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59 | Social Media & Developing Brains | A Conversation with Chris & Sammy
It’s a fresh month, which means a fresh focus on the Be the Difference Podcast! Join Chris and Sammy for a delicate conversation in which they discuss social media, its effects on children and teens, females specifically, and the staggering statistics that accompany them.
In this episode, Chris and Sammy discuss something that influences most of us and dive into discussion on developing good rhythms around it. Hear about the evolution of social media, how it may or may not affect developing brains, and how Sammy specifically, as a female, is impacted by the shared statistics and information.
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58 | Partners on Mission Part 2 | A Conversation on Family & Ministry with Matt & Julie Cooper of Back2Back Ministries & Trauma Free World
Matt and Julie Cooper met in high school and have since married, parented both biological and foster children, and have been in ministry together for over 20 years. Matt is the Director of Staff Care for Back2Back Ministries and Julie is the Senior vice President of Training for Trauma Free World. Welcome to part two of this in-depth conversation with the Coopers about their aligned passion to serve the vulnerable, no matter where they call home.
In part two of this episode, we pick back up with the Coopers when they are in a spiritual sweet spot – they felt revival, contentment, and happiness. And then God planted Cancun into both their hearts. Hear how God got their attention individually for a new place of ministry, how we give voice to the children who are a part of our family, and how Matt and Julie, while together, were also separate in their calls to ministry.
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57 | Partners on Mission | A Conversation on Family & Ministry with Matt & Julie Cooper of Back2Back Ministries & Trauma Free World
Matt and Julie Cooper have been in ministry together for over 20 years. Matt is the Director of Staff Care for Back2Back Ministries and Julie is the Senior Vice President of Training for Trauma Free World. Matt and Julie met in high school and eventually came to accept Jesus on the same day, at the same event. From a solid friendship to a marriage and years of serving alongside one another internationally and in the states, Matt and Julie have an aligned passion to serve the vulnerable no matter where they call home.
In part one of this episode, Matt and Julie share their differing vantage points on foster care and their responses to stereotypical gender roles within ministry. Hear how their relationship first began, how they respond when asked how they like working and living together, and all they’ve accomplished together over the last 20 years.
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56 | Family is Belonging | A Conversation on Family & Foster Care with Mikeyy Evans
New month, new topic! This week, Chris is joined by Back2Back staff and Be the Difference Podcast Producer, Mikeyy Evans. Mikeyy is a videographer, husband to Katie, and father to five-year old twins.
In this week’s episode, Chris and Mikeyy discuss how our definitions of family change as we age, what led Mikeyy and his wife to foster care, and why defining family doesn’t have to come with time constraints and genetic connection.
Hear what Chris and Mikeyy believe people need for familial access and receive an invitation from them on being the difference for families right where you are.
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55 | Trauma Free World | A Conversation on Trauma & Purpose with Dr. Rob Hall of Trauma Free World55 |
Rob Hall is a former educator, administrator, and counselor. He is a husband, father, advocate, and President of Trauma Free World. Trauma Free World is a community based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, and is dedicated to helping people around the world heal from childhood trauma. Through in-person and online training, their desire is to assist anyone with an internet connection or mobile phone in healing, and helping others heal, from trauma.
In this episode, Rob shares about his 10-year old self and how most of his professional and personal decisions were born from walking through the next open door to see what would happen and why having a plan didn’t necessarily work out. Hear about how 23 years ago, Rob and his family’s lives were altered completely, about what keeps him up at night, and why Trauma Free World is what it is today, and how it impacts each of us individually and globally.
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Use the Promo Code: BTD23 to access the Trauma-Informed Care Overview as our gift to you!
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54 | One Billion Children | A Conversation on Trauma & Compassion with Chris & Sammy
It’s a new month, which means our co-hosts have a new statistic! This week, Sammy shares a staggering statistic about children around the world and their experiences with trauma. It is a stat at the root of the holistic care Back2Back seeks to provide globally.
