1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:06,500 What would it look like to start a community that was really, 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,344 it's for the people like Jesus would be for? Welcome to Heaven Earth 3 00:00:14,392 --> 00:00:18,136 Church. I'm Ross Stackhouse, the founding pastor of Heaven Earth 4 00:00:18,168 --> 00:00:22,040 Church. From the start, our heart has been to be a church for 5 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:26,200 people who don't fit neatly into church. We want to meet people 6 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,104 where they are and know their stories. Because in every story, 7 00:00:30,272 --> 00:00:34,548 there is God's story. And this podcast is just about that. It's 8 00:00:34,564 --> 00:00:37,684 about inviting you into the stories of the people of Heaven Earth 9 00:00:37,732 --> 00:00:40,880 Church. So let's turn to the story. 10 00:00:43,580 --> 00:00:48,004 Hello, good people. Welcome to the Heaven Earth Church podcast. 11 00:00:48,132 --> 00:00:51,316 My name is Brad Miller and I'm the producer and one of the hosts 12 00:00:51,348 --> 00:00:55,652 of the podcast. And today we have as our special guest. Her name 13 00:00:55,676 --> 00:01:00,852 is Angela Stackhouse. And we welcome you to the Heaven Earth Church 14 00:01:00,916 --> 00:01:04,382 podcast. Angela, tell us a little bit about you. Tell us, first 15 00:01:04,406 --> 00:01:06,910 of all, where do you come from? What's hometown for you? 16 00:01:06,950 --> 00:01:11,102 Hometown's Shelby County. I grew up in Fairland and went to Fairland, 17 00:01:11,166 --> 00:01:14,942 a small rural school where Ross, my husband, also went. So. 18 00:01:14,966 --> 00:01:18,622 Yeah. And my family still lives there mostly, and now we're 19 00:01:18,686 --> 00:01:21,742 of course in Greenwood, so still pretty close. 20 00:01:21,846 --> 00:01:22,222 Yeah. 21 00:01:22,286 --> 00:01:22,622 Yeah. 22 00:01:22,686 --> 00:01:25,326 So did you meet Ross in high school then? 23 00:01:25,398 --> 00:01:27,742 I did. I actually met him in middle school. Middle school, yeah. 24 00:01:27,806 --> 00:01:28,558 Kind of grew up together. 25 00:01:28,614 --> 00:01:32,572 Wow. He's a grade behind me, so we weren't interacting all the 26 00:01:32,596 --> 00:01:37,116 time. But when we got into high school, he was in advanced math 27 00:01:37,148 --> 00:01:40,524 and I was just in regular math, so we ended up lining up there. 28 00:01:40,612 --> 00:01:42,492 So we spent a little more time together then. 29 00:01:42,596 --> 00:01:47,020 Well, awesome. And then. So did you ended up getting married, 30 00:01:47,100 --> 00:01:49,388 I don't know, Shortly after high school. I don't really know. 31 00:01:49,444 --> 00:01:49,820 Help me out. 32 00:01:49,860 --> 00:01:53,180 Yeah, no, we actually. Let's see. So we started dating in high 33 00:01:53,220 --> 00:01:56,572 school and I was a senior and he was a junior, and then I went 34 00:01:56,596 --> 00:02:00,324 off to IU for one year, which a lot of couples do. Kind of had 35 00:02:00,332 --> 00:02:03,764 a lot of breakups throughout college. The year, let's see, it 36 00:02:03,772 --> 00:02:06,852 would be 2010. So two years after I graduated from college, we 37 00:02:06,876 --> 00:02:10,180 got married. So we had a pretty long time together. And then 38 00:02:10,220 --> 00:02:12,324 sometimes not together, but mostly together. 39 00:02:12,412 --> 00:02:16,452 And we should, you know, I get that, of course, but I get. And what 40 00:02:16,476 --> 00:02:20,292 we want to say at this point and be a part of our conversation 41 00:02:20,436 --> 00:02:23,572 is that Ross Stackhouse is the pastor of Heaven Earth Church. You 42 00:02:23,596 --> 00:02:26,484 were just a part of the ongoing mission and ministry here, 43 00:02:26,572 --> 00:02:29,732 but let's learn a little bit more about you, particularly kind 44 00:02:29,756 --> 00:02:32,024 of some of the formative things that happened in your life, 45 00:02:32,092 --> 00:02:36,720 either growing up or in your family that you grew up with, school 46 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,896 or whatever. What were some of the things that were. Kind of helped 47 00:02:38,928 --> 00:02:40,496 shape the person that you are? 48 00:02:40,568 --> 00:02:43,056 That's a good question. One that I don't probably reflect on 49 00:02:43,128 --> 00:02:47,584 terribly much. I grew up in. I guess what you would consider, at 50 00:02:47,592 --> 00:02:51,664 least my immediate family was a nuclear family. Both my parents 51 00:02:51,712 --> 00:02:56,112 are still married today. I had a younger sister that was from that 52 00:02:56,136 --> 00:02:58,816 marriage. But then I also had two older siblings, an older brother 53 00:02:58,848 --> 00:03:01,952 and an older sister from my mom's first marriage. So we had kind 54 00:03:01,976 --> 00:03:05,196 of that dynamic where they would kind of be living with us sometimes 55 00:03:05,228 --> 00:03:07,996 and then living with their dad sometimes. Grew up in the country, 56 00:03:08,148 --> 00:03:11,260 actually. I started out in Carmel, and I went to school there 57 00:03:11,380 --> 00:03:14,460 first till first grade, and then I went to. We moved to Fairland. 58 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:17,020 That was quite the transition, moving out to the country. And one 59 00:03:17,060 --> 00:03:20,844 that really. I loved living in the country. I would say probably 60 00:03:20,972 --> 00:03:24,428 one of the biggest influences. My parents were both small business 61 00:03:24,484 --> 00:03:27,660 owners, so my mom had a diner and my dad had a hardware store. 62 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:28,124 Okay. 63 00:03:28,172 --> 00:03:30,604 And that was kind of. It led to kind of a charm childhood where 64 00:03:30,612 --> 00:03:33,804 I got, you know, go to these businesses and work and then eventually 65 00:03:33,852 --> 00:03:36,600 actually really work, flavor of small. 66 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,920 Business, entrepreneurship, that type of thing. 67 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,480 And got to spend a lot of time with my parents, which was nice. 68 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,048 And my other family, my dad's father helped. My grandpa helped 69 00:03:45,064 --> 00:03:47,704 him. They owned the store together. So I got to spend a lot 70 00:03:47,712 --> 00:03:50,184 of time with my grandparents. Another thing that was definitely 71 00:03:50,232 --> 00:03:54,008 formative is that both my older siblings struggled. Have struggled 72 00:03:54,024 --> 00:03:56,920 with addiction their entire lives. Heroin addiction, specifically. 