Podcast · Devotional & Spiritual

The Orchard Podcast

by Rachel and Amy Hughes | Christian Women's Bible Teaching · English · Devotional & Spiritual

A Bible teaching podcast for Christian women, hosted by Rachel and Amy Hughes. Honest, warm conversations working through Scripture, plus our Heroes of the Faith series exploring the lives of women who shaped the Church. We believe God wants to liberate and empower women to step fully into all He ha

New episodes: Weekly
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Walking in Kingdom Authority | Emily Layzell & Chloe Swart (Special Episode)

A live recording from The Orchard gathering at Focus, with guest host Sarah Wynter. "Did you ask it to go, or did you tell it to go?" That was the question an older woman put to Emily after she'd spent months praying for breakthrough in her church. Most of us read Acts 3, where Peter tells a man to get up and walk, and can't quite relate it to our own lives. Emily Lazell, senior pastor at City Rise St Mark's in Battersea, and Chloe Swart, who heads up the Alpha UK team, are honest about that gap. Why authority is a position rather than a feeling, and why it rarely sounds like the loudest…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S6 · E38 · 30 Sep 2026
The Women Who Defied Pharaoh | Tim Mackie from BibleProject (Special Episode)
Tim Mackie unpacks Exodus 1 and 2 in this special episode of The Orchard Podcast, recorded live at the Leadership Conference. The BibleProject co-founder asks what a few overlooked women can teach us about leadership. Pharaoh has all the power, but when he sees God's people flourishing, he feels threatened. The midwives and Pharaoh's daughter have no power at all, yet they fear God, see a crying baby rather than a threat, and take huge risks to protect life. It's a conversation full of fresh ways of seeing a familiar story, and it leaves you with a question to carry into your week: when…
S6 · E37 · 23 Sep 2026
Heroes of the Faith : Renee Bridger with Bishop Esther Prior
When the pain got too bad to think, let alone pray, Renee Bridger found another way. She picked up a set of prayer beads and said, "Let my pain be my intercession." In this episode, Rachel is joined by Bishop Esther Prior, to talk about her hero, Reverend Renee Bridger. Renee and her husband Francis adopted three Black children in the 1970s, long before that was common. She was in the first group of women ordained in the Church of England in 1994. And for years, in chronic pain, she prayed nine to five, Monday to Friday, as her life's work. Bishop Esther shares what it meant to be mentored…
S6 · E36 · 16 Sep 2026
Heroes of the Faith : Catherine Booth with Danielle Strickland
They called her the Mother of the Salvation Army. She also wrote its theology and drew crowds that lined up around the block just to hear her preach. In this brand-new episode of The Orchard Podcast, Rachel is joined by Danielle Strickland to explore the life of Catherine Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, for Heroes of the Faith. Danielle shares stories that reveal a woman who was deeply loved by her nine children, who refused to marry William until he agreed to treat her as an equal, and who was never afraid to challenge the Church or disrupt the status quo. From the moment she stood…
S6 · E35 · 9 Sep 2026
Strength Under Control | Self-Control | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer Rach and Amy wrap up our Fruits of the Spirit series with a raw, inspiring conversation on SELF-CONTROL! How can we cultivate inner strength? What gets in the way? Join in on the final conversation of this series! Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · E34 · 2 Sep 2026
Loving People Who Are Hard to Love | Love | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer What does it look like to cultivate LOVE in our everyday lives? What's the Jesus way? What gets in the way? What's the way forward? Join the conversation as Amy & Rach unpack this Fruit of the Spirit together. Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · E33 · 26 Aug 2026
Kindness That Costs You Something | Kindness | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer How can we cultivate KINDNESS in our everyday lives? Why is being kind so powerful? Join in on the discussion as Rach & Amy unpack the fifth Fruit of the Spirit! Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · E32 · 19 Aug 2026
