The Meet Hope Podcast
The Meet Hope Podcast
100: The Meet Hope Podcast Celebrates 100 Episodes!
Join in with us as we CELEBRATE this week! The Meet Hope Podcast published it's 100th episode this week and we are so grateful to each and every one of you who listens and makes it possible to keep going! We gather six of HOPE's incredible staff to commemorate this milestone. They share the journey of the podcast, their favorite episode moments, and laugh a lot along the way. Don't miss out on celebrating with us! What has been your favorite episode? We'd love to know!
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.live! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
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Have we ever I think yeah, I do Good for you?
Speaker 3:All right, Of course you do no.
Speaker 5:I'm good, all right, are we?
Speaker 2:ready? I don't know, are we?
Speaker 1:I'm ready.
Speaker 4:Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 1:Hey, hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Meet Hope Podcast. My name is Rick and I'm happy to be hosting and today's a special episode. I'm here not with one guest, not with two guests, but with five friends of Hope, all on staff. We're happy to have Jeff here Hi, jeff. Hey and Jason, hello and Ashley, hi, heather and Amanda Sorry, I put you guys together. That was great, good work, good work. If you didn't know already, we're sharing microphones. This is a unique episode all of us together, and we're not in our traditional podcast room, so it may sound a little bit different. Ashley's working feverishly over there on the dials to make sure that we sound okay. So the reason we're all together is this is our 100th episode. Yeah, we're pretty excited about that. Who knew right, ashley? I remember you told us a stat that most podcasts never get past.
Speaker 7:How many episodes 10 episodes when we first did the research on this. It was like most podcasts don't last more than 10 episodes and most podcasts get about 22 downloads Like take out, like we think podcasts, we think like NPR and like those, really like big ones that everybody listens to, but like people that just start a podcast, like us, that's the stat. So I was like I remember telling Rick, if we get past 10 episodes, we've done it.
Speaker 1:Well, we have eclipsed that by quite a bit. So we're at about this will be our 100th episode. So we're going to do a little forward thinking but also a little bit of where we've been, what we've done and those kinds of things. And really one of the goals is we want to share the personality and the culture of Hope in this, and maybe it would be an episode that you might want to share with your friends, because we hope it's unique and fun and maybe introduce people to what we do here at Hope in some kind of way. So I want to ask some what about you? Questions for you guys. So, what's something, what's a highlight from your past year? Not necessarily podcast related, but what's a highlight from 2024, as the year has kind of come to a close around our fourth quarter, anybody have anything?
Speaker 6:I have a highlight. Uh, this is might seem a little random, but I was just telling Amanda this the other day that her son randomly texts me about his Transformers collection and I feel like we are fine, jess and I are finally making headway, where we're making connections beyond just Sunday nights, where kids are randomly texting us not just hey, when's youth group, but just things that are going on in their life, and that was a big highlight for me. It may seem stupid, but it actually was a really big highlight for me.
Speaker 1:That's cool. No, that's great. I've never gotten a text from Dom, so I feel like that is a big deal.
Speaker 5:I think for me, one of the things that has been so cool over the last, really the last few years, has been watching kids that I had as three four-year-olds in preschool, both at Tomorrow's Hope and in our Hope Kids program, now become leaders and teachers, right. So we have this influx now of young adults who are somewhere between 18 and 25, who we've literally watched grow up and I guess it's just been this past year over doing a couple of videos and watching them teach and be small group leaders. That I'm like wow, this is really a cool thing, Really a cool thing to watch.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's great. Yeah, I think one of the things that came to mind is the number of people over the last year who are new to Hope and are when somebody's brand new. They usually avoid me anyway. I don't know about the rest of you, but they're avoiding me.
Speaker 3:So, these are folks who have been coming out for, started online, then started coming in person and finally worked up the nerve to come and talk to me. And just the level of excitement that they're feeling about this place, the gratitude they're feeling for this place, talking about the growth that they're experiencing in their faith, and so the fact that this church is still doing that in people's lives, is that never gets old for me.
Speaker 1:That's great, yeah, yeah For me. Uh, just a quick personal one. Uh, kelly and I are in 2024. We um we began empty nesting. Um, that was, uh, that was a fun um transition for us and we're enjoying that.
Speaker 2:our our kids are all still around, but but now it it's.
