Faithwalking English

In this episode, in light of everything happening in our country and the world right now, Lou Huesmann speaks with the group about the central human emotion of fear. He states that the most repeated command in the Bible is "Do not be afraid." Fear blocks love, and love is a relational term. When we are afraid we tend to engage in self-protection, which causes a loss of connection. Lou as...

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues the conversation onpolarization by exploring how it functions within systems, and also ties it to a relevant occurrence at the end of Jesus's ministry. He unpacks the dynamics of polarization at length, highlighting our tendency to react to what we are against rather than taking a stand for what we are for . Ken invites listeners to move toward a less reac...

In this episode, Lou Huesmann explores the role of faith inFaithwalking first by clarifying what faith is—and what it isn’t. Faith is a response to a deeper reality beyond what we can see, and living in faith allows us to begin experiencing what we hope for even now. When we act on this deeper reality, we come into contact with its substance. The practices, postures, and dynamics of Faithwalking a...

In this episode, Ken returns to Ephesians 4, this time focusing on verses 2b-3, where Paul offers three more indicators of emotional and spiritual maturity. Ken then describes what often gets in the way - polarization - sharing passages from Ronald Richardson's Polarization and the Healthier Church . We live in polarizing times in society, and sadly, it has bled into congregations. Polarizatio...

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues exploring theconnection between emotional and spiritual maturity, focusing on Ephesians 4:1–2. He suggests that Paul’s call to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” offers another way of describing spiritual maturity. Paul then names three virtues that characterize this kind of life—humility, gentleness, and patience—which Ken identifies as key...

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues exploring the connection between emotional and spiritual maturity. He explains that we cannot become fully spiritually mature if we are not also growing in emotional maturity, because we will behave in ways that are inconsistent with the way of Jesus. Ken returns to the question, “What is spiritual maturity?” and revisits Ephesians 4:11–13 to help answer this....

In this episode, Lou Huesmann returns to Ken’s recent reflections on the relationship between emotional and spiritual maturity. At Faithwalking, we believe the two cannot be separated—spiritual maturity is grounded in emotional maturity. Lou explores how we grow in emotional and spiritual maturity- or “sanctification” - through the invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all you who...

In this episode, Ken returns to the topic of the distinction between order - or law - and justice, and how for God order is important but justice for everyone is what is paramount. Ken shared the story of Jesus healing the man born blind in John chapter 9 , which he thinks depicts well this difference between people's emphasis on the law and God's emphasis on justice and ensuring the well...

In this episode, Ken talks with Chad Crawford, VP of Immixand part of our marketing and development team, about his Faithwalking journey. Chad is a husband, father, and leader based in Akron, Ohio. Chad shares that Faithwalking helped him recognize that many of his actions and reactions were rooted in things within him he didn’t yet know about or understand. It gave him a path to uncover those hid...

In this episode Ken addresses the difference between emotional and spiritual maturity and whether one of them is more important than the other. Some would say that if spiritual maturity is in place, emotional maturity will naturally follow, but Ken contends this is not the case - that in fact if we are not growing in our emotional maturity, we cannot become spiritually mature. Many of us were taug...

In this episode, Ken returns to the work of Walter Brueggemann, this week exploring the tension between order and justice in the New Testament through the life and ministry of Jesus. Brueggemann contends that God is always on the side of justice, even when it disrupts the order of theday. Jesus focused much of his ministry on those excluded from societal benefits enjoyed by those with power, showi...

In this episode, Ken interviews Becky Gressett, a Faithwalking coach and children’s pastor from Houston, Texas, about the profound ways Faithwalking has impacted her life and ministry. Becky shares that the journey has brought deep healing and self-discovery, saying, “I have definitely become freer to be the person God created me to be.”  She describes learning to replace judgment with curiosity,...

In this episode, Ken Shuman reflects on a passage from a book by an Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann as well as on Mt. 15:1-9. In the passage Brueggemann discusses the difficult relationship between faith and politics - and further, chaos versus order and justice versus injustice. The kings were the agents of order in the history of the people of Israel, and the prophets were the agents o...

