Missio Savannah: Recent Episodes
David Brian Dennison
Faith and Fiction is a reading group that normally meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the Green-Meldrim House.
Here is the Book list for Season Two Faith + Fiction
- September 13, 2023 - Murder at the Vicarage (Agatha Christie)
- October 11, 2023 - Whose Body? (Dorothy Sayers)
- November 8, 2023 - selections from The Innocence of Father Brown (G. K. Chesterton)
- December 13, 2023 - The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
- January 10, 2024 - The Secret Garden (Frances H. Burnett)
- February 7, 2024 (date to be confirmed) - Charis in the World of Wonders (Marly Youmans)
- March 13, 2024 - Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
- April 10, 2024 - The Tempest (Shakespeare)
- May 8, 20204 - The Book of the Dun Cow (Walter Wangerin)
- June 12, 2024- The Towers of Trebizond (Rose Macaulay)
Brandon Wallace writes fantastic and enchanted stories about the true, the good, and the beautiful.
Brandon talks about why he writes for young people and the collaborative role his family has played in his artistic process.
Brandon writes under the pseudonym "Truest Dunkworth" and his work is available at https://www.truestdunkworthbooks.com/
To hear (and see) the story that Brandon has written for Ukrainian refugees children please visit: https://lilaandthedragon.com/en/index.html
Christine Hall talks about her work, art, and mission as a portraiture photographer.
https://www.christinehallphotography.com/
Cathy Clevenger is a Christian counselor and licensed clinical social worker who is answering a call to missionary service in Uganda.
She uses her experience in mental health and trauma to treat and train others about the healing process that is built on a Christian foundation.
The love of Christ compels us to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and care for widows and children, all while continually being Christ’s ambassadors. This is Cathy’s call.
Cathy sat down with me here in Savannah to discuss her missionary life and work just a few days prior to her return to Uganda.
If you are interested in supporting Cathy's community-based mission activities in Uganda click here.
To learn more about Bishop George Kasangaki of Masindi-Kitara Diocese in Uganda where Cathy is serving click here.
Dr. Mark Johnson to Savannah in 2015 to serve as the CEO of the Gateway Community Service Board. Prior to moving to Savannah he spent 17 years in St. Louis serving as a Medical Director for Behavioral Health and providing outpatient care in downtown St Louis.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear Mark share his testimony. I was struck by how little Mark’s testimony was about Mark. It was more annotated bibliography than autobiography—what Mark labeled at as a collection of bits and pieces of formative content that Mark wanted to share. His offering bristled authors, artists, movies and scripture —especially scripture.
It’s not that Mark’s life story is not interesting. He has many stories worth telling. It’s just that Mark chose to use his testimony opportunity to share about the works and words that have formed and discipled him. He put out some breadcrumbs that — with God’s Providence and the work of the Holy Sprit—could direct other curious people to a life of growth and wisdom in Christ.
Mark’s unique form of testimony reminds of what R.D. Crouse wrote about concerning the communal aspect wisdom within the Church of Christ: “Do not suppose that wisdom is your private possession, your individual achievement; do not think that you are wise just by yourself alone. We have wisdom only as a common possession.”
In this episode, Mark Johnson shares some of those bits and pieces with us. Mark offers rich reflections on paintings by Henry Ossawa Tanner and Rembrandt and unpacks scripture passages that have had particular resonance in his approach to psychiatry and family therapy.
God has given Mark has a deeply informed and humble perspective on what it means to be a person, biologically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. He is also a keen observer and a careful hearer the Word. It is a real gift to hear him share.
Lisa McCaslin is the Area Director at Promise686 for Southeast Georgia.
Promise 686's mission is to fulfill God's promise "to set the lonely in families."
Through her role with Promise 686, Lisa mobilizes local churches and christians to care for vulnerable children through the generous and loving support of families and foster care givers.
https://promise686.org/
https://promise686.org/careportal/
Scoggins Berg is the U.S. Senior Regional Organizing Manager & Faith Lead at The ONE Campaign.
Scoggins shares about how he got involved with the One Campaign and the global work that he does from his couch in Savannah, Georgia.
Lillis Weeks shares a testimony of service and cross cultural experiences as she makes her way from the DRC to the Ivory Coast, from Duke to Morocco and London, from Nairobi to Johannesburg, and on the her current mission as music teacher at the Habersham School. Lillis also discusses her appreciation of quilting as both a form of art and a means of community.
Perry Brannen, Jr. served Chatham County for over four decades as a Superior Court Judge. For roughly three of those decades he was the Chief Judge. He has a testimony to share.
Perry’s story is one of steady service and cultural Christianity interrupted by divine intervention. It is a story of a renewed and lively faith that shares in with his wife Marcia. It is a testimony well worth hearing.
