Faith Listens

Welcome to Season 2 of Faith Listens, the podcast of the Formation Co-Op. This season highlights stories of experiments from congregations across the country who have been part of the Co-Op process — what they have tried, what they have learned, and how the Co-Op has supported them as they explore new ways of rooting young people in a lifelong, transformative faith in Jesus Christ. Through honest...

Meet Jasmine Fiscal and Andrea Olguin-Ledezma, members of the young adult leadership team guiding the children and youth ministry programs at St. James Santiago Apóstol Lutheran Church in Houston, TX. In this episode you'll hear how the care and accompaniment of their Guide Sal helped them grow in their confidence as leaders and how they used new skills to reflect on their ministry with youth, pro...

Meet members of the Formation Co-Op Team from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, South Carolina: Paige Gibbons, Deacon Sandra Holland, and Maya. Learn how the Formation Co-Op helped them take the pause they needed to help them get clear on their mission and vision, and how listening has reoriented them to prioritize the voice of young people.

Meet Yamileth Escobedo and Alejandro Martinez, volunteer leaders at Iglesia Santa Cruz in Chicago, IL, as they share the power of invitation in ministry and being in communities of acceptance. Their listening has opened up space for youth to wrestle with questions of faith and connect their faith to daily life.

Meet Ben Buss, Youth and Family Ministry Coordinator at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Columbus, OH, and volunteer leader Mark Keller, as they share how listening deeply to young people and their families is reshaping their approach—from confirmation curriculum redesign to involving youth in music and community outreach. You’ll hear them talk about the necessity of adapting to cultural changes, fos...

Meet Pastor Michael Jordan and volunteer leader Sherri Oswald from Trinity Lutheran Church in Yankton, SD, as they share their journey to develop a Daily Digital Devotion as a tool for daily faith integration, based on what they learned through their listening sessions. You’ll hear the uncertainty and frustrations of trying something new, and how engaging through a guided, collaborative process ul...

Meet the volunteer leaders at Mediator Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA: Mary Sharpe-Lewis, Janis Garfield, and Crystal Goodrich. This church family is focused on engaging young people in their immediate neighborhood, creating a community of belonging. Through listening they empowered the voice of their young people to be heard, and shifted their ministry to find new ways to engage youth in liv...

Meet Pastor Megan Graves and youth ministry volunteer Heather Peterson, as they share the story of the collaborative efforts between Grace and Red River Lutheran churches in rural Hallock, MN. We explore intergenerational dynamics, different decision-making styles of the congregations, and how to foster a shared commitment to youth ministry when you’re in partnership.

“Listening is a deep act of faith.” Meet Emily Brabham, Director of Youth and Ministry Services at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Portland, OR, and ninth grader Margo who serves on their Formation Co-Op Team. Through listening sessions with parents and high school students, they share how St. Luke discovered a deep desire for connection, inspiring new approaches like a Saturday night program to stren...

Meet Adriana Rivera and Jordan Collins-Brown from Edgewater Congregations Together, a joint youth ministry of Ebenezer and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, IL. In this episode, you will hear their unique approach to youth ministry, the challenges they face, and how listening has equipped them to move their ministry forward in transformative ways.

The “secret sauce” of the Formation Co-Op is the integral role of Guides assigned to accompany each congregation through the entire process: equipping them to listen to their context, providing feedback and curious questions, and offering encouragement and support along the way. In this episode, Guides from the first cohort share their experience and insights they have gleaned from their congregat...

The Formation Co-Op invites congregations into an intentional listening process that is grounded in emergent strategy and the Co-Op Core Commitments. In this episode, members of the Formation Co-Op’s Design Team and Program Team discuss the development of the Formation Co-Op process, and how this initiative fosters a collaborative community of co-creators and co-learners.   Episode Guests: Rev. Dr...

The landscape of youth ministry has changed significantly, yet many congregations and leaders struggle to adapt their ministries in ways that are relevant to their youth and context. Through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment “Strengthening Congregational Ministry with Youth Initiative”, the ELCA Youth Ministry Network is partnering with congregations to explore innovative youth ministry pr...