Welcome to the first episode of our mini-season!
Stories from Quarantine is a mini-season of Stories from South Place. About two weeks in to the launch of the first season of my podcast, everything that we knew and thought to be true about the way our country, states, and cities operated completely changed. We were told to socially distance ourselves from others, to stay home, and to shelter in place. Businesses began being deemed “essential” or “non-essential”. Schools closed indefinitely, and then went to e-learning platforms. Millions of people quickly learned how to work remotely. Zoom became our best friend and biggest ally. Loved ones got sick. There was a giant run on toilet paper and other household items begun getting restricted so people didn’t hoard too much of any one thing. Restaurants moved to curbside and to-go options only. Parks had caution tape wrapped around them. Grocery stores put down tape indicating a 6-foot distance so we wouldn’t get too close. People lost their jobs. Remote testing sights began popping up around cities. Doors to churches closed and locked, for how long, we can’t be sure. The world as we knew it changed. It slowed down. It became tragic in many ways. And we all continue to hold our breath for this new normal.
Our little family has been self-quarantined in our home, the South Place, since March 16, 2020. We have left to get curbside food. Jason has gone to the grocery store a few times. We’ve gone for rides and walks around our neighborhood. Jason has had to go into his office a few times. But for the most part, we’ve stayed home with our 3.5-year-old, Brighten, and our 15-month-old, Grady. Like many others, we miss our friends. We miss our family. We miss their preschool. We miss work. We miss the park. We miss the gym. We miss so many things that seem normal, but are not anymore.
As the first season of my podcast came to a close, I began to think about what was next. My plan was to have a second season this summer that would be stories of makers — people who create art, accessories, technology, food, films, photos, and more. I wanted to showcase incredible small businesses who are almost as interesting as their owners, the creators behind the businesses themselves.
And I still plan to do that. But for now, as long as we’re living this quarantine life, I want to bring you stories of people who are seeing the world a little bit (or a lot) differently because of how our world has abruptly changed. We’ve all been impacted by this, that’s one thing that is for sure, and I think it’s important to share our stories with one another. Storytelling makes us better neighbors, humans, and citizens because it allows us to able to empathize with people who are in a different circumstance than our own.
So, with all of that being said, this is Stories from Quarantine!
Episode 1 — Julia & Ian’s Story :: Life in Ministry of a Large, Multi-Campus Church
In our first episode of Stories from Quarantine, Jason and I are joined by my sister, Julia, and her husband, Ian. Julia and Ian are both on staff at a large, multi-campus church. They were at different campuses, but the essentially have the same job — just for different age groups. Ian works with the high school ministry and Julia works with the preschool ministry.
They both work hard with their volunteers on a daily basis to prepare for Sundays, but when all of a Sunday, Sunday morning church looks completely different, they’ve had to adapt in ways they could have never imagined.
I’m so thankful for Julia and Ian and them sharing their heart for ministry during this time. They are truly a light in their community, and I know everyone they serve is blessed by them.
I would love to hear your feedback! Say hi through a DM or email!
Since this is a BRAND NEW podcast, I would LOVE for you to give us a rating in iTunes to help people find the podcast! You're my personal marketing team -- so go rate it today!
Also, as I work to monetize my podcast, I want to be sure to create a culture of generosity. Because we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic right now, I am going to give 50% of all proceeds earned in March and April from the podcast, either by donations or sponsorships, to Feeding America. Use the link below or email me to become a sponsor!
A big thank you to our sponsor, Anchor, for the episode - be sure to check it out!
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