Podcast
Sunspots
Hosted by Synod of the Sun PC(USA) · EN
Sunspots are highlights of the many ministries and missions happening on the surface of the Sun – That is, the Synod of the Sun. A region of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with ALOT of dynamic and hopeful ministry happening in the name of Jesus Christ. We are Presbyterians in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Sunspots can be anything from small congregational ministries, regional networks to international missions. They are caused by the interactions with the Holy Spirit. Like the cap on a soda bottle: shake it up, and you can generate a big eruption! Sunspots occur over the 11 presbyteries in the synod with intense Holy Spirit activity, and when that energy is released, solar flares and big impact can erupt from Sunspots. We pray that you will find inspiration, resources, community and connection in the Sun.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Synod Youth Workshop
4w ago00:11:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Sunspots, Mary Megan Schnittger, Director of Youth Ministry at Northwoods Presbyterian Church In Houston and Travis Dunmire, 2026 Synod Youth Workshop Planning Team member, share their experiences with Synod Youth Workshop, the beloved summer youth event held at the University of Tulsa. Together, they reflect on the life-changing impact of small groups, youth-led worship, lifelong friendships, and the joyful spirit that makes SYW feel like “a little slice of heaven.” Travis also gives listeners an inside look at serving on this year’s Planning Team, helping shape the camp’s Star Wars-inspired theme, “May the Lord Be With You,” while discussing how the conference has deepened his faith and leadership journey.
Transcribe →CLEAR, part 2
Feb 301:05:00Tap to summarizeWhat does it look like to “love your neighbors” in the immigrant community here in our Synod? Listen in as Kristy Rodgers visits with community organizers, Sandra Avalos Araiza and Angee Andrade, as well as Rev. George Mason and Commissioned Pastor Armel Crocker about the ongoing efforts to support the immigrant community at the ICE facility in Dallas. There are also things you can do to prepare your congregation and community to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ facing fearful and challenging times.Please also check out the links for more helpful information!@lacolectivantx on Instagram - Grassroots community organizing providing collective care & on-the-ground mutual-aid for families separated by ICE at the Dallas field office. https://www.instagram.com/lacolectivantxhttps://givebutter.com/dtxbridge - Funding that will support community members in need of financial assistance for immediate needs after separation from ICE at local Field Office.https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/O7B6E6Y/ - Field office support to feed those who show up to their appointments without having had any breakfast. A quick bite to stabilize blood sugar has made a huge difference to folks. However, many of the volunteers don't have the time or resources to show up each morning with food for everyone. This is how you can help us out!https://tinyurl.com/25c8zkd9 - Dallas Respite Center Interest Formhttps://www.cleardfw.orghttps://faithcommons.orghttps://afsc.org
Transcribe →CLEAR
Jan 3000:15:56Tap to summarizeMinistry for our immigrant neighbors is happening in North Texas and you can help! Listen in for an invitation from Armel Crocker to join an ongoing interfaith effort at the Dallas ICE facility, and keep your eyes open for a broader conversation coming soon!Ways You Can Help Our Immigrant Neighbors in Dallas: https://tinyurl.com/39ps7kkaCLEAR DFW Website: https://www.cleardfw.org/
Transcribe →Take Courage
Nov 1700:19:31Tap to summarizeLibby Janes views her role as SPDR Director as a call to ministry. When she preaches, she hopes to meet people where they are, hold communities' experiences of grief with gentleness, and point to the presence of God with us, through every moment of our lives.This sermon "Take Courage" on Haggai 1:15b-2:9 tells the story of the people of Jerusalem, who have returned from exile in Babylon 18 years before. The people are encouraged by God through the prophet Haggai to take courage, and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, for God is already with them.Presented at First Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX on November 9, 2025
Transcribe →Introducing Libby
Nov 1700:29:39Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Sunspots, we talk with Libby Janes, the new Director of the Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery. We find out about her deep roots in the Presbyterian Church, her background in social work and ministry, and her experiences ranging from youth mission trips to serving as a cardiology social worker in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Libby shares how these diverse experiences shaped her call to ministry and led her to this role, which blends her passions for social work, service, and faith. She also talks about her personal life—her husband Jesse, their love of camping and board games, and her path toward ordination.