73 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,232 So I got to see as a child growing up, kind of how that was 74 00:04:00,256 --> 00:04:03,672 impacting their lives for the negative. And it definitely kind 75 00:04:03,696 --> 00:04:06,428 of put me on the straight and narrow. I didn't want to do any, 76 00:04:06,484 --> 00:04:09,564 you know, anything that. That they were doing at the time. And 77 00:04:09,572 --> 00:04:12,876 then also my sister had four. Has had four children. My parents 78 00:04:12,908 --> 00:04:17,116 have raised. So starting when I was 12 years old, Eli was my sister 79 00:04:17,148 --> 00:04:19,468 became pregnant when I was 12 years old. And then Eli was born 80 00:04:19,484 --> 00:04:23,436 when I was 13. So I really have basically four younger siblings. 81 00:04:23,548 --> 00:04:26,076 Even younger than my sister Maria. Yeah. And that was definitely. 82 00:04:26,108 --> 00:04:28,124 I mean, that's been a huge impact in my life. 83 00:04:28,132 --> 00:04:29,740 Well, that's really a part of informing the person. 84 00:04:29,860 --> 00:04:32,332 Yep. And their addiction has too. I mean, it's an awareness I 85 00:04:32,356 --> 00:04:32,684 have. 86 00:04:32,772 --> 00:04:38,012 So let's talk a little bit about your life of faith. You know, 87 00:04:38,036 --> 00:04:41,996 you're in a part of a faith institution here, Heaven, Earth, 88 00:04:42,028 --> 00:04:46,188 Church, now, but people come to be a part of a church for lots 89 00:04:46,204 --> 00:04:48,588 of reasons. And obviously your husband's the pastor here. That's 90 00:04:48,604 --> 00:04:51,356 one reason. I know we'll get into some of that, but yeah, let's 91 00:04:51,388 --> 00:04:55,612 talk about your faith story, about how you came to faith in the 92 00:04:55,636 --> 00:04:58,972 first place and how that's kind of been a part of forming your 93 00:04:58,996 --> 00:05:00,600 life, part of your faith story. 94 00:05:00,990 --> 00:05:05,094 So after we moved from Carmel back to Shelby county, my mom's from 95 00:05:05,102 --> 00:05:08,406 Shelbyville originally, so I think she felt a little more called 96 00:05:08,478 --> 00:05:11,590 to get us what she considers back into the church. We started 97 00:05:11,630 --> 00:05:16,438 going to the church when I was probably 11, 12, 13ish that she went 98 00:05:16,494 --> 00:05:19,622 to as a child, which was First Baptist in Shelbyville, which is 99 00:05:19,646 --> 00:05:22,150 part of the American Baptist Church. There are a lot of different 100 00:05:22,190 --> 00:05:25,078 Baptists, and they have. I know growing up, I didn't realize 101 00:05:25,174 --> 00:05:27,738 that there were all of these different flavors of Baptist, but 102 00:05:27,854 --> 00:05:30,130 American Baptists have. For instance, they'll have, like, women 103 00:05:30,170 --> 00:05:33,090 preachers, which is different than some Baptist religions. I was. 104 00:05:33,130 --> 00:05:35,570 I think it's a little bit more like. Like, I was allowed to do certain 105 00:05:35,610 --> 00:05:37,970 things that I know some of my other Baptist friends weren't. Like, 106 00:05:38,010 --> 00:05:40,434 I could read Harry Potter, for instance, just to give people kind 107 00:05:40,442 --> 00:05:43,922 of an idea of what it was like as far as kind of the flavor of what 108 00:05:43,946 --> 00:05:46,642 you would hear on a Sunday. There was definitely more fire and 109 00:05:46,666 --> 00:05:49,762 brimstone than what I would hear Ross talking about. Now, there 110 00:05:49,786 --> 00:05:53,074 were some things that I think happened in the church that harmed 111 00:05:53,122 --> 00:05:55,794 other people. I don't feel harmed by them, but I was part of 112 00:05:55,802 --> 00:05:59,736 the. The era that grew up in purity culture, which was a big deal. 113 00:05:59,808 --> 00:06:02,872 I went to church camp a lot, and that was like, one of the themes 114 00:06:02,936 --> 00:06:05,992 one year for the entire church camp was like, true love waits. I 115 00:06:06,016 --> 00:06:09,240 kind of grew up in that era, but I'm a really big rule follower. 116 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:10,936 So I actually liked having. 117 00:06:11,088 --> 00:06:11,896 She liked it. 118 00:06:11,968 --> 00:06:13,128 I liked having this from the security. 119 00:06:13,184 --> 00:06:17,784 Culture type of thing. It gave you a real kind of rigid set of parameters 120 00:06:17,832 --> 00:06:18,968 to live within, right? 121 00:06:19,024 --> 00:06:22,104 Yep. And the church kind of as a whole, did, too. I felt like some 122 00:06:22,112 --> 00:06:25,592 of the stuff that I realize now is probably dogma, it might not 123 00:06:25,616 --> 00:06:29,548 have come straight from Jesus's lips or even some of the 124 00:06:29,604 --> 00:06:33,020 stuff that we see in acts. It, I think, for me, and I know many 125 00:06:33,060 --> 00:06:35,420 people have a very different experience, it helped me because 126 00:06:35,460 --> 00:06:38,700 I was prone to wanting to follow the rules. So it helped me 127 00:06:38,740 --> 00:06:40,988 kind of create a framework for my life. 128 00:06:41,044 --> 00:06:41,660 Yeah. 129 00:06:41,820 --> 00:06:42,284 So. 130 00:06:42,372 --> 00:06:45,964 So how did that upbringing there kind of evolve or Influence 131 00:06:46,012 --> 00:06:51,004 you as you and Ross started your life together. And where kind 132 00:06:51,012 --> 00:06:53,644 of where you at now? How has your faith journey evolved? 133 00:06:53,772 --> 00:06:58,068 It's evolved a lot the older I get, and I think a lot of people 134 00:06:58,124 --> 00:07:00,580 probably have the same experience. I realize that the world 135 00:07:00,620 --> 00:07:06,116 is not black and white, that there is so much nuance to the world. 