In this week’s episode, Sammy and Chris discuss what we are to do with numbers like this and how do we keep from remaining in a state of hopelessness? They share what Back2Back has learned, and now teaches, about trauma and how it is not simply a matter of a good guy versus a bad guy, and why mercy should always be at the forefront of our response, especially to the aggressor.
Hear Sammy and Chris share why it’s important for us to know and understand a statistic like this and remind us that trauma does not concern itself with zip code, tax bracket, gender, or skin color.
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53 | Learn to Speak Love | A Conversation on the Power of Words with Nick Jackson of Speak Love
Nick Jackson is an educator, a coach, a motivational speaker, and the founder of Speak Love. Through his impactful speaking abilities and his desire to teach on a skill he is practicing himself, Nick has reached over 1,000,000 people through his keynote addresses. Speak Love is a transformative Craveable Culture organization led with the belief that excellent character and unwavering love will allow us all to reach our fullest potential, together. Specializing in conversations, experiences, and restorative practices, Speak Love impels growth in areas of character and culture.
In this week’s episode, Nick shares how he went from an adolescent who hated school to an in-classroom educator with a desire to use his personal power to effect positive change. He shares about his own upbringing and how it propelled him to where he is today, and why.
Hear Nick share what he loves most about teaching, how meeting a woman outside a church changed the trajectory of his work, and why God gave him the word “me” and how he is using his position to evoke transformative conversation for youth.
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For more information about Speak Love or to find out more about scheduling a speaker, check out https://www.iamspeaklove.com/
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52 | The Cost of Incivility | A Conversation on the Power of Words with Chris & Sammy
What happens when we speak without considering our words first? Today, Chris shares about an experience on a recent family adventure and how his interaction with a stranger led to considering deeper the power of our words and how and where reconciliation can occur.
In this episode, Chris and Sammy discuss a staggering set of statistics regarding civility, or a lack of it, in the workplace and how it translates to our world outside of work. Hear how incivility and hospitality are related, what two common triggers are for incivility, and how we can each better engage with those around us.
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TedTalk Link: Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business
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51 | Find Peace With Yourself | A Conversation on Racial Reconciliation with Fred Oduyoye of Reachable Reconciliation
Join us this week as we welcome back Fred Oduyoye! Fred first aired on the Be The Difference podcast in episode four! He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the Founder of Reachable Reconciliation, Inc.
Fred draws on his nearly twenty years of experience bridging urban and suburban communities to create intentional spaces for conversation about race, diversity, and responsibility in a small group setting. The goal of Reachable Reconciliation is to move a community from where they are to new places of understanding, empathy, and action.
In this week’s episode, Fred answers a key question: why? Why Reachable Reconciliation? And why is it important to reconcile with ourselves, first? He takes us back to his childhood in Columbia, Maryland and how what he grew up seeing and understanding wasn’t actually what he would see everywhere as he grew up and left.
Hear Fred share why he loves figuring out what makes people tick, why ongoing relational learning is key, and why he believes that if we are not having conversations, we aren’t doing the right work.
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For more information about Reachable Reconciliation Inc. or to join a virtual cohort today, check out https://www.reachablereconciliation.com/
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50 | Teens in Foster Care | A Conversation on Connection and Relationship with Chris & Sammy
Today is Be the Difference Podcast’s 50th episode! Thank you to all our faithful listeners for joining us in this journey of talking to everyday people about the remarkable ways they’re being the difference.
In this episode, Chris and Sammy discuss a staggering statistic on teens who age out of the foster care system and are thrust into the world. Hear how this impacts them both individually and with the global work Back2Back does, what being a safe adult in the life of a teen with trauma means, and how, as safe adults, we can see coping mechanisms as leadership skills worthy of development. Lastly, we want to know who you know that is making the difference in the life of a vulnerable teen and who understands the glaring need for connection and relationship.
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The Video Sammy mentions: https://topyouthspeakers.com/speakers-topics/josh-shipp
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