We are interested in all things theological, pastoral, philosophical, and, honestly, just fun! We&#39;re a diverse podcast that offers curious conversations that interact with a diverse group of people and topics. Our focus is to see God&#39;s people united under our allegiance to Christ to worship Him with one voice. Unison Church is a church plant in progress. Through the physical location and distinct service times don&#39;t exist yet, Unison Church is beginning as an online initiative to call the church to be united to one another, and even more so, to be united to Christ. It&#39;s time to throw away the pretense of religion, and the ritualistic dogmas that have dominated the American idea of Christianity for decades. Instead it&#39;s time to commit to following Jesus with every part of our life. It&#39;s time to unite together to worship His name with one voice.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/4/29/13/e5517148-8a4d-4168-abe0-e4cb9289e691_erik_h_teens.mp3

This has been a really fun series, though it&#39;s been a little sporadic. In todays episode, I talked with a long-time colleague and friend, Erik Havumaki. He&#39;s been doing youth ministry for a long time and shares his story and a lot of wisdom for us today. The stories he tells are sure to inspire anyone--especially if you&#39;re in ministry. Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco?utm_source=linktree_admin_share

Talking Youth Ministry with Erik Havumaki - ep. 42

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/1/5/76f36ce8-b2f1-4bbf-8eaf-08a439c878ae_gen_jun_review.mp3

Once again, I&#39;m on one of Preston&#39;s launch teams! I loved being a part of this one, because the conversation about women in church leadership is one that I have engaged already! Listen to this if you want to wade into the waters of the conversation, then, read Preston&#39;s book if you want to learn to swim in them. Regardless of where you land on the issue, this is sure to be a provocative one! Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco?utm_source=linktree_admin_share

An Honest Review of "From Genesis to Junia" by Preston Sprinkle -ep. 41

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/12/31/16/62664eb2-1891-462b-b79b-8685fd22741a_eoy_ucp.mp3

In this episode you&#39;ll get an exclusive look at Michael Shawn&#39;s newest song, &#34;28 is proof i&#39;m still a millenial.&#34; That becomes a launching point to reflect on 2025, discuss goals, and talk about the future of the podcast! Happy New Year!Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco?utm_source=linktree_admin_share

My New Song Wrapping Up 2025 - ep. 40

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/30/21/b19561b5-b7fe-428a-b8d9-01f504b840ef_nov_pod.mp3

All though the book of Mark, there are little moments where women pop into the story. Then, for the rest of the book, there are seemingly no women there. The way they&#39;re woven into the story and the words used to describe them indicate that the author was doing something intentional. Today, we&#39;ll discuss what I think he was doing. This episode was recorded in Unison Studios. Find more about how to record your own audio projects here: http://unisonstudios.org/Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

Mark's Intentional Use of The Female Disciples (Apostles?) of Jesus -ep. 39

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/11/1/1/acf36c8c-4bf0-43de-ace5-e51944e994ce_erick_youth_ministry_.mp3

My new friend Erick is a youth pastor, coach, and teacher and he had some great insights into God&#39;s call, working with young people, and church leadership. In this episode we continue our series talking to youth workers about youth ministry and challenges facing young people today! This episode was recorded in Unison Studios. Find more about how to record your own audio projects here: http://unisonstudios.org/Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

Talking Calling and Youth Ministry with Erick Sorto -ep. 38

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/9/24/19/32daffa4-43f1-42d1-be82-6eee8f25cb33_hiro_ucp_full_bounce.mp3

Hiro is a friend of mine who I recently discovered is a youth pastor! We got together to discuss all things youth ministry, including how to talk to teenagers, unique challenges for young adults today, and the importance of intergenerational relationships in the church. This episode was recorded in Unison Studios. Find more about how to record your own audio projects here: http://unisonstudios.org/Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

Talking Youth Ministry and the Life of Faith with Hiro Okazaki -ep. 37

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/8/28/3/4f037b28-9b65-474c-b44e-b900dc1fb16e_true_believers_full.mp3

