New Canaan Society Franklin Podcast

#64: Casey Beathard

Casey Beathard seemed to lead a charmed life.
 
His father was an NFL general manager and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Casey was a high school football star and then played in college. He moved to Nashville where he was named Songwriter of the Year in 2004 and 2008. One son is a quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars and another is a recording artist with Dot Records. No problems, right?
 
Then a third son was fatally stabbed one night outside the Dogwood Bar and Grill on Division Street in Nashville. Through it all, Casey is on fire for the Lord. His son’s tragic death has opened doors and hearts for the Lord.

#63: Wes and Brothers

This Thursday Wes and some of our leadership group are going to explore with us why our NCS breakfasts are so important and why we need to tell our own stories to each other.

I was trying to think of a way of making this sound “exciting,” when I received a story from Chip Arnold (who spoke last Spring) about Barry Scott (who spoke 2-1/2 years ago). This story is a bit long, but it’s worth reading.

#62: Dennis Parker

Dennis Parker is a banjo picker with an amazing story of God’s grace.
 
You may remember Dennis from last April at NCS when Paul Aldrich hosted a few musicians from Music City Fathers.
 
Dennis won a bluegrass contest at age 7, played with Ricky Skaggs, and began drinking. “I wasn’t a good drunk,” Dennis says. “I was like a blackout drunk.” That landed him in jail five times, where a friend told him, “God loves you. You . . . are right at the place you need to be -- away from everybody, away from everything and away from all the responsibilities. Get in the Bible and let Him reveal himself to you.’” God changed Dennis.
 
And now Dennis is back with Kentucky Thunder, playing with Ricky Skaggs

#61: Ken Moore

Franklin is the third best place to live in the United States, according to Money. When a company or town is doing something right, much of the credit goes to the head person – the CEO or the mayor.
 
This Thursday we’re going to meet Ken Moore who has been mayor of Franklin since 2011. During his tenure the population of Franklin has grown by 1/3, businesses have been added, and yet Franklin has retained its charm.
 
Ken will tell us his story – stories of being an orthopedic surgeon, stories of serving people overseas, stories of Franklin, but most importantly, stories of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

#60: Young Men of Tennessee

God does not depend only on people older than 50 to accomplish His purposes.
 
He is working through a lot of people younger than most of us and many of those “younger people” are following God’s leading to Middle Tennessee.
 
Who are these young entrepreneurs? This Thursday you will meet three who have recently moved here from southern California and who have been with us at NCS this year.
 
            * Joshua Thomasec’s vision is to provide a safe place where young men can be mentored and learn the life skills they need to succeed at J2J Motorsports.
 
            * Colby Gilmore is helping young families with their life strategies through Ron Blue Trust.
           
            * Zach Norman is dedicated to supporting the mental health needs of artists and musicians through certified brain health coaching through Wave Initiative Worldwide.
 
Ron Henry, who works with Marketplace Chaplains – another great story – and is on our NCS leadership team, will moderate this panel with Joshua, Colby, and Zach.

#58: Dan Scott

Dan Scott, formerly pastor of Christ Church and now in mental health practice and an Anglican bishop, talks about what pastors are not telling you about their mental health. In 2021 a Barna poll discovered that 51% of the pastors in mainline churches and 34% of the pastors in evangelical churches would like to quit.

 

Dan says, “I will talk about a crisis of identity in American Evangelicalism that is particularly acute for church leaders. Are we shepherds, managers, CEOs, teachers, entertainers, political organizers, what? Many American clergy remain dedicated to Christ and committed to their calling, but they can’t find relief from the intense divisions within their congregations, and from their congregants’ unwillingness to accept silence on social / political issues.” 

 

Dan focuses on five statements:

1. We have redefined church.
2. We have redefined the pastor’s role.
3. We are losing transcendence
4. Many of us struggle with doubts about our faith.
5. Few of us have a safe person with whom we can share our inner life and intimate thoughts.

#57: Paul Young & Terry King

This Thursday we will have a double header at our NCS Breakfast at Puckett’s.
 
With us live and in-person will be Paul Young, author of The Shack, and friend of many brothers on death row at Riverbend.
 
With us by cell phone will by Terry King, who, at the age of 22, was sentenced to death for murder and has spent more than 37 years on death row here in Nashville.
 
During those 37 years, Terry has become a believer and a changed man. “I don’t need to pretend to be someone I am not,” he says. “I am just a sinner saved by God’s loving grace. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others so they don’t walk in the same footsteps that I have walked.”
 
In C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, Screwtape (the senior demon) tells Wormwood (the junior Tempter), “Remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy (i.e. Jesus). Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.” In spite of Satan’s temptations to us, God’s love can be victorious. Whether you are guilty of murder or of “playing cards,” God’s forgiveness is available to you, as Terry has discovered.
 
It will be a morning you won’t forget.

#56: Ukraine

You’ve seen pictures, heard reports, lamented over the horrors perpetrated on the Ukrainian people, and prayed for those involved.
 
Fred Heumann of MusicWorks International has made 18 trips to Ukraine to train church and seminary leaders in worship, theology, and music. One of those seminaries, the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS), is 15 minutes from Bucha, the city that was savagely occupied by Russian soldiers.
 
On the second day of the war, Fred founded ServeUkraine.org to help meet the needs of Ukrainians. On Thursday he will share some background and insight into Ukraine and its people from his unique perspective. He will also introduce us to Ivan Rusyn, president of UETS. If the technology works and he’s available, Ivan will be with us also by Zoom.
 
If you want to know more about Ivan, you can read an interview in Christianity Today. Ivan concludes the interview, “I want to say I see God’s hand at work. When I go back to Bucha tomorrow, can I tell the old woman (who “had no windows, no water, no electricity, nothing”) that God is working in her life? Theologically I believe He is. But in front of such suffering, I lack the strength to communicate it.”

#55: Music For Brothers

In case you missed Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival last week at the Bluebird Cafe, Station Inn, or Third & Lindsley, you can join us this Thursday when we’re having a morning of pickin’ and prayin’, singin’ and sharin’ at the NCS breakfast at Puckett’s.
 
Except for the last two Covid-filled years, about 20 singers, songwriters, music producers, and “pastor types” have gathered at a two-day annual retreat organized by our own Lyle Williams. These brothers call themselves “Music City Fathers” and get together for a little friendship, a little encouragement, a lot of memories, and some really great music. The retreat is this week and some of the Music City Fathers are going to join us.
 
We expect to have several Jesus Music legends with us including John Fischer, Scott Wesley Brown, Bob Bennett, and Bruce Carroll.

#54: Jason Ellerbrook

On December 10, tornadoes traveled 260 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky and pulverized Mayfield, Kentucky, a town of 10,000. The Tennessean headlined, “Tornado reveals strength of Mayfield people” – people who still needed help. “Food, water, heavy equipment, essential physical needs were addressed with hugs, pats, and smiles from total strangers.”
 
Jason Ellerbrook was on our NCS leadership team while he was executive director of a Southern Baptist men’s ministry and living in Nashville. Nineteen months ago Jason moved to Murray, Kentucky to become Executive/Discipleship pastor of FBC Murray, 22 miles from Mayfield.
 
Jason and his church became one of the many centers that provided food, water, hugs, pats, and prayers to help the people of Mayfield.