Episodes

Content Warning: You may feel your own trauma activated by some of the content of this episode. It discusses eating disorders, body image disorders, and mental illness, so please listen with awareness. Listener discretion is advised. This week’s Space Maker Jackie Gronlund has been on a lifelong journey to find a space to label “ home.” During our conversation she shared with us one of the big discoveries she made on that journey- finding home meant finding a healthier relationship with her own...

Sometimes we have to make space for wonder, but how do you do that with things that are familiar? This week we talk to visual artist/spiritual director Scott Erickson about how to make space for wonder even during seasons you don’t enjoy. The conversation goes everywhere from why people don’t remember long sermons, but they will remember what the space looked and felt like to why Christmas can be the least inspiring season. Scott’s incredible son Jones even joins us with some fun background voca...

Is it possible to use research to make space for people? A couple of years ago Pastor Rob Rynders set out to answer that question and ended up creating Social Thread a group for people who are looking for community. Social Thread seeks to help people belong and thrive as they explore their faith on their own terms. This week we talk to Rob and his codirector Robert Payne (two Robs are better than one) as they share about what a community looks like when it isn’t centered around shared beliefs. T...

A brief announcement as Sarah begins her Airstream Dream with an epic road trip. To get in touch with us follow us www.instagram.com/revsarahheath and www.instagram.com/josietakestheworld Email us at- makingspacespodcast@gmail.com Youtube.com/revsarahheath The podcast audio is edited by Steven Burnett from “The Cult Popcast” We NEED your HELP- Please leave us a voicemail at www.Anchor.fm/makingspaces telling us what your favorite space is and why? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/m...

What if churches were serious about not having walls? This week we talk to Rev. Mandy McDow the lead pastor of First United Methodist of Las Angeles a completely outdoor church. We often talk about churches without walls, well this church literally has no walls. This conversation deals with the reality that no space is static and making space often means being willing to risk getting down to the essentials. For More on Mandy check her out on twitter @revmama and @badassldypastor and check out he...

What do we do when making space for ourselves and others creates a massive shift in our belief system? How can we hold onto our belonging and identity when everything feels like it has shifted? I am grateful to Colby Martin the author of “the Shift” and for this conversation about shifting in your beliefs, and finding hope in helping others in the midst of their own shift. Colby was willing to hop on Making Spaces with literally zero preparation and we had an incredible conversation about making...

I don’t know about you, but I think we all have those friends who make us believe the things we thought were out of reach or impossible are completely attainable, Dana Bakich is one of those people for me. Maybe it's because I have watched the musical Hamilton every day since it came out, but I think the world needs more people like Dana. People who see the unimaginable and are willing to figure out how to create it. She has a "not yet" mentality that makes you believe that you could create anyt...

Friends today on the podcast I am delighted to share with you my friend Drew Brow. Drew is an artist, advocate, pastor, poet, songwriter storyteller. As a musician he has played everywhere from large festival stages, churches, concert halls, pubs, and holding house concerts across the country. Drew lives just outside of Toronto, Canada, and engages/encourages people to think about antiracism and how to live out justice & an “open table"-minded presence in their own local neighborhood context. Wh...

There is no denying that 2020 has been the year of disruption- some much needed disruption. As systems of privilege are being called out through the work of Black Lives Matter and Covid 19 is teaching us that our health is tied to each other we are rethinking what community looks like and what leadership in that reality looking like. Something new is being born but we are in the liminal space- the question has become how do you make space for what could be while caring for what is? This week I a...

Today I am excited to introduce to you my friend Jenna Tourjé. Jenna is an urban planner, facilitator, and community builder. She walks with communities on the path to making healthy, whole, and equitable places. Her goal is to make spaces where everyone belongs, and is involved in shaping the future of their own neighborhoods. She facilitates conversations on systematic change, community development, immigration reform, equity, and coalition-building in neighborhoods and government agencies thr...

We live in a time that is very polarized and differing opinions seem to be suspect. We need to figure out a way forward, but it seems hard to do if we can't even have a conversation, and we debate only happens from behind computer screens. There are people trying to create spaces where differing opinions are not only welcome, but encouraged, and met with curiosity. Pete Enns and Jared Byas are two of these wonderful humans. They are hosts of the podcast “The Bible for Normal People.” Pete a prof...

Friends, you may already know the work of this week's "Making Spaces Podcast" guest Morgan Harper Nichols. Her well known instagram poetry/visual art is signed with the simple letters MHN. Morgan is an incredibly talented creative. She is a poet, a musician, and a visual artist. Each piece is based on the personal stories her followers send her and offers a sense of hope and solidarity. Our conversation centers around making space while letting go of our fear of critics or comparison. Morgan is ...

