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Sadie Robertson Huff: Who Are You Following? Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

Sadie Robertson Huff is a Christian speaker, actress, and bestselling author. You may know her from the reality show Duck Dynasty, or her role in the movie God’s Not Dead, or the fact that she was the first runner-up on season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. Sadie is passionate about God and an effective communicator who regularly challenges her generation to wield their influence responsibly. Her latest book is Who Are You Following?: Pursuing Jesus in a Social Media Obsessed World.

In this episode, Heather and Sadie delve into Sadie’s experience of amassing a following of over 4.7 million people on Instagram. Does a platform that large change the type of content you create? Do the people we follow online affect how we see ourselves? Can people without platforms still be influencers? Heather and Sadie answer each of these questions—and more.

With millions of followers and a book about navigating the spiritual pitfalls of social media, Sadie Robertson Huff is the perfect guest for Viral Jesus.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bessey: Keeping the ‘Social’ in Social Media Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Heather talks to Canadian Christian writer Sarah Bessey about public platforms, human connections, and embodying the fruit of the Spirit. As the author of such bestselling books as Jesus Feminist and A Rhythm of Prayer, Sarah had built a vibrant community of over 88,000 people on Twitter. But last year she was forced to start over from scratch when her account was unexpectedly deleted. Today she has less than half her previous followers, but she’s steadily rebuilding. Most importantly, she’s learned that, even though they may have disappeared from her profile page, her community never left.

Sarah’s journey reminds us that social media is always, first and foremost, a social network. You can’t build followers without building relationships. Sarah’s social media setback will help you get back to the basics of what really matters: our connection to each other.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 2 of ‘Viral Jesus’ Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

When she’s not teaching communication and social media in the classroom, author and Andrews University professor Heather Thompson Day is back in your podcast feed with all-new episodes of Viral Jesus.

Join Heather as she delves deep with Christian influencers and creators who are using their social media platforms to build community and share the gospel. You’ll hear their stories and learn their strategies for faithfully navigating digital spaces. This season’s guests include thought leaders such as Tish Harrison Warren, Justin Giboney, Felicia Wu Song, and Rich Villodas, as well as artists and pop-culture personalities like Maryanne George and Sadie Robertson Huff.

New episodes start on February 1. Share the Season 2 trailer, and subscribe to Viral Jesus today wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attention All ‘Viral Jesus’ Listeners! Tell Us What You Think Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Season's greetings! This is Heather Thompson Day, creator and host of the Viral Jesus podcast from Christianity Today. I hope you enjoyed listening to Viral Jesus' inaugural season as much as our team enjoyed doing it. What a blast it was to talk to some of today's most profound and prolific Christian communicators about how they engage with social media. Whether it's Erin Moon reflecting on the beauty of her Instagram friendships, Kevin Wilson sharing his secrets for TikTok evangelism, or Ed Stetzer dishing practical tips on content creation, Viral Jesus is a-one-of-a-kind podcast where we go deep with Christian influencers and ministry leaders to learn how they're using their social media platforms to build community and share the gospel.

We're currently in between seasons, but I can't wait to see you in early 2022 with all-new episodes. In the meantime, would you help us make Season 2 of Viral Jesus even better by taking a brief listener survey? Just go to MoreCT.com/vj-survey and answer our questions about who you are and what you like most about Viral Jesus. It shouldn't take more than five minutes. And as a thank-you, everyone who completes the survey by December 31, 2021, will be given the opportunity to enter our prize drawing for the chance to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards.

We realize this request is coming to you at one of the busiest times of the year, so thanks in advance for your attention. In a way, this is a perfect time for us to reach out to you. We are eagerly waiting for our next season to come. Advent is a time of waiting too, but it's also a time of preparation—of preparing our hearts to receive the ultimate gift of God's Son. May you experience the hope and joy of this in-between season of waiting and preparation.

Thank you for supporting Viral Jesus. We look forward to learning more about you through the survey. And be on the lookout for Season 2, coming in early 2022.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: It’s Heather’s Turn! Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

This bonus edition of Viral Jesus features our host, Heather Thompson Day. Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker and has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group. She is also the author of It’s Not Your Turn: What to Do While You’re Waiting for Your Breakthrough. Heather is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University. She is passionate about supporting women, and runs an online community called I’m That Wife, which has over 200,000 followers. Heather’s voice has been featured by outlets such as The Today Show and the National Communication Association. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and featured in Forbes.

In this episode, CT associate editor Kara Bettis turns the tables on Heather and serves as our special guest host. (Find Kara on Twitter @karabettis.) In a candid and inspiring conversation, Heather and Kara discuss Heather’s own social media strategy, including how she grew her Twitter followers to over 50,000 people in just a few years. They also discuss themes from It’s Not Your Turn, and what every content creator should know about waiting well.

