Episode 66
Youth Leading the Way: Empowering Change and Encouragement in the Methodist Church with Matthew and Kristen Bisciglia
Bishop Julius C. Trimble is the Resident Bishop of the Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church.
Bishop Trimble has the personal mission to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. It is his commitment to his personal mission that led Bishop Trimble to create the “To Be Encouraged” Podcast along with co-host Rev.Dr. Brad Miller.
Bishop Trimble says, “I am compelled by Jesus to share with you an encouraging word or two about Jesus, theology, the Bible, the pandemic, the environment, racism, voting rights, human sexuality, and the state of the United Methodist Church.”
To Be Encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Trimble is to be published weekly and is available at www.tobeencouraged.com and all the podcast directories.
https://www.inumc.org/bishop/office-of-the-bishop/
Episode 066 of To Be Encouraged is a bonus episode recorded live from the Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church June 8-10, 2023 in Muncie Indiana.
Youth Leading the Way: Empowering Change and Encouragement in the Methodist Church with Matthew and Kristen Bisciglia.
Introduction:
In this episode of "To Be Encouraged," Reverend Dr. Brad Miller engages in a conversation with Matthew Bisciglia and Kristen Bisciglia, where they discuss their experiences within the church and the importance of inclusion and encouragement. Through their dialogue, we gain valuable insights into the power of community, the uniqueness of the Methodist faith, and the significance of gradually introducing friends to church settings. Here are three key takeaway points from this episode.
1. The Value of Inclusion and Diverse Voices in the Church:
Both Matthew and Kristen highlight the significance of inclusion and diverse representation within the church. They stress the importance of having different voices and perspectives on the stage, as it fosters a sense of belonging for everyone. Matthew admirably mentions his support for the LGBTQ+ community, wearing a rainbow shirt to show his endorsement. Through this example, we understand that inclusivity is not only a principle but also a tangible practice that allows individuals to feel seen and accepted within their faith community.
2. The Unyielding Grounding of the Methodist Faith:
Matthew's connection to the Methodist faith serves as a powerful testimony to the lasting impact a religious grounding can have during uncertain times. He expresses how the teachings of the Methodist faith provide solace and certainty, especially in the face of loss exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The principle of Christian anchor within the Methodist faith allows individuals to find comfort and a sense of direction. This steadfast foundation becomes a guiding light, not only for internal fortitude but also for sharing that light with others in the midst of a discouraging world.
3. The Gradual Introduction of Friends to Church Settings:
The discussion delves into Matthew's efforts to involve his friends in the church, a process that emphasizes trust-building and friendship. Recognizing the limited efficacy of direct invitations to youth group activities, Matthew sought alternative ways to introduce his friends to the church environment. By initially inviting them to informal gatherings at his house and engaging them in church events like Easter egg hunts and nerve games, he recognized the importance of easing individuals into the unfamiliar setting. This strategic approach allows friends to acclimate at their own pace, fostering an environment where they can discover their own spiritual voice.
Conclusion:
In Episode 066 f the "To Be Encouraged" podcast Matthew and Kristen Bisciglia present a thought-provoking conversation about the significance of inclusion, finding grounding in faith, and the gradual introduction of friends to church environments. Matthew and Kristen's experiences shed light on the transformative power of diverse voices within the church and the unwavering support and encouragement that can be found within the Methodist faith. This episode reminds us of the importance of fostering welcoming spaces and gradually inviting others to experience the potential joys and solace that can be found within the church community. As we navigate the complexities of life, let us aspire to follow Matthew and Kristen's example by spreading encouragement and inclusivity, as they do through their own podcast, "Bishes." Together, we can make a positive impact and contribute to a world that is encouraged and uplifted.
Transcript
It'll be ore, and even if it wasn't, you would need to back the radio.
Speaker:Oh, here's the camera, by the way, just seeing it. Okay?
