In Part 2 of our interview with Brett Helwig we talk about how life in the church is forming him, and how his talents in music and engineering combine in Christ. We have a delightful introduction to his very engineer-ish encounter, courtship, and marriage to a vivacious farm girl named Kerri. We also hear about the Helwig’s journey to membership at St. Paul’s and love of God's creation. To listen to Brett is to hear a man who is very self-aware, loves to learn, and has an engaging sense of humor and Christian humility. Recorded 30 April, A.D. 2024.…

Brett Helwig is “not an overthinker.” Funny thing to say for an engineer! Yet, as you’ll hear in Part 1 of our interview, Brett Helwig thinks both broadly and carefully. He comes from faithful, servant stock with deep, deep Christian faith. That family was very formative for him, as were some significant events in his young life. Brett was born in 1995, so as of this recording he’s less than 30 years old, but to hear him is to hear a Biblical wisdom formed in the crucible of faithful family and church life under the cross of Jesus. Recorded 30 April, A.D. 2024.…

Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.…

Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.…

Chief of sinners. Child of God. Pastor Harrison Goodman preaches Christ crucified as a light that shines in darkness and a hope for the hopeless. As content executive, he helps to make these same gifts known online by employing the many voices and talents of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He believes that while the internet cannot replace Word and Sacrament ministry, it doesn’t need to try. How he came to be a Christian, a husband, and a father (let alone a Pastor) is a great story.…

In Part 2 of our conversation with Kerri Helwig we move from the discussion of changing churches and the challenges of friendship to the absolutely formative culture of farm life. Though Kerri doesn’t live on a large farm, she has a fascinating career in agriculture. She brings a delightful humor to related “aromatic” subjects, to discussion of her artistic creations, to her courtship and marriage to Brett Helwig (Whom she met at the University of Wisconsin—Platteville—and with whom she serves in a number of ways at St. Paul’s.), and to her passion for outdoor adventure. Christ is, indeed, in all things. Recorded 27 February, A.D. 2024.…

It is flat-out amazing the stories that you can hear simply by asking someone the origins and meaning of their name. Then, when you ask, “What are the top three-to-five things that formed you as a human being,” well, that’s a recipe for a really great conversation. From the tragic and inspiring story from which Kerri got her name, to the challenges of changing churches and its impact on friendship, you will enjoy meeting Kerri Helwig, who brings a winsome and airy honesty to discussion of the Christian life. Recorded 27 February, A.D. 2024.…

What does a White Castle slider have to do with grief? Listen to “Grieving with Hope: Year Two” to find out! This concludes our series of interviews with Pastor Jason Schockman regarding death of his father on August 8, 2022. This series is intended to provide a listening ear into the grieving process, where hearers encounter the reality of grief and an abiding Christian hope. Discerning ears will note the maturity of this two-year-old grief; that is, it is a grief that understands itself better and is a little more well-rounded. Recorded 8 August, A.D. 2024.…

This is Part 2 of our interview with Grace Beatrice Olson, and it really is a treasure. In a congregation nearly 160 years old, not often do pastors have the opportunity to converse with members who have connections to the congregation’s founding. Grace was able and willing to share stories from farm life and early St. Paul’s church and school. We talk about the development of hymnals, its use as a prayer book, her fascinating work history for the Pabst family (of Pabst Brewing fame), and her marriage and family life with Duane Olson. Grace’s is a story of dedication to Christ, and the sustaining activities of worship and life that need to be heard by moderns who have so much disconnection from God and the land. Recorded 15 April, A.D. 2024…

Grace Olson is a Loppnow, making her a descendant of the some of the founding members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in 1865. As you’ll hear, Grace has delightful senses of humor and curiosity. Grace comes from a family of six children, and speaks with thankfulness about her family of origin and the life of faith inculcated by her parents and key figures in the history of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School. Whether you’re a historian or love stories of a simple Christian life, you’ll be blessed to listen in on this conversation. Recorded 15 April, A.D. 2024…

Dave Meyer has no illusions about what worship is and the purpose of the Church. He says, “We’re not here on Sunday mornings because we’re wonderfully good people. We’re here because we know how bad we are and we need that forgiveness.” In Part 2 of our interview with Dave we explore what it means to be “Lutheran,” we further discuss his shared faith and practice in his family, the importance of being asked to serve as a youth, and we talk about parenting and men’s ministry (called Journeymen at St. Paul’s). This interview is a joyful, full-of-flesh, Christ-in-all-things kind of conversation. Enjoy. Recorded 4 April, A.D. 2024…

“This is the deal, and away we go…” David Robert Meyer has deep roots in the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith and in SE Wisconsin. He gratefully and thankfully follows in the family history of serving in the church. He also has a wonderful marriage a family story, with its own unique twists. In this episode you will hear how thankful he is for the key people in his life . . . and that he knows and trusts the One who is behind it all. Recorded 4 April, A.D. 2024…

In Part Two of our conversation with Jackie Meyer she noted that of those conceived with Turner’s Syndrome only two percent live to birth. As a result, Jackie has a profound sense of thankfulness and purpose. This thankfulness and purpose deeply informs the adoption and parenting of their son, indeed, the whole of her life and service in the church, especially with “the little things.” Recorded 21 February, A.D. 2024…

Jaclyn Marie Meyer’s doctor once described her as “the little engine that could.” When you listen to this conversation you’ll understand why that is apt, for Jackie Meyer has had her challenges since birth. In this episode we talk about her Turner’s Syndrome with candor and Christian hope. Among other things, we hear the wonderful story of her early-twenties encounter with a college lad named Dave Meyer and how life at St. Paul’s shaped her significantly. It seems that Jackie serves everywhere in the congregation, but—as we joke—“in a diminutive way.” Her service, unlike her husband’s, is a little more behind-the-scenes. Nevertheless, she is—befitting her name—a humble yet faithful and tenacious servant of Christ. Recorded 21 February, A.D. 2024…

In Part 2 of this live conversation between two best friends, Mark Tredray and Rev. Jason Schockman, the best friends talk about the development of their friendship, disappointments, and the centrality of God’s forgiveness. The banter is genuine but the central point is this: “What makes friendship work is when it’s grounded in the forgiveness and grace we have in Christ.” Whether you have great friends or want to learn friendship, theirs is a lot to learn from this conversation. Enjoy the banter and the wonderful Q&A in the last half of this episode. This was recorded at Reformation Tap Society on February 18, 2024. Their talk is entitled, “Bonfires, Brews, and Board Games: Cultivating Christian Friendship.” Reformation Tap Society is held on the third Sunday at BrewFinity Brewing Co. ( www.brewfinitybrewing.com .) from 5-7pm, September through May. Recorded 18 February, A.D. 2024…