You Were Made for More

Our hearts yearn for teenagers to know that they are valued, loved, and created for a purpose. Currently, our culture is feeding teenagers so many lies – telling them that they are defined by what others say about them, how they perform, and what they have to offer to others. The Truth speaks of a completely different narrative, though. Our identities are found in one thing, and that one thing, changes everything: Jesus.That’s a POWERFUL, transformative statement. When it gets from our heads to our hearts it shifts how we live, what we believe, and how we do relationships with others. Our mission is to consistently speak about the abundant life that is freely offered to us because we have seen + believe that when teenagers know what they are worth AND whose they are, they will be more inclined to live for Jesus – following His commandments and walking in His ways. This podcast hosts conversations on tough, relational topics, always pointing back to the hope that God offers us when we understand who we were created to be. Music Credit: Matt Stewart from the band Soldiers and Sons (Waynesburg, PA)Check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsoldiersandsons/

Episode 87: Teaching Littles About Honoring Their Bodies From A Young Age (With Meesh Vits)

In this episode, Sammie sits down with her sister, Michelle (or Meesh as everyone calls her) to discuss how to teach kids from a young age to honor their bodies, who God made them, and to understanding the Gospel. Meesh is the kids director at their church and has an extensive background in ministering to kids of all backgrounds and multiple age ranges. This is such an important conversation as we head into the thick of a new school year, new beginnings, and new transitional periods for a lot...

08-26
17:31

Episode 86: Your Role In Relationship Education (With Anglicans for Life)

Happy Summer, everyone! We've been in the full swing of all the summer activities in my house, but I wanted to take the time to share an online message I shared with parents, grandparents, youth leaders, and students in our larger church community, in an effort to encourage and equip them in whatever their role in relationship education is. It has been encouraging to me as I have been in this line of work to see that contrary to all the digs at evangelical purity culture over the years, God’s...

07-15
54:20

Episode 85: Let's Define Sexual Integrity (With Sammie Gallo)

Sexual integrity is often not modeled in today’s culture. As your child’s parent, you have the unique opportunity to share the truth and model what it means to pursue sexual integrity and live a life of purity. In today's episode, we sift through the definition of what sexual purity exactly means and how to give the kids & students in our lives practical tips to pursue it. Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the...

06-24
19:57

Episode 84: The Bible, Theology, and Questions (With Travis Deans)

Travis Deans and his wife Judy are from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both Travis and Judy are graduates of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Travis has been in full-time youth ministry since 1996 as a youth pastor, campus ministry director, and youth network coordinator - that's 28 years! Through his role he mentors youth workers, consults for churches, assists youth workers to collaborate through evangelistic outreaches, equips students to share their faith, shares strategy for students to form...

05-20
28:39

Episode 83: Love Thy Body (With Professor Nancy Pearcey)

Many of the ethical issues our culture is wrestling with have an underlying issue in common. The growing confusion we see around us on matters such as abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, transgenderism, and sexual promiscuity all flow downstream from our lack of understanding of what the human body is and means.One person who has sought to account for this confusion and to offer a corrective is Nancy Pearcey, professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University, where she is also a scholar...

04-29
26:30

Episode 82: Sex and Relationship Myths: Things to Remember (With Sammie Gallo)

It’s true that if we don’t seek to understand before we seek to equip and mentor, all our efforts will fall short. In today's episode of the podcast, Sammie covers some myths and relationships that this current generation of students tends to lean toward and believe. Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening pla...

04-08
18:15

Episode 81: Reproductive Healthcare Beyond Dobbs (With Dr. Christina Francis)

Dr. Christina Francis discusses the importance and need for life-affirming healthcare for both the patient and the physician providing the care. She reviews the various ways reproductive health issues are impacted by policy, education, research, and the Hippocratic Oath, and why we must help protect healthcare providers right to conscientiously object to providing treatment that goes against their values.Dr. Francis is a board-certified Ob/Gyn who currently works in Fort Wayne, Indiana....

03-11
57:37

Episode 80: Navigating Beyond Roe in Life-Affirming Ministry (With Abby Johnson)

As a former Planned Parenthood Director, Abby Johnson shares her testimony and discusses how we as a movement can better serve the needs of pregnant women amidst the new realities of living beyond Roe in America. She talks about how you can model God’s mercy to those who seem undeserving, and respond with grace when others err or offend, while bearing witness to God’s unrestrained compassion so that others may know Him.Abby Johnson has always been fiercely determined to help women in need. Th...

03-11
01:05:37

Episode 79: Rebuilding Humanity In The Likeness of God (With Carl Trueman)

Once we understand the depth and breadth of the problems we face as the Church in defining the value of humanity, Dr. Trueman will share strategies and tools he believes the Church can employ to respond to the cultural upheaval we encounter daily. He will discuss how understanding what it means to be a created human being, and employing the creeds, the Anglican Catechism, and the counsel of God can equip believers to respond with love to our neighbors with different worldviews. Both Key...