136 00:07:06,188 --> 00:07:09,396 And that a black and white framework, while it might have worked 137 00:07:09,428 --> 00:07:12,532 for my younger life, and it really even works a lot for my life 138 00:07:12,556 --> 00:07:15,588 now. I mean, I'm still a rule follower. I work in compliance. That's 139 00:07:15,604 --> 00:07:19,348 what I do. I realize that it doesn't always work when you're applying 140 00:07:19,364 --> 00:07:22,900 it to the greater world. I've definitely had some faith crises 141 00:07:22,980 --> 00:07:26,644 along the way where it didn't seem like things really, you couldn't 142 00:07:26,692 --> 00:07:29,380 reconcile them with a black and white framework. And so that 143 00:07:29,420 --> 00:07:34,516 was difficult at times. And I also had. There was a lot of evolution 144 00:07:34,628 --> 00:07:39,252 where for me, I realized growing up, the discussion, a lot 145 00:07:39,276 --> 00:07:42,452 of the discussion was about how to get into heaven. And that 146 00:07:42,476 --> 00:07:46,052 was really foundational to my faith. How the choices you need to 147 00:07:46,076 --> 00:07:48,884 make to get into heaven. I definitely had a faith crisis when 148 00:07:48,892 --> 00:07:51,850 I realized that it meant if certain people are getting into heaven, 149 00:07:51,930 --> 00:07:54,506 that means certain people are going to hell. And I looked around 150 00:07:54,578 --> 00:07:59,178 me and there were so many people in my life that weren't following 151 00:07:59,314 --> 00:08:04,154 that strict, like a plus B equals C guideline for how to get 152 00:08:04,162 --> 00:08:08,250 into heaven, but they were really, really good people and like, 153 00:08:08,290 --> 00:08:09,226 pillars of my life. 154 00:08:09,298 --> 00:08:11,482 So you had some dilemmas that you were dealing with? 155 00:08:11,506 --> 00:08:11,898 Yes. 156 00:08:11,994 --> 00:08:15,834 Kind of based on your faith teaching compared to your life experience, 157 00:08:15,922 --> 00:08:16,362 Right? 158 00:08:16,466 --> 00:08:20,840 Yeah. And that. That was troubling to me. I think it probably 159 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:26,212 led to me to that becoming. Not just. It wasn't just that realization. 160 00:08:26,356 --> 00:08:28,564 If there were certain people in my life that were going to hell, 161 00:08:28,612 --> 00:08:31,716 then that wasn't. I wasn't gonna be able to continue in that 162 00:08:31,788 --> 00:08:34,644 mindset. And I know for a lot of people that that still is kind 163 00:08:34,652 --> 00:08:35,252 of their. 164 00:08:35,356 --> 00:08:38,884 Did you come to any kind of resolution or place of understanding 165 00:08:38,932 --> 00:08:41,924 where you. That you're at now? So take us there. 166 00:08:42,012 --> 00:08:45,300 I think so too, or I think I have. I think. And Ross was very 167 00:08:45,340 --> 00:08:48,682 aligned with me too, by the way. We had a very similar. I mean, 168 00:08:48,706 --> 00:08:51,642 we both grew up in a rural area that kind of had a similar kind 169 00:08:51,666 --> 00:08:53,882 of feel, even though he went to a Methodist church and I went 170 00:08:53,906 --> 00:08:56,474 to a Baptist church. Eventually. When you look at the 171 00:08:56,482 --> 00:09:00,410 Bible, I think in its totality, you realize that it's actually 172 00:09:00,530 --> 00:09:03,082 that the question is not actually how to get to heaven. The 173 00:09:03,106 --> 00:09:05,978 prevailing question that it's actually a lot more about relationship 174 00:09:05,994 --> 00:09:09,802 with God. That has helped me a lot. I'm not focusing so much on 175 00:09:09,826 --> 00:09:14,250 where everybody is going. I'm focusing more on how do we live out 176 00:09:14,290 --> 00:09:17,546 our relationship with God in relationship with others. And that's 177 00:09:17,578 --> 00:09:20,236 been really helpful to me in my faith. 178 00:09:20,268 --> 00:09:24,188 So it's gone from kind of a little bit of dogmatic to more relational. 179 00:09:24,364 --> 00:09:29,388 How relate to Jesus and to others and how they're all integrated 180 00:09:29,484 --> 00:09:29,884 together. 181 00:09:29,972 --> 00:09:30,620 Yes. 182 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:34,332 Your life of faith is being lived out. You are a part of the 183 00:09:34,356 --> 00:09:36,812 Heaven Earth Church, and we're here on the Heaven Earth. Tell us 184 00:09:36,836 --> 00:09:39,676 about how you end up getting connected to Heaven Earth Church 185 00:09:39,708 --> 00:09:43,244 in the first place and kind of what are you involved with now? 186 00:09:43,332 --> 00:09:46,220 Yeah, it started out with kind of a funny story, actually. I told 187 00:09:46,260 --> 00:09:50,632 Ross before he became a pastor that I was adamant with not going 188 00:09:50,656 --> 00:09:55,224 to be a pastor's wife, which, of course is a ridiculous thing to 189 00:09:55,232 --> 00:09:58,648 say, probably. But again, I grew up in a Baptist church where 190 00:09:58,704 --> 00:10:01,592 I felt like there was a prototype or a stereotype for what 191 00:10:01,616 --> 00:10:04,776 a pastor's wife did. And I didn't feel like I fit that stereotype. 192 00:10:04,808 --> 00:10:07,736 Just taking a slight aside, give me a couple nuggets of what 193 00:10:07,808 --> 00:10:09,256 was burnt in your brain about that. 194 00:10:09,328 --> 00:10:12,472 Like, they led children's church all the time. A lot of them 195 00:10:12,496 --> 00:10:15,448 didn't work, which is totally fine. It's just that I knew I wanted 196 00:10:15,464 --> 00:10:18,024 to work in my life. They played the piano. I don't know how 197 00:10:18,032 --> 00:10:21,016 to play the piano. They always sang on Sunday. Yeah. 198 00:10:21,048 --> 00:10:23,268 So those are some of the things stereotypical. I just wondered 199 00:10:23,284 --> 00:10:26,132 if your experience was similar. Let's go back to your. How 200 00:10:26,156 --> 00:10:28,740 you got connected with heaven or church. And where we left it at 201 00:10:28,780 --> 00:10:31,572 was you told Ross, I don't want to be a preacher's wife in the 202 00:10:31,596 --> 00:10:34,180 kind of traditional sense. So what has that evolved to you now 203 00:10:34,220 --> 00:10:35,636 and kind of. How did you get started here? 204 00:10:35,708 --> 00:10:38,260 Yeah, and the reason I told him that is because he was in theology. 205 00:10:38,340 --> 00:10:41,924 He was in a theology program, and he wanted to be a professor. 