music

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EPISODE 56

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EPISODE 56

The State of Church, Race, Music & Economics w/ Robby Valderrama

“I have always believed that the music of the church has the power to shape the message of the church.” Robby Valderrama

Three years after the start of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear our host Robby Valderrama share brand-new data along with his one-of-a-kind insight on where the American church is, and where it might be headed.

On this episode, hear Robby discuss:
• How economic policies are affecting the local church, and what to do about it
• Exclusive data and inside analysis on today’s worship music industry
• The future of the Praise Hands Podcast

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EPISODE 55

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EPISODE 55

Bridging The Academic, Musical, And Pastoral w/ Glenn Packiam

“People sometimes have strong criticisms of contemporary worship without actually knowing it.” - Glenn Packiam

Glenn Packiam is a songwriter, a theologian, and an Anglican priest pastoring at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. His recent books Worship And The World To Come and The Resilient Pastor are helpful and hopeful guides for Christian leaders who are navigating leadership in our current global health crisis.

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Glenn talk through:
• His experience as a Malaysian-American in the worship music industry
• Three Congregational Worship paradigms that shape Sunday mornings
• Key takeaways from his research on congregational worship

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EPISODE 54

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EPISODE 54

“Reparations: A Christian Call For Repentance And Repair” w/ Duke Kwon & Gregory Thompson

“We are not establishing some new morality that is an over-realized understanding of heaven on earth. Reparations are love of neighbor.” - Duke Kwon

Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair is a brand new book from Pastor Duke Kwon and cultural educator Gregory Thompson that’s sending shockwaves through the American church. On this timely and hotly debated topic of reparations to the African American community, Kwon and Thompson use theology and history to argue that the church has a unique moral responsibility to repair our nation’s original sin.

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Duke and Gregory talk through:
• Frameworks for understanding racism, white supremacy, and reparations
• The church’s crucial role in developing America’s racial caste system
• How Christian creatives can use their repentant imaginations to create change

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EPISODE 52

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EPISODE 52

“The Deeply Formed Life” w/ Rich Villodas

“There is a mysticism to life with God. If we believe that God is present with us, how can there not be?” Rich Villodas

Some of the most ancient practices of the church, like contemplation and silence, still have much to teach us in our always-on, always-connected world. In his book, The Deeply Formed Life, pastor and author Rich Villodas shares personal insight on how spiritual union with Christ can fuel a life of justice.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Rich and Robby discuss:
• How Christian meditation differs from other mindfulness practices
• The role that silence can play in our corporate worship experiences
• The challenges in building authentically multicultural churches

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EPISODE 51

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EPISODE 51

“Building A Community of Multicultural Worship” w/ Josh Davis and Jaewoo Kim

“The beauty of God is not limited to our culture. Are we willing to create space?” - Jaewoo Kim

Josh Davis and Jaewoo Kim from Proskuneo Ministries and their families moved to Clarkston, Georgia, one of the most diverse square miles in the entire United States. On their street, they live, work, homeschool their kids together, and co-lead a vibrant multicultural worshipping community.

On this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast featuring co-host McKenzie Abbott, Josh and Jaewoo share:
• How to cultivate a worshipping community vs simply creating worship experiences
• The cultural challenges immigrants face in American churches
• What John’s visions in Revelation can teach us about multicultural worship

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EPISODE 50

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EPISODE 50

“Praise Hands Podcast 50th Episode Party!” w/ Jackie The Educator, Barna Group’s Brooke Hempell, and more!

In honor of our 50th Episode, Robby chatted with past guests Jackie The Educator, DJ Chuang, Patrick Chappell, Lex The Advocate, Brooke Hempell, and Ricky Ortiz on a fun and laid-back Praise Hands Podcast 50th Episode Zoom Party, including a quick appearance from Robby’s wife Bria Jean Valderrama. Watch the Zoom on YouTube, or hear audio-only on your podcast app of choice.

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Episode 45

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Episode 45

“Worship, Discipleship, and Holy Spirituality” w/ Dr. Emmett Price

“In the American church, we conflate worship and music… *everything* that we do should bring glory to God as our living worship.”

Dr. Emmett Price III is a leading expert on African American Music, Christian Worship and the Black Christian Experience, and leads the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

In this interview on the Praise Hands Podcast, Dr. Price switches seamlessly between his academic, pastoral, and musical hats, addressing the following:
• What Our Educational Models Can Learn From Jesus
• The Redemptive Song of Black America
• The Church’s Responsibility To Lead Cross-Culturally

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Episode 44

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Episode 44

“Jesus, Justice, and America” w/ Shane Claiborne

“What would it look like for love, not fear, to shape our policies?”

As an activist, author, and speaker, Shane Claiborne has shaped a generation’s view of Jesus and social change. His radical activism has led him to Iraq and Afghanistan (for anti-war efforts), jail (for homeless advocacy), Calcutta (for work with Mother Teresa), and to Washington DC, where today’s interview took place a few steps from The White House.

In this episode highlighting the 2020 Presidential Election, Shane shares:
• Why the death penalty is incompatible with Christian teaching
• How the American church has neglected the teachings of Jesus
• How restorative justice and forgiveness can fix the US prison system

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EPISODE 32

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EPISODE 32

“The Nashville Tornado and Black Ownership” w/ Derek Minor

“Are you going to chase the dollar, or are you going to help preserve a community?” - Derek Minor

Nashville-based Derek Minor is a rapper, producer, and entrepreneur whose initiative “Ownership is the New Black” works to develop the next generation of Black owners. In light of the recent Nashville tornado, Derek and Robby talk about how racially-discriminatory government policies have made the Black community particularly vulnerable to displacement through natural disasters and gentrification.

In this episode of the Praise Hands Podcast, hear Derek talk about:
• How to shift from “consumer power to ownership power”
• How Christian music and social justice can co-exist
• The tragic ending of the “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa, Oklahoma

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EPISODE 31

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EPISODE 31

“The Christian Entrepreneur” w/ Brock Shinen

“It shocks me that every Christian on the planet doesn’t see themselves as a cultural translator.” Brock Shinen

As an in-demand lawyer and consultant in the worship music industry, Brock Shinen understands the complex and sometimes messy relationship between churches, creatives, and business.

In this third episode of the Praise Hands Podcast series “Can I Trust The Church?”, Brock shares from his new book “The Christian Entrepreneur”, touching on the following topics:
• The dangers of separating faith and business
• What it means to be a “cultural translator”
• “Win-win” relationships between churches and creatives