Burning Butterflies

The Play Will Save Us All!

Chapter 4, Episode 14
The chapter finale delivers an explosive and emotional culmination as Melissa’s play turns out to be a resounding success. With stunning execution, the production dazzles the congregation, leaving no doubt about Melissa’s talents and leadership. But behind the scenes, the story is far more complex.
Amanda, forbidden from having anything to do with the play, secretly teams up with Brandi to ensure everything runs smoothly. Their covert collaboration is a quiet rebellion but thrives unnoticed, in part because Tom is laser-focused on what he believes will finally be the church's breakthrough moment.
Tom throws everything he has into the production, granting Brandi unlimited resources in the hope of doubling the church’s size—a dream he’s chased for years. Yet, instead of growth, Tom inadvertently unleashes something he never expected. By giving Brandi the freedom to act as a bridge between Amanda and Melissa, he creates a dynamic that challenges his control and plants the seeds of transformation.
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 Aftermath: Picking Up the Pieces After Time Out

Chapter 4, Episode 13
In this episode, Amanda and Melissa dive into the aftermath of Tom and Charlotte’s decision to put Amanda and Brandi on "time-out." The fallout reveals the tangled web of manipulation and control within the church, as everyone scrambles to maintain a façade of order.
Melissa finds herself knee-deep in planning the church play, juggling the demands of her role while navigating the tension created by Froggy trying to both be the lead of the play and the director. Tom, recognizing the need to keep Brandi occupied, assigns her to help Melissa with the play—a move that he doesn't fully think through the repercussions.
Meanwhile, Amanda buries herself in office work, using the tasks as a way to avoid the emotional toll, but still maintaining her friendship with Brandi in secret. And when Young Gun returns to find everything he put into place had been undone? Well, you're not going to want to miss when Amanda and Melissa unpack how these events exposed the toxic dynamics of the church and marked the beginning of a shift in their perspectives.
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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When it All Falls Apart: Amanda Goes on Time Out

Chapter 4, Episode 12
Fall 2018 marks the unraveling of everything. Within days of Young Gun leaving for basic training, Tom attacks his Family Ministry. Amanda and Brandi are abruptly placed in "time out" and forbidden from speaking to one another, their friendship collateral damage in Tom's quest for control.
Meanwhile, Tom is riding high after the illusion of success from the church’s 20th anniversary celebration and he hands Melissa free rein to elevate the Christmas Eve service to unprecedented heights.
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 20th Anniversary: A Family Reunion

Chapter 4, Episode 11
Despite growing tensions within the church, Amanda is determined to honor the 20th anniversary of Come As You Are’s presence in the community. Alongside a small group of dedicated members, she convinces Tom to celebrate the milestone.
As excitement builds within the congregation, Tom seizes the opportunity, expanding the event into a grand "Family Reunion" packed with additional festivities designed to showcase unity and success. On the surface, it appears to be a beautiful celebration of two decades of ministry. But was it truly as unifying as it seemed?
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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Tom The Crooked Real Estate Mogul

Chapter 4, Episode 10
The church enters the summer of 2018 as they always have—Retreat and VBS—but the spirit of unity is gone, replaced by veiled arguments and dishonesty. Petty conflicts arise over trivial matters, like classroom posters, while deeper fractures begin to surface.
Pastor Young Gun announces his impending departure for the military. Meanwhile, Tom is consumed with the looming stress of maturing bonds used to finance the church’s building back in 2010. As tensions mount, his actions become increasingly desperate. In a shocking betrayal, he attempts to sell Melissa’s house without her knowledge, crossing a line that leaves lasting scars.
In this episode, Amanda and Melissa recount the season of deception, division, and power plays that left everyone questioning who they could trust—and revealed how far Tom was willing to go to maintain control.
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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Trouble is a Brewing: We Should Have Been So Happy

Chapter 4, Episode 9
Everything looks perfect on the surface. Froggy is finally home, Melissa has a job she loves, and Amanda is thriving in her dream job and serving in ministries she’s passionate about. The church’s new wing is complete, and leadership is gearing up for a season of unprecedented growth.
But behind the scenes, tensions are rising. A rift is forming within the worship team and the honeymoon period between Tom and Young Gun is over, with their dynamic shifting from mentorship to power struggle. Even the children are showing signs of stress, their behavior reflecting the growing unease within their families.
In this episode, Amanda and Melissa explore how the cracks in the church’s foundation began to spread, signaling the beginning of the end for what once seemed like a perfect community.
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 New Wing: The Sale, the Spin, and the Wish List

Chapter 4, Episode 8
What happened to the money from the sale of the Baptist church? Tom crafts a façade of care and collaboration, gathering a wish list from those working in the trenches of ministry. He presents himself as a servant leader, intent on meeting the needs of the congregation. But behind the scenes, his grand plan is already in motion.
By including just enough of everyone’s requests, he manipulates the narrative to appear as though he's pleasing the masses—while hiding ulterior motives that serve his own agenda. In this episode, Amanda and Melissa pull back the curtain on Tom’s strategy, exposing how the appearance of serving others was a carefully constructed illusion to consolidate power and further his own ambitions.
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 Christmas Amanda Got All She Ever Wanted

Chapter 4, Episode 7
It’s Christmas, and Amanda is finally living the dream—or so she thinks. She’s been hired as staff at Come As You Are, co-leading the children’s ministry with her best friend, and stepping into a key role alongside Pastor Young Gun to launch an exciting new ministry. Everything she’s worked for is falling into place.
What could possibly go wrong? Spoiler: Everything.
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 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!
 
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!
 

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!
 
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!