Live from the Siburt Institute

In this episode, host David Kneip chats with Eric Wilson, a minister and seasoned spiritual director who teaches in the Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction program. Eric shares how a church crisis in 2004 led him away from trying to fix people’s problems and toward the practice of spiritual direction. He describes a spiritual director as a non-anxious companion who helps create quiet space fo...

In this episode, host Jennifer Schroeder sits down with Collin Packer from Let's Talk Race Ministries (LTR) for an open conversation about racial reconciliation in the church. They dive into why these conversations can feel hard, how true reconciliation requires honest truth telling over quick fixes, and why listening to impact matters more than defending intent. For anyone wanting to go deeper, C...

In this episode, David Kneip talks with Dr. Jackie Halstead, an ACU faculty member and the CEO of the Selah Center for Spiritual Formation . Dr. Halstead is also the director of the Siburt Institute's Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction, which has been in existence for over 20 years but since 2022 has been partnership between the Selah Center and the Siburt Institute. In this conversation, Da...

Today's episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating spiritual exhaustion, burnout, or disillusionment.   Myles Werntz sits down with Anglican priest and author Tish Harrison Warren to chat about her book, What Grows in Weary Lands. Together, they dive into the reality of those unsettling seasons where God feels distant. Tish shares how her own season of weariness led her to draw wisdom from the...

What happens when a top-tier Bible scholar decides to write for eight-year-olds instead of just academics? In this episode, host Jennifer Schroeder sits down with Dr. Carmen Joy Imes to talk about her heart for children’s ministry and her latest book, Fierce and Faithful. Co-authored with Nijay K. Gupta, the book introduces kids to 25 incredible women from across the Bible, showing them that God h...

This episode features a conversation between Jennifer Schroeder, Laurie Templeton, and Holly Peeters regarding the CLAY (Christian Leaders Apprentice Youth) program at Singing Oaks Church of Christ. Developed to address a lack of teen involvement in church, this model allows high schoolers to apprentice in various ministries – such as children's, worship, or Spanish – under the mentorship of exper...

In this episode of Live from the Siburt Institute, host Myles Werntz sits down with Eric Howell, pastor of Dayspring Baptist Church and author of Under the Francis Tree: A Practical Theology for the Church Grounds in the 21st Century . Howell talks about his path from studying industrial engineering at Texas A&M to becoming a pastor with a deep interest in ecology and theology. His interest in...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Wes Crawford about the challenges that American civil religion poses for Christians. They begin by discussing some of the manifestations of civil religion in the USA, before digging into the topic more deeply. An important part of the conversation is Dr. Crawford's upcoming book, One Nation Over God, to be published in fall 2026 by Eerdmans.  Among the resources that...

Jennifer Schroeder and Hannah Sutton-Adams discuss "Godly Play," an approach to engaging the Bible with children that seeks to find and make meaning through story, wonder, and play. They discuss how Godly Play nurtures children's spirituality honoring children's knowledge of God, capacity for wonder, and ability to ask and discuss deep questions. They also consider some of the challenges and oppor...

Myles Werntz talks with Julio Guarneri, the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Texas. Growing up in a ministerial environment, Julio moved to Texas as a teenager when his pastored in Texas and felt a call into ministry. After his time working in the local church, he became the executive director and talks with us about his experience in this role. He encourages all in the Baptist Conv...

Jennifer Schroeder and Kim Botto discuss doing children’s ministry with children of all personalities and temperaments. Kim discusses how the church has often done ministry in an exclusive way to kids with disabilities or sensitivities and suggests how we can become more inclusive. She offers insight to how leaders can create an environment of calm, being flexible to the needs that children may ne...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Robert and Lori Crosby about their work with children who have experienced trauma and how it shapes our work with them in ministry. They share what it looks like to think about ministry through a trauma-informed lens and why that approach fosters an environment that leads to feelings of safety and welcome in the church. Website: https://reachhurtingkids.com Book: Trau...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Tiffany Yecke Brooks about her upcoming book, To Rebehold the Stars, which talks about rebuilding your faith after deconstruction. In this podcast, she shares her insight to how people can navigate faith after deconstruction. She also discusses ways our churches can help others as they are going through deconstruction and how we can equip young people with resources t...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Zane McGee about how we read Scripture as people seeking to be faithful. Zane reflects on the role interpretation plays in every reading, the importance of approaching the Bible as a cohesive story, and practices that help develop greater attentiveness to the text. 

Myles Werntz interviews Wissam Al-Saliby about his life working as an advocate for religious freedom. Growing up in post-war Lebanon, Wissam developed a passion to help the evangelical church in other countries how to handle war and violence as Christians. He also gives advice for people in the American church who want to help churches living in persecution. 

Jennifer Schroeder and Jeremy Marshall explore what it looks like for the church to truly embrace neurodiversity. By naming common ministry practices that are unintentionally exclusive, churches can reimagine ministry and become spaces of belonging, safety, and dignity for people with neurodivergence. Drawing on Jeremy's ministry experience, this conversation offers practical wisdom for cultivatin...

Jennifer Schroeder and Wilson McCoy talk about intergenerational ministry on a congregational level, the benefits Wilson has witnessed through his research, and practical ways to shift into ministry that includes people of all ages. In this podcast, Wilson helps define and differentiate between multigenerational ministry and intergenerational ministry and gives insight to what flourishing intergen...

Jennifer Schroeder and Emily McGowin talk about her book, Households of Faith, and her work on reimagining what a family can look like in the church. Growing up in a non-traditional household, she is passionate about changing our perspective of the church’s definition of “family.” Dr. McGowin shares the importance of changing our view of family in the church and at home in order to create a more u...

Carson Reed talks with Dudley Chancey and discuss Chancey’s new book, Keep Faith Alive: Grandparents and a Godly Legacy. The discussion will focus on the importance of intentionally telling every generation about the story of the great things that God has done and is doing in our world. Chancey will provide actionable steps for passing the faith along to other generations. This podcast is a part o...

Myles Werntz talks with Elizabeth Newman about her work and passions of church unity and incorporating liturgy into non-liturgical communities. They discuss her work in wanting to bring unity with Baptists and other Christian communities as well as her book, Living the Liturgy, which was influenced by her background working with Catholic, Presbyterian, and Methodist institutions.

Carson Reed talks with Wes Crawford about his new book,Courage in the Sheer Silence: Challenging Racism in 20th Century Churches of Christ. The two discuss 20th-century church leaders and their response to racially motivated social injustice in their day. Explore with them how the lessons of the past can inform the future work of the church. This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You...

Myles Werntz talks with Jesse Rincones about his journey from studying engineering to law school and now his ministry at the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas. Jesse talks about the various initiatives they do within the convention for the Hispanic community in the San Antonio area. 

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Mimi Larson and Lindsey Goetz about the intentional inclusion of children in the faith community. The three discuss ways to invite children to be an active part of the faith community in a way that is counter-cultural to most churches. See below for the website and resources discussed in the conversation. Website: faithandchildren.org Books: Faithful Presence  by Dave...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Greg Dowell (executive minister), Mic Biesboer (senior minister), and Gabby Brandner (children's minister), from Central Church of Christ in Amarillo, TX, about their experience with helping new ministers transition well into their role at a church. This episode explores intentional choices that Central made throughout the process with insight into both the challenges...

Jennifer Schroeder talks with Sarah Holmes about the important role grandparents play in the faith journey of their family. Dr. Holmes helps us think about ways churches can empower grandparents and grandparent-figures to play an active part in the spiritual lives of their grandchildren and the younger generations within their churches. You can access her published resources at https://cym.ac.uk