Eight episodes in, Erin and Kaitlyn pause to look back on how much life and faith have shifted since they first launched the podcast. From church communities to personal callings, seminary studies to Sunday school, grief to grace, they share the real changes that have deepened their Christian walk over the past six months.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

[00:15] From idea to milestone Erin and Kaitlyn reflect on how a February conversation turned into a podcast that’s reshaping their faith.

[03:50] Kaitlyn steps into teaching What started as a desire to serve led to a call to teach Sunday school to the same age group her late mom once taught.

[07:15] Erin’s year of transition From launching a Christ-centered retreat space to enrolling in seminary, Erin shares how God has been moving in her life.

[10:30] Prioritizing God daily Kaitlyn describes the shift from rare faith conversations to prayer, confession, and wearing her cross boldly at work.

[17:35] Mentorship and communityErin finds a long-awaited church home and takes steps toward spiritual mentorship for deeper guidance.

[20:00] Praying for those who hurt us Kaitlyn learns to turn conflict into prayer, discovering compassion through Christ’s example of forgiveness.

[24:10] Breaking old habitsErin opens up about moving away from gossip and into more Christ-centered conversations.

[27:23] Small shifts that matterBoth hosts reflect on subtle but powerful changes, from choosing prayer in hard moments to showing faith more openly.

[32:34] Full circle momentsKaitlyn shares how being welcomed back to church has now positioned her to welcome others, finding their way.

[35:00] Looking aheadWith gratitude for growth, Erin and Kaitlyn preview upcoming episodes on yoga, toxic positivity, angels, and even AI in the church.

What does it really mean to be a “lukewarm Christian”? And how do we know if we’ve slipped into going through the motions instead of living on fire for Christ?

In this episode, Erin and Kaitlyn wrestle with a challenging passage from Revelation and explore how it plays out in their own lives, from drifting faith and half-hearted habits to bold moments of conviction. Through honest stories, family wisdom, church struggles, and unexpected God-incidences, they unpack what it takes to move from lukewarm to fully alive in faith.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:15] Starting with Revelation.

Kaitlyn introduces the idea of “lukewarm Christianity” and reads the striking verses that inspired this conversation.

• [04:50] What hot and cold might really mean.

Different perspectives show that “cold” isn’t always negative; it could be about refreshing faith, not rejection.

• [07:04] From teen faith to lukewarm years

Kaitlyn reflects on drifting away from church as a teenager and how that season shaped her journey.

• [08:33] Erin’s decade of lukewarm faith

Erin shares how her early years as a believer often lacked prayer, Scripture, and community.

• [11:56] Wisdom from Nana

A powerful conversation with Kaitlyn’s grandmother revealed why putting God first matters in marriage and life.

• [17:55] Wrestling with the church

Erin opens up about years of struggling to find a church home and how that fed a lukewarm spirit.

• [21:53] Wearing the cross without fear

Kaitlyn prepares for a new yoga teacher training and wonders if she’ll boldly share her faith or hold back.

• [26:21] Fitting in vs. standing out

Erin reflects on her tendency to play mediator and how that sometimes kept her quiet about faith.

• [33:09] Depending on God, not just ourselves

Turning to prayer instead of self-reliance became a key shift in moving away from lukewarm living.

• [37:03] Faith across places

Kaitlyn considers how region, community, and readiness of the soul all shape when we share our beliefs.

• [43:27] Conversations in unlikely places

From hooters to bar counters, Kaitlyn shares moments where surprising faith conversations sparked new fire.

• [47:42] God-incidences that stick

Erin recalls encounters that planted seeds of faith even before she realized how much she needed them.

• [49:53] From lukewarm to on fire

Closing reflections on how subtle shifts, bold choices, and honest conversations can transform faith.

Rituals don’t have to be rigid. They can be deeply personal, grounding, and even surprising ways we connect with God.

In this episode, Erin and Kaitlyn open up about the practices that keep them steady: from praying the Rosary in community, to walking labyrinths, to the simple but powerful act of saying grace at mealtimes.

Along the way, they share how yoga, journaling, and Scripture study have shaped their spiritual rhythms, and why small, consistent rituals can shift everything when life feels messy or overwhelming.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:37] Why rituals matter

Erin and Kaitlyn reflect on how simple practices can bring comfort, empowerment, and connection.

• [01:18] Kaitlyn’s return to the Rosary

From group prayer before Mass to praying along with Spotify in the car, Kaitlyn shares how the Rosary fits into the rhythms of everyday life.

• [06:15] Erin’s evolving perspective on ritual

Leaving Catholicism didn’t erase ritual for Erin. She shares how practices like communion and retreat experiences still shape her faith today.

