Burning Butterflies

Burnout or Breakdown: Amanda's on the Edge

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. The world is shut down. Where is Amanda supposed to go? And more importantly—what is she supposed to do with all the emotions, doubts, and pressure she’s been burying for years?
But she finds somewhere to go and while she's supposed to be relaxing and recharging, Amanda gets a phone call from Brandi that changes everything.
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Ten People or Less: Where's Your Faith?

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 of night to record with Tom.
But as the church flirts with the blurry line between compliance and defiance, not everyone is impressed. One Sunday, during a live stream, that tension explodes when someone enters the church to confront Tom.
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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It's Just the Flu: God Will Protect Us

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 were afraid, calling mandates persecution, and brushing off the virus as “just the flu.”
And when Tom's supernatural connection to God was put to the test and he is forced to preach to a camera instead of a crowd, he fell flat, revealing how much of his “anointing” relied on control over people.
This is the episode where the cracks start to show—and where faith, fear, and performance collide.
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 Girls Were Gonna Bring Women into the Red Tent

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 it the basis for a ladies study?
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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Hear Y, Hear Ye: We Shall Now Have Elders!

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!)
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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Distraction Tactics: Don't Be Upset Sweetie

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 truth behind the departures and how far Tom will go to keep Amanda invested when the foundation starts to crack?
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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Performative Prayers: Tom Puts On a Show

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?
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 Most Awkward Banquet Ever

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. Please check out our Patreon to learn more about how you too can support what we are doing!
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Chapter 6: There's No Cure For This

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."

The Time The Girls Blew It All Up

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 of the recently burned are done staying silent—and they’re ready to push back.
Then, on New Year’s Eve, under the cover of darkness, Brandi and Amanda ask for a private meeting with Tom and Charlotte. What’s shared behind those closed doors will shake the foundation of everything.
And after this night… nothing will ever be the same.
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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