206 00:10:42,052 --> 00:10:46,740 Well, he got rejected from all of his doctoral programs. His sister 207 00:10:46,820 --> 00:10:51,476 sent him a job interview or not a job, a job description for 208 00:10:51,548 --> 00:10:54,374 opening at a church in Carmel. And I was like, I don't want to be 209 00:10:54,382 --> 00:10:58,870 a pastor's wife. He went ahead and applied despite me. He was really 210 00:10:58,910 --> 00:11:01,222 good at preaching. He'd never preached before. He'd never done 211 00:11:01,246 --> 00:11:03,766 anything like that before. And they did, like a practice sermon 212 00:11:03,798 --> 00:11:06,982 with him. And I went to it and I was like, okay, I think I might 213 00:11:07,006 --> 00:11:11,126 have to be a pastor's wife. He became a pastor in the Methodist 214 00:11:11,158 --> 00:11:13,942 Church, which is kind of leading to Heaven Earth Church. He 215 00:11:13,966 --> 00:11:18,262 was at that Carmel church. He was there for, like, six years. Thankfully, 216 00:11:18,406 --> 00:11:21,622 the stereotypes that I had in my mind about being a pastor's wife 217 00:11:21,766 --> 00:11:25,312 were not really stereotypes that I saw an action there. So I 218 00:11:25,336 --> 00:11:29,056 didn't. It ended up being fine, like, a lot of things I worry 219 00:11:29,088 --> 00:11:32,752 about. And then it came time to. Within the Methodist Church, 220 00:11:32,896 --> 00:11:36,160 they move people around. Pastors get moved around to different 221 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,952 churches. And it came time for him to move to somewhere else. And 222 00:11:39,976 --> 00:11:42,992 to make a long story short, he ended up leading the charge of a 223 00:11:43,016 --> 00:11:45,264 church plant. Brad, you probably know more about it than 224 00:11:45,272 --> 00:11:48,432 I do in that, like, the different technical terms, but a 225 00:11:48,456 --> 00:11:51,456 church plant in Johnson County. That's how Heaven Earth Church 226 00:11:51,568 --> 00:11:54,112 originated. And it was a house church at first. We were meeting 227 00:11:54,136 --> 00:11:57,704 in our house every week. It's always had a recovery church component. 228 00:11:57,752 --> 00:12:00,376 So there was also a recovery church meeting going on. But, yeah, 229 00:12:00,408 --> 00:12:02,904 it's really grown from there. I can't remember exactly the details 230 00:12:02,952 --> 00:12:05,320 about how we ended up in this building, but even that was really 231 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:06,360 felt very ordained. 232 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,000 What was your initial feelings in that first year or so about the 233 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,880 church? Were you kind of thinking, okay, this is a little 234 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,624 wobbly. This is something cool going on here? What were some of 235 00:12:15,632 --> 00:12:19,144 your emotions? Because it's not only about starting a church. 236 00:12:19,192 --> 00:12:23,398 There's family life, there's marital life, there's transitioning 237 00:12:23,414 --> 00:12:26,902 to new community, things of that nature. And really, with a new 238 00:12:26,926 --> 00:12:30,502 church plant, you do not have a community that's supportive of 239 00:12:30,526 --> 00:12:30,710 you. 240 00:12:30,750 --> 00:12:33,542 Initially, I will tell you that I really struggled with the 241 00:12:33,566 --> 00:12:38,150 idea that our family would be uprooted every so many years because 242 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:42,502 of Ross's calling. I struggled because I struggled as a woman, because 243 00:12:42,526 --> 00:12:45,014 I had a job that I liked, and I didn't want to be uprooted and 244 00:12:45,022 --> 00:12:48,662 moved around away from my job. And I didn't want my kids to be uprooted. 245 00:12:48,726 --> 00:12:53,086 So honestly, knowing that we were going somewhere close in proximity 246 00:12:53,118 --> 00:12:56,318 to where we were before, which was in Shelby County, I was actually 247 00:12:56,374 --> 00:13:00,222 very grateful that we were going to be trying to do this. I 248 00:13:00,246 --> 00:13:02,670 remember making a joke that I was going to lay in front of cars 249 00:13:02,750 --> 00:13:05,770 to get them to come to our church because I wanted it to work, 250 00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:10,254 because I want to be close to my family. I don't want to move to 251 00:13:10,262 --> 00:13:11,450 Fort Wayne or something. 252 00:13:11,750 --> 00:13:15,406 Any new adventure is a little bit dicey, if that's right. 253 00:13:15,478 --> 00:13:19,246 Exactly. So I felt good about it. Knowing that we would still have 254 00:13:19,318 --> 00:13:22,234 at least our family within an hour of us, you know, and still be 255 00:13:22,242 --> 00:13:24,650 able to see them and participate in family stuff. And 256 00:13:24,690 --> 00:13:27,978 with a church plant, if it goes well, then it usually lasts 257 00:13:27,994 --> 00:13:30,490 a little longer. And you're not uprooted every, you know, five 258 00:13:30,530 --> 00:13:33,642 years. So I was also excited about that prospect, although it 259 00:13:33,666 --> 00:13:36,282 is scary because it's a parachute drop, and oftentimes those 260 00:13:36,306 --> 00:13:36,842 don't work. 261 00:13:36,946 --> 00:13:41,498 Tell me about a time in that era of forming the church and getting 262 00:13:41,634 --> 00:13:45,210 involved with the community and things that you have chosen to 263 00:13:45,250 --> 00:13:47,482 be involved with in the life of the church where you kind of had 264 00:13:47,506 --> 00:13:52,660 a. An aha moment. Okay, this might work. And this is kind of cool. 265 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,736 You have a moment like that kind of. That. 266 00:13:54,808 --> 00:13:59,984 I remember during COVID we had. I can't remember if it was the 267 00:13:59,992 --> 00:14:02,832 beginning of COVID or if it was toward the end of COVID where 268 00:14:02,856 --> 00:14:05,280 we decided we would meet outside. I guess it must have been 269 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,408 further along because I don't think people were meeting at all. 270 00:14:07,464 --> 00:14:10,416 But we decided to have an outdoor meeting and, like, outdoor 271 00:14:10,448 --> 00:14:13,340 church service. And I just looked around and I couldn't believe 272 00:14:13,900 --> 00:14:16,452 I looked at all these different people that we didn't know, 273 00:14:16,556 --> 00:14:20,612 you know, like, two or three years earlier. And it was just. It 274 00:14:20,636 --> 00:14:23,860 was very inspiring to see all of these people that somehow had 275 00:14:23,900 --> 00:14:27,892 made their way to our church that we had not even known. Like, 276 00:14:27,916 --> 00:14:30,484 there was no relationship, and now there's a relationship. And it 277 00:14:30,492 --> 00:14:34,612 was very organic, too. And so that was really. That felt really 278 00:14:34,636 --> 00:14:37,716 neat. And we've had a couple services, like the Christmas service, 279 00:14:37,788 --> 00:14:40,068 which a lot of people tend to. You know, your whole church ends 280 00:14:40,084 --> 00:14:43,250 up kind of coming to that, and you see everybody in one place, which 281 00:14:43,290 --> 00:14:46,978 sometimes you don't do. And those moments have been really. It's 282 00:14:46,994 --> 00:14:50,018 not all about the numbers, but there is certainly something about 283 00:14:50,074 --> 00:14:51,074 seeing everybody together. 