Speaker 1:It's just the two of us and it's been fun. And then, uh, more current and hope related is uh, third tuesday. We just had our first third tuesday last month and that was amazing that was really fun and to hear people talk about how much they enjoyed it and looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:So yeah it's been, it's been good. So what do you? So what are you looking forward to in 2025? For me, would it would be the same thing a third Tuesday, looking forward to kind of getting its personality and getting its rhythm. Yeah, yeah, because people are still having questions about what it is and how do I invite a friend, and those kind of things. So excited about that. What about you guys? Something excited about coming forward.
Speaker 2:So I think I picked up a new hat in the past year, along with preschool but marriage and parenting and so I've been able to get to start to know more parents and older couples and people of all different ages, and so we had a parenting workshop this past year for the first time, and so I'm excited for momentum to continue to build in that ministry area as more parents are starting to come out, become more comfortable. It's really great to meet. There are so many people that have lots to offer wherever they are in their parenting journey, so I know the younger parents really value that too.
Speaker 5:Yes, I agree. I think it's been so fun to watch and watch people connect in that new way.
Speaker 7:Yeah, if anybody heard Bodhi groan on the background. Bodhi is also here with us, yeah.
Speaker 1:I did forgot. I forgot to mention that Bodhi is with us as well. He does not have his own microphone and he is not happy about it.
Speaker 3:He didn't get a bagel either.
Speaker 1:Hey, so what about? So we're going into our hundredth episode and, as I said, gosh, probably a hundred times now. But, ashley, why don't you give us a little bit of a like the briefest of history, of how we started, where we've been, those kinds of things?
Speaker 7:So we you mentioned that we started out, you know mobile, and we did only a couple episodes and it was kind of like we've released them every month, every other week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when we started it was every other week, right, and the first few, that's right. The first few were audio and video. Yeah, we were just trying to figure out like how do you do this podcast thing?
Speaker 7:And I remember saying to you well, what I've discovered is, if you know, we make it past 10 episodes. We're doing a good job, and so since then, we, so we've been going since the winter of 2022. We have had 7,736 downloads across 90, plus episodes as of today. So this is the 100th episode but we haven't. We're still releasing up until then. We range about 60 to 70 downloads an episode, and what's tricky is that we assume that there are more than that, but we only get to see when you download an episode.
Speaker 1:So a lot of people stream. I don't, I don't, I don't, yeah, I have my phone set up, not the download as well. So you're right. So I'm streaming mine.
Speaker 7:Yeah, okay, so if you really love us, you could download it to your phone and you can have it set up in your podcast app, where then, after you listen to it, it removes the download yeah um, but uh, 86 percent of our listeners listen on mobile, which is what I would assume.
Speaker 7:We have 67 followers, which is like a subscriber on Apple and Spotify, but that also doesn't include anyone who uses a different podcast player. For example, I use an app called pocket cast. A lot of people use other podcast players, so we assume that number is also slightly higher.
Speaker 1:I do follow. So, all right, I got, I get credit, yeah.
Speaker 7:And you don't need to follow, right, yeah, you don't need to. So people who follow are people that like it automatically probably downloads into your podcast player, so you're a real top tier listeners. So if you're a downloader and a follower, let us know. We'll send you a little prize. One way you can help us, help others get to know us more, is you can rate us on Apple Podcasts, because that bumps us up in their like search history and you can share it with a friend on your socials, or you can text it to somebody, or you can send them to meethopeorg slash podcast.
Speaker 7:However you want to share it, it's in our weekly email every week, so there's lots of ways to share it, and we try to do a variety of episodes so that it hits kind of all the different diverse components of our community, and so I have a couple of our top episodes I thought I would share which. The first one honestly we don't count in our stats because it is much higher than all the other ones, but it was, jeff, the episode that you did with Marilyn where you shared about an update on your eyesight, and it was when you were preparing to get Bodie Um, and it was it's skyrocketing.
Speaker 3:When you're involving a dog.
Speaker 7:Yeah, that's what I say about our social media too. Bodie's on there and everybody loves it.
Speaker 1:And is that episode number 11?
Speaker 7:Like episode number 11, like that was our 11th. So so that was, that was when we knew we were legit. We got through 10. So we brought out, we brought out Bodie the big hitter, Exactly, Congratulations. Here's yeah, Um. But after that some of our other popular episodes have been um number 76, which is what it means to be actively waiting, with Jeff on his retirement planning. Um number 81, how community makes a difference, with Frank and Christy Apello. Number 13, which was faith, and how our faith partners with our families, with Amanda and Lou Cavalieri, which I tell Amanda all the time. You guys are still hanging out in the top five, Congratulations.
Speaker 1:Except we do need to clarify that. We think Amanda tells us that Lou may be downloading this episode.
