For the Love of God Brewing, a brewpub and restaurant located not far from the destruction of recent wildfires in Spokane, Washington, chose to donate all proceeds from Tuesday, August 4, 2026, to fire victims through the H.O.M.E Starts Here Fund. Owner, Steve Moss, joined the Religion Desk Podcast to talk about why they were choosing to help fire victims and why their business has such a curious name. For the Love of God Brewing is at 2617 W Northwest Blvd in Spokane, Washington.

In the past, work as a leader of a faith community was usually considered a pathway to the middle class. As churches have changed, and more congregations are smaller, paying a full-time clergyperson becomes a challenge. In Signs of Rebound Amid Uneven Recovery: The Changing Congregational Landscape, a report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, it’s noted that smaller congregations still struggle. 40% of congregations in the United States have 50 or fewer people attending. Another 27% have 51 to 100. Many of these faith communities are unable to pay a full-time salary. It's estimated that about one-third of clergy hold some type of other employment. Two bivocational pastors, the Rev. Karisa Rickard from Opportunity Christian Church in Spokane Valley, Washington and Pastor Dan Koehler from Spirit Lake Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, Idaho, joined the Religion Desk to talk about their experiences as bivocational clergy. Dr. Darryl Stephens, editor of Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry shared, too, on his research into bivocational ministry.

Hundreds of people gathered at the small Northeastern Washington town of Metaline Falls on June 20 and 21 to celebrate Bigfoot. Amidst the music, vendors, and food trucks both believers in Bigfoot and sceptics joined together for a fun weekend. The Religion Desk visited the festival to hear from organizer, Bill Bisson, the Sasquatch Hobbit Hunters, as well as many venders and festival goers. Author of The Secret History of Bigfoot, John O'Connor, joined the podcast from Massachusetts to talk about his research into the world of Bigfooters.