The COSILoveYou Podcast: Recent Episodes
COSILoveYou
The COSILoveYou podcast creates intersections between the church and the city in and around the Pikes Peak region. Each month, COSILoveYou hosts conversations with civic, business, and faith leaders on issues and subjects impacting people in Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas. We aim to convene leaders in ways that establish collaborative partnerships, so that the faith community can be our city's greatest contributor to human flourishing.
This month, our COSILoveYou Podcast builds from last month’s episode by taking a look at what two local churches are doing to impact and support nearby schools. Rocky Mountain Calvary and Colorado Christian Fellowship - two very different churches in different parts of Colorado Springs - each have unique approaches to their support of a neighborhood public school, and different stories to tell. Join us as we talk about what works, what doesn’t, and why it matters.
https://cosiloveyou.com
This episode of the COSILoveYou podcast features Tracey Beal, Founder & CEO of SchoolConnect, a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit that has created innovative partnerships that support hundreds of local schools across the state of Arizona. Starting with just a handful of schools and partners, SchoolConnect is changing the outcomes for education in Phoenix and beyond, and COSILoveYou has begun a formal partnership with SchoolConnect to bring that same model to Colorado Springs. Find out more about why partnership with local schools might be the best way for churches, businesses, and other organizations to affect their community’s future.
SHOW NOTEShttps://schoolconnectcos.com
https://schoolconnectaz.org/
https://cosiloveyou.com
This is the final episode of our 4-part series on the state of mental health in our community. This month, we focus on mental health in the church and look at the ways pastors might be facing their own challenges, as well as what, where, and how churches can be engaging in this conversation more fully. Join our guests Dr. Eric Sandras and Wade Brown, as we get both a broad and narrow perspective on this challenging issue in our local churches.
Sanctuary Church
https://www.thesanctuarywestside.org/
PastorServe
https://pastorserve.org/
https://cosiloveyou.com
SHOW NOTES
- betsy@exponentionalimpact.com
- daniel@smartraven.consulting
- Deb.mahan@gazettecharities.org
https://cosiloveyou.com
In this episode, we continue our focus on mental health, turning our attention to how it shows up in homes and families. We sit down with two practitioners who come at their work from different backgrounds and tragedies, but who have allowed their own stories of pain to direct them to intentional, creative approaches to supporting people struggling with mental illness. We also discuss how the home environment contributes to or undermines mental health.
SHOW NOTESMentallyStrong.com
MindfulAndPositive.org
https://cosiloveyou.com
This episode is the beginning of a four part series on mental health where we look at the challenges and resources surrounding this issue and learn from experts in the field.
This episode we're joined by Cass Welton and David Galvan to discuss teen suicide, mental health, and how the Church can partner with local organizations to be a part of the solution.
Links:
Soul Shop
Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention
Backpack Bash
https://cosiloveyou.com
This month’s episode of the COSILoveYou podcast features the return of two guests from 2021, discussing the urgent crisis of food insecurity as a result of new cutbacks to the federal government’s SNAP program. Tens of thousands of people who rely on government dollars to supplement their food costs are about to experience significant decreases to the amount their household receives, which will have a ripple effect on our community. Listen today, and consider how you, your church, or your community can be a part of a solution.
https://careandshare.org
https://www.crossfireministries.org
https://cosiloveyou.com
COVID came, and COVID went - or did it? Since the outbreak of COVID-19, county health departments and officials have been in the spotlight in dealing with local health crises. But they have always been there, working in the background to keep entire city and county populations safe and healthy. And that work continues, even though the focus on COVID-19 has waned lately. In more recent days, new challenges and threats to the health of our communities have arisen, and warrant our collective attention as they continue to threaten our young people, aging adults, and other pockets of our community. Susan Wheelan and Dr. Leon Kelly will inform our listeners about current challenges, as well as ways we can work together toward a healthier community.
https://cosiloveyou.com
This episode of the COSILoveYou Podcast features the recording of a panel discussion from our annual Leadership Gathering. Originally recorded live on September 27, 2022, the conversation features 4 local leaders from different sectors of our community: education, public safety, mental health, and poverty & addiction. Hosted by COSILoveYou Executive Director Stu Davis, these four leaders discuss the needs and challenges facing our city, and areas that we can collectively respond in seeking solutions.
