Yesterday’s Lessons for Today’s People
Replay from March 2024 Calling the first named male disciples Matthew 4 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “Land of…
Read Matthew 4:12-23 with your family. Jesus had many people following him from place to place. Women, men and children went to hear Jesus when he spoke, and some of them went with him when he moved to another town or village. In this story we hear about the first four men who were called…
In this episode of The Pagan and the Preacher (see what we did there?), Debb and Deb explore the Pagan Sabbat, Imbolc. From resolutions to rituals, we discuss this fascinating spring ritual and how it is used to prepare for the rest of the year.
Advent Be Prepared Bible Bread of Life Children Children's Stories Christianity Christmas Disciples Discipleship Easter Easter Sunday Epiphany Faith Forgiveness Healing Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Jesse Tree Jesus Jesus' birth John John the Baptist Justice Lent Love Luke Mark Mary of Nazareth Matthew Messiah Parables Paul Pentecost Peter Podcast Prayer Priests Resurrection Teen Time Temple Temptation Transfiguration Women
Pastor… Storyteller… Presider… Teacher… Professional Question-Asker…
Deborah Suddard has spent more than three decades walking with people through faith, doubt, joy, grief, love, loss, and all the messy, beautiful in-between. She’s a pastor, teacher, preacher, writer, and officiant – but if you ask her, she’s really just someone who keeps asking better questions about God and inviting others to do the same.
Deborah believes the Gospel is far too alive to be locked inside tidy theology or church walls. As The Barefoot Evangelist, she digs into Scripture the way it was meant to be read – rooted in history, culture, and lived experience – so we can hear what Jesus was actually saying, not just what we’ve been told He said. Sometimes that’s comforting. Sometimes it’s disruptive. And honestly, it’s usually both.
Her ministry is built on one simple, stubborn conviction: love is bigger than fear, and grace is bigger than rules. Deborah teaches a Christianity that is thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human – a faith that makes room for questions, laughter, protest, and hope all at once.
Alongside her theological work, Deborah also serves in Eastern Ontario as an officiant creating and leading weddings, funerals, and rites of passage that feel honest, meaningful, and deeply respectful. Whether the setting is a church, a forest, a living room, or a windswept shoreline, her ceremonies are crafted to honour the sacredness of love, memory, and transition – without pretending that life is ever neat or predictable.
What ties it all together is this:
Deborah shows up where people are.
Not where they “should” be.
Not where religion says they belong.
Where they actually are.
She walks with couples into commitment, families through grief, seekers through doubt, and communities through change – with compassion, wit, and a faith that isn’t afraid to get its feet dirty.
If you’re looking for someone who will take God seriously but not use God as a weapon…
If you believe church should feel more like a table than a courtroom…
If you’re hungry for something truer than easy answers…
You’re in the right place.
Welcome!
The Barefoot Evangelist 