Speaker:Hello, and good people. This is reverend Doctor Brad. Now they're coming to you from
Speaker:the floor of the Indiana Annual Conference of the United
Speaker:Methodist Church at Emmett's auditorium, Boston University about
Speaker:1200 delegates and lay an cards you
Speaker:devoted folks who are here from all around Indiana and points beyond
Speaker:as well to celebrate Christ to talk
Speaker:about breakthrough prayer. Our theme is praying forward. No turning
Speaker:back to do the business of the church and to move
Speaker:forward in ministry from wherever we are at. And
Speaker:we're pleased with us to have many many people here are part of the
Speaker:contingents here contingents of Lady here. And one of those late
Speaker:delegates is here with us right now is our special guest. And your name is?
Speaker:Matthew Vasilia. Matthew, we are glad that you're with us here
Speaker:today. And tell us where you're from and who you represent?
Speaker:I'm from Lafayette, Indiana, and I represent Grace UMC.
Speaker:Awesome. Awesome. Well, tell me One of the questions
Speaker:that we like to ask here folks on to be encouraged is
Speaker:what is one thing whether you like to talk about Matt or Matthew, what do
Speaker:you like to go Matt. Matt. So one of the things we'd like to ask
Speaker:here, Matt, is what is one thing, one
Speaker:reason why you are a Christian? I think it's biggest
Speaker:thing for me is especially after COVID hit, and we have to deal with a
Speaker:lot of losing things. It's something that I can hold on to, and I can
Speaker:remember, especially with things not being certain. It's the one thing in life that
Speaker:I can remember to be certain. Something that I can hold on to in
Speaker:the times of you know, needing it. Mhmm. I feel a lot of people see
Speaker:it as a light, and I see it as a light that I can hopefully
Speaker:help shine to others. I could have a reflection
Speaker:Mhmm. So you see that as a source of comfort
Speaker:and confidence. So for a long time, I had to deal with not feeling
Speaker:comfortable, not feeling like, there was a lot of light in my world. And
Speaker:then I've discovered that there are a lot of people like me either in age
Speaker:or in spirit, and that I can go and I can
Speaker:confide myself in them. So what were some of the things you felt uncomfortable about
Speaker:that your faith in god helped you to feel a little more comfort
Speaker:in? Definitely my place in the world. a long time, like, I
Speaker:wasn't I was homeschooled for a while, then I moved to the public school system.
Speaker:And for a while, I felt like I didn't have a voice. I didn't have
Speaker:a lot of friends. And after I started going to church and kind
Speaker:of starting listening more, I kind of started to feel my place in the world,
Speaker:started to get more set in stone. I found better ways communicate with people,
Speaker:better ways just to live my life in order to be more
Speaker:of a part of the community. So your church helped you in that
Speaker:process to find kind of a pathway and a place to go. Very
Speaker:much. So tell me about that. In in other words, tell me at least one
Speaker:thing, one reason then you are United it's particularly at
Speaker:your church. because our our broker -- So at my
Speaker:church, what's a good way to put it? because he's my
Speaker:My church really is all about, like, the youth especially
Speaker:trying to make sure that that we're involved. And the biggest reason I'm there right
Speaker:now, especially, is because we're trying to make a big movement about involving
Speaker:younger people in certain areas of the church. Like, just a couple weeks ago, I
Speaker:got to preach at my church. alongside one of my pastor's Glenn
Speaker:Robin, which is a fantastic experience. I get to work with other
Speaker:youth sometimes in leading services And I feel like the
Speaker:United Methodist Church is really that's something I've always appreciated about
Speaker:the way of doing things that we're good with having other people. We're not the
Speaker:people who are always thing and getting more of a diversity up on on that
Speaker:stage. because listening to the same person every week, it's nice and, you
Speaker:know, they always have good messages, but it's nice to also get a fresh face
Speaker:up in there every once in a while. And just to be clear, tell
Speaker:tell our listeners of how old you are if you're in your situation
Speaker:life that way. So I'm I'm fifteen and going to high
Speaker:school, especially sometimes when you don't feel like your voice is being heard, I
Speaker:found that, you know, church, especially, you know, the, you know, the Methodist Church, the
Speaker:good place where your voice is going to be heard by people you care about,
Speaker:people who care about you, and it's just somewhere where your voice will
Speaker:make a difference. It's not like in your particular church, your pastors, and
Speaker:other folks there in your perhaps your youth ministry have been
Speaker:helpful in helping you find a place in place of belonging very, very helpful
Speaker:about them. It would have been a very different story for where I would be
Speaker:right now. I kind of it was a rough time for me for a while,
Speaker:and they helped me get my feedback on -- Yeah. -- on the ground. We
Speaker:I see that you're wearing your viewers. I can see that you're wearing a a
Speaker:a rainbow shirt. Yes. I am. What's the significance of of that for
Speaker:you? Well, I support the LGBTQ plus community fully, and I just
Speaker:wanna I'm not personally part of the LGBTQ plus community, but I wanna support
Speaker:in every single way that I can. So that's a part of who you are
Speaker:is to the accept sense and the inclusivity of that? Very much
Speaker:so it's I feel like it's one of the most important parts of church is
Speaker:to make sure that everyone feels included because for a long time, I
Speaker:understood not being included in it. It's not fair for anyone to be put out
Speaker:of that for a reason that's arbitrary. Mhmm.
