talk about the big changes life throws our way and how to live out Scripture amidst the transitions.
The OG Bless Up team is back together as Rachel, James, and Corey welcome their first guest, Eduardo “Edy” Herrera Silva. Listen in as the four of them discuss big things that make a little impact and little things that have a big impact.
We've all experienced haters -- but have you ever caught yourself being one?! In this episode, Rachel, James, and Corey discuss how to look out for haters, and how to try your best not to be one.
In this episode of the Bless Up Podcast, James, Rachel, and Corey discuss the experiences they’ve had as mentors, mentees, and disciples. Listen in as they address how to manage your time, how to not get exploited, and what Jesus models in mentorship.
This week, James, Rachel, and Corey breakdown the good, the bad, and the complicated when it comes to this new era of Facebook Church and its implications for the future of the Church.
In this episode, Corey, James, and Rachel reflect on the process of starting new things. When to do it, why not to do it, and how we see new things begin in Scripture.
In episode 6, Rachel, Corey, and James define what it means to win. They look at traditional winning metrics, biblical wins, and their own experiences. Listen in and redefine your wins.
The expectations that others put on us be exhausting. In episode 5, Corey, James, and Rachel discuss positions they’ve been in and what they’ve learned about managing the unmet and/or uncommunicated expectations of others.
Finishing well In this episode, our hosts discuss times in their lives they’ve experienced ungraceful exits from positions and what we can learn from those situations about finishing well.
We all handle isolation differently... especially our 3 hosts. Listen in as Corey, James, & Rachel process what isolation is, what it's not, and what we can do with it to make it healthy.
In episode two of the bless up podcast, Rachel, James, and Corey talk about how to raise your voice well. They discuss times they failed, more successful attempts, and the lessons they've learned along the way.
absurdconference.com
This week, Rachel, James, & Corey discuss the ABSURD idea of planting in a church and everything that goes into it. From the wrongful societal view of women and the role they play in the church, to people's anger at the American institution of church and not the church found in Acts, the unhealthy reliance of people on their pastors, and the clear work of the Holy Spirit through the chaos of all of it, we go deep into the world of planting. #BlessUpPod
absurdconference.com