This son hit me hard the last month or two and I had to talk about it! It&#39;s a powerful, sever, even offensive song, but it contains some real truth. Listen with an open mind, as we dive into &#34;True Believers&#34; by Hayley Williams! This episode was recorded in Unison Studios. Find more about how to record your own audio projects here: http://unisonstudios.org/Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

"True Believers" by Hayley Williams Song Analysis and Theology - ep. 36

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/23/16/47173e2c-01ba-4d74-b286-2759a88864c8_full_tom_pod.mp3

Tom Laskowski is an old friend and mentee of mine! We got to sit down and talk about his church journey, which is one that includes alot of heartache, but also alot of joy. We get into what it&#39;s like to look for a church, what it&#39;s like to leave a church, and why the church still matters even when it&#39;s broken. This episode was recorded in Unison Studios. Find more about how to record your own audio projects here: http://unisonstudios.org/Connect more with your host here: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

The Church, Broken but Still Good with Tom Laskowski -ep. 35

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/1/4/f6e7910a-9350-44e1-9856-e0179d285cbb_surprised_dad_full.mp3

N.T. Wright is one of the foremost New Testament scholars of the last 50 years of scholarship! In this episode, me and my father and co-pastor, Pastor Mike Carbaugh, jump into a review of one of his most famous books, Surprised by Hope. For anyone looking to learn more about the resurrection, the hope of Christianity, or New Testament scholarship in general this episode and Wright&#39;s books are a great place to start! Be sure to connect more with our host through these links; https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

"Surprised by Hope" by N.T. Wright Review with Pastor Mike Carbaugh -ep. 34

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/5/20/16/5e32d355-43ff-4d58-9677-83354458a35d_full_christin_on_superman_and_lois.mp3

Superman &amp; Lois was a show that aired on the CW from 2021 to 2024. Surprisingly, the final scene of the show ends with a definitively theological statement, narrated by Superman: &#34;And suddenly it came to me, What life is all about...&#34; So we had to have on fellow comic enthusiast, Christian Ellis to talk about the show and it&#39;s ending from a theological standpoint. Be sure to connect more with our host through these links; https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

The Theology of Superman & Lois with Christian Ellis -ep. 33

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/5/1/2/72419695-eb89-490f-a126-44ece4f9a2ad_actual_full_final_ep.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on Aug 18th, 2024. In this teaching, bring our sermon series, &#34;Jonah: Uncovering the Truth about God&#34; to a close. The final discussion puts a new perspective on the story of Jonah, a sympathetic one at that. What is it like to hear the absolutely terrifying call of God, and what will our own response be? How will you respond to God&#39;s call? This episode also serves as the ending to our absolutely enormous series on Jonah! I hope you&#39;ve stuck with it thus far, and I&#39;m looking forward to something new next month! Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 7, Ending the Jonah Series! -ep. 32

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/12/17/d513e8d7-398c-4a00-9367-ac2b88cccfa0_johnah_uncovered_6.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on Aug 11th, 2024. In this teaching, we dive into perhaps Jonah&#39;s most distinct character trait: his racism. As a response to this, God continually reminds Jonah of the Ninevites personhood. Like Jonah, they too bear God&#39;s image and receive His love--even when they are wicked beyond belief. In the face of hatred, Jonah is invited towards something else. Jesus taught about this alot, so we&#39;ll bring Him into the conversation as well. Jesus’ Solution for Hatred is Radical Enemy Love!Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 6: Jonah, the Racist Prophet (cont.) -ep. 31

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/12/17/b5b7ddf8-fddd-4f38-b0dd-ec07d024318e_johnah_uncovered_5.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on Aug 4th, 2024. In this teaching, we dive into perhaps Jonah&#39;s most distinct character trait: his racism. God is doing something in the book of Jonah, and it draws out a universal theme that many are surprised to find littered throughout the Old Testament. It highlights God&#39;s love for the Gentiles. Despite His choosing of the Ancient Israelites, God was always concerned with the rest of the world as well. We learn that God doesn’t need our approval to send His mercy! Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 5: Jonah, the Racist Prophet (cont.) -ep. 30