284 00:14:51,162 --> 00:14:54,898 It's kind of the validity that comes with seeing a group of people 285 00:14:54,954 --> 00:14:59,826 there. Every end endeavor has its times of challenge and of stress 286 00:14:59,858 --> 00:15:04,914 and crisis. So if you don't mind, tell me. Tell us about a kind 287 00:15:04,922 --> 00:15:08,692 of a lump in the throat moment that you've had in the life of the 288 00:15:08,716 --> 00:15:11,012 church that you're kind of like, okay, I. 289 00:15:11,036 --> 00:15:14,628 Know exactly what it is for me. So there was a time, and it was 290 00:15:14,684 --> 00:15:18,868 shortly after Iva was born. I think it put us again in the middle 291 00:15:18,884 --> 00:15:23,252 of COVID So I was already feeling probably isolated, and we 292 00:15:23,276 --> 00:15:26,436 had started meeting in the church. Church service in the church, 293 00:15:26,548 --> 00:15:28,964 you know, as opposed to, like, meeting outside during COVID and 294 00:15:28,972 --> 00:15:31,284 stuff. So it must have been pretty far on. We didn't have a lot 295 00:15:31,292 --> 00:15:34,516 of kids coming at that time. I was really the only one with kids. 296 00:15:34,628 --> 00:15:38,772 I found myself coming to church with my children. Ross would 297 00:15:38,796 --> 00:15:41,892 have already left in the morning. I found myself getting the 298 00:15:41,916 --> 00:15:45,172 kids ready to go to church, to take my children to the back, to 299 00:15:45,196 --> 00:15:48,532 watch my own children, to not even be around anybody, and then 300 00:15:48,556 --> 00:15:53,684 to come back home. And I found that to be very. It was difficult 301 00:15:53,732 --> 00:15:56,212 for me. I don't. I'm not a person who likes to be told what 302 00:15:56,236 --> 00:16:00,356 to do anyway. And sometimes a pastor's wife can feel so pressured 303 00:16:00,388 --> 00:16:02,676 to do something, even though nobody's telling her to do it. 304 00:16:02,748 --> 00:16:05,604 Goes a little bit to the stereotype. You had children's ministry, 305 00:16:05,652 --> 00:16:06,240 and. 306 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,664 And the line gets blurred where you're saying, is this my decision, 307 00:16:09,752 --> 00:16:13,952 or am I compelled to do this, even though nobody's said it? And 308 00:16:13,976 --> 00:16:17,712 that was difficult for me. And I was going to a counselor at that 309 00:16:17,736 --> 00:16:19,744 time, and I talked to her about it, and it eventually got to 310 00:16:19,752 --> 00:16:22,608 the point where I told Ross, I'm not coming anymore. I'm gonna 311 00:16:22,624 --> 00:16:25,616 stay at home. I'm gonna watch the service at home while the kids 312 00:16:25,648 --> 00:16:29,056 play in the comfort of our own house where I can actually hear what's 313 00:16:29,088 --> 00:16:33,040 happening. And until we get, like, a better structure in place, 314 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,698 that's what it's gonna be. And I felt. I've told you before, I'm 315 00:16:36,714 --> 00:16:37,434 a rule follower. 316 00:16:37,482 --> 00:16:37,850 Yeah. 317 00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:38,954 So that was very difficult. 318 00:16:39,002 --> 00:16:41,802 So that really went as good as great. You personally, and I'm sure 319 00:16:41,826 --> 00:16:44,778 it had its challenges, family wise, marital wise, all that stuff. 320 00:16:44,874 --> 00:16:47,514 It was hurtful to Ross, which I don't blame him. But it was one 321 00:16:47,522 --> 00:16:50,186 of those moments that I had to be, like, authentic to myself. 322 00:16:50,298 --> 00:16:53,210 You had assert yourself to be. Because I sensed that there was. 323 00:16:53,250 --> 00:16:56,186 This was a moment when you kind of felt something kind of slipping 324 00:16:56,218 --> 00:17:00,058 away, some sense of. Of this was just not working here. 325 00:17:00,114 --> 00:17:04,026 I felt my autonomy slipping away. Like, I. I didn't have control 326 00:17:04,098 --> 00:17:07,286 over that decision. And it was a decision. It felt like it was harmful 327 00:17:07,318 --> 00:17:10,294 to me at the time. Not that Ross was actively doing that. I want 328 00:17:10,302 --> 00:17:13,846 to be very clear. Ross wasn't harming me. It was just the position. 329 00:17:13,918 --> 00:17:15,110 It was the circumstances. 330 00:17:15,190 --> 00:17:18,246 Circumstances were happening that were as they were. But let's 331 00:17:18,278 --> 00:17:22,422 talk about a moment, a cool, high, holy moment, when you just 332 00:17:22,446 --> 00:17:25,846 kind of knew that this isn't just kind of a deal where this organizationally 333 00:17:25,878 --> 00:17:30,166 is going to work, but this is a God thing. This is a holy thing. 334 00:17:30,238 --> 00:17:34,022 This is something bigger than myself. And bigger than a lot of 335 00:17:34,046 --> 00:17:35,970 things. Have you had a moment like that? 336 00:17:36,670 --> 00:17:40,342 I think it was our very first harvest gathering that we had, which 337 00:17:40,366 --> 00:17:43,718 is something that we have come to do now. Every year it's another 338 00:17:43,774 --> 00:17:46,598 time in the church. You know, I've mentioned that we have. I don't 339 00:17:46,614 --> 00:17:49,170 know that I mentioned that we still have house churches going, 340 00:17:49,550 --> 00:17:52,214 but we also have our recovery church. I have mentioned that. And 341 00:17:52,222 --> 00:17:55,046 then we have our normal Sunday gathering. There are a lot of different 342 00:17:55,118 --> 00:17:58,422 people that oftentimes don't come together at once. And we had 343 00:17:58,446 --> 00:18:01,396 a harvest gathering where everybody did come together at once. 344 00:18:01,558 --> 00:18:05,032 And it wasn't for the church service. It was to just be in community 345 00:18:05,136 --> 00:18:10,232 together and to see each other. It was a moment where we were 346 00:18:10,256 --> 00:18:15,224 all eating together. I felt like we were doing. Even though it's, 347 00:18:15,272 --> 00:18:18,632 you know, a modern flair with cell phones around and stuff, it 348 00:18:18,656 --> 00:18:21,560 felt like we were doing something holy and connecting to 349 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,648 something that people have done forever. Like commune together, 350 00:18:24,704 --> 00:18:27,540 eat together, and just celebrate together. 