Friends Episode 13 is a special episode about making space to engage the topic of racial reconciliation. Episode 14 will be released on the usual day (Tuesday) with artist Morgan Harper Nichols. For this episode I am grateful to Pastor Lamont Hartman for being willing to record a quick conversation. He offered some helpful practices, and things to take into consideration, when confronting injustice. Lamont is a seasoned pastor and non-profit developer. He has spent years working around racial re...

You asked so here is the answer.... What's the deal with wheels on your pews? How does that make space for people? How on Earth did you convince people that this was the way forward? This is a practical episode about what it means to move from "Do It Yourself" to "Do It Together." This is our first "Makers Episode," and it was a little tricky to make, but I am so glad we did. All of these images and accompanying video will be available on Sarah's Youtube channel available here . I am excited to ...

I am delighted to share this week’s Making Spaces conversation with Mike McHargue (a.k.a Science Mike.) Mike is one of my best friends, and I always walk away from our conversations feeling grateful for time spent in deep conversation punctuated by a lot of laughter, and this conversation is no different. Mike is a public educator trusted by millions to use empathy and deep scientific insights to help us navigate some of the most difficult parts of the human experience. Through his podcast “Ask ...

What do jazz, craft beer, life on the autism spectrum, and an old auto shop in Texas have to do with making space? Turns out everything! I am excited to share my conversation with my friend Christian Piatt. Christian is an author, podcast editor, and the owner, designer and founder of Brew Drinkery in Granbury TX. The Brew Drinkery is a craft beer/community venue that weaves together old and new design elements, all while making space for the avid craft brew enthusiast, and those who have never ...

Friends I am so excited to share with you my conversation with my friend Jen Hatmaker. If you don’t know Jen’s work- she is a speaker, hosts a really great podcast "For the love," runs an online book club, and has written some fantastic books including her newly released "Fierce, Free and full of fire" (I haven't been able to put it down!) Jen knows a thing or two about making space for people. As Jen began speaking publicly about making space for diversity and LGBTQIA inclusion experienced a fa...

A lot of us can relate to a heightened feeling of stress, and general anxiety during this Covid 19 crisis, but for those who already experiencing mental health issues this time may only exacerbated already difficult symptoms. As a culture we have a lot to learn about making spaces for people experiencing mental health difficulties- I hope that this episode with my good friend Rev. Robert W. Lee will inspire great conversation and thought around, how do we make space for ourselves during this dif...

Who transforms a 1953 trailer into a therapist office and podcast studio?? The one and only Elyse Snipes. ⁠ This week I am excited to share with you my conversation with Elyse Snipes creator of Radical Wellness Collective. This conversation was so helpful! As an Enneagram four, this lady leads with creativity and authenticity that is nothing short of inspirational. Elyse is bringing a lot of goodness into the world- she is a licensed marriage and family therapist, hosts a podcast called "Trailer...

This week I am excited to share with you my conversation with Jessie McLaughlin the creator and designer behind Jessie Lane Interiors in LA. Her work includes bold colors and original multipurpose furniture. Jessie and I talk about how dental office design was influential in her life, why we sometimes second guess our own intuition, and we offer some helpful tips for maintaining sanity during this time of sheltering in place. We also talk about how I missed my true calling designing the interior...

This week I got to chat with the amazing Joanna Waterfall. Joanna is the Founder of Yellow Co, an organization birthed from an idea that struck her one day while she was in the shower. With a degree in graphic design and digital media and a background in branding, she believes that creativity, business, community and social impact should all go hand in hand. She and her work have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Darling Magazine, The Good Trade, LA Lady Magazine...

This episode was recorded before we were asked to shelter in place, but I think it has some great things for us to think about as we create space for others, or look for spaces to invest in. I am excited for you to hear my conversation with Candice Czubernat, LMHC, MFT an incredible therapist and the founder of the online therapy platform “the Christian closet.” Our conversation goes everywhere from how to be a good ally, to why it's important to be curious about other people. To Learn more abou...

I am so excited to introduce to you Riley Hall a dear friend of mine, and an incredible designer. Riley "creates space" as a designer in the staging industry. He knows what it takes to make a space seem intentionally styled, but approachable. Our conversation went everywhere from how to lay out a room, to why everyone should have a signature candle. This show will first air while we are all still experiencing social distancing and sheltering in place during the covid-19 outbreak, and so it may s...

Nothing like launching a podcast about the need for proximity while a pandemic is causing us to have to have to distance ourselves, but during this time there are unique ways to continue to “make space” for connection and community that could last longer than the outbreak itself. This week I talk to Rev. Jeremy Smith. Jeremy is a pastor of a church in Seattle near one of the areas that the CDC has deemed a "hot spot." He and his team had to figure out how to cultivate community during "social d...