Speaker:And so in your experience then in youth ministry, the
Speaker:United Methodist Church, and your experience of god, it sounds like it's helped
Speaker:you to find your pathway in your
Speaker:place. Very much -- What are some ways you feel like maybe you can help
Speaker:be a a part
Speaker:to process the support or the encouragement of others who
Speaker:maybe have on their own struggles of finding their pathway.
Speaker:I've been trying to work with especially with that recently. I have friends who I'm
Speaker:trying to get involved in the church. And for a while, it was kind of
Speaker:like, oh, hey. Just come to youth group. Hey. We can talk about God by
Speaker:realizing that that's not the best way to go about it. You need to kinda
Speaker:start slowly. Like, I had them come, and we had an overnight in my house.
Speaker:And then the next one was like, hey. you could you could stay at my
Speaker:house, or we could just, you know, go to church, just, you know, go to
Speaker:the youth group, you know, like, a one time thing. They came to that. That
Speaker:was fine. You know? And then I got them to come back later for help
Speaker:with an easter egg thing. And then I got them come back for we
Speaker:did, like, a nerve thing in our church, and we that. And I just kind
Speaker:of try to build that slowly over time. You don't wanna, like, say, oh, start
Speaker:going to church every week. Do this every single week. I'm gonna start slowly.
Speaker:And I feel like over time that'll give them the ability to acclimate
Speaker:to the church setting and find that voice inside themselves that maybe they didn't realize
Speaker:they had. So it's not like you're in the process of building trust, building building
Speaker:friendships before you get in too much into the heavy --
Speaker:The heavy -- -- god stuff. Exactly. Yeah. That's awesome. Well, just one more
Speaker:question for you here, Matt. If you had to say that that the
Speaker:theme of the Bishes podcast that I do together him. It's called to be
Speaker:encouraged. And so what we like to say is it's an encouraging word for
Speaker:an often discouraged world. And there's a lot of encouraging things
Speaker:in the world. You mentioned a couple of them. People not fitting in yourself and
Speaker:some others. What do you just say for you is an
Speaker:encouraging thing right now.
Speaker:Seeing other people trying, I think, is the biggest thing that
Speaker:I I see that helps me because sometimes I'll feel like I'm trying. And
Speaker:then if I feel like I'm on myself, then there's no point to trying. But
Speaker:when I saw see other people trying and spires me to keep going myself.
Speaker:I see this conference. I see others out there in the world trying
Speaker:their best to work in an imperfect world. And I think that's
Speaker:probably the most encouraging thing right now. Helping
Speaker:navigate an imperfect world. I think it's a pretty good way of putting
Speaker:Well, tell us your name, and you're where you're from one more time. I'm Matthew
Speaker:Cecilia, and I'm from Lafayette, Indiana. Very good. And your
Speaker:church is? Grace UMC. Grace UMC. And you've been
Speaker:our guest today on the 2 b Encouraged podcast
Speaker:coming live from the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist you,
Speaker:Matt. Thank you. That wasn't too painful, was it? No. That
Speaker:was that was oh, wow. Alright. Oh, different experience. -- mom. Oh.
