Well Dwellers Podcast

“To be truly visionary we have to root our embodied actions into our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond that reality.”

One of my favorite moments in the holidays is being able to cozy up with my wife Bonnie in our home theatre and watch a fantastic movie. Just a few nights ago, we dimmed the lights and together watched Brad Pitt’s newest film ‘F1’ — an incredible thrill ride of adrenaline and dramat...

“We can’t receive the story God has for us—the story He has written, a love letter chicken-scratched on the fence, meeting us where we are—if we don’t first notice how we relate to that fence.”

— Hagerty, Sara. The Gift of Limitations: Finding Beauty in Your Boundaries (p. 122). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Growing up I would see my mom daily facing the ups & downs of her disability. Some days were filled with physical pain brought on...

In this episode of The Well Dwellers Podcast, Erik Freiburger sits down with Bruce Callow for a rich and wide-ranging conversation at the intersection of music, memory, disability, and emerging technology. Recorded in the wake of a small but powerful gathering called ‘Remixing Reality’ at the Calgary Central Library, this dialogue explores how AI-assisted music creation can open new pathways of expression for those who struggle to ...

In today’s episode, we journey “The Road Less Traveled”—the winding, complicated, grace-filled journey of disability, belonging, and the church. Drawing from my recent Learning Lunch presentation at First Alliance Church, we explore what it means to seek belonging in a world that often wasn’t built with disabled bodies and souls in mind. Through story, theology, models of disability, and the haunting beauty of a song called The Roa...

Since the dawn of creation music has reached from the core of the human experience. We are melodic story tellers from birth! Whether it is a message of hope, love, character statements, social and/or political commentary, life changes, or even the expressing of emphatic grief and protest; music is the transcendent language of the human soul.

So what about the music of dis/ability?! For many disabled individuals, finding one’s voice ...

In this rich and reflective episode of The Well Dwellers Podcast, Erik Freiburger sits down with his friend and fellow advocate, Ty Regan, to explore the deep intersections between disability, belonging, and the life of the church. Their conversation revisits a recent retreat at the FCJ Centre, where a small group of friends gathered to wrestle with grief, accessibility, and what it truly means to belong.

Through exploring stories o...

In this deeply reflective episode of The Well Dwellers Podcast, Erik Freiburger revisits an early piece of writing from his undergraduate days—The Words of Paul—a meditation on how the Apostle Paul’s letters might speak to people living with disabilities in our time today. Through this re-reading, Erik explores how faith, perseverance, and communal belonging intersect with the lived realities of those navigating ableism, policy inj...

Welcome back, to The Well Dwellers Podcast. I’m your host, Erik Freiburger, and I’m so glad you’ve returned to the well as we begin season 2.

In season one, we opened the space to wonder about the disabled life – its meanings, identity, what good news looks like, faith, and community. This season, it is my hope we can lean closer into the voices of disabled people and everyday life—their stories, their wisdom, their struggles, and t...

Welcome to the Well Dwellers Podcast, where we journey deep beneath the surfaces of disability, dignity, and the hope in a shared community that explores the places where transformation begins and life endures.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Morelli—Assistant Professor of Theology, Culture & Ethics at Northwest Seminary & College in British Columbia, Canada. Michael brings a great depth of thought shaped by his work in t...

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

07:18 - John & Eddie Van Sloten ‘A Fayher & Son’s Story’

28:42 - Lisa Waites ‘Reimagining The Body Of Christ’

1:07:44 - Panel Discussion ‘A Q&A With Our Presenters’

1:27:06 - End Credits

1:27:42 - Bloopers & Stills

The Good News Event was a small gathering on Saturday April 12th, 2025, at Ambrose University to talk about Reigniting A Prophetic Imagination In Being Good News For And As Disabled People.

Walter ...

It took me a bit by surprise! Sitting down with David Ross in the Riverside online studio, I gazed at my laptop screen with nostalgic amazement as he greeted me from his office in Alberta Bible College. Within a few seconds I recognized his setting as the office of my old professor, John Wilson, from 20 years ago! It brought a flood of memories as we warmed up to one another for what would be a truly inspiring conversation.

In this ...

“The main stimulus for the renewal of Christianity will come from the bottom and from the edge, from sectors of the Christian world that are on the margins.”

― Alan Hirsch, The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church

I. Introduction

Let me start by saying that I really suck at evangelism! No matter what “gift” profiling test I take, it is always at the bottom of the list. So what gives? Am ...

Welcome my fellow Well Dwellers to another episode of the Well Dwellers Podcast where we step into a sacred conversation—a space where the Spirit moves in the lowest of wells, where disability takes on new dimensions, and where dignity is not seen as a lacking but as a profoundly enduring reality of God’s presence in and amongst all of us.

Too often, the world teaches us to view disability through the lens of deficiency, as somethin...

It was several years ago when I sat in a cozy living room along with several other students as we listened to Dr. Richard Beck explore our ideas and thoughts behind hospitality and the Church. At some point, Beck turned to me as the sole leader in the room who led a House Church movement and asked, “How do you discern and respond to heresy in your church?” At the time, I wasn’t quite prepared for the question as I fumbled through t...

“This makes me wonder if my serendipitous experiences of the past year are foretastes. If this is where God is taking things, could a church-without-walls simply be the spiritual re-enchantment of all of life?”

— John Van Sloten

I really enjoyed getting to talk with John Van Sloten a few weeks ago. With a deeply humble and calming voice, I found John’s stories about his son Edward and himself to be powerfully inspiring. Edward’s joy ...

Good News Event

Reigniting A Prophetic Imagination In Being Good News For And As Disabled People Today

A few weeks ago I shared a post called ‘Where Is Good News For The Disabled Today?’

Link: https://www.atthebottomofthewell.com/p/where-is-good-news-for-the-disabled

Overview

While listening to two presentations in the themes of a New Body and New Church, followed by participating in table discussions and a Q & A with the presenters...

Today I get to sit down with my pastor, friend, and quite possibly an international spy of extraordinary missionally impossible accomplishments… James Paton! For the last 10 years he has lead First Alliance Church in Calgary through some incredible Kingdom adventures and I have on many occasions found a deep voice of wisdom and faith through his leadership.

Our conversation dives deep into thoughts around his disability, scriptural ...

Star Trek And Disabilities

I grew up in the Trek world. Everyday I would get home from school, throw my books on my bed, and stretch out on the living room floor to watch old repeats of the original Star Trek series. Of course I was fascinated with the utopian adventures of the Enterprise community and the intriguing characters of Spock, Captain Kirk, Christopher Pike, and all the alien species that filled the known and unknown fron...

Well Dweller Moments: The 1st Rule In Disability Ministry Is…

“The 1st Rule In Disability Ministry Is… Don’t Talk About Disability Ministry.”

It’s a word play on a quote from Brad Pitt’s movie ‘Fight Club’.

Meant sarcastically and humorously. But it has some seriousness to it, too.

There is a culture or kind of unspoken rule within the Church that they would really rather let those with disabilities “naturally” find acceptance and rela...