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.

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