Have you heard about Thread?
Thread is an exciting new podcast about finding our place in God’s story. Co-hosts Dr. David Pocta and Hannah DeSouza guide listeners on a journey through the Bible, exploring how the biblical narrative can transform and inspire us to live a life of fullness in Christ.
Over the next three years we have an ambitious plan to cover:
- Year 1: YHWH and the People – Old Testament
- Year 2: Jesus and the People – Gospels
- Year 3: The Spirit and the Church – Acts through Revelation
Story and spirituality
There have been popular podcasts recently that have made similar journeys from Genesis to Revelation but the approach of Thread is unique. We’ll look at the Biblical narrative through the lenses of story and spirituality. Stories are central to our lives. Whether we read them in books or watch them on screens, we are wired for story. And there is no story more grand than God’s. Spirituality in many ways compliments theology. Where theology is what we know about God, spirituality is how we live for God. Together, the lenses of story and spirituality provide deep teaching and practical direction for our lives as Christians. While we are open to reaching a wide audience, this podcast and its resources (see below) have been built for our amazing fellowship of churches.
The first episodes dropped in September and have received great reviews:
“Amazing episode. Certainly surfaced aspects of what I believed and taught, that perhaps I need to revisit. I also love the idea of looking at these texts from what Dave refers to as the meta-narrative. Changes how I look at these texts.”
Melanie S.
“Outstanding podcast! Great job Dave and Hannah! The power of Story is how humans have oriented ourselves across cultures and centuries. God made us and he is the Master Storyteller! Beautifully done guys! Thank you!”
Henri F.
Now that we’ve officially launched, you can get started on your own journey with Thread today at ThreadPodcast.org.
Thread is so much more than a podcast!
If you listen to the end of any episode, you’ll hear Hannah say, “We’re more than a podcast.” In addition to the great content on the podcast we’ve built a world class app for disciples to integrate story and spirituality into their lives, and a web portal for ministry leaders who want to immerse their churches in each week’s topic as they preach with the podcast. All of this is provided by the Disciples Center for Education and its generous supporters with the hope of building spiritually mature ministries and reaching the next generation with the gospel.
The Thread Podcast App
On the app you’ll find a video podcast player, a Bible and a notebook. As well as these resources that coincide with each week’s episode: daily devotionals (Daily Thread), a family devotional, conversation starters for spouses, parents, and teens, and a scalable small group/midweek/Bible Talk lesson. All of this is conveniently accessible through the app in each disciple’s purse or pocket. And we’re making the app even better all the time.
Download the app today and check out the features of our first series for free.
The Thread Leadership Portal
We’ve made resources to help your whole church journey through the Bible together and it might just change the way we envision church. Along with the resources that each individual gets in the app, we’ve created a suite or resources that leaders can access to immerse their church in each week’s topic. Not just the adults! But every soul including the children and teens. Here are some of the resources that come with each era/series of Thread (four to eight weeks each):
- Leadership Devotionals to take the topic to heart before it’s taught
- Sermon Starters that flow with each topic
- A full Kid’s Church and Teen lesson built around each week’s topic (full curriculum coming soon – so cool!)
- Suggested scriptures and ideas to tie the topic into welcome, communion, and worship
- A full graphics suite – slideshows, social media, trailer videos for each series
- Leaders can even send push notifications to members through the App!
Re-imagining church with Thread
Consider the combined result of all of these resources for yourself or a family in your church. Before Sunday even arrives, they’ve already listened to the podcast episode so they are more engaged in the sermon. The welcome, communion message, and worship are tied into the topic. The sermon is crafted for the specific needs of the church but based on the topic of the week. And the children (K-12) are learning an age-appropriate and exciting lesson on the same topic! No more disjointed kid’s church curriculums. The ride home from church is transformed: the whole family can discuss what they’ve learned with joy and ease.
Opportunities for spiritual growth and engagement continue long after Sunday morning. Families and individuals can use the app to have daily devotionals that compliment the sermon. They can access a Family Devotional (and a parenting lesson) to use during the week. As well as Conversation Starters to bring God into the life of the family before the kids get on the bus or at the dinner table. Even midweeks or small groups are tied in with content from the app. There are so many opportunities to train and raise up new leadership with this content and approach. Unity is effortlessly built when members are literally on the same page with daily devotionals.
Pricing
We deeply desire that individuals and churches would use this content so we’ve made the pricing upside down. Any individual, anywhere in the world can pay $4.99/month for full access to all the content on the app. But, if a church decides to purchase app access for its members we also include all of the leadership resources, push notifications, and collaboration meetings with other Thread ministries for only $3.99/member/mo. Churches small and large, like the Canadian Family of Churches, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth have already decided to go all in. Click here to get your ministry started.
Tying (Threading) it all together
It’s not an exaggeration to say that this combination of podcast teaching, resources for church leaders, and content for individual disciples and families exists nowhere else. To meet the needs of our international fellowship, the content on the app is already being made available in English, French, and Spanish with one click in each user’s profile. And we’re able to add more languages as needed.
We’re so excited to bring Thread to our family of churches! Start the journey today at www.ThreadPodcast.org.
