Steve & Lisa Cuss: Liturgy, Life-Giving Habits, and Mental Health with Douglas McKelvey & Alexandra Thompson

Join Steve Cuss and author Ellen Vaughn, who once rode a rusty, cracked-fuselage Russian helicopter across Cambodia—and arrived to hear children from a local church orphanage singing “This Is the Day” in English, as they unpack stories from God’s Expansive Kingdom. Ellen’s chat with Steve captures the stories behind her book What Jesus Started: churches thriving in places marked by poverty, persecution, and violence. Vaughn reflects on what she learned from believers who don’t expect life to be easy, including the astonishing freedom of a Rwandan pastor who forgave the neighbor who killed members of his family. She also talks candidly about her husband Lee’s decade-long battle with brain cancer, Chuck Colson’s publishing integrity, and why the church must remain independent of political power.More from Ellen Vaughn:

In 2016, doctors gave young mother Jackie Aviles six months to live. As cancer spread through her bones and lymph nodes, she prepared her children for her death and even chose a casket. Now, ten years cancer-free, Jackie tells Steve how faith, medicine, grief, and what she describes as God’s supernatural healing shaped her family’s journey. Jackie and her husband, pastor Emilio, also faced the pain of leading a church while grieving—and learned that listening can matter more than offering easy reassurance. Their conversation explores hope when healing doesn’t come, the difference between caring and carrying, and why peace may matter more than clarity.

Bad news isn’t the main story of the church. On Being Human, Steve Cuss talks with pastor Ryan Keating and Resource Global founder Tommy Lee about faith in action—from feeding thousands of refugees in Turkey to equipping Christian leaders and expanding access to education in Indonesia. As part of the “God’s Expansive Kingdom” series, these conversations explore global ministry, faith and work, and the lasting impact of small, faithful investments in people. Discover how noticing God at work can interrupt anxiety, renew hope, and help you see fresh possibilities in your own community.

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss speaks with Douglas McKelvey, author of the Every Moment Holy series—books offering liturgical prayers for everyday and significant life moments. Both share personal journeys from skepticism toward formal liturgy to discovering its deep spiritual value. Douglas recounts how the Book of Common Prayer transformed his faith during a period of theological uncertainty, while Steve reflects on his experience as a hospital chaplain. They explore the power of communal liturgy, the specificity of prayers for modern moments, and how Douglas's latest volume, Rites of Passage, helps young adults connect with God throughout life's transitions.

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss chats with Alexandra Thompson, founder of Cumberland Counseling Centers, a Georgia-based nonprofit embedding state-licensed counseling clinics inside local churches. Alex introduces her "clinic in a box" model, which allows churches to launch professional mental health services within weeks. The conversation covers trauma healing, EMDR therapy, faith integration, and the church's historical role as a community healing center.