Speaker:Yep. Do we have --
Speaker:Look at the cameras so people can see you. It's going on livestream right
Speaker:now. And welcome back. everybody. This is reverend
Speaker:Doctor Brad Miller from the to be encouraged podcast coming to you live
Speaker:from the floor of the Indiana Conference of
Speaker:the United Methodist Church. It's our pleasure and a privilege to be
Speaker:with you as we talk to great lay folks and clergy
Speaker:who are here to pray forward. No turning back at at the
Speaker:conference here. And we have as our guest right now, the
Speaker:special Kristen, the Gilea. And where are you from, Kristen?
Speaker:Lafayette, Indiana. And tell us what's your church? I am a
Speaker:member of Lafayette Greshen added Methodist. Awesome. Awesome. Well, tell
Speaker:us one cool thing about your church? It has
Speaker:been a part of our community for many years, and we're known for reaching
Speaker:out in to our community. Awesome. Awesome. Well, we'll learn
Speaker:that's one thing about your church. Now let's learn something about you. Tell us one
Speaker:thing Kristen. One reason that you
Speaker:are personally a Christian.
Speaker:Because without it, it's just too
Speaker:hard. It's just there's too much turmoil and
Speaker:too much dissension and too much pain to be able to
Speaker:walk through life without having a basis and a grounding that
Speaker:can help us when things don't go right because
Speaker:not if. It's when. Yeah. I love the way you
Speaker:put that without it, what are you gonna do? You know, have
Speaker:something bigger than yourself. Yeah. -- to be grounded upon.
Speaker:And, otherwise, we're kind of on moored, and we're
Speaker:kind of this drift. And then That's a great way to put it. I love
Speaker:the way you phrased of that. Then you live out your
Speaker:faith and community, and one of the communities we live that as you is
Speaker:your church, and you mentioned you're some aspects about the outreach of
Speaker:of your church. But tell me one at least one reason why you are a
Speaker:united method. to?
Speaker:So at our church in Austin, when we lived in Texas, they did I
Speaker:I grew up the Methodist faith. My uncle was a is a retired
Speaker:United Methodist faster. And I'm not sure I'd ever
Speaker:explored why I was a Methodist, and our church did a whole series on John
Speaker:Wesley's preteens. And
Speaker:in studying it, I realized that, for me, personally,
Speaker:it made a lot of sense. It connects with me in the
Speaker:sense that do no harm, do all
Speaker:the good you can. It's very easy for me
Speaker:to wrap my head around it, and it's very
Speaker:accessible. It's something that I felt like I could preach. It
Speaker:follows right along with the gospel. We're supposed to reach out. We're supposed to
Speaker:preach. We're supposed to do good, and we're not to harm. Those things,
Speaker:that's easy. it's I mean, it's easily taught. Yes. I won't
Speaker:say it's always easy to follow and do everything. implementation piece
Speaker:is a little bit more difficult than because we're human. -- which is understandable that
Speaker:I'm here to say. Yes. And for me, it clicked.
Speaker:That is who I am at my core. It's the way I was
Speaker:raised. It's the way that I believe so deep down in me. I
Speaker:can't imagine being anything other than a united methodist. So
Speaker:that's wonderful. And I love the way you you phrased that using, you
Speaker:know, to do no harm and to
Speaker:stay in love with with with god and do all the good that that that
Speaker:you can't. Thank you for for sharing that. And then
Speaker:One of the things that we like to share here is that the theme of
Speaker:this podcast is to be encouraged. So share with me, you
Speaker:know, with our audience, if you will, and just look right in that share, what
Speaker:is at least one thing you are encouraged by as we sit here today?
Speaker:I'm encouraged by the number of young people that
Speaker:I'm seeing. My son came with me, and we didn't know how
Speaker:that would work being 15. And he has had
Speaker:emerging leaders connect with him. He's had the district
Speaker:youth group reach out to him, and I'm seeing my
Speaker:grow right before my very eyes in faith,
Speaker:and it's such an amazing encouraging group of people. I feel
Speaker:so blessed that we got to come. And that's a special moment having that
Speaker:your son here with you and being a a delegate and and oh, I'm wonderful.
Speaker:Well, us one more time your name and where you're from in your church. Kristen
Speaker:Visillia, Lafayette, Indiana, and Grace United Methodist Church.
Speaker:And Christian is our guest today on the 2 being
Speaker:encourage podcasts coming to you live from the Indiana Conference of the
