Burning Butterflies
Two women share their story of escaping spiritual abuse and toxicity while finding hope in Christ!
Episodes
Chapter 6, Episode 10
They're making Barry a pastor, so how does his debut go? And what is that smell coming from the church office? But there's no time to worry about any of that, we have a VBS to put on in the middle of a pandemic!
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can supp...
Chapter 6, Episode 9
Some weeks blur together. This one? Felt like a lifetime.
In this episode, the ladies double-check the receipts, because there’s no way all of this chaos unfolded in just seven days… right? Wrong. In the middle of a glo...
Chapter 6, Episode 8
Amanda walks into the church office ready to quit. She’s exhausted, disillusioned, and done. But before she can even get to Tom, she’s intercepted by Charlette who begs her not to leave. To Charlette, it’s simple: Amanda’s just burned out. The solution? A vacation.
But this is 2020. ...
Chapter 6, Episode 7
The mandates loosen very slightly and suddenly, gathering in groups of 10 or fewer becomes the new spiritual loophole. Masks on, six feet apart, and… lights, camera, live stream! In this episode, the ladies recount the surreal phase of "10 people or Less."
Tom is elated—he finally has a live audience again, no matter how small. Amanda? She’s just relieved she no longer has to sneak into the building in the dead...
Chapter 6, Episode 6
In this episode, the ladies take us back to the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when fear and uncertainty were real—but inside the church, they were dismissed as weakness or lack of faith. Tom publicly reassured the congregation that they would “honor the authorities” because it was biblical, presenting himself as obedient and humble. But behind closed doors, it was a different story: mocking those who ...
Chapter 6, Episode 5
While the men were buzzing about the formation of an eldership, the women were… well, doing everything else. In this episode, the ladies dig into what they were actually up to while the boys were playing church politics. Plus: the shady origins of the phrase “you girls,” how it was used to diminish and what is the world is a red tent and why was i...
Chapter 6, Episode 4
Everyone who was asking problematic questions has left, but now how can Tom keep those pesky doubts from rising up again? We can have elders!
But we're not like a normal church here at Come As You Are! No! We don't do things just because that is how other churches do things. We will have elders on our own terms (aka Tom's Terms!)
Chapter 6, Episode 3
As Amanda reels from the accusation that she is the reason people are leaving the church, the pressure mounts. She’s angry, confused, and desperate for clarity—but the one thing she’s not allowed to do is sit down and talk to anyone about it. In this episode, we unpack what was the t...
Chapter 6, Episode 2
Everyone take a sign of relief that the banquet went smoothly. Maybe, just maybe all of this staging a coup stuff will blow over. Or maybe not.
What happens when Tom is called out before Sunday service? What was really said behind closed doors and why is it Brandi and Amanda's fault?
Chapter 6, Episode 1
In this Chapter 6 premiere, the ladies discuss the aftermath of Tom finding out that there are people attempting to stage a coup. The tensions build as the body goes into the annual banquet of 2020 and what happens when the whole group of disgruntled members show up together?
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Plea...
Welcome to Chapter 6!
When we left off, the girls had just dropped a huge bomb. What is the fall out from that? How does Tom move forward? And if you thought our time was crazy at Come As You Are up until this point, wait until a pandemic hits!
We can't wait to take you on this wild ride as we begin to discover "There's No Cure For This."
Chapter 5 Finale
As 2019 draws to a close, the cracks at Come As You Are are no longer just surface-level—they’re splitting wide open. People are starting to ask real questions about Tom: his leadership, his choices, and most of all, the church’s finances. Whispers of a rebellion start circulating. Some ...
Chapter 5, Episode 14
As the holiday season rolls in, the Griswolds step up to host a community Thanksgiving dinner—only to hit a wall when they find out their ministry fund is mysteriously empty. The questions start flying: where’s the money?
Meanwhile, Tom is on a mission. Still reeling from the worshi...
Chapter 5, Episode 13
Fall of 2019 brings two unforgettable meetings that cause a whole lot of damage.
First up: the worship team implodes after a blow-up at practice, and Tom calls a meeting to “resolve” things. But when emotions run high ...
Chapter 5, Episode 12
Charlotte starts dropping hints that she’s ready to maybe let go of the reins of women’s ministry. But like everything else at Come As You Are, it’s not that simple. Instead of a healthy handoff, Charlotte uses the opportunity to manipulate, test loyalties, and maintain control—just from behind the curtain. The illusion of empowerment becomes a n...
Chapter 5, Episode 11
Fresh off the Georgia trip, Tom is fired up about effective communication. For once, it seems like he’s actually all in—ready to implement everything he’s learned and get the church on board with his newfound passion. But how does he plan to make it happen?
Simple. He buys yet anoth...
Chapter 5, Episode 10
Tom comes back from Georgia fired up, ready to revolutionize church communication. Enter Grow Gatherings—meetings meant to bring people together, spark engagement, and finally give the congregation a voice. For a brief moment, it seems like something real is happening. People are excited. Ideas are flowing.
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Chapter 5, Episode 9
Amanda finds a church communications conference in Atlanta that she’s eager to attend, but what starts as simply asking for permission quickly spirals into a full-blown staff trip—led and planned by Tom, of course. Suddenly, it’s no longer about learning or growth; it’s about control...
Chapter 5, Episode 8
The theme for VBS 2019 is Run Your Race, but as usual, Tom has his own agenda. Determined to put the men of the church in their place and prove they need to step up, he appoints himself as the lead. But in true Tom fashion, that really just means one thing—Brandi and Amanda will do all the work, while he takes all the credit. Who’s really running this race? And at what cost?
Chapter 5, Episode 7
A new family walks through the church doors, and Tom smells money. They need to be love-bombed and pulled in immediately, and what better way than to hand them over to Brandi and Amanda? Fresh off being allowed to be friends again, the two are tasked with planning a funeral at Come As You Are—a funeral that quickly turns into a complete disaster.
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