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/12/17/161e2811-b541-4c42-b056-719babdaf531_johnah_uncovered_4.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on July 28th, 2024. In this teaching, we dive into perhaps Jonah&#39;s most distinct character trait: his racism. We discuss the root cause of this racism, which we identify as toxic nationalism. In stark contrast to Jonah&#39;s hateful pride, we claim that God’s heart is for all people—even those who are different than us!Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 4: Jonah, the Racist Prophet -ep. 29

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/12/17/fe6f7951-f111-4953-be16-eb37d54908f7_johnah_uncovered_3.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on July 21st, 2024. In this teaching, we discuss what is perhaps the most central verse in Jonah: Jonah 4:2. This verse is actually a quotation of Exodus, from a very famous story of the Israelites in the desert just after their escape from Egyptian slavery. Had Jonah taken this story to heart, his own story would have been radically different. Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 3: Jonah's Description of God -ep. 28

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/3/12/16/b28cc6d4-1ca6-4cb6-b6cc-df2857f86152_johnah_uncovered_2.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me.This message was given at Pond Hill on July 14th, 2024. In this teaching, we dissect Jonah&#39;s literary genre and Jonah&#39;s view of God that proved to be way to small. How could a prophet flee from God on the very sea which God created? We learn that the Scripture is inviting us to embrace the heart of God rather than run from it!Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 2: Jonah's Landlocked God -ep. 27

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/2/27/18/f3889432-fc5f-49b2-95c4-9378969f9629_johnah_uncovered_1.mp3

We&#39;re diving into the book of Jonah, live from Pond Hill in 2024! There&#39;s so much to be found in this book, and our podcast series on Jonah was kindled because of this sermon series that I did in Summer of &#39;24. I learned so much and I hope that these teaching will be as helpful for you as they were for me. This message was given at Pond Hill on June 30th, 2024. Part 1 is an overview of the book and some specific teaching on God&#39;s sovereignty! We learned that The book of Jonah is not primarily about Jonah. It’s about God’s activity in the world and His radical mercy and love for the people in it!Connect with me further here: https://linktr.ee/unisonchurchct

Jonah: Uncovering the Truth About God Pt. 1: Introduction -ep. 26

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/1/31/19/e7d7aead-0aed-452d-a1f9-bfb8d82c694a_full_upside_pod.mp3

In this different kind of episode, we&#39;ll read through the new Upside Down Kingdom Study Bible&#39;s notes on Jonah and offer a review. It&#39;s a great opportunity to look at the big picture and bring together many of the elements we&#39;ve discussed so far within the book of Jonah. Follow us for more content: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

The Upside Down Kingdom Study Bible Jonah Notes Review - ep. 25

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/1/2/1/179dde8c-99c3-4b52-8b39-1a941b7d4c51_ucp_2024_wrap.mp3

Happy New year! 2024 is out and 2025 is in! There&#39;s many plans in motion for the Unison Church Podcast and I&#39;m excited to share them with you. Thank you for all my listeners! Tune in more by following on socials: https://linktr.ee/michaelshawnunisonco

Wrapping up 2024 and Looking Ahead to 2025 -ep. 24

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/10/21/18/07051b54-96da-4f96-8989-8ebba7a3d0ae_full_jonah_and_nmercy_tall_tell_4_.mp3

We&#39;ve reached the end of the micro-series, Jonah and the Tall Tell. Michael Shawn revisits some four-year old teachings given on the book of Jonah and brings a fresh perspective on the themes found within! Connect more with Michael Shawn here: https://linktr.ee/admin

Jonah and the Tall Tell Pt. 4 -The Struggle, Book of Jonah VI - ep. 23

We are interested in all things theological, pastoral, philosophical, and, honestly, just fun! We're a diverse podcast that offers curious conversations that interact with a diverse group of people and topics. Our focus is to see God's people united under our allegiance to Christ to worship Him with one voice.

Unison Church is a church plant in progress. Through the physical location and distinct service times don't exist yet, Unison Church is beginning as an online initiative to call the church to be united to one another, and even more so, to be united to Christ. It's time to throw away the pretense of religion, and the ritualistic dogmas that have dominated the American idea of Christianity for decades. Instead it's time to commit to following Jesus with every part of our life. It's time to unite together to worship His name with one voice.