Speaker 2:He's downloading. Yes, he's a competitive guy. Because he wants to stay in the top five.
Speaker 5:He wants to stay in the top five.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, Lou, if you're listening, we know that you're doing that.
Speaker 3:Knock it off, Lou.
Speaker 7:And our fifth top five is faith and how our faith partners with our mental and emotional health. That I did with Jason's wife, Jess. So yeah, so you're on the board.
Speaker 1:Jason, next time we're going to bring Jess and not you.
Speaker 7:I should share that. Unfortunately, number six is Jason's staff interview.
Speaker 3:Good for you. Throw the guy a bone.
Speaker 7:And the thing that is cool is that almost all of our episodes continue to tick upward in downloads because they're available. For the rest, of time. And so usually what I see happen is, when one episode is downloaded, the ones like the two or three below it also go up, because someone listens and we assume that they listen to another one and another one. So it's neat to see them grow.
Speaker 1:You know what I think what's exciting about that is, for people who may not know, the start some of the things that happened at the beginning, when we first were doing this, which we kind of alluded to, is the first few were video, and when we did those, I remember the very first episode Jeff and I were talking about the let's Grow campaign and we thought we'd do it as a video and I was wearing a green and white checkered plaid shirt on a striped background and it looked horrible, like like it was like let's take that down, we don't want that on the internet, and uh, uh then. And then I remember we had for quite a few episodes actually, we were squeezed into your office, right.
Speaker 7:Yes, yeah, we had a table. It's actually the table is now in the lobby somewhere, but yeah, it was in my office. It was very tight.
Speaker 5:I don't know how you had another table in the office.
Speaker 7:Well. I didn't have my so, for those who may not know, I have a almost one year old, so I didn't have a baby at the time, because now it would not fit, because there is a pack and play in my office. It's already crowded.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 7:And I would set it up every time and yeah.
Speaker 1:But, but we're, we're committed to this, uh, committed to doing this. And so now we have a uh, a um, uh podcast studio. Uh, down the hallway. Uh, if you're ever looking, you'll see a sign there's even we're, we're very professional, we have a little recording red light outside of it so that you know not to interrupt us, and yeah, so we're excited, we're committed to this and it's great. Hey, why don't you guys? I asked you to think about what was one of your favorite episodes that you've hosted. We just talked about the top episodes, but what's a favorite one that you hosted?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I've loved interviewing Bruce Maine. Of course, bruce is the president of Urban Promise and those are always really interesting, but it's not my top. My top was I interviewed Pastor James Lee. James is the communications director for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, and so you know we're trying to bring interesting guests to these podcasts, and so we were talking before the recording about stuff that he was interested in. He also does a podcast for the conference and he got talking about AI artificial intelligence and this was I don't know how long ago a year ago or so and I knew literally nothing about artificial intelligence. So I said well, hey, if you want to stick around, we can do another podcast about AI, about AI, and two things. One, he was really brilliant in the ways that he talked about it and how it could be effectively used in the church. The other thing that sticks out is how ignorant about how I need more questions to ask.
Speaker 1:You didn't have any intelligence. I was comparing it to a church organ Questions to ask.
Speaker 3:You didn't have any intelligence.
Speaker 2:I was comparing it to a church organ.
Speaker 5:Ashley really had to edit that episode.
Speaker 3:It was rough.
Speaker 6:Just kidding. I don't know if you guys know this, but Andrew and I have been to lunch a few times, so he and I hosted a podcast about God not giving you more than you can handle, and I just thought it felt like it was an extension of one of our lunch conversations where we were just sitting around. It was probably one of the easiest ones. Along with Amanda, andrew and I have a great kind of back and forth, and so that was a really good one and I thought the topic was really relevant, because I feel like that cliche gets thrown around, so I really like that series.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so yeah, that's one of my favorite series that we're doing right now is kind of unpacking those churchy things that people say that are really damaging. So, like, personally, I'm enjoying that series. My favorite one that I've ever hosted is definitely the Amanda and and the one.
Speaker 7:It was their staff interview. It was. It was their marriage. No, it was their marriage one.
Speaker 5:It was the top five yeah it was the top five, it was the marriage one, I think, but I think it was one of the first ones you'd done.
Speaker 2:Yes, I hated it At least with me. Oh, I was.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I hated it. I was so nervous. You came in with all these had to stop, and I finally just took her notes and threw them, literally threw them in the trash, and I'm like just talk to me it was great, we had a great time, but it was yeah, that was my favorite.
