Author Katie French joins us to talk about her dystopian young adult novel series The Breeders - the 3rd book in that series, The Benders, drops on December 8th.  Get all of Katie's books, including the first in her paranormal romance series at katiefrenchbooks.com !

Chelsea Spyres shares about her path to serving as a Global Mission Fellow US2 with the United Methodist Church - Global Ministries.  Find more on her work with the NOAH Project and links to apply for service as a US2 below!

NOAH PROJECT

APPLY TO BECOME A GLOBAL MISSION FELLOW -  US2

David Gladstone, Executive Director of the Lake Louise Christian Community shares about the new Boyne Country Service Project.  This new UMYOUTHMISSIONS destination gathers youth for weeks of service and devotions at the beautiful Lake Louise UM Camp with projects out in the community. 

Projects like these have long been powerful avenues for welcoming youth participants and young adult staffers into the kinds of deep discipleship that we at emergedetroit love! 

Find more at:

lakelouisecommunity.org 

On Facebook

Bill Chu sits down to share about MSU Wesley campus ministry and their vision of a community that loves without exceptions, serves without judgment, and rejoices without restraint.

Find more at:

msuwesley.org

FB/msuwesley

@msuwesley

"Carpe Vino Nuevo"

Rev. Melanie Carey, District Superintendent for the Detroit Renaissance District of the UMC preaches about new wine and old wineskins and how churches can recondition themselves to be ready for new missional adventures.  

Her efforts to lead the people of Metro Detroit's United Methodist Churches in an outreach called "Hands4Detroit" have been a great example of this new life from historic faith communities.  Find out more about the DRD at the links below.

• Hands4Detroit.org
• FB/hands4detroit & @hands4detroit

Jon Reynolds leads The CORE.

Conversation with Jon Reynolds about his work with St. Paul's UMC to launch "The CORE"  - a new worshiping community in the Metro Detroit area.  With weekly celebrations of Communion, ongoing calls into mission and service, and worship styles intended to reach young people as well as older, The CORE is set to be a great addition to the worship landscape of Metro Detroit.

Find more info at:

• @stpCORE on Twitter
• thecore.stpaulsrochester.org
• The CORE on Facebook

Liz Lanni takes a moment to share about her project with Wayne State University's Catalyst campus ministry.  Liz currently serves on the student leadership team for this startup United Methodist ministry, while also serving on the staff of Motown Mission.

Her passion for a mission project has lead her to connect with a local elementary school in need of arts programming, and Liz just might be the perfect french horn player for the job.

Find more at WSUCATALYST.ORG

Read more at Brandon's blog.

Today we sit down with Brandon Powell, a United Methodist US-2 currently serving with the NOAH Project in Downtown Detroit.  We ask what brought him here, what might keep him here, and what is up with this movement of young people serving and volunteering all over the world.  More info at Brandon's blog: righteouspursuit8.blogspot.com

If you are interested in volunteering as a young adult in mission and service, visit this list of UMC-connected programs and see which one is the best fit for you!

Music on today's episode is from Billy Mark, please check out more of Billy's music at billymark.biz

In our reboot episode of the emergedetroit podcast we launch a new effort called "unintended theological consequences" in which we look at secular songs through a theological lens and ask what there is to learn.

Today's song from Sufjan Stevens' recent Christmas compilation actually isn't all that removed from our biblical story.  It asks some great questions about the incarnation and our counter-cultural story of darkness, coldness, and violence being met by the deconstructive power of God manifest in a baby.

Christmas Woman by Sufjan Stevens

Christmas is the time of year
When the patrons and the panthers come and commandeer
Christian! Put away your fuss
With the tipping of the handlers as the pagans must

I know for a century 
We were scrambling to assemble, what a man believes
I know for a time I let
To believe that human kindness would prevail instead

Woman! (Woman!), have you lost your kind? (have you lost your kind?)
There are snakeskin stealers seething in the afterlife (in the afterlife)
Christian! (Christian!), in the advent house (in the advent house)
We confess the incarnation with a breast turned out (with a breast turned out)

Have you (Woman!) seen the Christ, the king (have you lost your kind?)
Suckling nurseries in snakeskin in the armored seat? (with a breast turned out)
Christians! (Woman!), put away your woes (have you lost your kind?)
Welcome grief and crime and anguish 
Which with the happiest host (in the afterlife)

Christmas! (Woman!)
Christmas! (Woman!)
Christmas! (Woman!)
Christmas! (Woman!)

Oh, I was thinking by myself
I was remembering every moment 
By the river when it froze last night

And in the fullness of the moon 
I felt the baby kick beside me
She was grabbing happy, healthy light

I live it out to be a soldier (Christmas!)
I was channeling middle ages (Christmas!)
I was captured by the Norsemen rite (Christmas!)

The sign that passeth comprehending (Christmas!)
She was tending right beside me (Christmas!)
She was captured in the midst of men (Christmas!)

And then it kissed me on my shoulder (Christmas!)
All the possibilities of motion (Christmas!)
Resting rightly right inside of me 

Danny Schmidt joins us to talk about his music, the imagery in his lyrics, and what it's like making music today.  You can check out more by heading over to Danny's web site at dannyschmidt.com.