Strangers on The Way

In Episode 151, Lauren sits down with Denvil Lee, Campus Pastor at The Chapel Lake Zurich. Denvil shares his incredible journey from working at McDonald’s, to retail leadership, to serving as a police officer, investigator, and detective, before eventually stepping into church leadership and pastoral ministry. One of the most powerful themes throughout the conversation is how Denvil approaches eac...

In Episode 150, Lauren sits down with Lynne Marian, a leader who has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of faith, ministry, and mission-driven marketing. Throughout her career, Lynne has helped amplify the impact of some of the most influential Christian organizations in the world, including World Vision, Zondervan, World Concern, Our Daily Bread Ministries, and Outreach, In...

In Episode 149, Lauren sits down with Marcy Bursac, adoptive mom, author, national advocate, and founder of The Forgotten Adoption Option , to talk about what happens when adoption isn’t Plan B…but Plan A. Marcy shares how a visit to Moldova changed the trajectory of her life and led her to the desire to adopt. But when she stepped into the U.S. foster care system to adopt a sibling pair, she enco...

In Episode 148, Lauren interviews Dr. Paul Falkowski, Founder and President of the National Association of Long-Term Care Volunteers (NALTCV) and explores the quiet, powerful impact of showing up for senior citizens — one visit at a time. Paul shares the remarkable origin story of his organization, which began not in a boardroom, but while serving as a choir director. After a visit to a local seni...

In Episode 147, Lauren interviews Oklahoma-based mom, pickleball enthusiast, and ministry leader Moriah Stewart. Lauren spontaneously met Moriah at a conference in Chicago. In this episode, Moriah shares about her and her husband Kyle's love of teenagers, what she's learned through mentoring young adults, how to recognize God speaking to you, and wisdom she's gleaning through playin...

In Episode 146, Lauren sits down with Jennifer Wenningkamp, a woman whose life has been profoundly shaped by divine encounters, courageous obedience, and a deep passion for loving people across cultures. Jennifer shares how, at just ten years old, she heard the audible voice of God calling her into missions, a moment that set the trajectory for her entire life. That calling eventually led her to M...

In Episode 145, Lauren interviews Julie Yoder, one of the Senior Pastors at The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois, where she leads alongside her husband, Mike. Together, they also serve as Regional Leaders for Vineyard USA in the Midwest Central Region. Raised in the Vineyard, Julie is a gifted communicator, passionate leader, and developer of others. She leads the preaching team and is deeply c...

In this episode, Lauren interviews Amy James, a creative, faith-filled woman from Illinois who wears many hats. Alongside her husband, Amy hosts guests through their Airbnb, extending warmth and hospitality as a reflection of God’s heart. As a Sozo inner healing leader, she helps others experience freedom and restoration through intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When she’s not leadin...

In Episode 143, Lauren interviews Jen Dunnewold, a Tennessee native, devoted wife and mom, and member of her church’s worship team. Jen is passionate about emotional health, authentic connection, and creating intentional cultures of honor. In this episode, Jen shares how navigating complex family dynamics became a classroom for learning boundaries, self-awareness, and love. Jen opens up about over...

In Episode 142, Lauren interviews creative Jonas "Yo" Torres who is currently serving in his third year at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry.  In this episode, Lauren and Yo dive deep into what it means to create from the secret place with God , where intimacy fuels creativity and art becomes an act of worship. Yo shares how the Gospel shapes his life and creativity, reminding us th...

In Episode 141, Lauren interviews Father Christophe, a French Catholic priest from the Chemin Neuf community, who currently serves in Grenoble, France. With 10 years of priesthood behind him, Father Christophe opens up about his powerful encounter with God, his path to the priesthood, and the sacred responsibility of walking with people through their most vulnerable moments. He also shares how wri...

In this episode of Strangers on The Way , Lauren sits down with physicist-turned-pastor, entrepreneur, author, and speaker Putty Putman. After earning a PhD in particle physics and encountering a life-changing supernatural experience in China, Putty made an unexpected choice: instead of pursuing a lucrative career in science, he stepped into full-time ministry in Illinois. Putty shares how the min...