In the last 2-3 years, several countries or regions of the world have come under tremendous conflicts that have produced mass numbers of migrants and refugees seeking shelter in the United States. While Colorado Springs is not considered a hotspot for refugee relocation, hundreds of immigrant families have found a new home in the Pikes Peak region, with little in the way of support or infrastructure to help in their transition to a new home. What more can be done to support these families? What can churches do to care for these families? Who is already here and helping? Join us as we explore these questions and more with a local organization, a local church, and a local volunteer who are working together to help.
In this episode of the COSILoveYou Podcast, we begin a two-part conversation on a subject that is reaching crisis levels not just in Colorado Springs, but nationwide as well: affordable housing. It’s a complex subject, with many different angles, challenges, and opportunities. This first conversation will focus on the challenges our community faces to begin addressing this crisis, and set the table for the second episode where we will discuss potential solutions.
The Catholic community in the Pikes Peak region is large, robust, and provides many seen and unseen supports for hurting families in the Colorado Springs community. The same is true for the Protestant community. Why isn’t there a greater sense of partnership between these two prominent parts of our faith community? In this episode, we interview two prominent leaders of our local Catholic community, and discuss the many ways they are supporting needs in our city, and some of the ways we could work toward greater partnerships between Catholic and Protestant faith communities.
SHOW NOTES
- Podcast Episode: In Search Of The Common Good (w/ Dave Runyon of CityUnite)
- Catholic Charities Website
- The Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs
- Website
- Bishop Golka Twitter
- Backpack Bash
“All politics is local politics.” This popular phrase has never become more scrutinized with the recent focus on election integrity, with local election officials around the country coming under increasing pressure. In this month’s episode, and as the wrap-up to our City Series, we’ll talk with the two officials who oversee our elections process - as well as many other details - for both Colorado Springs and El Paso County. Perhaps you didn’t realize the many ways that this out-of-the-way administrative position affected your everyday life.
SHOW NOTES
- City Clerk
- cityclerk@coloradosprings.gov
- (719) 385-5901
- http://coloradosprings.gov/elections
- County Clerk
- (719) 575-8683
- http://epcvotes.com
Colorado Springs is the major city center of El Paso County, and operating a rapidly-growing city and county requires cooperation between city and county officials and departments. This conversation features Colorado Springs City councilwoman Nancy Henjum and El Paso County Commissioner Cami Bremer, talking about how local government works at both the city and county levels, and where they intersect. We also discuss the pressing issues on a growing community, and where local churches can work together to support our civic partners.
In this episode, we are continuing our “City Series” by interviewing two men whose work and responsibilities have more impact on the day-to-day lives of everyday citizens than perhaps any other. The Departments of Public Works in both the City of Colorado Springs and in El Paso County oversee some of the most basic, fundamental services that provide for the safety and health of our community. If you have ever driven on a road, crossed a bridge, or wondered what happens when snow melts off your driveway in our community, you have these guys to thank for figuring that out. If you think there isn’t much overlap between what Public Works provides and what the local church does in our city, you may be in for a surprise.
Travis Easton
- https://coloradosprings.gov/public-works
- https://coloradosprings.gov/page/citizen-request-gocosprings-app
Kevin Mastin
- https://publicworks.elpasoco.com/
- https://citizenconnect.elpasoco.com/#/homepage
This is the first episode in our upcoming 4-part series we’re simply calling the “City Series.” We want to help listeners understand the roles and functions of some of the many city services - and the people who lead them - that have an impact on our everyday lives. In this first episode, we interview Randy Royal and Jayme McConnellogue with the Colorado Springs Fire Department. While it’s easy to understand the first-responder nature of any local Fire Department, there is much more that happens behind the scenes to keep our city safe and care for its people. We also talk about the very real impact that working in emergency services has on these local heroes.
