The Marriage Huddle

From serving as missionaries in Africa to building a life centered around hospitality, community, and family, Jeremiah and Missy Weismann share how God has shaped their marriage through every season. They reflect on adoption, parenting, vocation, and the ongoing process of learning how to pursue God’s calling together. In this episode, they talk honestly about identity, sacrifice, partnership, and...

In our third episode with Counselors in the Huddle , we welcome Matt Kenney and Kevin DeKam for a practical conversation on how technology can subtly shape marriage over time. They explore how easy habits, constant accessibility, and cultural normalcy can create distance in relationships without couples even realizing it. The conversation also briefly touches on how alcohol can shape patterns of c...

In this episode of  The Marriage Huddle , we sit down with Steve and Kathy Ippel who have embraced grandparenting as a meaningful mission—intentionally investing in the next generation with purpose and faith. They share how this calling has shaped their marriage, the practical ways they pour into their grandchildren, and the wisdom they’ve gained through the years. This conversation offers encoura...

In this episode, we hear from Jake and Abby Loomans, who have walked through infertility, miscarriage, and additional medical challenges along the way. They share the realities of grief and the weight it can bring into a marriage. As they open up about their journey, we talk about how suffering shapes connection, the importance of walking through grief together, and the hope that can be found in t...

This week the microphones are in the hands of the women. Stephanie TeSlaa, Ann Jansen, Renee Kenney, and Susan Wilkins reflect on what it means to be a wife through the lens of  ezer kenegdo —helper, encourager, challenger, and partner. Through honest stories of self-sufficiency, unmet expectations, and learning to trust God’s design, they unpack joyful partnership, biblical submission, and vertic...

This week the microphones are in the hands of the men. Matt Kenney, Mark TeSlaa, Ron Jansen, and David Wilkins reflect on servant leadership, shared partnership, and the importance of a vertical orientation toward God. They explore how husbands can lead with humility, presence, and collaboration, embracing their wives as teammates rather than going it alone. With honesty and practical wisdom, they...

This episode continues the conversation as host Stephanie TeSlaa and her husband, Mark, explore the role of a wife through the lens of Genesis. They examine the Hebrew phrase ezer kenegdo, uncovering the depth and strength of this role as God intended it. The conversation then turns to Genesis 3, where they look at how the Fall distorts God’s original design for marriage and introduces tension int...

In this foundational episode, host Stephanie TeSlaa sits down with her husband, Mark, to explore how our upbringing and experiences shape what we believe it means to be a husband and a wife. Together, they return to Genesis 1–2 to examine God’s original design for marriage and its place in His world before distortion enters the story. The conversation begins to unpack the role of a husband through...

Money often reveals what we value, fear, and trust—especially in marriage. In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, we sit down with Matt and Madeline Boersen to explore how finances impact unity, decision-making, and trust between spouses. We talk about the money stories we bring into marriage, the tension that can arise, and the safeguards that help couples navigate finances together. This conver...

Marriage doesn’t cancel your dreams, it reshapes them. In this episode, Aaron and Glori Goodrich get real about what happens when two visions collide and have to become one. Together with Stephanie TeSlaa, they unpack sacrifice, emotional maturity, and choosing unity without losing how God uniquely wired you. With honesty, humor, and practical wisdom, they share how conflict can actually refine a...

In our second episode with “Counselors in the Huddle, we welcome Gary and Lisa Heim—authors of True North: Choosing God in the Frustrations of Life—share how frustration, disappointment, and everyday pressures can quietly pull our hearts “south” in marriage. They unpack their True North framework and explore how God uses frustrating moments not to divide us, but to transform us as we learn to turn...

God created us with desires—good and life-giving longings meant to draw us closer to Him and to one another. But when those desires are mishandled in marriage, they can quietly turn into demands that lead to disappointment and disconnection. In this episode, Matt and Renee explore how our desires can become a place where God does His refining work. They share how to bring those longings to Him fir...

Grief touches every part of life — our hearts, our relationships, and the way we show up to one another. In this episode, Gary and Kathy Stowie share the story of a profound loss and how it shaped them individually and as a family. We’re also joined by Nancy Kingma, a counselor who walks with individuals and families through grief and trauma, offering insight into how couples can remain connected...

hey were doing all the right things—raising kids, building careers, keeping busy. But somewhere along the way, Greg and Kris Zimmer’s marriage started running on empty. What began as busyness turned into distance, and before they knew it, the divorce papers were on the table. In this episode, they share how God stepped in, woke them up, and began rebuilding a love that was nearly lost. Discussion...

Letting go is not easy, especially when your child gets married and the responsibility you once carried shifts to their spouse and to God. In this episode, Stephanie TeSlaa talks with Bruce and Sue Osterink about what it looks like for parents to support that transition with grace. Through honest stories, practical wisdom, and even a roll of “holy duct tape,” they share how to stay loving and pres...

What does it really look like to leave your family and cleave to your spouse? In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, Dave and Jaclyn open up about the struggles and breakthroughs of prioritizing their marriage over old patterns and expectations. From navigating parents’ involvement to creating a cocoon for their relationship, they share the moments that tested their commitment—and the steps that...

Bitterness can quietly take root in any marriage—and Tim and Shayla Bassett know this firsthand. In this episode, they share how it distorted their view of each other and, with Stephanie TeSlaa, discuss how the stories we tell ourselves can fuel conflict and how to reset those narratives. They remind us that even painful struggles can become a pathway to a stronger, Christ-centered marriage. DQ1:...

If you know Nate and Jana English, you know laughter and good food aren’t far behind. In this episode, these parents of five share how joy, humility, and fun rooted in the Lord have shaped their marriage—from mealtime hospitality to adventures on the road. They talk honestly about staying connected through seasons of disconnection, seeing their table as a place of mission, and even reclaiming sex...

In our first “Our Marriage, Our Mission” conversation, Stephanie TeSlaa sits down with Mike & Jamie Bartlett to talk about their journey with foster care and adoption. After planting Redemption City Church in Grand Rapids, the Bartletts—parents of four boys—felt called to open their home to teenage girls through foster care. In this episode, they share their story, the lessons they’ve learned,...

From pornography and isolation to redemption and togetherness, Tony and Jen Schmid share how God rewrote the playbook of their marriage. In conversation with Stephanie TeSlaa, they unpack the burden of addiction, the gift of authentic community, and the miraculous healing that comes through confession. DQ1: Where might God be inviting you to pursue wholeness and restoration in your vertical relati...

In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, Stephanie TeSlaa is joined by counselors Matt Kenney and Aaron Goodrich for the first installment of “Counselors in the Huddle.” Together, they take an honest look at both the encouragements and the challenges they see in marriages across West Michigan today. From navigating the pull of busyness to rebuilding healthy rhythms and finding deeper emotional inti...

When Bruce and Sue first met, they carried the weight of second marriages—but 38 years later, their marriage tells a different story. In this episode of The Marriage Huddle, Stephanie sits down with the Osterinks to share how God reshaped their marriage through the pursuit of unity. Together, they talk about breaking free from old patterns of control and codependency, learning to seek God first, a...

Where did Crossroad’s Marriage Ministry begin—and how did God use some of the hardest seasons in marriage to build it? In this first episode of ‘The Marriage Huddle’, Stephanie and Mark sit down with Rod and Libby to share the story behind Crossroads’ marriage ministry. Together, they talk about how God redeemed each of their marriages, how their struggle shaped His call on their lives, and what i...