351 00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:30,932 Kind of a connection kind of with something that's a little bit 352 00:18:30,956 --> 00:18:34,804 traditional, a little bit historical, but in the context of 353 00:18:34,972 --> 00:18:36,004 a new church plant. 354 00:18:36,052 --> 00:18:38,212 Yeah. So that was special. 355 00:18:38,316 --> 00:18:39,600 That was a God thing, right? 356 00:18:39,980 --> 00:18:41,220 It totally was, yeah. 357 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:44,292 If you were not married to the pastor, do you think this is the 358 00:18:44,316 --> 00:18:46,756 type of church that if you lived in this community, you moved 359 00:18:46,788 --> 00:18:50,148 here for whatever reason, Is this the type of church you might 360 00:18:50,204 --> 00:18:53,412 want to either be attracted to or seek out? What is it about this 361 00:18:53,436 --> 00:18:55,542 place that you might be attracted to in that regard? 362 00:18:55,636 --> 00:18:58,514 I definitely think it would. Although it is hard to. Ross and 363 00:18:58,522 --> 00:19:01,730 I have grown. I mean, we got together as children and we've been 364 00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:04,498 so influential on each other in the past that we've taken. It's 365 00:19:04,514 --> 00:19:08,430 hard to imagine what type of person I would be without him. But 366 00:19:09,050 --> 00:19:12,914 I can only answer with a present mind. Yes, it's definitely 367 00:19:12,962 --> 00:19:17,570 a church I would want to come to. I love how we have a very diverse 368 00:19:17,650 --> 00:19:20,946 group of people. Maybe not racial diversity, but socioeconomic 369 00:19:20,978 --> 00:19:23,938 diversity. We have the diversity that you see with people 370 00:19:23,994 --> 00:19:28,874 who are in addiction or recovering from addiction versus 371 00:19:28,922 --> 00:19:31,434 people who aren't. That's a big, you know, a big difference. 372 00:19:31,562 --> 00:19:35,322 We have a lot of political diversity. I really value that in 373 00:19:35,346 --> 00:19:38,538 my life and in my children's lives. I don't want them to be part 374 00:19:38,594 --> 00:19:42,794 of. Even though the experience that I had in my First Baptist Church 375 00:19:42,842 --> 00:19:46,698 was a positive experience, it was very one dimensional in a way. 376 00:19:46,754 --> 00:19:49,578 Like I wasn't exposed to a lot of people and that wasn't First Baptist's 377 00:19:49,594 --> 00:19:52,282 fault. I mean, it was, you know, just a little town church and 378 00:19:52,306 --> 00:19:54,682 that's just the people that come there. But I'm thankful that 379 00:19:54,706 --> 00:19:57,654 we've created a space where we do attract a of different kinds of 380 00:19:57,662 --> 00:20:00,822 people. I think because there are so many different people on so 381 00:20:00,846 --> 00:20:03,574 many different journeys. My hope is that people would feel welcomed 382 00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:04,774 no matter where they are. 383 00:20:04,862 --> 00:20:07,878 Given your interaction you have with people in the church, because 384 00:20:08,014 --> 00:20:11,542 the point of entry for many people is through the pastor Ross, 385 00:20:11,606 --> 00:20:14,950 and then you're right there as well. What do you think would keep 386 00:20:14,990 --> 00:20:19,702 you here? But what you hear people talk about why they stay a 387 00:20:19,726 --> 00:20:20,870 part of Heaven Earth Church. 388 00:20:20,950 --> 00:20:23,956 I mean, I hesitate to say this because it's one of the things Ross 389 00:20:23,988 --> 00:20:26,964 and I always talk about should not be the premier thing. But Ross 390 00:20:27,012 --> 00:20:31,284 is a very gifted teacher. I think he's been given a lot of gifts 391 00:20:31,332 --> 00:20:34,612 and I know for sure that's one of the reasons people stay is because 392 00:20:34,636 --> 00:20:37,332 when they hear him preach, I think it feels very meaningful to 393 00:20:37,356 --> 00:20:40,148 them and to their lives. But there's a lot outside of teaching 394 00:20:40,164 --> 00:20:43,780 and preaching in a church, and a church should be a much more vibrant 395 00:20:43,860 --> 00:20:47,412 offering than that. The fact that we're small is a big draw to 396 00:20:47,436 --> 00:20:50,852 me. I'm not a big person who likes the great big church where 397 00:20:50,876 --> 00:20:53,332 you feel like you're kind of just going to check a box sometimes. 398 00:20:53,396 --> 00:20:55,792 And I mean, any church can really be that. Like you're going 399 00:20:55,816 --> 00:20:58,432 to check a box. But I feel like we're hopefully building the 400 00:20:58,456 --> 00:21:02,688 opposite of that. Like you really can feel connection and you 401 00:21:02,744 --> 00:21:07,472 can feel like convicted without being judged. And I think 402 00:21:07,496 --> 00:21:09,856 that's a difficult balance sometimes. 403 00:21:09,968 --> 00:21:13,312 I see connected and convicted, but without being judged. I think 404 00:21:13,336 --> 00:21:16,416 that's an interesting way of putting it. And so I think that's 405 00:21:16,448 --> 00:21:19,072 kind of the struggle a lot of people have. They do not want to 406 00:21:19,096 --> 00:21:22,672 feel guilt driven, but they want to feel responsible. They want 407 00:21:22,696 --> 00:21:25,552 to feel kind of a connected to something greater themselves that 408 00:21:25,576 --> 00:21:29,132 they can invest in that is something that would be make a. Make 409 00:21:29,156 --> 00:21:31,580 a difference. Because I believe people really, many, many 410 00:21:31,620 --> 00:21:35,276 people really want to make a difference and they're transformed 411 00:21:35,308 --> 00:21:38,396 by that. So I'd like you to tell me a story, if you will, Angela, 412 00:21:38,428 --> 00:21:42,140 about a person or situation here in the life of the church where 413 00:21:42,180 --> 00:21:45,276 you really seen something happen that changed either a person's 414 00:21:45,308 --> 00:21:49,420 life change or a situation change where life change took place. 415 00:21:49,540 --> 00:21:52,732 I mean, there have been people that came initially. I mean, they 416 00:21:52,756 --> 00:21:55,532 were some of our very first church attendees that are still here. 417 00:21:55,636 --> 00:21:58,012 There are some that are no longer necessarily Attending our 418 00:21:58,036 --> 00:22:00,440 recover church. But Ross is still connected with them through 419 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:05,240 other organizations, and their lives and their testaments are very 420 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,312 compelling, especially to other people who are trying to obtain 421 00:22:08,376 --> 00:22:08,984 sobriety. 