In Episode 139, Lauren interviews Brittney Tewksbury — wife, mom, community connector, and founder of FCC Hoops, a fast-growing grassroots adult basketball group that’s reshaping the local rec scene. When Brittney moved back to Illinois from Chicago, she knew she loved playing basketball so she started something from scratch. What began as a simple search for a pickup run has exploded into a thriv...

In Episode 138, Lauren interviews librarian, politician, anti-racism activist, published poet, social justice advocate, and community organizer Nick Demske. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the Racine Public Library, Nick shares his inspiring journey from stocking library shelves to leading the very institution that sparked his passion for justice and learning. Nick is also co-founde...

In Episode 137, Lauren sits down with author, life and career coach Ada Adeleke-Kelani for a heartfelt and inspiring conversation. Born in Nigeria and now living in Canada with her family, Ada opens up about the profound power of our names —including the touching story behind her son’s name — her miraculous birth experience, and the unmistakable hand of God’s divine intervention in her life. Ada i...

In Episode 136, Lauren interviews Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) First Year Overseer and pastor Leslie Crandall. Leslie and her husband Tom have been married for nearly twenty-six years, served in full-time ministry for over nineteen years, and have had the privilege of being on staff at Bethel for over ten of those years.  In this episode, Leslie shares how she and her family have...

In Episode 135, Lauren interviews California-native Trista Handisides—a wife, mom, and former tech leader at Yahoo and Facebook—who’s now making waves in her community and beyond. Trista opens up about navigating a season of interruption, aligning life with personal values, and getting involved with her local park foundation. She also shares stories from surfing in Mexico and her role as Executive...

In Episode 134, Lauren interviews Texas-based spiritual teacher, wife and mom Laurence Bragg. In this episode, Laurence shares how she invited God into the parenting of her children (now adult children), including special prayers pregnant women can pray. She also talks about her journey of intimacy with Jesus and ways to hear his voice personally. Lastly, Laurence shares about the power of forgive...

In Episode 133, Lauren interviews Minnesota-native Evan Brown. Evan made a leap of faith and moved to California a few years ago. In this episode, he shares about the wild journey moving out west, his journey overcoming pornography, and his passion to help men walk into sexual freedom. Be on the lookout for Evan's new upcoming podcast, Roaring Lion, where he talks about important and often un...

In Episode 132, Lauren interviews wife, mom, and Children's Director Jen Polizzi. Jen is full of warmth, kindness, joy, and God stories! In this episode, Jen shares about her encounter with the love of God, how it changed everything around her, the joy of raising her children (ages 29, 14, and 4!), and the power of intergenerational friendships. Jen is full of wisdom and faith and this episod...

In Episode 131, Lauren interviews Public Relations Director and Young Adult Leader Angelic Venegas. Angelic is full of joy and hunger to grow. In this episode, Angelic shares her passion for storytelling and public relations, her journey of health and fitness, how her faith set her free, and a sweet story about Christmas lights! Angelic also shares her thoughts about the upcoming generation. This...

In this episode, Lauren interviews joyful wife, mom, prayer minister, church planter, and missionary Jody Rasplicka. Jody lives in Texas and has the biggest heart. In this episode, Jody shares about moments from her recent El Salvador mission trip, how she stays connected to God throughout the day, the meaning of cardinals in her life, and gives us insights into her 36 year marriage with her husba...

In Episode 129, Lauren interviews powerhouse Cathy Grennan. Cathy is a prayer warrior full of wisdom and passion. In this episode, Cathy shares her heart for the younger generation, a daily practice called "Four 15s" that has revolutionized her days, and offers powerful prayers over our listeners. Stay tuned for the end as Cathy sings a song over you that's sure to bring you peace....

In this episode, Lauren interviews joyful Sales Director Molly Keller. Molly made a big move to South Carolina a couple of years ago and started a new adventure. In this episode, Molly shares about her move, making friendships in a new city, trusting God in the process, and how she built a life she loves. Toward the end of the episode, Molly shares about her journey of love and discovering feminin...

In Episode 127, Lauren interviews Texas-based mom and mentor Shannon Wallace. Shannon is full of joy, resilience, and life! In this episode, Shannon shares about her love of Texas wildflowers and nature, the joy of homeschooling, and how she walked through the death of her son. She also talks about the power of community during tragedy and how we can practically help those who are grieving. Lastly...