Together 4 Good: Making Sense of Life and Faith

In this week's episode, Pastor Nate poses a powerful question: Have we been thinking about church all wrong? In a world saturated with entertainment, products, and constant striving, this episode offers a radically honest perspective on what church is truly meant to be. Drawing from a simple yet profound five-star Google review, Pastor Nate unpacks the idea that church shouldn't be markete...

In this honest episode, Pastor Nate explores the hidden costs of pretending everything is fine. We talk about the pressure to appear put together, the fear of being seen as struggling, and how toxic positivity often masks our deeper wounds. This kind of emotional cover-up doesn't just affect our mental health, it also shapes our spirituality. Pastor Nate digs into the way Christianity confront...

In this episode of Together for Good , Pastor Nate takes a deep dive into the relentless pressure of hustle culture—the constant need to do more, achieve more, and prove our worth through productivity. As an Enneagram 3, Pastor Nate knows this struggle firsthand, but he also knows that God offers us a different way. The practice of Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a radical redefinition of i...

In this episode of Together for Good, we explore the transformative practice of Centering Prayer with Ron Rinkle, a former academic and marketing executive who has discovered deep spiritual renewal through this contemplative approach. Ron shares how Centering Prayer speaks to the modern challenges of self-identity, time, and love, offering a countercultural rhythm of stillness in a world driven by...

In this deeply personal episode of the Together for Good Podcast , Pastor Nate Preisinger reflects on the healing power of rituals and how they sustain us through life’s most difficult moments. Drawing from his own experiences—especially in the weeks leading up to his mother’s passing—he shares how spiritual practices, liturgy, and long-held traditions provided him with comfort, connection, and a...

This episode was originally posted in 2021, but we are reposting it this week because our Gospel reading on Sunday was from Luke 13:18-21, a reading that includes Jesus' parable of the Mustard Seed.  This episode is a poem that Pastor Nate wrote based on this parable.  We hope you enjoy this unique reflection on scripture and that it gives you a new way of thinking about the words of Jesus.  

This is an old podcast episode that Pastor Nate released way back in September of 2020! Listen in to this short Bible Study all about the importance of water in our world, the scriptures, and our life of faith. Grab your Bible, a glass of H20, and listen along!⁠

As we begin the season of Lent Pastor Nate shares a poem he wrote several years ago (and shared on this podcast feed several years ago) that reflects on many of the themes of Ash Wednesday, Lent and Genesis chapter 3.

In this episode of Together 4 Good , Colleen Maki sits down with Bryan Jaster to explore One Simple Tool that can transform the way we experience God in our daily lives. This tool isn’t about adding more to your to-do list—it’s about pausing, noticing, and listening to how God is moving in your story. Bryan walks Colleen through how this practice helps break cycles of anxiety, organize life’s chao...

What if mission trips weren’t about “helping” others—but about changing the way we see the world? 🌍 In this episode of Together 4 Good , Pastor Nate sits down with Deacon Debra, Kevin Dragseth, and Bryan Jaster to talk about their upcoming trip to Ecuador. But this isn’t your typical mission trip conversation. Instead of focusing on what they plan to "do," they wrestle with deeper questions: 🔹 D...

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Garth Englund III to explore the beauty and depth of the liturgical seasons . Garth shares how a powerful Holy Week experience in his childhood sparked a lifelong love for the rhythms of the church year. Together, they discuss how these seasons help us align our lives with the life of Jesus, offering opportunities...

Creativity & the Divine | An Interview with Colleen Maki Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Colleen Maki, Coordinator of Media at Bethany Lutheran Church, to explore the deep connection between creativity and faith. They dive into the creation story in Genesis 1, reflecting on God as Creator and how our own creativity can be a spiritu...

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Peter Hancock to talk about his work as an entrepreneur and the ways that he finds calm in the midst of his active and high-pressure work. The conversation spans stories about vulnerability, the importance of exercise, how a faith community provides connection and support, and much more. In this episode you...

Together 4 Good Podcast Show Notes Episode Title: Finding Calm in the Chaos Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate reflects on the chaos that many are feeling in the world right now and offers some thoughts on how our life of faith can provide calm during uncertain or overwhelming times. Nate discusses the ways that believing in a Higher Power opens us up t...

Pastor Nate, Colleen Maki, Kevin Dragseth, and Bryan Jaster all sit down to talk about the importance of caring for people who are done with church. In this wide-ranging conversation, the four talk about their experiences feeling done with faith, what brought them back, and what the church can be doing to connect with those who are no longer connecting with a faith community.

Colleen Maki interviews Ellie Dieringer from Young Adults in Global Mission. Listen in and learn more about this incredible service year program of the ELCA. To learn more about Young Adults in Global Mission go to: https://www.elca.org/our-work/global-mission/young-adults-in-global-mission

This is a rebroadcast of a special episode from New Year's Day last year. In this episode, Pastor Nate offers a guided meditation that serves as a means of prayerfully examining the past year. Based on the St Ignatius Examen, this guided time of prayer and reflection is the perfect way for you to look back on last year and move into next year with a sense of God’s presence in your life. Take a qui...

During the fourth week of Advent, Pastor Nate offers a Bible study on the theme of love. During this busy season, you are invited to take time to dive into the themes of Advent through these deep studies of scripture. In this episode, we carefully study 1 Corinthians 13.

During the third week of Advent, Pastor Nate offers a Bible study on the theme of hope. During this busy season, you are invited to take time to dive into the themes of Advent through these deep studies of scripture. In this episode, we carefully study Luke 1:39-55.

During this second week of Advent, Pastor Nate offers a Bible study on the theme of peace. During this busy season, you are invited to take time to dive into the themes of Advent through these deep studies of scripture. In this episode, we carefully study Ezekiel 37:1-14.

During the first week of Advent, Pastor Nate offers a Bible study on the theme of hope. During this busy season, you are invited to take time to dive into the themes of Advent through these deep studies of scripture. In this episode, we carefully study Luke 2:1-20.

On this special episode of Together 4 Good, Pastor Nate offers some reflections on the importance of giving thanks. But as a special treat - Pastor Nate also invites on high schoolers from the high school youth group to hear their thoughts on the holiday.

In this episode, Pastor Nate invites us to reframe the ways that we think about prayer. He dives into why we pray, what it can do for our connection with God as well as some different ways to pray that you might not have considered.

This special Prayer and Study episode is designed to provide a time of calm, peace, and reflection. You will be guided through a time of deep reading of Luke 12:49-56 and invited to wonder, feel, and reflect on what God might be saying to you directly through these words of scripture.

Pastor Nate shares some theological insight into how we as people of faith engage with issues of government and politics. He also shares his reflection from the Night of Unity service.