Speaker 6:Wait, Amanda overprepares.
Speaker 7:I know. After that we sprung on her and, by the way, you're going to host now. Yeah, that's when.
Speaker 5:I started hosting.
Speaker 2:Probably my favorite was one I recently did with Rob and Dana Carson, because they just they're friends of mine but they sat and just told their story and I love listening to people's stories and how their faith just came through in such a natural and organic way and how they shared just really intimate details about their life and their marriage and their family and how we can learn from others just by getting to know them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would. I would echo that my favorite were the staff interviews I've done because I know you all. But yeah, it was different questions and things I wouldn't think to ask, and and it was there they're the easiest. They were the easiest ones for me to do as well, but they also were the most memorable, and I remember laughing through that.
Speaker 6:Well, when you're hitting us with those gotcha questions, like your favorite pizza topping, I just wasn't prepared.
Speaker 7:Just to throw one more in there. One that I really enjoyed doing and producing was we did one with VBS kids. We've done one both summers, but the very first one we did last summer I had like 12 kids in the podcast room, which it's not very big.
Speaker 7:If you've been in there, it's not very big, and the news got out that Ashley had a microphone and there were certain kids that were down there, and so then more of them kept showing up and I was like, okay, sure, tell me what you're, what are you, how's it going? And they were all very excited to use a microphone. So that was, it was just fun, it was hilarious, and they were very good about like be quiet when they're supposed to be quiet. You know, anyway, I like that, like we've talked, I'm talking about like being able to tell everyone's stories. I love that we were able to tell like multi-generational stories in that way.
Speaker 1:So so, as we move into episode 101 soon, we are incredibly experienced now, but what are the things we've learned? What are the things we want to apply as we move forward? So one of the things that I was thinking about and I know, jeff, we talked about this the focus on the quality of the product, and what does it mean to have a podcast produced by Hope, like, why would we do that? And I know you have some thoughts on that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, and as we talked about this at the very beginning, we thought what a great way or another way for us to help connect people.
Speaker 3:So we have amazing people here in this congregation and on our staff and have connections out beyond our congregation and staff that not everybody gets to know and to hear. So us in this room, we have this great place to be able to hear stories and meet people that others may not have. And so the podcast for us, one of the things about it was these connections that you get to know people that you might not otherwise meet. The other thing we thought would be be this would be a venue for us to talk about things that are important to us as a faith community, important to us as Christ followers, but not necessarily something we would be talking about from the front on a Sunday morning. So I think those were a couple of things that we're excited about this podcast thing and the idea of making it better. That's just a value of our church that we always want to make. Whatever we're doing, we always are asking how can we make this better?
Speaker 1:And so you, rick and Ashley her kind of running point on this thing and where we were when we were videotaping it and where we are today is a lot better and all those things is not because we want bigger numbers, but because we do see this as a great resource to talk about things, that, to your point of things, that we can have a deeper conversation or a more specific conversation about a topic, and so the more people we have from our Hope community listening, the better it is, so that we're all hearing the same thing.
Speaker 5:I think what you said is, it's really true, the way we're able to talk about things in a deeper way than we can from the platform on some topics. And so for me, like I will be talking to people who I know are really wrestling with some church hurt or some church trauma from their past, and to be able to point them to, hey, the episode that Jason talked about with Andrew and just the unpacking certain phrases or things that maybe they'd heard, and it's a great, really non-threatening way to be able to share with someone who may have a question or may have been heard or maybe just unsure of what something means. It's non-threatening, it's really easy to listen.
Speaker 3:And there are those times where a particular podcast topic may not be for you or you are in your life, but it might be for somebody that you know, and so, as you go ahead and listen to it, god may bring to mind. I should be sharing this with so-and-so, because I know this is something that they're dealing with right now.
Speaker 7:Yeah, we've talked about this a lot, but from for me as a producer, something that's been so wonderful is getting to have so many people come in and share their stories and then like the process of them getting to share it is like one really beautiful thing that you don't always get to see but you get to hear. But then what's really cool after that is then hearing them how who they've shared it with. Like that they've shared it with their friends, that they've shared it with people who don't know their whole story. Like recently I interviewed my husband and he texted it to like a group chat of his co-workers and they all listened to it and they're like we didn't know you did any of this stuff, like we didn't know this about you, and so like it's been cool to watch that like kind of trickle out effect of like more than just like the staff interviews where we, where we started, but then like so many people in our community getting to share like what hope means to them, has been really beautiful.