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we’ll sit down with 3 men who operate in very different arenas of the local marketplace to talk about the intersection of faith and business. While businesses operated by faith-driven owners or leaders often have faith-centered values and principles behind their operations, there are everyday challenges that can lead to these owners feeling confused about how to bring their faith to work. Specifically, we’ll discuss the hidden challenges of operating a business from a place of faith in ways that benefit employees, clients, and customers without making them feel objectified or judged. We’ll also give you a preview of some ways that COSILoveYou hopes to convene more of these conversations around faith & business in the coming months.
- Yemi Mobolade
- https://www.yemimobolade.com/
- https://www.project42cos.com/
- David Leinweber
- https://anglerscovey.com/
- https://anglerscovey.com/event/2022-fly-fishing-film-tour/
- https://ppora.org/
- Joel Malick
- https://www.steadfastwealthco.com/team-member-01/joel-malick
- https://www.theafterwork.net/
- https://www.amazon.com/afterwork-honest-discussion-retirement-future/dp/B08VV6VLNG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12TV5AXY8NVV0&keywords=after+work&qid=1643389296&sprefix=tablecoth%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-1
In our first episode of 2022, we take a step back from issues in Colorado Springs and have a conversation with Dave Runyon, Director of CityUnite in Denver, Colorado. The author of The Art of Neighboring talks about the importance of loving your literal neighbors, the challenges and joys of collaborating with government leaders, and what it looks like to pursue "The Common Good" with those we may not always agree.
SHOW NOTES
- The Art of Neighboring
- CityUnite
- COSILoveSchools
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we want to explore the issues and intersections where inequities exist across racial lines in the Pikes Peak region. While Colorado Springs and its surrounding areas are less racially diverse than most other parts of the nation, challenges (and barriers) for communities of color in arenas like education, business ownership, and others make it difficult for many to catch up with their white neighbors. We will uncover a bit of the local background to these challenges, as well as future opportunities where solutions can be found.
SHOW NOTES
- Viva Marketing
- https://www.vivamarketinggroup.com
- Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber
- https://www.facebook.com/CSHBCCOS/
- Danielle Summerville Info
- RISE Coalition
This bonus episode of the COSILoveYou Podcast contains the Q&A session hosted by Kevin Palau of the Luis Palau Association, and Stu Davis of COSILoveYou. Together, the two leaders follow up their presentation with a live question-and-answer session with listeners about both broad and specific topics related to City Gospel movements in Colorado and beyond.
In this month's episode, we take a step back from the in-the-weeds conversation about pain points in Colorado Springs, and talk with Kevin Palau about City-Gospel Movements. Kevin is the Director of the Luis Palau's Association's City-Gospel Initiative, as well as the President of TogetherPDX in Portland, Oregon. As a mentor to COSILoveYou, Kevin has guided church movements across North America to how they can work toward the peace and prosperity of a city. This episode is a replay of a webinar hosted by our friends at Thrivent Financial, with applications for those living in Colorado Springs, but also looking to start a movement in other parts of the country.
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we wrap up our two-part look at the issue of homelessness in and around Colorado Springs. Our first episode explored chronic homelessness, which often affects adults who have been living on the streets for many years. Family homelessness - not exclusively, but often - is situational, and brought about by different circumstances than those living in chronic homelessness situations. Join us as we talk with two local leaders of nonprofit organizations working with homeless families.
Dream Centers - https://www.dreamcenters.com/
Mary's Home - https://www.dreamcenters.com/marys-home/
Family Life Services - https://flscs.org/
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we begin a two-part look at the issue of homelessness in and around Colorado Springs. Specifically, this episode focuses on chronic homelessness, and the many layers of complexity that the men and women trapped by it face on their road to self-sufficiency. Join us as we talk with Andy Phelps of the City of Colorado Springs, and Travis Williams from Springs Rescue Mission.
SHOW NOTESSpringsRescueMission.org
HelpCOS.org
Pikes Peak Continuum of Care
Catholic Charities
Salvation Army
Partners in Housing
Homeward Pikes Peak
Ithaka
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we delve into the challenges faced by public school administrators and teachers in engaging and supporting at-risk students. Students from impoverished backgrounds consistently perform below grade level, graduate at lower rates than their peers, and require more support to succeed in and out of the classroom. We’ll talk with a local principal about the real-life effects of poverty on education, and a local pastor on what local churches can do to lend a helping hand to some of these challenges.