422 00:22:09,112 --> 00:22:12,424 Mission statement of the church that is displayed quite prominently 423 00:22:12,472 --> 00:22:16,712 is we exist to make a lasting impact in our community. Yeah, tell 424 00:22:16,736 --> 00:22:18,744 me about that. What does that statement mean to you? 425 00:22:18,832 --> 00:22:21,752 Well, it makes. I mean, we were talking this morning during 426 00:22:21,776 --> 00:22:24,360 church, and Ross was recounting a story that really made 427 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,532 me think about how when you're connected to the vine, and I think 428 00:22:28,556 --> 00:22:31,188 that's kind of church speak, but when you're connected to Jesus, 429 00:22:31,364 --> 00:22:35,604 that you can't help but flourish. And this is not prosperity 430 00:22:35,652 --> 00:22:41,012 gospel. You can't help but feel like your cup can overflow. 431 00:22:41,156 --> 00:22:44,836 And that cup. I had this image in my head today of one person's 432 00:22:44,868 --> 00:22:49,188 cup overflowing to flow into other people's cups. I think our 433 00:22:49,244 --> 00:22:52,884 church tries to embody that. We make connections throughout the 434 00:22:52,892 --> 00:22:55,256 neighborhood, throughout the neighborhood, throughout the community, 435 00:22:55,408 --> 00:22:58,056 with a lot of different organizations that are already doing 436 00:22:58,128 --> 00:23:03,580 really important work. We've also. Ross and team have also created 437 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:09,940 the Heaven Earth Spaces organization that is trying to make 438 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:15,752 not only housing, but places for nonprofits, physical places for 439 00:23:15,776 --> 00:23:19,992 nonprofits to use. And so downstairs in the basement, we have 440 00:23:20,016 --> 00:23:24,754 resources of hope. That's one example they offer. They're basically 441 00:23:24,802 --> 00:23:28,674 a store for foster parents and foster families help get resourced 442 00:23:28,722 --> 00:23:33,026 for their foster journey. And then the house that the church owns 443 00:23:33,138 --> 00:23:35,842 is also now part of Heaven Earth Spaces. The church does not 444 00:23:35,866 --> 00:23:38,466 own it. Heaven Earth Spaces owns it. Heaven Earth Spaces owns 445 00:23:38,498 --> 00:23:42,914 it. And it has a family that lives there now that gets reduced 446 00:23:42,962 --> 00:23:45,106 rent. And we're trying to expand that. Heaven Earth Spaces 447 00:23:45,138 --> 00:23:48,354 is trying to expand that. So that's like a very real example of 448 00:23:48,362 --> 00:23:48,578 that. 449 00:23:48,634 --> 00:23:52,480 So you see that impact. I guess what I'm getting at is that 450 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,664 statement is a real thing. It's not just a trite thing to put 451 00:23:55,672 --> 00:23:56,640 on the wall somewhere, right? 452 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:00,320 Yeah. No, I think it's one of. I mean, it is. It's certainly something 453 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:02,608 that is. You can see it in the lifeblood of the church. 454 00:24:02,704 --> 00:24:06,288 One of the things that's said about Heaven Earth Church in one 455 00:24:06,344 --> 00:24:11,824 line is if you feel you don't fit in church, you fit here. Is that 456 00:24:11,832 --> 00:24:12,256 true? 457 00:24:12,368 --> 00:24:15,296 Or for people who don't fit neatly into church, is that true? 458 00:24:15,328 --> 00:24:16,608 And how do you see that lived out? 459 00:24:16,664 --> 00:24:21,038 I think it is true. I know for certain that there are many people 460 00:24:21,094 --> 00:24:25,262 who have felt harmed by some of the institutional churches that 461 00:24:25,286 --> 00:24:30,462 they encountered as children that have found a safe place to exist 462 00:24:30,526 --> 00:24:33,886 here and try to grow their relationship with God. I have always 463 00:24:33,958 --> 00:24:37,646 felt like I fit in a church, so I'm not a person that can personally 464 00:24:37,678 --> 00:24:41,518 attest to it. But Ross has also felt like he doesn't fit neatly 465 00:24:41,534 --> 00:24:44,856 into church, and I would agree with that. And so I think he's tried 466 00:24:44,888 --> 00:24:47,800 to build that and the people around him have tried to build that 467 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,384 here. I think it has worked. I don't think that we get very caught 468 00:24:51,432 --> 00:24:53,752 up. I mean, we are a United Methodist church, but you're not 469 00:24:53,776 --> 00:24:56,072 gonna hear us talking about it that often. You're not gonna hear 470 00:24:56,096 --> 00:24:58,840 us talking about a lot of institutional stuff or even using 471 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:04,040 a lot of churchy words because we don't wanna alienate people who 472 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,112 might not, you know, have that insider speak. I think that there 473 00:25:07,136 --> 00:25:09,992 are a lot of small intentional decisions made fits here. 474 00:25:10,016 --> 00:25:10,824 And they're doing okay. 475 00:25:10,872 --> 00:25:12,920 There are, yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely. 476 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,328 Let me just ask you if there's somebody who came to in your life 477 00:25:16,384 --> 00:25:19,448 outside of the church, meaning a co worker. You know, your kids 478 00:25:19,464 --> 00:25:22,520 are involved with athletics and other things, that kind of stuff. 479 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,144 If you're talking one of the other moms and there's somebody that 480 00:25:25,152 --> 00:25:28,392 came to you and said, okay, I just got some issue in my life. It 481 00:25:28,416 --> 00:25:32,920 might be job related or marital or, you know, health or whatever. 