Christian and Hannah Swails share their testimony of how God sent them our into international missions and then brought them back to Savannah to take part in formative and Kingdom building work through CoCreation.
www.cocreationlife.com
Lorie Irish and Matt Coleman talk about the mission of Chatham Transitional Ministries and share their own testimonies.
Illustrator Braelyn Snow talks about her work and participation in a children's book project that shares the life of Saint Faustina through poetry and pictures.
The name of the book is "Faustina: A Saints Story for Children" by Kaitlyn C. Mason and Braelyn Snow.
Allison Hall is a resident artist with Starland’s Dreamhouse studio.
In this interview, Allison (aka "Small Creative") talks about her formative years in Texas, her experience as an illustration student at SCAD, her craft and hustle as a professional artist, and a calling to cultivate rich and welcoming hospitality for Savannah’s artistic community.
Sign up for Allison's Newsletter Here: https://smallcreative.substack.com and if you want to be a big-time supporter there are opportunities waiting for you on Patreon
Allison's Instagram Feed: https://www.instagram.com/smallcreative/
Fiction writer Lance Levens discusses his latest novel entitled "Foul Purity" and the craft of conveying his Christian faith through the "who-done-it" genre.
The Rev. Drew Miller is an Anglican Priest who is wrapping up three years church planting and relational evangelism in Statesboro, Georgia.
In this episode of the Missio Savannah Podcast, Drew looks back at the challenges and blessings he experiences along the way. He offers insights on the church planting and shares about the college town that he has grown to love.
In 2000 at the “Passion One Day” Conference, Pastor John Piper gave a stirring speech where he challenged this listeners not to waste their lives in pursuit of a retirement on the beach, collecting shells and having a nice boat. John Piper would be glad to know that Clark and Carol put their business, their house on the water and their boat up for sale to answer God’s call on their life.
Today Clark and Carol are serving as global missionaries working to "equip the saints for the work of ministry" though E412 Ministries.
They are Savannahians that are using their gift of life to do the work that God has graciously prepared for them. This is their testimony.
This podcast is the second half of an interview with John Novicoff. The first half of the interview covered John’s life prior to coming to Savannah in 1972. This second podcast delves into John’s life since coming to Savannah. Here John talks about his time spend at a pastor and counselor as well as his opportunities for ministry in international missions and alcoholics anonymous. In addition, John takes the time to reflect on his wife’s Margot’s spirited tenacity in the face of a debilitating and deadly illness.
John’s life testifies to the steadfast patience of God and the relentless and surprising ways that in all things God works for good of those that love Him. We know the time you spend listening to John’s story will be time well spent.
John Novicoff was born in 1931 in East Los Angeles and lived in Savannah since 1972,
John’s life is a long and winding journey of ups and downs, successes and failures. Yet God faithfully used him John as His servant despite John’s own weakness and struggles. John’s testimony demonstrates God’s steady providence and long-suffering patience. It shows us how grace is not a one time event, but is something that we require again and again. It shows how God can use our failings and circumstances for his purposes.
John testifies to a God that is with us in times of great suffering. John’s testimony shows how amendment of life can some slowly but surely as God does his slow and steady work in us.
This interview is split into two podcasts. This first podcast takes us from John’s childhood in a turbulent family and Russian upbringing in Depression era East LA’s all the way through John’s call to ministry and military service spanning the wrap up of the 2nd Word War through the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
The second podcast episode will focus on John’s half century of ministry and counseling in Savannah as well as his involvement in international mission work, alcoholics anonymous and his wife’s brave and clear-eyed battle with a debilitating illness. Missio Savannah hopes you benefit from John's grace-marked testimony. To God be the Glory, great thing He has done!
Covardis "Varde" Broadie is a steady and impactful servant leader at Urban Hope Ministry in Savannah.
In this podcasts, Mrs. Broadie shares about her calling to serve God by working with local children through Urban Hope.
Brian and Heather Flood are the couple behind Hope Academy.
Brian Flood talks about what Savannah can expect in terms of a coming diaspora in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Brian describes ways that Savannahians can welcome and love the people displaced by conflict and they transition to new lives in the United States.
Kerri Goodrich talks about the good work that is happening on the East Side of Savannah at Performance Initiatives.
Savannah Attorney Roy Paul shares about his experience as a volunteer with Kairos Prison Ministry.
Kristy Crill is the founder of "The Dive Savannah."
Kristy sits down with Brian Dennison to talk about her call to serve and how God is using her catering start-up to minister to veterans and the homeless.
Jay Thompson shares about the path that led him to the launch XCEL Strategies and the work on this vital mentorship network in Savannah and surrounding counties.