First Person with Wayne Shepherd

Wayne Shepherd
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  • CHRISTIANITY
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Once a week 24 minute radio interviews focusing on personal Christian faith stories and spiritual calling. FIRST PERSON is produced by Wayne Shepherd Communications, LLC. 1717 Park St., Suite 300, Naperville, IL 60563. Email: Wayne@wayneshepherd.net

  1. Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini

    4 DAYS AGO

    Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini

    Joe and Cindi Ferrini, the couple behind the book The Special Needs Parent, join Wayne Shepherd to talk about the calling they never expected.  (click for more...)  Website:  www.moodypublishers.com/the-special-needs-parent Contact website:  www.cindiferrini.com Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini are the parents of Joey, a 44-year-old son with a rare syndrome causing cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and epilepsy, requiring round-the-clock care his entire life. Despite this never being part of their life plan, the couple — Joe a retired dentist — have built their lives around caring for Joey while also raising two daughters and maintaining an active ministry. Their central message, captured in their book The Special Needs Parent: A Guide to the Life You Never Expected, is to "Embrace the Place" — accepting and committing to the life God has given you rather than resenting it. Both Joe and Cindi candidly share that this acceptance didn't come instantly; Joe in particular struggled before reaching a turning point where he chose faith over bitterness. They also speak to the broader landscape of special needs families, noting the rising prevalence of diagnoses and the importance of churches stepping up to support not just the children but the parents as well. Grounded in scripture — including Psalm 139 and Philippians 4:19 — their story is one of hard-won peace, purpose, and the conviction that their son was no accident but a calling.                                  Next Week:  Abdu Murray, Easter testimony Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  2. Matt Davis

    19 MAR

    Matt Davis

    Matt Davis specializes in helping people and organizations through leadership challenges and ministry transitions. He's Wayne Shepherd's guest on this week's FIRST PERSON.  (click for more...)      Website:  www.ministrytransitions.com In this episode of First Person, host Wayne Shepherd interviews Matt Davis, President and Chief Pastoral Officer of Ministry Transitions, an organization that helps churches, nonprofits, faith-based companies, and individuals navigate leadership changes. Matt speaks candidly about his own story — after spending decades as an executive and teaching pastor, he experienced a moral failure that ended his ministry career, causing significant pain to his family, colleagues, and congregation. Through years of counseling, restoration, and personal rebuilding, he co-founded Ministry Transitions with Bill Tom to fill a gap he experienced firsthand: the lack of structured support for ministry leaders in transition. The organization works with boards and individuals through three types of transitions — open, hidden, and blind — emphasizing dignity, grace, and honest communication throughout the process. Matt stresses that churches and organizations need to build a "culture of continuity" from day one, framing succession planning as a discipleship issue rather than a crisis response. He also hosts a podcast called Life After Ministry, which chronicles stories of people rebuilding their lives after vocational ministry ends, with the goal of reaching leaders before they hit rock bottom rather than after.            Next week:  Joe and Cindi Ferrini, The Special Needs Parent Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  3. Tim Botts

    12 MAR

    Tim Botts

    Master calligrapher Tim Botts is Wayne Shepherd's guest, talking about his approach to the creation of his art and the inspiration he finds in God's Word.  (Click for more...) Website:  www.TimBottscalligraphy.com This week we feature Christian artist and master calligrapher Timothy Botts, who has spent decades expressing Scripture through colorful calligraphy and visual art. Botts explains how his work is deeply inspired by the words of the Bible, combining his training in graphic design with his love for God’s Word to visually communicate its meaning rather than simply decorate it. Influenced by music, early encouragement from teachers, and artistic exposure during missionary work in Japan, he developed a distinctive style that brings together art, worship, and communication. Botts also reflects on the role of visual art in the church, encouraging congregations to value and support artists as part of gospel ministry. Through initiatives such as the Masterpiece Arts Camp, he mentors young creatives, helping them discover how their artistic gifts can honor Christ and impact others. Ultimately, Botts sees his work as a form of meditation on Scripture—creating “word pictures” that allow the message of the Bible to move from the page to the heart.                                NEXT WEEK:  Matt Davis, Ministry Transitions Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  4. Phil Callaway

    5 MAR

    Phil Callaway

    Christian Comedian Phil Callaway joins Wayne Shepherd for a conversation about his life and calling to a ministry of comedy. (click for more....) Website:  www.PhilCallaway.com The interview features Christian comedian, author, and speaker Phil Callaway sharing how God used humor and life experiences to shape his ministry. Callaway recounts how his faith was deeply influenced by his parents’ authentic Christianity and by teachers who encouraged his communication gifts. Beginning in 1990 by writing humorous articles about family life, he was soon invited to write books—eventually authoring more than two dozen—and later expanded into speaking, radio, and conference ministry. Despite early fears of public speaking, he sensed God calling him to use humor to inspire hope, both in Christian settings and in secular audiences such as teachers and medical professionals. Callaway also reflects on personal trials in his family, including the threat of Huntington’s disease, which reinforced the importance of offering hope through laughter and faith. Throughout the conversation he emphasizes gratitude, perseverance, and the idea that God often works through ordinary people who simply offer their gifts in service to others.                                      Next Week:  Calligrapher Tim Botts Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  5. Greg Wheatley