482 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,568 They got some issues in their life. Do you think you'd be comfortable 483 00:25:36,664 --> 00:25:40,250 inviting them to be a part of Heaven Earth Church as a part of 484 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,102 responding to their need? 485 00:25:42,286 --> 00:25:45,734 Yeah, I definitely would. I think we have something. I think 486 00:25:45,902 --> 00:25:50,246 what we have here is something very special and different than what 487 00:25:50,318 --> 00:25:54,022 a lot of people perceive church to be. It has a very vulnerable 488 00:25:54,086 --> 00:25:58,294 community that comes along with it. And I think that's one of 489 00:25:58,302 --> 00:26:01,334 the most powerful tools in the face of really any kind of adversity 490 00:26:01,382 --> 00:26:05,890 is vulnerability. And I think that people would benefit from that. 491 00:26:06,350 --> 00:26:09,580 We joke a lot because one of our biggest evangelists for this 492 00:26:09,620 --> 00:26:13,372 church is actually an atheist. It's a woman in Franklin who has 493 00:26:13,396 --> 00:26:16,412 sent like five people to us. It's just really funny to me that 494 00:26:16,436 --> 00:26:19,580 she's constantly sending people to our church because of what 495 00:26:19,620 --> 00:26:21,340 she has seen, even though she's atheist. 496 00:26:21,420 --> 00:26:26,236 Yeah, isn't that cool? Tell us a little bit about one cool thing. 497 00:26:26,388 --> 00:26:29,612 Tell us the names of your kids and then something cool about each 498 00:26:29,636 --> 00:26:29,900 of them. 499 00:26:29,940 --> 00:26:36,152 Okay, so I have Boaz, who's 8, Iva, who's 5, and Juniper, who is 500 00:26:36,276 --> 00:26:40,704 a year, almost a year and a half. Boaz is the typical oldest 501 00:26:40,752 --> 00:26:44,192 child. He's a rule follower. Like his Mommy. And he has a heart 502 00:26:44,216 --> 00:26:47,744 of gold. His teacher said that he is a friend to everyone. That 503 00:26:47,752 --> 00:26:51,856 was one of her main pieces of feedback she gave us in our parent 504 00:26:51,888 --> 00:26:57,392 teacher conference. Iva is like a ray of sunshine. She is on 505 00:26:57,416 --> 00:27:00,576 the go all the time and wanting to do some sort of activity 506 00:27:00,608 --> 00:27:04,448 all the time. I mean, making things out of materials you wouldn't 507 00:27:04,464 --> 00:27:09,360 even think could really amount to anything. That's her superpower. 508 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,672 And then Juniper, who's the caboose? We're not having any more, 509 00:27:12,856 --> 00:27:16,736 if I have anything to say about it. And I never say never anymore, 510 00:27:16,768 --> 00:27:19,472 because Ross became a pastor like you said. So I don't want to 511 00:27:19,496 --> 00:27:23,568 tempt fate here, but most likely, she will be the last child 512 00:27:23,624 --> 00:27:27,872 of ours. She has really just been. It's been such a joy. She is 513 00:27:27,896 --> 00:27:32,750 so funny and just so cute, and it just tickles us every day getting 514 00:27:32,790 --> 00:27:36,254 to watch her. I mean, all four of us, because the kids are older. 515 00:27:36,302 --> 00:27:39,278 She was born when I was four and a half, so we just all. She's 516 00:27:39,294 --> 00:27:42,450 like the little princess that we just do whatever she wants, basically. 517 00:27:43,030 --> 00:27:45,326 She's awesome. And I still don't know how you get that top knot 518 00:27:45,358 --> 00:27:48,686 thing working on her hair there. And here you are, you're raising 519 00:27:48,718 --> 00:27:51,070 a family. You're planting the church. You're doing all the things 520 00:27:51,110 --> 00:27:53,854 here. Tell us about Ross. Tell us whatever you want to tell us about 521 00:27:53,862 --> 00:27:55,998 Ross. Good, bad, ugly, anything but any. 522 00:27:56,134 --> 00:27:59,070 So I remember when I was in high school before, I had really 523 00:27:59,110 --> 00:28:01,962 had serious relationships, because I wasn't really that kind 524 00:28:01,986 --> 00:28:05,322 of person that had a lot of serious relationships and. Or any 525 00:28:05,346 --> 00:28:08,634 kind of relationship, just to make that clear. I was very independent. 526 00:28:08,682 --> 00:28:10,698 That's a better way of putting it. I didn't really need anybody 527 00:28:10,714 --> 00:28:13,386 else. I remember telling myself that I wanted to find somebody 528 00:28:13,418 --> 00:28:16,762 that was genuinely a kind person. Like, that was kind of like 529 00:28:16,786 --> 00:28:21,562 the number one attribute that I wanted in a partner. And Ross is 530 00:28:21,746 --> 00:28:28,460 one of the most genuinely kind, empathetic people that I have 531 00:28:28,500 --> 00:28:32,412 ever been around. I mean, he has people. You know, we all have 532 00:28:32,436 --> 00:28:36,092 people in our lives who have, like, done something to us and, you 533 00:28:36,116 --> 00:28:39,132 know, that you feel victimized by. I feel more victimized on his 534 00:28:39,156 --> 00:28:43,052 behalf than he ever does on his own behalf. He just gives people 535 00:28:43,156 --> 00:28:47,676 so much grace. Amir. I mean, it's truly, really wonderful to watch. 536 00:28:47,748 --> 00:28:49,852 Well, just one last thing, and that is just. Is there anything. 537 00:28:49,916 --> 00:28:52,700 Just any word of encouragement or anything else you'd like to share 538 00:28:52,740 --> 00:28:54,080 with the Heaven Earth Church? 539 00:28:54,530 --> 00:28:56,618 I mean, if it's the Heaven Earth Church community, we're happy 540 00:28:56,634 --> 00:28:59,402 to have you here. And if it's anybody else who's not part of the 541 00:28:59,426 --> 00:29:02,870 church, just I hope what I've talked about today makes you feel 542 00:29:03,170 --> 00:29:06,698 welcomed and makes you feel like a child of God, because that's 543 00:29:06,714 --> 00:29:07,130 important. 544 00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:10,826 Well, thank you. Our guest today on Heaven Earth Church podcast, 545 00:29:11,018 --> 00:29:14,394 Angela Stackhouse. We thank you for joining us here on this podcast, 546 00:29:14,442 --> 00:29:17,514 which is all about a church that's looking to make a lasting 547 00:29:17,562 --> 00:29:19,376 impact in our community. 548 00:29:19,498 --> 00:29:20,360 Thanks, Brad. 549 00:29:22,140 --> 00:29:25,252 We want to thank you for spending time with us today. My name 550 00:29:25,276 --> 00:29:29,220 is Ross Stackhouse, the pastor to Heaven Earth Church. And you may 551 00:29:29,260 --> 00:29:32,228 think out there that your story is over, but in fact, your 552 00:29:32,284 --> 00:29:36,404 faith story may just be beginning. If you want more information 553 00:29:36,492 --> 00:29:39,172 about our church or you're interested in the next step, you 554 00:29:39,196 --> 00:29:43,268 can go to heavenorthchurch.org Otherwise, we look forward to being 555 00:29:43,324 --> 00:29:46,090 with you next time at the Heaven Earth Church Podcast.