The Slow Work | Patience | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer How do we cultivate patience in a culture than trains us in impatience? How can we be quick to listen and slow to anger? Join in as Rach and Amy have an honest discussion on all things PATIENCE! Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · E31 · 12 Aug 2026
Joy Is Not the Same as Happy | Joy | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer Join us for a dive back into our first series of the podcast from 2021. Rach and Amy discuss all things JOY! What challenges our capacity to choose joy? Is there a link between joy and gratitude? Join in on the conversation now! Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · 11 Aug 2026
The Orchard Podcast Trailer
Warm, honest, rooted in scripture, new episodes every Thursday.
S6 · E30 · 5 Aug 2026
Peace When Life Is Loud | Peace | Fruit of the Spirit
From the Archive: Fruit of the Spirit Equipping and encouraging you this summer Join us for a dive back into our first series of the podcast from 2021. In this episode Rach and Amy ask what does cultivating peace look like? How can we live free of anxiety, comparison and unforgiveness? Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. Sign up for our free summer journalling prompts - https://wispy-band-10288.myflodesk.com/fruit Conference Tickets — theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard — theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram — /theorchardwomen Website — theorchardwomen.com
S6 · E29 · 29 Jul 2026
Praying in the Spirit: What It Is, How to Start and Why It Matters | Ephesians 6:18
Praying in the Spirit: What It Is, How to Start and Why It Matters | Ephesians 6:18 What does it actually mean to pray in the Spirit? In the final episode of their Ephesians series, Rachel and Amy land on Ephesians 6:18 and ask the question most of us have wondered: how do you know you're praying in the Spirit and not just saying stuff? They talk honestly and practically about the gift of tongues. What it feels like. How you start. Why it can seem strange at first and why that shouldn't put you off. Rachel shares what happened when her son was born and the room suddenly went from serene to…
S6 · E28 · 22 Jul 2026
The Armour of God: Standing Your Ground in Ephesians 6
We're in the final section of Ephesians. Sit, walk, stand. This is the stand. In part 21 of their Ephesians series, Rachel and Amy work through the armour of God in Ephesians 6:10-17, asking what it actually means to put it on. Not as a metaphor to admire, but as a daily reality to live in. They talk about why the battle is never with flesh and blood, what it looks like to recognise spiritual attack in ordinary life, and why every single piece of armour points back to the same thing: not try harder, but surrender. Dependence. Letting God be God. Honest, warm and rooted in scripture. → Stay…
S6 · E27 · 15 Jul 2026
Why Marriage Isn't 50/50 | Ephesians 5 with Tim and Jonny Hughes
What does headship and mutual submission actually look like in a real marriage? In part 20 of their Ephesians series, Rachel and Amy are joined by their husbands, Tim and Jonny Hughes, to unpack Ephesians 5:21-33. Together they explore why headship has so often been misused. What selfishness really looks like dressed up as theology. Why the goal of marriage was never 50/50. And why the minute someone plays the headship card to get their own way, they've probably already lost the argument. Honest, funny, and grounded in 40-plus years of marriage between them. → Stay Connected Conference…
S6 · E26 · 8 Jul 2026
Children of Light: Goodness, Righteousness and Truth | Ephesians 5:1-20 | Episode 19
What does it actually mean to walk as children of light? Rachel and Amy unpack what it means to imitate God, not as a rulebook, but as a family resemblance. They talk honestly about goodness, righteousness, and truth: what each one looks like lived out, why goodness can feel like an offence to people stuck in darkness, and why letting God's light expose what's hidden is harder than it sounds. Rachel shares a personal moment of bringing an unfinished struggle into the light rather than pretending she'd arrived. It's a vulnerable, grounded conversation about what it costs, and what it gives…
S6 · E25 · 1 Jul 2026