• [8:52] Walking the labyrinth

Erin discovers a prayer practice that’s less about getting lost and more about finding God in each step.

• [13:24] From yoga to journaling

How old habits of meditation and journaling became love letters to God.

• [19:00] The Psalms as a ritual

Raw, honest words of joy, grief, and anger show up as daily anchors of prayer.

• [25:00] Saying grace at the table

Erin rediscovers mealtime prayer and the gratitude it cultivates in everyday life.

• [29:10] The power of small rituals

Even whispered prayers or half-finished practices can open us back to God’s strength when our own runs out.

This week’s conversation comes from a listener request. Shoutout to Sydney in Vestavia Hills, Alabama! She asked how social media is shaping Christianity, and Erin and Kaitlyn dive right in.

Social media connects us, inspires us, and spreads the gospel in ways our grandparents never imagined. But it also fuels comparison, performative Christianity, and digital footprints that never fade.

From AOL chat rooms to Instagram algorithms, from YouTube sermons to the pressure of “aesthetic” Christianity, they ask: is social media deepening our discipleship or distracting us from it?

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:01:24] AIM, chat rooms, and the first taste of online connection. Before Instagram and TikTok, Kaitlyn remembers the thrill (and chaos) of AOL.

• [00:05:04] Faith in the feed. Erin and Kaitlyn unpack how Christianity shows up in the scroll: the good, the bad, and the cringeworthy.

• [00:09:33] When the algorithm preaches. How the Chosen and Christian content started finding Kaitlyn online at just the right time.

• [00:16:29] Performative Christianity. Erin opens up about comparison traps and the pressure to post a picture-perfect faith.

• [00:21:46] Priests on YouTube? Why some churches embrace social media and why others resist it.

• [00:29:36] Looking back at old posts & digital footprints of relationships. From public fights to oversharing, the risks of putting relationships online.

• [00:39:28] The Apple logo and the Tree of Knowledge Are we literally holding temptation in our hands?

• [00:43:17] Can social media be redeemed? Despite its flaws, Erin and Kaitlyn share why they still have hope for a faith-filled online community.

We hear it all the time: “Just pray about it.”

But what does that really mean, especially when you're new to faith, coming back, or still unsure what you believe?

This episode dives into the practice of prayer, not as a performance or obligation, but as something real, honest, and grounding. Erin and Kaitlyn share how prayer has reshaped their spiritual lives, from grief and guilt to trust and transformation.

You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t even have to know what you believe. You just have to start.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:15] Why Kaitlyn says prayer is “the gift that keeps on giving”

Grief, urgency, and a powerful hospital moment that changed everything.

• [01:30] “Prayer is the greatest realism”: a reflection on silence, suffering, and strength

A beautiful passage on how God meets us in the noise and stillness.

• [06:20] Is it prayer or meditation? Kaitlyn shares how they blur together

How yoga, stillness, and prayer each played a role in her spiritual practice.

• [11:00] Erin’s prayer journey: from confusion to connection

Frameworks like ACTS and REST that helped make prayer feel real and doable.

• [14:21] The myth of muscling through: why prayer isn’t about strength

Kaitlyn opens up about trying to carry it all, and what changed when she stopped.

• [22:45] Confession, gossip, and the (repeating) struggle for grace

Vulnerability, accountability, and praying your way through real-world challenges.

• [30:33] What if prayer could make the world gentler?

From impulsive reactions to intentional presence — why prayer just might be the pause that saves us.

• [34:55] Practical, sacred, and everywhere

Why prayer isn’t just for church pews and how it can transform even your chores.

In this episode, Erin confesses something that’s felt taboo in church circles: she really doesn’t like worship music. From the loudness and theatrics to the pressure to “feel something,” it’s never felt like her way in. Kaitlyn brings her own perspective from ancient Latin hymns to the chants of her yoga practice, and together they unpack how sacred sound can connect us… or completely shut us down.

If you’ve ever felt spiritually out of sync with the soundtrack of church, this episode is for you.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:20] “I feel like a bad Christian for saying this…”

Erin opens up about why worship music makes her uncomfortable and the unexpected things she does instead.

• [04:00] Worship vs. performance

Though music is deeply moving for her, Erin shares why the emotional and performative style of worship music feels alienating.

• [09:29] First Yoga Class Walkout

Kaitlyn tells a powerful story of leaving her first traditional yoga class due to unfamiliar chanting, paralleling how some people might feel entering church for the first time.

• [12:14] Music as a Spiritual Gateway

Kaitlyn talks about growing appreciation for church music as she’s matured and how understanding lyrics adds meaning. She acknowledges how music can draw people into faith and how powerful songs can emotionally support spiritual life.

