Amateur Activist with Isabela Herrera

This week the Amateur Activist is joined by David Hayward, better known as NakedPastor. David is a pastor turned full time artist who paints, draws, and fosters a community around the journey of deconstruction, self-discovery, and spirituality. In this episode David and Isabela talk about why he left traditional ministry 12 years ago, why he believes deconstruction is a way of life, the purpose of reconstruction, and so much more. This is an episode for everyone and we hope you enjoy it! You can connect with David on any social media platform under @NakedPastor or at his website, https://nakedpastor.com/ David has a new book out called Flip It Like This which you can buy, here We are wrapping up our first season of Amateur Activist and we would love to connect with and hear from you! If you enjoy the show and episodes, could you take a moment to rate and review the podcast on your platform of choice. This helps new listeners find us.  You can connect with Amateur Activist here or with Isabela here

This week Isabela gets comfortable and honest and answers your questions.

This week the Amateur Activist is joined by Jessica Denise Dickson - enneagram guide, anti-racism educator, and embodiment coach. The Enneagram is an ancient spiritual tool to better understand ourselves and others. If you're unsure what the Enneagram is or want a deep dive into the nine types, Jessica has done a phenomenal episode here on Lady Preacher Podcast. In this episode, however, Jessica talks about how the enneagram is used in anti-racism work and why it's a relevant tool. Strap in and get ready to learn so so much! More about Jessica Denise Dickson: Jessica has a Master's degree in Counseling, a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and a career counselling certificate. She has utilised the Enneagram since 2013 and has 15 years of experience in diversity training and education.  You can find her on Instagram: @JessicaDDickson @JessicaDDicksonCoaching You can sign up for her workshops here:

This week the Amateur Activist is joined by Kevin Nye - author, advocate, father, husband, and a massive fan of Spider-man. Kevin recently released his first book Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness, where he unites the various sides of who he is - a Christian, a minister, and someone working in homeless services. In his book, Kevin uses his experience with the unhoused to demystify and humanise an epidemic that often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and numb. In this episode, Isabela gets the opportunity to talk to Kevin about his book.  You can purchase the book here: https://kevinmnye.com/grace-can-lead-us-home-book/ You can find Kevin on Instagram or Twitter @kevinmnye1

This week Isabela is joined by Elise Nesper. Elise has completed her Bachelor of Theology majoring in Biblical Studies with a language specialisation. She has also completed her Masters of Theology majoring in Biblical Studies with her thesis on the Gospel of John. Earlier in 2022, Elise created Speakeasy Theology, an online sacred and silly place for the thoughts that almost feel like blasphemy. In this "sacred and silly place" Elise has facilitated really interesting conversation while also poking at traditional thought. Elise and Isabela get together this week to talk about the top topics their followers wanted to hear an episode about - purity culture and the future of the church. Elise utilises her experience and knowledge of biblical study to explain how "purity" functions in the Old and New Testament within its context. They also share their personal thoughts on what the church could look like going forward and what it looks like in their lives.

Happy Pride Month! We're continuing our celebration of Pride into August with our third and final episode of our Pride Month series. In this episode, you get to meet Father Shannon TL Kearns and Brian G. Murphy, the two halves of QueerTheology.com. Fr Shay is a transgender man who is a playwright, an Artistic Director, a speaker, a priest, and a theologian. Brian is an activist and certified relationship coach. They have worked within the activism space for the last decade, specifically the area of social justice and faith-based activism. Isabela, Shay and Brian look at their work on QueerTheology.com and discuss the gap that Shay and Brian identified in the intersection between faith and queerness. They also discuss how QueerTheology.com and the content they create has helped fill that gap over the last ten years.  You can connect with: Fr Shay on Instagram @ShannonTLKearns Brian on Instagram @ThisIsBGM Their work on Instagram @QueerTheology or at QueerTheology.com You can order Fr Shay's new book "In the Margins: A Transgender Man's Journey with Scripture" here: https://www.queertheology.com/in-the-margins/

Happy Pride Month! We're continuing our celebration of Pride into July with episode two of our Pride series. In this episode, you get to meet Bren. Bren is a writer and actor who is incredibly musical and creative. Isabela asks Bren a little about their story and journey to coming out and realising what they identify with under the umbrella term "queer." They briefly discuss the intersectionality of Bren's three main identifiers - queer, Christian, and neurodivergent.  

It's the 1st anniversary of Amateur Activist and to celebrate, Isabela recorded and released a bonus episode. In this episode, the roles are reversed. Isabela is now the guest of her own podcast while Jeremiah (one of Isabela's best mates) interviews her and asks her 56 questions. Sit back, relax, laugh, and maybe gather some friends and give it a go answering these questions.  Credit for the questions: https://thoughtcatalog.com/molly-burford/2017/10/56-deep-questions-to-ask-yourself-in-your-20s-to-help-you-find-out-who-you-really-are/ Credit for the podcast idea: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4zVun7KiUlwpIDNr2b38l5?si=Ddj-H-VfRg2iRlp80yAxlw

Happy Pride Month!! We are doing a mini Pride series that will elevate the experiences and voices of queer folks over 4 episodes. This is the first episode and the Amateur Activist is joined by Karen Pack and Steff Fenton. Isabela met Karen and Steff while checking out New City Church, which they co-pastor with Joel Hollier in Glebe, NSW. In this episode, Karen and Steff share their stories and offer insight into what Pride means to them. Isabela asks why queer theology and queer churches are not only important but necessary. 

This week the Amateur Activist is joined with friend and foster carer, Paige Copp. Paige is a 23 year old full time mom living in New Castle, Australia. Paige and Isabela continue the mini series on foster care and talk about Paige's journey and call to become a carer, dispelling myths about being a young, single mom, and share some insight on how important and vital community is to foster carers.  You can find Paige on Instagram: @whole_motherhood We love hearing from you so if you want to reach out, send us a message @amateuractivistpod or @belagiirrll.