Heroes of the Faith - Corrie Ten Boom - with Rachael Wooldridge
Heroes of the Faith - Corrie Ten Boom with Rachael Wooldridge In this episode Amy is joined by Rachael Wooldridge, the associate pastor or St Pauls’ Hammersmith. Together they explore the driving faith of Corrie Ten-Boom and consider what made her so faithful in such challenging circumstances. Rachael helps us think about the impact Corrie’s faith can have on our own and leaves us with the question ‘am I living in a way that only makes sense because of the power of the spirit at work in me"?’ ———— Orchard Conference Tickets - available at www.theorchardwomen.com Instagram – @theorchardwomen…
S6 · E24 · 24 Jun 2026
What Does It Mean to Give the Enemy a Foothold? | Ephesians 4:25–32 | Episode 18
In this episode Rachel and Amy sit with two questions from Ephesians 4:25–32: how do we stop giving the enemy a foothold, and what does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? They start with anger. Why does Paul go there first? What is a foothold, and why does anger open the door more than most emotions? They explore the deeper needs that anger can mask and what it looks like to process it honestly rather than shove it down. They also touch on taking responsibility, guarding your words, and getting rid of bitterness and malice. And they close with the question people are often afraid to ask: can…
S6 · E23 · 17 Jun 2026
Why Your Mind Is the Battlefield | Ephesians 4:17–24 | Episode 17
What does it actually mean to put off the old self and put on the new? In Ephesians 4:17–24, Paul makes it clear the change starts in the mind, not just behaviour. Rachel and Amy unpack why the mind is the major battlefield of the Christian walk, how deep-seated narratives get reinforced by culture and exploited by the enemy, and what it looks like in practice to take thoughts captive and replace them with what God says. They also get into guarding the heart, why "the heart wants what it wants" isn't a biblical argument, and close with an illustration about telling the old landlord to take…
S6 · E22 · 10 Jun 2026
How Do You Know If You're Actually Growing in Faith? | Ephesians 4:14–16 | Episode 16
What does it actually mean to grow up in faith? Not the theory. The real question of whether your roots go deep enough to hold when the waves come. Rachel and Amy sit with Ephesians 4:14–16 and explore three things Paul says mark a mature disciple: resilience under pressure, discernment against teaching that looks Christian but isn't, and speaking the truth in love in a way that actually lands. They also name something that feels urgent right now. Ideology masquerading as theology around the role of women, and why it needs calling out. And they get personal. Amy on the moment a pastor called…
S6 · E21 · 3 Jun 2026
Heroes of the Faith - Revival Women - with David Thomas
Heroes of the Faith - Revival Women with David Thomas In this episode we are joined by David Thomas, leader of the Awakening Project in the USA. David has a deep passion for revivals and specifically the role of women in the great awakenings. Rachel and David explore the stories of amazing women such as Susanna Wesley and Sarah Edwards and ask what the unique contributions of women were in revivals of the past. ———— Orchard Conference Tickets - available at [www.theorchardwomen.com](http://www.theorchardwomen.com/) Instagram – @theorchardwomen Give to the work of the Orchard -…
S6 · E20 · 27 May 2026
One but Different - S6E15 - Ephesians 4:4-13
Ephesians 4:4-13 In this podcast we begin by asking 'why does Paul mention 'one' so much?' before turning our attention to the 'five fold ministries' and what the shadow side is of each of these gifts. → Stay Connected Conference Tickets – theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard - https://theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E19 · 20 May 2026
Walk this way - S6E14 - Ephesians 4:1-3
Ephesians 4:1-3 As we begin chapter 4 of Ephesians we consider what it looks like to walk out our discipleship. Rachel and Amy share lots of practical examples of what it's means for us to walk in patience and gentleness. → Stay Connected Conference Tickets – theorchardwomen.com Give to the Orchard - https://theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E18 · 13 May 2026
Immeasurably More - S6E13 - Ephesians 3: 20-22
Ephesians 3:20-22 In today's episode Rachel and Amy wrestle with the question 'what does Paul mean by 'immeasurably more'? They explore what it means to trust God to know better than we do about what we need and how His 'more' can look very different to ours. → Stay Connected Conference Tickets – [theorchardwomen.com](http://theorchardwomen.com/) Give to the Orchard - https://theorchardwomen.com/give Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E17 · 6 May 2026
Heroes of the Faith - Pandita Ramabai - with Dr Kate Coleman
In this episode, we are joined by Dr Kate Coleman, Kate is the founding director of Next Leadership with over 35 years of leadership experience in the church, charity, voluntary, and business sectors. As the first black woman Baptist minister in the UK and previous chair of the Evangelical Alliance Council, Kate has been a trailblazer, recognised among the 20 most influential Black Christian women in the country (2008). Rachel and Kate discuss the life and legacy of Pandita Ramabai, an Indian social reformer, educator, and evangelist whose work profoundly shaped women’s education and…
S6 · E16 · 22 Apr 2026
Resilient Faith - S6E12 - Ephesians 3: 14-19
Ephesians 3: 12-19 In this episode Rachel and Amy delve into questions around what it means to be 'strengthened in your inner being'. How do we become sturdy disciples un-rocked by the storms of life and how do we live as people of love? → Stay Connected Conference Tickets – theorchardwomen.com Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E15 · 15 Apr 2026
Unexpected Grace - S6E11 - Ephesians 3: 7-13
In this episode Rach and Amy wrestle with the question 'how do we become aware of God's grace? They consider what it looks like for God to work in our weakness and how ease isn't evidence of grace. → Stay Connected Conference 2026 Tickets – theorchardwomen.com Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E14 · 8 Apr 2026
What’s your burden? - S6E10 - Ephesians 3: 1-6
In this podcast Amy and Rachel explore what it looks like to examine our life and set aside attitudes and desires before Jesus. They also explore what it means to have a revelation from God and for that to shape the way we live out our lives. → Stay Connected Conference 2026 Tickets – theorchardwomen.com Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E13 · 1 Apr 2026
Heroes of the Faith - Dorothy Sayers with Amy Orr-Ewing
In this podcast Rachel is joined by Amy Orr- Ewing to explore the about the life and legacy of Dorothy L. Sayers, a prominent Christian author and public theologian of the 20th century. Amy and Rachel discuss Dorothy’s creativity, her commitment to truth and integrity, and her unique ability to bridge faith and culture. Asking what we can learn from her commitment to speaking about Jesus Christ and her belief that there is power in creative expression as a reflection of God's image in humanity. → Stay Connected Conference 2026 Tickets – [theorchardwomen.com](http://theorchardwomen.com/)…
S6 · E14 · 26 Mar 2026
A New Humanity? - S6E9 - Ephesians 2: 14-22
Today Rachel and Amy think about what it means to be drawn near by Jesus. They explore the passage through the lens of these questions; 1 - Who is separate or far away? 2 - Why are they without hope? 3 - What difference has Jesus' blood made? → Stay Connected Conference 2026 Tickets – [theorchardwomen.com](http://theorchardwomen.com/) Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church
S6 · E12 · 19 Mar 2026
Brought Near - S6E8 - Ephesians 2:8-13
Ephesians 8: 9-13: Brought Near Today Rachel and Amy think about what it means to be drawn near by Jesus. They explore the passage through the lens of these questions; 1 - Who is separate or far away? 2 - Why are they without hope? 3 - What difference has Jesus' blood made? → Stay Connected Conference 2026 Tickets – [theorchardwomen.com](http://theorchardwomen.com/) Instagram – / theorchardwomen Website – https://theorchardwomen.com/ #women #conference #church

About The Orchard Podcast

The Orchard Podcast is a English devotional & spiritual podcast from Rachel and Amy Hughes | Christian Women's Bible Teaching. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Rachel and Amy Hughes | Christian Women's Bible Teaching
Language: English
Category: Devotional & Spiritual
New episodes: Weekly
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1556517968
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