Spirit of Joy Podcasts

Full of Joy Podcast - Faith Stories: Jason Ahrendt

Marnie Dahle Backer welcomes Spirit of Joy partner Jason Ahrendt to talk about his faith story. Jason grew up in Sioux Falls, was high school sweethearts with his wife, Heather, and has raised two college-aged children. He starts by remembering growing up in a house where faith was always important. Jason and Marnie dive deep into questions of faith while dealing with the death of his young nephew to cancer. He also opens up about how those challenges have led to the creation of a foundation to help families dealing with childhood cancer. (Originally aired March 2, 2026)

Full of Joy Podcast - Lutheran Stories: The Book of Concord

Today’s episode might sound like it belongs in a seminary class, but trust us, Pastor Eric helps explain what we are talking about! So, what exactly is The Book of Concord? Does it involve grapes? Airliners? A college in Moorhead? Not quite. To put in simply…The Book of Concord helps us answer what it means to be Lutheran. Written in 1580, it is the document that creates the foundation that all Lutheran churches can agree upon. The word “concord” literally means an agreement or harmony between people or groups. Have a listen…we promise you will come away with some new knowledge! (Originally aired February 23, 2026)

Full of Joy Podcast - Worship Stories: Worship Style Showdown

On this week’s podcast, you get two guests for the price of one! Heather Wald and Bella Kumagai sit down to talk with Marnie about the different styles of worship we offer at Spirit of Joy. Depending on the service, it’s a little bit of hymns, a little bit of contemporary, a little bit of liturgical elements, all blended into one. Bella and Heather talk about the enjoyment of a group of instrumentalists and singers creating music together. They give a little plug to invite more people to join in to play/sing (especially if you play guitar!). And Heather might persuade Bella to give a sample of the Lord’s Prayer in Portuguese! (Originally aired February 9, 2026)

Full of Joy Podcast - Bible Stories: Job

Our word of the day for this episode is: THEODICY (you need to listen to find out what it means). Pastor Eric joins us to talk with Marnie about the Biblical book of Job. Eric digs into the various components of the story and even relates to how it influenced his decision to become a pastor. So, “gird up your loins,” listen in, and get ready as we walk through this invitation to wrestle with God! (Originally aired March 9, 2026)

Full of Joy Podcast - Faith Stories: Taylor Quinn

On this episode of Full of Joy, we welcome into the studio our youngest guest to date, Taylor Quinn. Taylor shares his life story of the last twenty years which has involved major life transitions and personal tragedy, but also how these experiences have helped him to find the good in difficult situations. Currently a sophomore at Augustana University majoring in government and economics (with goals of going to law school and the military), he discusses why service is so important to his faith and why he truly believes in loving your neighbor as yourself. And he talks about the importance to his faith of being surrounded by good family and friends. Trust us, he is no ordinary Gen Z’er! (Originally aired February 2, 2026)