It's back-to-school season at First Baptist Arlington, and there's a lot to catch up on. Kasey Fagan joins the podcast to share highlights from Family Getaway at Riverbend, including a dad teaching his son the drums during worship, volunteers keeping things running, and the sweet chaos of families making memories together. Dr. Wiles recaps a whirlwind stretch that took him from teaching a doctoral seminar at Truett Seminary to an Auburn-Baylor football game in Atlanta, plus a look back at the outpouring of love from his 25th anniversary celebration at First Baptist Arlington.

The conversation then turns to what's ahead: midweek programming kicks back into gear with returning favorites like Bible Heroes for preschoolers and new rotations for elementary kids, and the fall sermon series "Gone Fishing" launches its focus on evangelism. Dr. Wiles shares his own (admittedly limited) fishing skills as a jumping-off point for the series, and previews the lineup of guest speakers, Rafael Anzenberger, Oza Jones, and Gary Stidham, who'll each bring a different perspective on sharing the love of Jesus in the weeks he's traveling.

A little bit of everything: family, faith, fly fishing, and a full calendar heading into fall.

Dr. Wiles is off teaching a doctorate seminar this week, so Katy and Luke are joined in studio by college minister Connor Torrealba for a lively, laughter-filled catch-up. They reflect on the previous Sunday's celebration of Dr. Wiles' 25th anniversary at First Baptist Arlington, the packed sanctuary, the tributes from fellow pastors, and the behind-the-scenes staff effort that pulled it all together.

Connor shares what's making this the college ministry's best fall start yet: new touchpoints with UTA students through summer orientations and a breakfast burrito cart, a record-breaking Thursday night turnout, and a rain-soaked Dollar Steak Night that turned into an unexpected opportunity for deeper conversations. The group digs into what a "gospel appointment" actually looks like and how intentional follow-up has become a hallmark of the ministry.

They also look ahead to a busy season at FBCA: a refreshed Wednesday night gathering of worship and prayer (The Table), care ministries including a new anxiety support group, the launch of Alpha, an evangelism-focused program for people exploring faith, and a new fall sermon series through the book of Jonah called "Gone Fishing."

It's a candid, funny, and heartfelt look at what God is doing across the church's ministries — and the team working behind the scenes to make it happen.

In this episode of Tell Me More, the hosts sit down with Dr. Dennis Wiles as First Baptist Arlington prepares to celebrate his 25th anniversary as pastor. After a lighthearted cold open about a lifelong fear of clowns and some good-natured ribbing about accents (Alabama twang meets Texas drawl), the conversation turns reflective.

Dr. Wiles looks back on his very first Sunday in August 2001, the nerves, the new-city disorientation, and the sense that this was exactly where God was calling him and his family. He shares a powerful story about a season early in his ministry when a seemingly impossible mission trip to West Africa was funded through an unexpected, and much larger than expected gift, a moment that helped launch the church's global missions work and its counseling center in a single afternoon.

The conversation then shifts to what it means to live a "questionable" faith in a skeptical culture — exploring the New Testament's countercultural household codes, Michael Frost's idea of evangelism as fishing, and why winning people matters more than winning arguments.

The episode wraps with a look ahead to fall programming, including the Alpha course, a new Bible study on Jonah, and Wednesday night gatherings — plus an invitation to join the church's 25th anniversary celebration this Sunday at 10 AM.