Reality LA Podcast: The Drop In

Reality LA lay elder and President and CEO of R.T. Frankian Associates Jim Frankian drops in to discuss being a peacemaker in the workplace, trusting God in the wilderness of hard economic times, seeking God through prayer about how our jobs fulfill our divine cultural mandate, and the impact of a bottle of barbecue sauce.

Dominique Furukawa from We Foster LA drops in to discuss becoming a social worker, the invisibility of children in foster care, being a safe adult for kids around you, and being really bad at math. Contact We Foster LA at [email protected] or learn more at wefosterla.org.

Tyler Flynn and Raja Gonzalez drop in to discuss leaning into the fact that no one is comfortable 100% of the time in a truly multicultural space, the value of corporate lament and confession, and approaching healthy conflict over hard topics from a biblical perspective. If you would like to be first to know about the next round of multicultural conversations, please fill out the form at reality.la/mccinterest.

Pastor Jonathan Fitzgerald shares his story of coming to follow Jesus and talks about the process of forgiveness, building character through waiting, and supporting, not just the children in the foster care system, but their families as well.

Darryl is an advisor to our Multicultural Advisory Body (MAB), the lead pastor at Living Faith Bible Fellowship in Tampa, FL, and serves on the Leadership Council of The Gospel Coalition. He drops in to discuss contributing to the church through our talents, guiding his church from monocultural to multicultural, and Seattle's life-changing seafood. Check out his recent guest teaching at Reality LA: reality.la/gracedance, on Psalm 81.

Lindsay C and Ian Mackley drop in to chat about the uniqueness of Christian friendship, staying through tough times, experiencing God's care and healing through friendship, and the friend-making power of matcha boba.

Our Director of Missions and Mercy, Kevin Weiner, drops in to chat about Royal Family KIDS Camp (RFKC), our annual summer camp for children involved in the foster care system; our yearlong mentorship program tied into the camp; dignity-driven care; and the long game of love. Want to know more about RFKC? Email [email protected].

Dr. Crawford Loritts drops in to share some wisdom on humility, on the cautions of success, about staying focused when experiencing the favor of God, for young leaders, and regarding how to engage with culture out of our identity in Christ. Check out his recent guest teaching at Reality LA: reality.la/anatomyofpressure, on Psalm 55.

Michael and Nathan welcome Reality LA congregants Amri Rigby and Bonnie Staub for a discussion about Multicultural Conversations, the loving posture of listening, mourning the loss of cultural identity, full restoration in the new creation, and the unusual appeal of lemon ice cream. This year's Multicultural Conversations start the week of September 10. Visit reality.la/mcc for details.

Our Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Jeremy Treat, drops in to discuss our new sermon series, understanding different genres of Scripture, how the Bible awakens our imaginations, and his run-ins with moose (yes, that's the correct plural!) in Alaska.

Christian is the Lead Pastor of our sister church, Reality Stockton. In this episode he drops in to share the moment he realized he didn't know what the grace of God was, responding to God's call to Stockton, encouragement for our church, and how a live recording of The Tyra Banks Show helped save his marriage. Check out his recent guest teaching at Reality LA: A Call to Worship, on Psalm 96.

During Nathan's temporary absence, we're thrilled to have Laney stepping in to cohost our show. Get to know her with this mini-episode covering her role in the life of our church, actors versus AI, and why you should ask for her thoughts on aliens the next time you see her on a Sunday.

Michael and Nathan are joined by Reality LA Executive Director Milla Nieminen for a wide-ranging conversation covering How to measure and define success in a church, How living and working in Finland, Singapore, Paris, London, Athens, Rome, Madrid, Costa Rica, Belgium, South Africa, New York, and Los Angeles (that's not even the complete list!) has shaped how she follows Jesus, And being willing to go wherever and to whomever he leads us.

Michael and Nathan welcome Chaundra Hitchens, Lead Director of Care and Community at Reality LA, to discuss creating safe spaces for healthy multicultural conversations in the church, showing up with our full selves, and the power of our life stories. If you're interested in joining this year's Multicultural Conversations, let us know at reality.la/mccinterest.

In this inaugural episode, we get to know our hosts, Michael and Nathan. Hear some of their backstories, like what it was like for Michael to grow up as a Korean American Christian and how Nathan moved to LA in a two-door '91 Chevy Cavalier (that broke down in Utah!) to become an actor. They also discuss being called to Los Angeles and the church and why a podcast like this can help you remember you are not alone, even in a big city like LA. Music by Alexander Hitchens

What is The Drop In? Why are we doing it? Nathan and Michael share the origin story and a brief preview of what we can expect from Reality LA's brand-new podcast.