Find Kara on Twitter @karabettis. Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Esau McCaulley: ‘Jesus Is the Star of Our Show, Not Just a Solution to Our Problems’ Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

This bonus episode of Viral Jesus features Esau McCaulley, author of the bestselling book Reading While Black. Esau is a prolific writer, theologian, and assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Heather and Esau discuss Black interpretation of Scripture, social media popularity, and the importance of bringing personal integrity to your creative process. (This chat is a continuation of Esau’s earlier conversation with Heather from Episode One.) You can find Esau active on Twitter @esaumccaulley.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Stetzer: Rising Above the Outrage Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

This week Heather visits with her friend Ed Stetzer for a no-holds-barred conversation on the evangelical community’s often fractious online engagement with politics and culture. Ed is a professor and dean at Wheaton College, where he also serves as executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books on faith, leadership, and culture. He is regional director for Lausanne North America, editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, and is frequently interviewed by news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. He is also the founding editor of The Gospel Project, a curriculum used by more than 1.7 million individuals each week for Bible study.

Heather and Ed discuss themes from his most recent book, Christians in the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the World Is at Its Worst. How can we be faithful ambassadors of Jesus in a caustic, divisive, and frequently irrational social media environment? Listen in to this stimulating discussion for helpful reflections on the church’s opportunity for outreach in this “age of outrage.” You can follow Ed on Twitter @edstetzer.

Also, in this week’s #GrowingViral, meet Quantrilla Ard, host of the blog The PhD Mamma. As a faith-based personal and spiritual-development writer, “Quanny” is on a quest to shine a light on the shadowy, hidden places in her own life while helping others do the same. Dr. Ard has a multidisciplinary background in public health and health psychology, professions that speak to her desire to address both the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erin Moon: Spanx, Bible Binges, and the Beauty of Instagram Community Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

This week, Heather is joined by Erin Hicks Moon. Erin is the resident Bible scholar on The Bible Binge podcast, host of the Faith Adjacent podcast, and senior creative at the Popcast Media Group.

Erin discusses her amazing journey in building authentic connections with thousands of women on Instagram using her honest humor and wisdom. She spills her trade secrets on growing an Instagram community and offers tips on how to not just use Instagram as a tool for yourself but to empower those around you to feel seen, heard, and known. You can find Erin on Instagram @erinhmoon.

Also, in this week’s #GrowingViral segment, you’ll meet Benjamin Lundquist, host of the Rise and Lead podcast, where he shares rich practical insights and guest content to help listeners learn what makes great leaders great. Find Benjamin on Twitter @Benjaminlund and Instagram @benjaminlundquist.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Wilson, Chai Tea, and the Rise of Christian TikTok Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

This week, Heather visits with Kevin Spencer Wilson, known online to his throng of followers as “Cross Culture Christian.” Kevin was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the Sultanate of Oman when he was 12. Over the past 30 years, he has learned to speak three and a half languages and has traveled to 13 countries. He is currently a youth pastor in Oceanside, California, where he says he attempts to help his tribe think meaningfully about their lives so they can live their lives meaningfully.

Heather and Kevin discuss his explosive growth on TikTok (more than 200,000 followers in less than two years). This conversation will help you understand what it means to be a Christian content creator as well as how to bring yourself authentically to your content. Kevin has been exceptionally successful at thinking about what makes you who you are and trying to build bridges through celebrating what brings us together rather than what separates us. Kevin is practicing digital evangelism in a way he never thought possible—by conversationally sharing spiritual concepts with his audience as he makes a cup of chai tea, a symbol of hospitality deeply connected to his life in Sri Lanka. Find Kevin on TikTok @crossculturechristian.

Also, in this week’s #GrowingViral segment, we highlight the Pocket Pulpit podcast. Hosted by Sarah Kinzer and Hector Martinez, Pocket Pulpit explores questions surrounding social media ministry. What is it, and how do you do it effectively? If you love Viral Jesus, you will love Pocket Pulpit, too. Find Sarah and Hector on Twitter @kinzer_sarah and @seatexhex.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor Schumann: A Shooting Survivor Finds Her Voice Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

Taylor S. Schumann says she’s always been a writer, but on a spring day in 2013 she became an activist, too. It was an otherwise ordinary afternoon at New River Community College in Christiansburg, Virginia, when a gunman’s bullet tore through her left hand, and she became a victim of yet another mass shooting in America. In the split-second moment of the shooting, and the long work of healing and trauma recovery that followed, her beliefs about gun reform, “thoughts and prayers,” and the role of the church in our nation’s relentless trend of gun violence were irreversibly altered.

In this episode, Heather and Taylor discuss life in the aftermath of gun violence. Through her story, Taylor invites us to meet the suffering around us with our whole-hearted attention. May we all resist the impulse to look away from an uncomfortable subject and instead listen intently to Taylor’s bold message. Find her at taylorschumann.com and on Twitter @taylorsschumann.

Also, in our #GrowingViral segment, meet Clifford Stumme, also known as “the Pop Song Professor.” Clifford loves poetry and has decided to engage with culture by analyzing songs that top the charts and looking for their deeper meaning. Find Clifford on Twitter @CliffordStumme. He’s also the host of the podcast Obsessed.

Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Producer: Loren Joseph

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices