My Church Experience

Ep. 16 - Crissy Huisjen

Very, extra special guest, Crissy Huisjen, Jeff's wife, joins the podcast to talk about growing up in the Lutheran Church, catechism, college ministry, and raising a family in the church while being married to someone in vocational ministry. There's certainly ups and downs and pros and cons that come with faith, but when you're walking through life and faith with someone tied to the church, it can add some extra challenges. How do you maintain faith in the midst of people pleasing, figuring out different denominations, and growing as a family?

Ep. 15 - Tyler Sugden

This week special guest Tyler Sugden joins the podcast to talk about his experience as a teen in the church. Following that he addresses the transition from high school into college, into married life, and then into parenthood. He also digs into the intersection of science and faith and the way that's played out in his life and career. The way faith plays out in our lives changes and shifts as we go through different phases. But the bridge between faith and life can be a challenge especially when we're in transition or the local church lets us or someone we love down.

Ep. 14 - Rob Acker

Special guest, Rob Acker joins Jeff on the the podcast to talk about a life in ministry. From finding rhythms to leading well, and loving the Lord while loving people even when they're hard to love, Rob shares his experiences over a number of decades in the church. There's something to be said for faithfulness and for the depth of experience that one can bring to bear after serving faithfully in the church for as long as Rob has. But, how does vocational ministry shape personal faith and how do you keep negative experiences and hurt from shaping your view of God?

Ep. 13 - Julia Eigenbrood

Julia Eigenbrood jumps in as the guest on this episode of the podcast to talk through finding a new faith community after a move. Coming from somewhere where she and her family were deeply rooted to trying to put down roots was a challenge. Even more challenging when the new community didn't and doesn't align fully with everything they'd hoped. At the end of the day, trying to do faith and life on your own is hard, maybe impossible, and there are no perfect churches. But how do you find somewhere that's a good fit, and how do make sure that any disappointments or hurts don't impact the way you view God?

Ep. 12 - Aaron Mora

One of Jeff's longest and best friends, Aaron Mora steps onto the podcast to talk through his faith growing up and his path into pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry can be a great joy, but also a great challenge as we seek to love God well personally and publicly while also loving the Church and the church. Navigating through the challenges of faith can be hard enough, but doing so in leadership adds its own challenges. It's important that you maintain hope and joy in the midst of frustration and disappointment.