Burning Butterflies

The Time a Church Bought a Church

Chapter 4, Episode 6
In this episode of Burning Butterflies, Amanda and Melissa revisit the chaotic fall of 2017. Tom unveils his "innovative" fall campaign, a gospel-sharing technique he blatantly lifted from another ministry, but with his usual twist of claiming divine inspiration. Meanwhile, the church rallies behind its latest ambitious project—purchasing and flipping a struggling church building across town.
 
Amanda and Melissa dig into the mystery of why Come As You Are owns the building, the sudden influx of funds to make the purchase, and Tom’s grand, unspoken plans for the property. They question the motivations, the financial transparency (or lack thereof), and how these schemes fed into the culture of control and manipulation.
 
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
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Double Standards: The Foundation of Come As You Are

Chapter 4, Episode 5
In this episode, Amanda and Melissa dive into a season marked by double standards that slowly erode trust and authenticity. While the “Beer Ministry” is in full swing and builds camaraderie, it raises silent questions about what’s truly acceptable in the church. Melissa works tirelessly to convince Froggy that coming home and leaving his destructive lifestyle behind was the right call, even as he struggles with resentment. Meanwhile, Amanda slips into the role of “Tour Guide Barbie,” endlessly rallying moms around events and expectations that seem welcoming on the surface but come with unspoken rules and subtle pressures to conform. Join us as we unpack the cracks in the foundation of “Come As You Are,” revealing the double standards and underlying judgments that made this season one of tension and turmoil.
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
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Just Drink The Kool-Aid So We Can Teach Kids About Jesus

Chapter 4, Episode 4
In this episode, we take a look back at the summer of 2017 during Vacation Bible School—a chaotic, high-stakes week meant to be about introducing kids to Jesus. For Amanda, however, it became more about navigating tense dynamics among the volunteers and doing everything in her power to get people to work together. While on the surface it looked like a mission for faith, deep down, Amanda’s real goal was to win the approval of Tom and Charlotte.
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing! Please help us share our story with others!
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Melissa's Jubilee: It Was Never About Froggy

Chapter 4, Episode 3
The 2017 women’s retreat, called Jubilee, was meant to celebrate “joy in the Lord”—but for Melissa, it became the site of a soul-wrenching revelation. In this first retreat Amanda did not attend in over a decade, Melissa took the stage to praise God for restoring her marriage. She spoke passionately about the joy of rescuing her husband from his life of addiction and crime. But while Melissa shared her testimony, Froggy was nowhere near “rescued.” He was still entangled in a dark web of drugs, deceit, and dangerous relationships.
As Melissa reflects on the retreat and her overwhelming desire to save Froggy, she realizes something surprising about her motives and where her faith had actually taken her. This episode dives into Melissa's emotional journey and the shocking twist that reshaped her understanding of "rescue" and "joy."

Hopeful Beginnings: Amanda's Affirmation

Chapter 4, Episode 2
In this episode of Burning Butterflies, Amanda takes us back to the beginning of 2017, a time when everything seemed to be falling into place.
 
With Pastor Young Gun's affirmation and support, Amanda is thriving as the co-lead of the children's ministry. Together, they work tirelessly to launch a new church initiative aimed at bringing families closer together through shared faith and activities. Amanda is full of hope, believing that this new ministry will be her chance to make a real difference. But will it last?
 
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
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Melissa Living in Fear: Froggy Throws the Mask Away

Chapter 4, Episode 1
In this Chapter 4 premiere, the ladies dive into the unraveling of Froggy's life and the impact it had on his marriage to Melissa. In the beginning of 2017, Melissa lost her father, which ultimately reveals the cracks in Froggy's mask. As his drug use becomes more prevalent, Melissa is brought to the breaking point and asks Tom to come and remove Froggy from her home.
 
Don't miss the companion Patreon episode where Melissa opens up about who Froggy truly was behind closed doors, sharing the chilling reality of living with him and the growing fear she faced for her own life.
 
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
Please help us share our story with others! Follow us on FB, Insta or TikTok. Subscribe so you won't miss new episodes and don't forget to leave us a rating!

Chapter 4: The Re-Tweet

In this mini-sode introducing Chapter 4, Melissa and Amanda give you a peek into Chapter 4, why they call it the "Re-Tweet" and foreshadow just what is about to come!

Months of Insanity: The End of Chapter 3

Chapter 3, Episode 16
In this episode of Burning Butterflies, Amanda and Melissa dive into the whirlwind that was the final months of 2016.
They recount the escalating infighting within the church, the growing tension between key leaders, and the emotional ordination of Pastor Young Gun. As they close out Chapter 3 of their story, they reflect on the emotional toll these events took on them and their community. The episode ends with an exciting sneak peek into Chapter 4, where even more secrets will unravel, setting the stage for what’s to come.
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
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Marriages on Fire: The Flames We Didn't Ask For

Chapter 3, Episode 15
 
Join Amanda and Melissa as they take a deep dive into a marriage ministry the church attempted to implement, which spiraled out of control almost immediately. What started as a well-intentioned effort to strengthen the marriages within the congregation quickly turned into a disaster that did far more harm than good.
 
The idea was simple: weekly workshops designed to help married couples rekindle their love, navigate challenges, and build a faith-centered partnership. However, the lack of communication between leadership leads to other ministries being effected.
 
Things took a turn for the bizarre when an older woman in the church took it upon herself to intervene in the marriages of the younger couples. Her meddling started with unsolicited advice but soon escalated into something much more uncomfortable.
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
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The Price of Ignorance: Melissa’s Hell, Amanda’s Detachment

Chapter 3, Episode 14
 
In this gripping episode, Melissa breaks her silence about the summer she vanished from VBS without warning, leaving everyone scrambling to pick up the pieces. The ladies unpack the personal turmoil Melissa was facing at the time, shedding light on the real reason for her sudden disappearance. Meanwhile, Amanda reflects on how, at the time, she was too distracted by the unraveling of her friendship with the children's ministry leader to fully see what Melissa was going through.
 
But the story doesn't end there. Just weeks after the VBS incident, Froggy shows his true nature in a shocking public display. Desperate for help, Melissa turned to the church, only to have Tom step in, shutting down any attempt to offer her support and sweeping the abuse under the rug.
 
This episode pulls back the curtain on the toxic dynamics at play, exposing the cracks in both the leadership and the friendships that held everything together.
 
Burning Butterflies is a listener supported podcast. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
 
Please help us share our story with others! Follow us on FB, Insta or TikTok. Subscribe so you won't miss new episodes and don't forget to leave us a rating!