COSILoveYou.com
Harrison School District 2 - https://www.hsd2.org/
Centennial Elementary - https://www.hsd2.org/CES
Panorama Middle School - https://www.hsd2.org/pms
Solid Rock Christian Center - http://solidrock-cs.org/
Pulpit Rock Church - https://pulpitrock.com/
Pando Collective - https://thepandocollective.com/
In this episode of the COSILoveYou podcast, we explore the strengths, issues, and challenges uniquely present in southeast Colorado Springs. Typically referred to simply as “The Southeast,” it’s the most diverse area of the Pikes Peak region, yet also lacks some of the basic resources many other parts of the community take for granted. Listen in as we discuss the partnerships and opportunities that the faith community can engage in to be a part of meeting needs and building community in southeast Colorado Springs.
SHOW NOTES
Rise Coalition: RiseSoutheast.com
Solid Rock CDC: www.solidrockcdc.com
CommUNITY Pantry: https://www.solidrockcdc.com/services/food-pantry
Be U: www.beuonpurpose.org
WeighOut Ministries: https://weighoutministries.org/
Kingdom Builders: https://kbflc.org/
Hillside Connection: https://www.hillsideconnection.org/
Harrison School District 2: https://www.hsd2.org/
COSILoveSchools: https://cosiloveyou.com/cosiloveschools/
This installment of the COSILoveYou Podcast zooms in on the issues and people affected by food insecurity in and around the Pikes Peak region. Join us as we hear from two local leaders working at different levels to ensure that no family goes hungry. If you’re looking for ways to help hungry people be fed, look no further.
SHOW NOTES:
- Care & Share
- http://careandshare.org
- Crossfire Ministries
- http://crossfireministries.org
This month, we invite Dr. Mark Mayfield of Mayfield Counseling and Dr. Charles Benight of UCCS, and the National Institute for Human Resilience to speak about the mental health landscape in Colorado Springs. How has COVID-19 impacted overall mental health? How do we build resilience?
Show Notes:
- Mayfield Counseling
- https://mayfieldcounseling.com
- UCCS Grit Program
- grit.uccs.edu
- Youth Mental Health First Aid with Education For A Lifetime
- https://educationforalifetime.com/ymhfa/
COSILoveYou.com
In this episode, we highlight issues facing families in crisis, specifically those in the foster care and adoption communities. With nearly 800 children in El Paso County in the foster care system, opportunities abound for churches and people of faith to make a difference in the lives of children and families across our community. Join us as we talk with Jenni Swogger of El Paso County DHS and Mike Worley of CarePortal.
SHOW NOTES:
- Care Portal - https://www.careportal.org/
- Beautiful Redemption - https://www.beautifulredemption.com/
- Fostering Hope - https://www.fosteringhopefoundation.org/
- CASA - https://www.casappr.org/
- Lutheran Family Services - https://www.lfsrm.org/
- Catholic Charities - https://www.ccharitiescc.org/
- Safe Families - https://coloradosprings.safe-families.org/
- Hope & Home - https://hopeandhome.org/
- Hope’s Promise - https://www.hopespromise.com/
- Pulpit Rock Church Bunkbed Ministry - https://pulpitrock.com/love-your-neighbor/
- DHS
- JenniSwogger@elpasoco.com
- ElPasoCo.com
In this first-ever episode of The COSILoveYou Podcast, we kick things off with an interview with Mayor John Suthers. COSILoveYou has worked with the Mayor's office for many years, and the development of a pattern of listening to the needs of our city has inspired many forms of response to meet needs and seek our city's good.
We also highlight an upcoming event called COSILoveSchools Day, a city-wide opportunity for churches and businesses to get involved with a nearby neighborhood school later this spring.
SHOW NOTES:
- Eric Swanson on Platforms
- https://www.cityshelf.org/eric-swanson-platforms#
- Eric Swanson's Personal Website
- https://www.ericjswanson.com/
- Behind The Springs Podcast
- https://www.coloradosprings.gov/podcast
- COSILoveSchools
- https://cosiloveyou.com/cosiloveschools/
info@cosiloveyou.com