Here She Stands

In 1 Timothy 3, St. Paul writes that if any man aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. There are many men who have sought to enter the office of Word and Sacrament that Christ established for the sake of His church. Christ gave us pastors. So how does He call men into this noble task? In this episode, we will hear from six Lutheran pastors as they share how God called them int...

Pastor Joshua Pfeiffer discusses his new book 'Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself,' which was published May 2026 by Concordia Publishing House. This book explores the challenge of expressive individualism in today's culture and how our purpose and identity are found in God, not ourselves. Pastor Joshua also emphasizes the importance of shifting from an inward-focused mindset to a life di...

Abbie Tang lives in Alberta and is currently studying through the Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario. Originally from China, Abbie moved to Canada eleven years ago to seek a new life free from the restrictions and censorship of her communistic homeland. In this interview, Abbie talks about growing up as an atheist in communist China and how her interest in Western i...

In this episode, Lexy is joined by Lisa Jackson, the director of Lutheran Hour Ministries in Canada. Lisa talks about what is involved in her work, why she chose to study at Concordia Theological Lutheran Seminary in St. Catharines, and the high standards to which the church's pastors are trained. Lutheran Hour Ministries Canada: https://lll.ca/ Lectionary Learning Resources: https://lll.ca/catego...

Today’s guests are husband and wife, Jai and Kaitlyn Raynor, from Caboolture in Queensland. Jai is a mortgage broker who owns his own business and Kaitlyn teaches food economics at a high school. In this episode, both Jai and Kaitlyn share their fascinating journeys into Lutheranism. Kaitlyn, once a Pentecostal, became Lutheran by conviction through theological discussions with her husband. Jai wa...

Gertraud and Beck Prenzler are mother and daughter from Adelaide in South Australia. Gertraud is married to Rev. Michael Prenzler, who is seminary development officer for Lutheran Mission - Australia. In today’s episode, Gertraud and Beck recap the joys and challenges of 2025 and how they, as a family, endured the numerous hardships that came against them. HERE SHE STANDS Listen Here- https://here...

Standing Firm is a new Australian confessional Lutheran magazine. In this episode, Peter Wittwer and Karl Jericho talk about the purpose behind starting this publication and what type of edifying content Aussie Lutherans can expect to find. Creative Word Fellowship: https://cwfellowship.net/ To read a free cut-down version of past Standing Firm issues: https://cwfellowship.net/magazine/ To purchas...

Merry Christmas! May the peace of God be upon you this season as you remember the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In this episode, Sonja, Lexy, Kim, and Sally-Anne sit down and talk about the year that has been, the year that is coming, and what they have learnt in between. They share some of their favourite Christmas traditions and read out and respond to some entries from listeners...

In this episode, Altamira Noble, Dianne Steele, and Lucy Jacobson share their experiences of moving their families internationally in response to changes within the Lutheran Church of Australia. They discuss the role of Scripture and personal conviction in their decision-making process and give us a glimpse into the spiritual and emotional preparation involved in uprooting their lives and starting...

Carolyn Berry is a retired seamstress living in South Australia. As a young woman in the 1970’s, Carolyn enrolled in the Australian deaconess training program with the hopes of becoming a deaconess in the Lutheran church. In this episode, Carolyn shares her experience training to be a deaconess and talks about her hopes for the future of deaconesses in Australia. She also shares her love of eccles...

Jesus on the Road is an Australian blog and podcast hosted by Annalyn Russell. In this episode, Annalyn talks about why she started Jesus on the Road, what it is all about, and how she turns ordinary moments into opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus on the Road https://jesusontheroad.com/ Jesus 4 Generations https://jesus4generations.com/ Annalyn’s Recommendations “Toxic Emp...

Pastor Matthias Prenzler and Deaconess Kathleen Mills are a pastor/deaconess ministry team who serve at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Shepparton, Victoria. In this conversation, they discuss their independent, yet complimentary offices, and answer questions about their professional relationship and how they make it work. REGISTER FOR SHE PRAYS 2025 https://cwfellowship.net/she-prays/ HERE SHE STAN...

