2414

What changes when you realize just how much the people around you matter? For Jay Hileman, a heart attack in April brought him closer than most of us ever come to the end of life. After being resuscitated multiple times, spending days in intensive care, and beginning a long road to recovery, Jay found himself looking at the world a little differently. But this conversation with Pastor Dan and Jona...

What happens when you plan three months of rest and renewal… and then Paris turns into a sauna, your vacation plans get complicated, and you discover just how many coffee mugs one family can own? Pastor Dan is back on 2414, joining Shane for a conversation about his three-month sabbatical—and what happens when a carefully planned season of rest meets real life. Pastor Dan came into the summer with...

What do you do when you find yourself in the middle of an earthquake, far from home, with no guarantee of what happens next? For Matthew Taylor, a season working on a commercial fishing boat in remote Alaska became one of the unexpected moments in a much bigger story—one that eventually led him toward faith, church, and a new chapter of life with his wife, Becky. In this episode of 2414, Shane sit...

What happens when you’re pretty sure you know what you believe… but you still have questions? In this episode of 2414, Shane Welter and Youth Director Jonah Kaufmann sit down with Madeline Cliffe for a conversation about growing up between Saudi Arabia and the Pacific Northwest, navigating different Christian traditions, asking hard questions about baptism and the Sacraments, and discovering that...

What do video games, computer engineering, Amazon, a move across the country, and finding your way back to church have in common? Maybe more than you’d expect. In this episode of 2414, Shane Welter and Brenda sit down with Ian Rosenbery for a conversation about the road that brought him from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest—and some of the unexpected turns along the way. Ian shares stories about...

What’s it like growing up as a missionary kid, finding your way into aviation, and figuring out how faith fits into all of it? In this episode of 2414, Shane Welter, Vicar Dave Gallagher, and Madeline Cliffe sit down with Charlie Cliffe for a conversation about his life, faith, family, and vocation. Charlie shares stories from growing up in Ecuador, his journey into aviation, and some of the exper...

How do young Christians learn to speak about their faith with honesty, confidence, and joy? In this episode of the 2414 Podcast, Shane Welter and Brenda sit down with Lily and Thalia for a real conversation about growing up in the church, remembering baptism, and sharing faith in everyday life. This episode explores what it looks like to grow up surrounded by family, church, and Christian communit...

How do we share our faith without fear? What does it actually mean to "speak the Gospel" in everyday life? In this final episode of our 1-2-3 Challenge series, Shane Welter and Vicar Dave Gallagher explore the last discipleship strategy: Go: Speak the Gospel. While loving our neighbors through acts of service is essential, Christians are also called to share the greatest gift they have e...

How do Christians love their neighbors in practical, everyday ways? This week on 2414, Shane Welter and Vicar Dave Gallagher continue their journey through St. Luke's 1-2-3 Challenge by exploring Go: Love Well. Jesus doesn't simply call His people to believe the Gospel—He sends us into the world to live lives of sacrificial love, serving our neighbors through our everyday vocations and r...

This week on 2414, Shane Welter and Vicar Dave Gallagher continue the conversation through St. Luke's 1-2-3 Challenge by focusing on Grow: In Baptismal Identity. For many Christians, Baptism can feel like a past event—a date, a memory, or a milestone. But Scripture teaches that Baptism is much more than something that happened to us. It is a present reality that shapes who we are every day. I...

This week on 2414, Shane Welter and Vicar Dave Gallagher continue the conversation through St. Luke's 1-2-3 Challenge by focusing on Grow: In the Word. What does it mean to grow as a disciple of Jesus? How do Christians develop habits of hearing, reading, learning, and inwardly digesting God's Word? And why does Scripture remain central to the Christian life? Drawing from the 1-2-3 Chall...

Robert Grothe joins Shane Welter to share an extraordinary story of faith, family, and God's provision. From growing up on a small vegetable farm in West Texas to answering the call into pastoral ministry, Robert reflects on the people and experiences that shaped his life. Alongside his wife Jan, he shares stories of hardship, loss, unexpected blessings, seminary life, marriage, ministry, and...

What does genuine Christian community actually look like? In this episode of 2414, Pastor Dan and Shane continue the conversation on St. Luke’s 1-2-3 Challenge by focusing on “Gather: In Life Together.” From learning names and sharing meals to building trust through ordinary conversation, they explore why Christian fellowship is formed through consistent, everyday presence — not just major life mo...