• [16:20] Sermon Over Song

Erin opens up about preferring sermons over long worship sets and how she navigates overwhelming church experiences.

• [23:00] Finding Comfort in Authenticity

Both hosts affirm the importance of feeling comfortable and authentic in how they worship, even if that means doing less.

• [26:00] Worship Expectations vs. Authentic Response

Erin shares her discomfort with feeling pressured to physically participate in worship (like raising hands), emphasizing the need for authenticity over performance.

• [32:13] Erin’s Return to Mass Through Retreats

Erin shares how retreats reintroduced her to the beauty of Catholic tradition, helping her reconnect with her roots.

• [34:00] Making peace with preference

This episode reminds us that not connecting with one style of worship doesn’t make you less faithful; it makes you human.

In this episode, Erin takes us through her unconventional path from a science-only worldview to embracing Christianity at age 30.

She opens up about years of staunch atheism and how unexpected encounters became the gentle catalysts for her spiritual awakening. This is a story of mid-life reinvention, community found in strange places, and the surprising ways longing can turn into lasting faith.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:02:16] Defining the BreakKaitlyn asks Erin to pinpoint exactly when and how she left childhood faith and Erin details her decision at age twelve to walk away.
  

• [00:07:47] From Atheist by Choice to Disbelief by HabitErin recalls how, by her late teens, immersed in science and various texts, she viewed belief as “for people who were weak.”
  

• [00:13:41] Midnight in a CornfieldIn her early twenties, Erin blacked out at the wheel and woke up unscathed under a full moon—an unexplainable moment that first planted a seed of wonder.
  

• [00:21:38] Yoga’s Early StirringsKaitlyn revisits their shared yoga roots, and Erin explains how silent retreats and ethical teachings began to open her heart.
  

• [00:30:51] A “Cool” Friend and Matthew 6:26A “hipster” friend casually quoted Jesus not as a sermon but as genuine insight, prompting Erin to question her dismissal of faith as unintellectual.
  

• [00:33:55] Lunch with a Pastor and a Study Bible GiftA down-to-earth pastor invited Erin to his home for a relaxed lunch, then quietly handed her a study Bible- something that she would revisit in the years to come.
  

• [00:42:24] Becoming a Believer at FortyThough early markers of her “conversion” appeared around thirty, it was the crises of divorce and unemployment at forty that drove Erin to finally anchor herself in faith.
  

• [00:50:03] “If We Focus on Soul Work… Are We Missing Out?”Kaitlyn explores whether soul-searching risks cutting us off from everyday joys and how true fulfillment weaves both together.
  

• [00:55:58] Denominations ExploredErin reflects on her non-denominational identity and why church culture still feels like a Goldilocks challenge for her.
  

• [01:01:40] What’s next on NYSS Erin and Kaitlyn tease upcoming conversations: deconstructing denominations, discovering faith in unexpected places, and reimagining spiritual practices for modern seekers.

We’re kicking off the podcast with Kaitlyn’s story — a vulnerable return to Catholicism that had nothing to do with rules and everything to do with grace.

In this episode, she shares her messy, meaningful journey back after years away, and the powerful moment that reshaped everything.

Faith and family. Guilt and healing. This is where we begin.

✨ Not Your Sunday School Moments:

• [00:37] The unlikely place where Erin and Kaitlyn’s friendship began. No, it wasn’t church… or even a Bible study.

• [03:00] Spiritual upbringing shaped by family and pain. Kaitlyn opens up about being raised Catholic, the tension between faith and family trauma, and how that shaped her early view of God.

• [09:52] The slow fade of faith. From sacraments to silence, Kaitlyn shares how changing schools and trying to fit in led her to leave her faith behind quietly.

• [14:15] Rock bottom with a side of surrender. Kaitlyn’s college years' experiences brought her to the edge and unknowingly back to herself.

• [21:22] Can shame and spirituality coexist? A raw convo on how religion shaped Erin and Kaitlyn’s self-worth, for better or worse.

• [31:06] A knock at the door… and something shifts. Right after a conversation Kaitlyn never thought she’d have, someone unexpected shows up. What happens next could only be described as divine timing.

• [32:43] When grief cracked her wide open.Two major losses. One sacred goodbye. The pain that brought Kaitlyn home to her faith again.

• [36:48] Praying with her Nana. Kaitlyn shares intimate moments of prayer in her grandmother’s final days — and how it helped her heal both backward and forward.

• [43:25] Finding God in unexpected, messy places. Spoiler: It’s not all candles and choir music. Sometimes it’s awkward, but that's what you need the most.