Kimberley Pfeiffer is the blog manager and writer for Here She Stands. In October 2025, she will be a guest speaker at the She Prays Women’s Retreats in South Australia and Victoria. This episode will give you a glimpse into what Kimberley has been up to since returning to Australia in 2024, as well as what she enjoyed most about her studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Find out more or reg...

Lisa Cooper is a poet and writer from Ithaca, New York. In this episode she talks about her new poetry book, Hasty Corporeal Ink, which was published in November 2024. Lisa also delves into many poetry-related topics, including the different poetic forms she uses in her book and how Christians use poetry to teach the faith. She also treats us by reading aloud a selection of her poems. Enjoy! Purch...

Sandra Rhein is an LCMS deaconess and sacred music educator from Indiana, USA. In October 2025, she will be coming to Australia to be a guest speaker at the She Prays Women’s Retreats. These retreats are a collaboration between Creative Word Fellowship and Here She Stands and will be held in both Victoria and South Australia. Listen in as Sandra shares a little bit about herself, her work, and her...

Donation Link: https://hereshestands.online/donate/

In this uplifting final episode of Season 4, Sonja chats with Elizabeth Matuschka, a pastor's wife, midwife, and mother from Rainbow, Victoria. Elizabeth shares how she became Lutheran and discusses her life in Rainbow, where her husband serves multiple congregations. She also shares her journey of becoming a mother despite facing years of fertility challenges, and how prayer and patience in God's...

Elizabeth Jentz, an American deaconess, loves to travel the world and serve others. She came to Australia earlier this year where she met up with Lexy and presented talks on deaconesses to the Tasmanian Lutherans. In this episode, Elizabeth shares her testimony of becoming Lutheran, why she decided to become a deaconess, and how she serves women in the sex industry. Elizabeth’s deaconess presentat...

Christa Petzold is a LCMS pastor’s wife, homeschool mum, PHD student and published author from Illinois, USA. Her non-fiction books, Journey Through Church History, Gathered by Christ: The Overlooked Gift of Church, and Male and Female: Embracing Your Role in God’s Design are all available from Concordia Publishing House (https://www.cph.org/christa-petzold). In today’s episode, Christa talks abou...

Today's guest is Meg Pearce from Adelaide and hospitality is one of her favourite things to talk about and practice! In this episode she digs into the spiritual side of hospitality and how it mirrors what Christ has done for us. She also leaves us with some practical tips on how to make our hospitality experience stress-free. BIBLE VERSES Matthew 10:40 Matthew 25:35 Luke 14:12-14 Romans 12:13 1 Ti...

Maricel Theodorsen was born in the Philippines and moved to Australia when she married her husband, Joseph. In this episode she talks about the incredible way God sustained her through a dark childhood, depression, and times of doubting His care for her. BIBLE VERSES Mark 10:23 - All things are possible with God Romans 8:28 - God works all things together for those who love Him The Book of Job The...

Pastor Joshua Pfeiffer lives in Tarrington, Victoria, and serves as a Lutheran pastor within the LCANZ. In 2020, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri for the purpose of pursuing a PhD in Theology at Concordia Seminary. He and his family returned to Australia in mid-2024. Pastor Joshua is married to Kimberley and together they have four children. In this episode he teaches us about the imagery the Bible...

Today’s guest is Kelly Klages*, a Lutheran artist, hymn writer, and author from Manitoba, Canada. Some of Kelly’s past work includes illustrating books for Kloria Publishing, writing articles for publications such as the Canadian Lutheran, and hymn writing for the LCMS. In this episode, Kelly talks about her numerous creative projects, how her Lutheran theology impacts her art, and her deep love f...

This recording is of a poem that was sent to us as an entry for our 2024 Christmas Special. It was written by Rev. Joseph Theodorsen from Western Australia and when both of our husbands heard it, they encouraged us to also release it separately and make it more available to listeners. Thank you to Rev. Joseph Theodorsen for giving us the artistic freedom to recite and produce his work and for Enoc...

Advent and Christmas are upon us! In this episode, we are joined by our friend Meryl, and together we read out and respond to our listeners’ Christmas traditions, stories, and poems. Thank you to everyone who sent in an entry! May the grace and peace of our Heavenly Father be with you during this Christmas season. RESOURCES When Santa Learned the Gospel - Book by Simon Camilleri https://www.amazon...