02-19
01:00:55

Episode 78: Abolition of the Human (With Carl Trueman)

Less than five years ago, questions like; What is a Woman? or What Does it Mean to be Human? had obvious and easy answers. But with the advent of artificial intelligence, abortion through birth, technology, the right to euthanasia, and a plethora of genders – defining and understanding the truth that human beings are sacred and made in the image of God got more than complicated! In this keynote address, Dr. Trueman will trace the evolution of the sexual mores and psychological identities that...

02-19
01:01:59

Episode 77: Helping People In The Church Heal After Abortion (With Lisa Rowe)

On today's episode of the podcast, we hear from Lisa Rowe as part of our first series of Summit talks from the January events that Anglicans For Life puts on in conjunction with the March for Life! Stay tuned for all of them - seriously, I know they will bless you and educate you - and hopefully inspire you - in the next few weeks! One in four women and one in five men experience abortion by the age of 45, and more than half identify as Christians. Both may experience grief, depression,...

02-19
53:05

Episode 76: Why You Should Come to the March for Life Next Year: A Teen's Perspective (With Graham Zeiders)

In today's episode, we talk to our friend Graham Zeiders about why he has chosen to make the trip the National March for Life for several years and how the March has inspired him to be active in his own community since returning home from the January pro-life events last January! Graham's dad is a Rev. in the ACNA at a church in Virginia and he is a 17 year old senior. Graham is a competitive equestrian who was born into a Christian family - since he has gotten older, he's become more active ...

01-22
09:39

Episode 75: Equipping the Pro-Life Generation Through Authentic and Real Conversations (With John and Catherine O’Neill)

In today's episode of the You Were Made for More podcast, Sammie chats with husband and wife duo, John and Catherine O'Neill from Students for Life! John serves as the Diocesan and Church Outreach Coordinator at Students for Life of America, while Catherine spent a few years as the Executive Assistant to the President, Kristan Hawkins, and now works in development for SFLA while pursuing her master's degree. Both John and Catherine have different stories that led them to not only be pro-life ...

12-18
34:46

Episode 74: The Heart of Foster Care (With Johnston Moore)

On this episode of the podcast, we welcome Johnston Moore, who serves at Anglicans for Life as the Adoption/Orphan Care Consultant. He joined us last year on the podcast to discuss adoption, but this year, we're going to focus more on foster care ministry.We talk about the current state of the foster system and the heart behind why pro-life ministries and foster care should inherently be linked. We even discuss how students can become involved. Here are some things we mentioned in the po...

11-20
39:21

Episode 73: OneVoice D.C. and the March for Life (With Sammie Gallo)

Hey, friends and listeners - we’re so glad you’re here joining us on the You Were Made for More podcast! On today’s episode, I really wanted to pop in and tell you about our January plans this year to honor and protect Life. We’re switching it up from previous years and excited for the new opportunity that we’ve been given to partner with another pro-life organization to really understand why God Himself values life. This year, in conjunction with the March for Life, we’re inviting youth...

10-30
16:10

Episode 72: What You Can Do To Change the Landscape (With Anna Rape)

In today's episode of the podcast, Sammie interviews one of the creators of a pro-life club on Waynesburg University's campus about what you can do to change the landscape of your school or campus. It can take courage, boldness, and perseverance to step out into the current culture (even at a Christian university!) and stand for life, and Anna Rape has done it with grace. We're so excited to hear her testimony and about how God is using her where He has placed her! Anna is a junior at WU who ...

09-25
28:29

Episode 71: Intentional, Not Intense (With Sammie Gallo)

“Dating intentionally.” If you are a single Christian, it’s something that you’ve probably heard mentioned at some point, and held up as the right way to go about dating. But what does it mean, and how do you go about dating intentionally? Even on our podcast, we talk about that phrase a lot… because as Christians, we should be super intentional - or thoughtful - about the way we interact with others. On this episode of the podcast, we're going to take the time and dissect what it can look li...

08-21
24:06

Episode 70: Uprooting Lies and Planting the Truth (With Georgette Forney)

Anglicans For Life believes it is important to engage people (both students and adults) in educational opportunities that equip them to speak the truth about the Sanctity of Life in a culture that uses misinformation to mislead people about abortion. Today on the podcast, Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life, is joining us to talk about where the pro-life movement is now, a year or so after the Dobbs decision marked the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and how you can get involved. Do...

07-31
28:04

Episode 69: Motherhood is a Gift (With Sydney Alleyne)

Today's episode focuses on one of our favorite topics: motherhood! In a culture that continually discusses motherhood as a “less than” role in society and oftentimes makes it difficult to think of motherhood as the sacred role that it is, it can be even more challenging to truly live out the pro-life ideals that you may have. One of our staff members at Anglicans for Life, Sydney, experienced this first hand as she faced an unplanned pregnancy as a teenager; here’s what she says about ho...

06-26
30:23

Episode 68: Relationships and Gender Roles (with Juan and Sammie Gallo)

On today's episode of the podcast, Sammie sits down with her husband to talk a little bit about what it looks like to follow the Lord in a Christian marriage. While no relationship is perfect, our hope is that by sharing our story on the podcast that it will allow other couples to apply what Scripture says about marriage to their own relationships in order to create healthy communication and systems to thrive as God intended male and female to do.This is Ephesians 22-33. It says:“Wives, submi...

05-22
01:07:53

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