Dropping Masks to Confront Anxiety, Despair, & Real Needs: Ed Newton, Wendell Vinson & Todd Lamphere
*This episode mentions suicide and may be triggering for some listeners.*
This week, we’ll hear from Ed Newton, pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas (@cbcsocial). Growing up as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ed bridged the hearing and deaf worlds for his parents, fostering immense empathy but also hardship. Later, following his parents’ deaths, he faced a tidal wave of despair and suicidal thoughts. He sought professional help and openly shared his struggle with his church, who responded with grace. Now, Ed advocates for the church to be a hospital for the broken, urging people to seek help and recognize it’s okay not to be okay, but not to stay that way.
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Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Wendell Vinson and Todd Lamphere from CityServe (@cityserve), an organization that helps equip and empower churches to serve their communities. They discuss CityServe’s mission to equip local churches and to meet the last mile of need in their communities. They highlight the church’s role in community transformation, citing reduced recidivism rates, and its essential “ministry of presence” before, during, and after crises like natural disasters or war. Finally, they acknowledge compassion fatigue, emphasizing that faithful service requires spiritual replenishment in order to continue to serve others well.
00:00 - Introduction & Content Warning
00:40 - Ed Newton: When Churches Slap Bible Verses on Real Pain
01:42 - Meet Wendell Vinson & Todd Lamphere: Equipping the Church Through CityServe
02:22 - Ed Newton's Story: Growing Up as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults)
04:22 - Facing a Tidal Wave of Despair and Suicidal Thoughts After Parental Loss
06:00 - Seeking Professional Counseling and Finding Grace at Community Bible Church
07:52 - Treating the Church Like a Hospital for the Broken
09:44 - Aligning Your Heart with God's Ultimate Voice and Character
11:12 - Devotional Reading: *Jesus Listens* (June 18th) on Freedom from Self-Condemnation
12:38 - Discover Ed