Speaker 1:And I think that's one of those. That's one of the things we said initially when we were doing this that we thought it would help us to build relationships. And you know to think that a digital platform would help to build personal relationships, but yet it does, because it's accessible to share it with someone who may not go to your church or may not go to any church, but yet they would listen to a podcast and get to know people before they may even come into the building. So I think that's all good, and so, look, we're going to wrap up in a minute. But I was listening's all good, and so, look, we're going to wrap up in a minute, but I wanted to. I was listening to another podcast. I listened to the Cary Neuhoff podcast. Most of his episodes they're longer than ours, so that's why I only listen to the first half.
Speaker 7:Listen to ours first and then do that one, I do.
Speaker 1:I listen to ours first, of course, and everyone else should too. But he gave this great course and everyone else should too. But but he, he gave this great quote and man, I just, I just thought it was something for us to just to maybe go around the room and just just hear your thoughts. He said competency gets you in the room, character keeps you in the room, competency competency gets you in the room and character keeps you in the room. What are your thoughts? Anybody have any?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, so for years in hiring, as we've grown a staff over these years. So what do you look for when you're trying to hire somebody? And so where it is for me right now is the first thing is character, and who is this person? I want to know about their faith and their commitment to Christ and how that plays out in other parts of their lives. Then I look at chemistry you know how that person's going to interact with the rest of the team. Then competence, and we added a fourth C a while back courage. Does this person have courage to make decisions, to do something new, and so forth. But character is always at the top of that list.
Speaker 1:JC, we were going to share something too.
Speaker 6:This sounds like my dad the reverend, and he would drill that into me as I struggled with school. I struggled with sports. He would always push that character was the most important thing and he would challenge me on character and that was a fundamental thing for him. And so my hope is that here at church that my character is shown through it, because it's not my organizational skills.
Speaker 3:Amen.
Speaker 5:First I want to say that they've grown tremendously.
Speaker 1:So your competency in that area is catching up to your character.
Speaker 5:Hopefully, hopefully, yes yes, but no, I think it's funny because, as we're talking about it, I just keep hearing what Jeff just preached on the other week on Corinthians. You know, it's this idea of love, right? It doesn't matter how competent I am, it doesn't matter how charismatic I am, it doesn't matter how courageous I am, if I'm not loving, if I don't have the character trait of being a loving Christ follower, it doesn't matter, I'm just obnoxious. So it reiterates that to me on a deep level.
Speaker 1:One of the reasons I liked it and it kind of resonated with me as I listened to the podcast and I quick came into my office to write it down so I wouldn't forget it is it's something that is applicable to anybody in any place. It's not church world that character is important. It's everywhere, and we see when character is flawed how badly things go. But it is a biblical value, right, it's something that is. We talk about it all the time, right, it's how it works, but it works so well in every part of our lives. And then Cary wrapped it up then with this, after he made that statement. Then he said so as our challenge then I think this is a challenge for all of us around the table, of course, but also all of our listeners is work twice as hard on your character as you do on your competency, and I just thought that was a great challenge. And I think, looking around the table, I know that all of you have somebody who speaks into your life.
Speaker 5:We're all in counseling. Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, all of us, including me, around this table.
Speaker 2:But if we're not caring for ourselves and not care for anyone else as well, no, that and that's exactly where I was going is that, is that we?
Speaker 1:that it's it's. Don't. Look at the people you see on staff at Hope and think that, oh, we've got it all figured out. If you did you're, you don't know us well.
Speaker 7:Yeah, when you were talking about, about, which is making me think about like when I would. When we talked about, hey, can you help produce this podcast? Like that's an area I don't know, didn't know anything about, but like there's a, there's a sensibility at hope of like, sure, we can try it, let's figure it out. Like there's like a curiosity and an excitement around trying new things and and having people on staff or also outside of staff in my life being like sure, you can do that, why not? Let's figure it out. Like you have the character to do that, so of course, you can become more competent in it, you know, and so I just like that. That is like a mindset of yeah, sure, like why not, maybe, maybe God will show up there, kind of kind of idea, that's great.
Speaker 1:Well, folks, we have more bagels to eat and we don't want you to hear us doing that. So we're going to wrap this up, but thanks for listening and look forward to the next hundred episodes with you guys and again encourage you to share, like, follow all those things. Rate us on Apple, be kind, download. Except you, lou. We know who you are, lou. No, seriously, thanks everybody for listening and I hope you've had fun. We've had fun doing this and have a great day.
Speaker 4:Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at meethopechurch.