Transcribe →Town Square Collaborative
Sep 1900:49:59Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Sunspots, Kathy Lee Cornell interview Rev. Philip Blackburn about his work with the Town Square Collaborative, a program at the University of the Ozarks that supports rural congregations, pastors, and communities. Blackburn shares his journey from urban ministry to focusing on rural churches, highlighting the isolation these congregations often feel and the lack of tailored resources for them. Funded through multiple Lilly Endowment grants, the Collaborative provides training, support, and community for rural leaders, emphasizing flexibility, local context, and empowering ruling elders who often fill pastoral roles. They stress that rural churches, though small and under-resourced, are vital community anchors with unique potential to address justice issues like healthcare, food insecurity, and social services. The conversation celebrates creative, small-scale ministries, encourages partnerships with larger churches and nonprofits, and points toward ongoing efforts like the Rural Ideas Conference to build networks, share resources, and strengthen rural ministry.Find the Town Square Collaborative website at: https://townsquareco.org
Transcribe →Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration, Synod of the Sun, and You – Conversation with Marta Pumroy and Kristy Rodgers
Aug 2800:31:36Tap to summarizeEpisode 5 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger seriesImmigration affects ALL of us: our individual and communal histories, as well as our current realities. Scripture is clear on our responsibilities to welcome the stranger(s) because we have all been strangers. In this final episode of this series, Rev. Marta Pumroy and Kristy Rodgers talk about what’s happening at the border now and what we, as individuals and communities of faith can do to bring the truth and love of God into both the narrative and our actions. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4DR on their website at N4DR.org.Tres Rios Border Foundation, affiliated with Tres Rios Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a nonprofit organization based in El Paso, Texas—just feet from the U.S.–Mexico border. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and connect congregations “on both sides” of the border and beyond, fostering narrative change, systems change, and personal transformation around immigration and migration. Find out more at https://www.tresriosborderfoundation.org/homeAn additional resource from the organization Women of Welcome entitled Using Your Voice: For Our Immigrant Neighborcan be found by CLICKING HERE. Women of Welcome is the group that provided the framework for the Soul Training study, “What the Bible Says About Immigration” conducted with members from throughout the Synod last Spring. Look for the ‘Bartlesville Immigration Bible Study’ episode of this podcast.
Transcribe →Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration, Synod of the Sun, and You - Interview with Allison Mundy
Aug 2100:19:27Tap to summarizeEpisode 4 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger seriesAs a student at Lyon College, Allison Mundy went to El Paso for a Border Encounter as part of the Synod’s Imagine event in 2019. A few years later, as she prepared to graduate from Med school, Allison talked with Kristy Rodgers about that experience and the ways it has shaped her life and ministry since. Be encouraged and inspired! This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4DR on their website at N4DR.org.Tres Rios Border Foundation, affiliated with Tres Rios Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a nonprofit organization based in El Paso, Texas—just feet from the U.S.–Mexico border. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and connect congregations “on both sides” of the border and beyond, fostering narrative change, systems change, and personal transformation around immigration and migration. Find out more at https://www.tresriosborderfoundation.org/homeAn additional resource from the organization Women of Welcome entitled Using Your Voice: For Our Immigrant Neighborcan be found by CLICKING HERE. Women of Welcome is the group that provided the framework for the Soul Training study, “What the Bible Says About Immigration” conducted with members from throughout the Synod last Spring. Look for the ‘Bartlesville Immigration Bible Study’ episode of this podcast.
Transcribe →Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration, Synod of the Sun, and You - Interview with Presbytery Executives
Aug 1400:37:48Tap to summarizeEpisode 3 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger seriesThe largest part of the US-Mexico border (1254 miles) lies in the state of Texas. In this episode, Rev. Tim Blodgett, Rev. Lynne Hargrove, and Rev. Charlie Smith, presbytery leaders in our Synod, talk with Kristy Rodgers about their visits to the border and if/how immigration issues affect congregations and presbytery ministry in their areas. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4DR on their website at N4DR.org.Tres Rios Border Foundation, affiliated with Tres Rios Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a nonprofit organization based in El Paso, Texas—just feet from the U.S.–Mexico border. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and connect congregations “on both sides” of the border and beyond, fostering narrative change, systems change, and personal transformation around immigration and migration. Find out more at https://www.tresriosborderfoundation.org/homeAn additional resource from the organization Women of Welcome entitled Using Your Voice: For Our Immigrant Neighborcan be found by CLICKING HERE. Women of Welcome is the group that provided the framework for the Soul Training study, “What the Bible Says About Immigration” conducted with members from throughout the Synod last Spring. Look for the ‘Bartlesville Immigration Bible Study’ episode of this podcast.
Transcribe →Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration, Synod of the Sun, and You - Interview with Lynn Hargrove
Aug 700:27:09Tap to summarizeEpisode 2 of 5 in the Welcoming the Stranger seriesAs a young girl, Lynn Hargrove grew up in El Paso, Texas, long before she became the general presbyter for The Presbytery of New Covenant. Listen in on this conversation with Border Ministry Coordinator Marta Pumroy about what she remembers of the past as we compare it to the current situation on the US/Mexico border. This series was brought forward by the Synod Network for Dismantling Racism. You can learn more about N4DR on their website at N4DR.org.Tres Rios Border Foundation, affiliated with Tres Rios Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a nonprofit organization based in El Paso, Texas—just feet from the U.S.–Mexico border. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and connect congregations “on both sides” of the border and beyond, fostering narrative change, systems change, and personal transformation around immigration and migration. Find out more at https://www.tresriosborderfoundation.org/homeAn additional resource from the organization Women of Welcome entitled Using Your Voice: For Our Immigrant Neighborcan be found by CLICKING HERE. Women of Welcome is the group that provided the framework for the Soul Training study, “What the Bible Says About Immigration” conducted with members from throughout the Synod last Spring. Look for the ‘Bartlesville Immigration Bible Study’ episode of this podcast. Find out about the Dallas Women of Welcome Proximity Event on Thursday, August 14 at Preston Trail Community Church by CLICKING HERE.
Transcribe →