Check out the latest episode of our Keep Calm podcast! In this episode, Ken Shuman unpacks the story of Jesus turning over the tables in the gospels, beginning by asking the question, "Was Jesus reacting out of anxiety or was Jesus acting based on his best thinking?" Ken postulates that the latter is true. Jesus was not thoughtless but thoughtful. He was courageous and intentionally chos...

In this episode, Ken Shuman circles back to three characteristics of shalom he had shared with the group previously - that where shalom is, everyone has enough, no one is afraid, and there is inclusive, loving community - and responds to a group member's question about how to actually live out these things in real life and real time. His practical, powerful, and wholehearted suggestions point...

In this episode Lou Huesmann talks about one of the sources of our anxiety as human beings - the feeling that we should do more and be more. We face limitations - we are creatures created to be dependent on God, other people, and the earth. In our culture dependence is viewed negatively, yet God created us this way and declared it good - and Jesus took on our humanity and our finitude! God endorse...

In this episode, Ken Shuman interviews Scott Hescht, a Faithwalking coach and facilitator and a bivocational pastor, about the impact Faithwalking has had on his life and his ministry. Scott shares that one way Faithwalking has had a major impact on his life is by helping him learn how to manage his anxiety, particularly by teaching him to slow down and reflect. As someone who is constantly thinki...

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues his series on shalom, inviting us to shift our focus away from our present reality—all the problems and everything that looks bleak and hopeless—and toward the vision of shalom. He encourages us to trust that God is still at work faithfully fulfilling his vision, and to live as people full of faith, hope, joy, grace, and love. Two thousand years ago, people we...

In this episode, Ken Shuman expands on his belief that the Old Testament idea of shalom is the same as the New Testament concept of the Kingdom of God. He notes, “Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom; he didn’t come preaching the plan of salvation.” He quotes John Franke, who says, “The Kingdom of God is a community of love where everyone has enough and no one needs to be afraid....The g...

In this episode Ken continues his series on the Old Testament concept of shalom and what he argues is God's intended design for the world, further unpacking this beautiful vision. He talks about the idea of sin as shalom breaking (ref. Cornelius Plantinga) and explores a different way of thinking about sin - as corporate versus individual. Imagine a world that is safe, free, whole, secure, pro...

In this episode Ken Shuman launches a series on the biblical vision of shalom , which reflects God’s intended design for the whole world. Shalom means wholeness, justice, and well-being for everyone, and this dream of shalom is filled with hope for a better future. When we get discouraged or depressed, we are reminded to return to this vision and have hope that God is at work; that we are invited...

In this episode Ken speaks with Willemina Zwart about her Faithwalking journey. Willemina is a pastor, ministry leader, and long-time Faithwalking Circle leader, facilitator, and coach who lives in Ontario, Canada. Willemina highlights two Faithwalking tools that have particularly impacted her - addressing integrity gaps and the powerful work we do with vows. Speaking about integrity gaps she rema...

In this episode, Lou Huesmann unpacks a Substack post by Kathleen Smith called "Turning Off Your Anxious Scanner." In it Smith talks about the anxious habit of "scanning" - the emotionally driven monitoring of others - where, she states, the boundaries between our responsibility and others' blur. Lou connects scanning with overfunctioning - looking for something to fix in s...

In this episode, Ken spends some time with the group in Luke. He points out that in spite of the threats posed to him by the religious leaders and by living under Roman occupation, Jesus was a consistently non-anxious presence. Moreover, he did not let himself get sucked into theological or political debates of the day. Rather, he regularly and consistently defined himself and the way of the Kingd...

In this episode Ken Shuman speaks with Chris Jacobsen, a pastor of a congregation in Columbus, OH and a Faithwalking graduate who is also walking alongside members of his congregation and team as they engage in the Faithwalking process. Chris shares that Faithwalking has impacted him in many ways - and perhaps most profoundly in his ministry. The Faithwalking process helped him become aware that h...