What does it actually mean to “gather” as Christians? In this episode of 2414, Pastor Dan and Shane spend time unpacking the “Gather: In Worship” portion of St. Luke’s 1-2-3 Challenge. From showing up consistently, to arriving early for prayer, to bringing a Bible, taking sermon notes, serving in worship, and building relationships across services, the conversation centers on how simple, intention...

Five months into the 1-2-3 Challenge, Pastor Dan and Shane sit down to reflect on the intentional steps they’ve taken to Gather, Grow, and Go throughout 2026. They talk about what’s been encouraging, where growth has been challenging, and why small, faithful steps matter in the Christian life. The 1-2-3 Challenge invites every person at St. Luke’s to take two intentional steps in each of our three...

In this episode, Pastor Dan sits down with Isaac Sato for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about faith that doesn’t rely on dramatic turning points—but instead is shaped through steady, ordinary faithfulness. Isaac reflects on growing up in the Church, where simple songs, weekly worship, and baptism formed a foundation long before he could fully articulate belief. Over time, that childlike...

On this episode of 2414, Shane and Pastor Dan center the conversation on the comfort and confidence found in the LCMS confession that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. They explore what it means to confess that the eternal Son of God took on real human flesh at the Incarnation, remains both God and man after the resurrection and ascension, and reigns even now for our salvation. The discussion...

Do Christians really have free will when it comes to faith? In this episode of 2414, “Talking About Your Faith: Free Will,” warm humor and playful banter give way to a thoughtful, honest conversation about one of Christianity’s most challenging and often misunderstood questions. The episode begins lightheartedly with highs and lows, family stories, and a spirited round of Outburst, before turning...

What is sin — and why does it matter, especially as we approach Christmas? In this episode of 2414, we continue the conversation from last week by addressing one of the most foundational (and often misunderstood) questions of the Christian faith. As the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of Christ, we take time to talk honestly about sin: what it is, how it affects our relationship with God an...

Talking about your faith matters more than we realize. In this episode of 2414 , we explore why every Christian needs someone they can openly discuss their faith, doubts, and spiritual life with — and how honest conversation shapes discipleship. We also take a look at the LCMS colloquy process and what it means to pursue becoming a rostered Director of Parish Music (DPM). Whether you're navig...

Welcome to Episode 100 of 2414! 🎉 Today we celebrate a massive milestone — 100 episodes of vibrant conversations, faith exploration, honest questions, and plenty of laughter. In this special celebration episode, we: ✨ Recap all 99 episodes — from our earliest ideas to the most powerful conversations 🎚️ Highlight our high points and low points from the entire series 📈 Reflect on what God has don...

Episode 99 – Liturgies: Finding Meaning in Sacred Rhythms Pastor Dan and Shane are back with a reflective and relatable conversation on liturgies —the words, prayers, and habits that give rhythm to our walk with Christ. From the creeds we confess to the coffee we brew, these patterns shape who we are and remind us of God’s presence in all things. They explore why crafted words matter, how repetiti...

Welcome to Episode 98 of 2414, our 11th round with the Vibrant Conversations Deck from Lutheran Hour Ministries! In this episode, Pastor Dan and Shane explore one of the most deceptively simple and deeply relevant prompts yet: 🃏 “What makes extending hospitality easier or more difficult right now?” From apartment quirks and parenting chaos to deep dives into pride, expectations, and guest experie...

Welcome to Episode 97 of 2414! In this 10th installment of the Vibrant Conversations Deck series, Pastor Dan and Shane are back—just the two of them—for a hilarious, heartfelt, and hunger-inducing episode. They dive into everything from home buying stress to the theology of knocking on wood, from Outburst games on human sacrifice (yes, really) to Wits & Wagers trivia on Oprah and cable channel...

In this episode of 2414, Pastor Dan, Shane, and Vicar Dave dive into another round of the Vibrant Conversations Deck—and things get hilariously weird and surprisingly deep. From a “would you rather” debate between climbing Everest or diving in a submersible, to playing a statistical guessing game (spoiler: puffins are shockingly plentiful), this episode is full of laughs, humility, and unexpected...