    26 FEB

    Greg Wheatley

    Greg Wheatley, host of the online music platform Sound of Majesty, joins Wayne Shepherd and gives a brief biographical sketch of two great composers. (click for more...)     Website:  www.soundofmajesty.org In this edition of First Person, Wayne Shepherd interviews Greg Wheatley, host of SoundofMajesty.org, about the life, faith, and musical legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, with additional insights into Felix Mendelssohn. Wheatley explains that Bach, a devout Lutheran, viewed all his work as done for the glory of God, often signing his compositions “Soli Deo Gloria.” They discuss Bach’s monumental St. Matthew Passion, highlighting its theological depth and intricate craftsmanship, originally written for Good Friday worship. The conversation also explores how Mendelssohn revived Bach’s music nearly a century after his death, sparking renewed appreciation for his genius. Throughout the discussion, Wheatley emphasizes that classical sacred music, though sometimes perceived as complex, remains spiritually accessible and deeply moving for listeners today.                                               NEXT WEEK:  Phil Callaway Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  6. Josh Moody

    18 FEB

    Josh Moody

    Pastor Josh Moody of College Church in Wheaton, IL talks with Wayne Shepherd about his love of Scripture and how to make it a regular part of life.    (click for more...) Website:  www.GodCenteredLife.org In this First Person conversation, Pastor Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, reflects on his journey from England to pastoral ministry in the U.S., his deep appreciation for Jonathan Edwards, and his passion for helping believers engage Scripture as the living Word of God. Moody recounts formative influences from his parents’ example, a transformative mission trip that awakened his love for the Bible, and his conviction that daily dependence on God’s Word is essential for spiritual life and perseverance. He discusses his book Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know as an accessible, interactive guide meant to draw readers into Scripture without guilt or pressure, emphasizing that faith, growth, and evangelism ultimately flow from hearing and responding to God’s Word.                                             NEXT WEEK:  Greg Wheatley Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  7. Kim Tschirret

    12 FEB

    Kim Tschirret

    Kim Tschirret, Founder of Hope Reins, decribes how caring for horses helps children of abuse and trauma find hope, healing, and the love of Jesus.  (click for more...)                    Website:  www.HopeReins.org Kim Tschirret, founder and CEO of Hope Rains in Raleigh, North Carolina, shares how her own childhood trauma and healing journey in Christ led to the creation of a unique faith-based ministry that pairs abused and traumatized children with rescued horses. Founded in 2010, Hope Rains provides free, weekly mentoring sessions where children build trust, communication, boundaries, and leadership skills through guided interactions with horses, which serve as a bridge to healing through Jesus. With 38 acres, 17 rescued horses, dozens of staff and volunteers, and a three-year discipleship-oriented pathway, the ministry has served more than 2,100 children, offering safety, restoration, and hope while demonstrating how God redeems both broken lives and broken stories.                                            NEXT WEEK:  Pastor Josh Moody Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  8. Dan Hawkins

    5 FEB

    Dan Hawkins

    Dan Hawkins is interviewed by Wayne Shepherd about being led of God to leave his successful family construction business to lead Village Ministries International. (click for more...)    Website:  www.VillageMinistries.org Dan Hawkins, CEO of Village Ministries, shares his journey from leading a successful family construction business to answering God’s call into full-time ministry after a life-changing short-term mission trip to a former Soviet state. Village Ministries, founded in 1990 and based in Yukon, Oklahoma, focuses on equipping rural and often persecuted pastors through Bible distribution, theological training, and spiritual care, particularly in areas where many pastors lack even a single Bible. The ministry’s core training resource, Foundations Building into Faith, now translated into 35 languages, teaches pastors how to accurately study Scripture and encourages multiplication through discipleship. Serving in more than 20 countries, Village Ministries relies on volunteer teachers, missionaries, and local partners to reach unreached villages, offering hope, biblical literacy, and encouragement to believers who may otherwise remain isolated from Christian resources and training.                               NEXT WEEK:  Kim Tschirret of Hope Reins Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center  Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020  Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
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About

Once a week 24 minute radio interviews focusing on personal Christian faith stories and spiritual calling. FIRST PERSON is produced by Wayne Shepherd Communications, LLC. 1717 Park St., Suite 300, Naperville, IL 60563. Email: Wayne@wayneshepherd.net

Information

  • Creator
    Wayne Shepherd
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    836
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 First Person with Wayne Shepherd
  • Show Website
    First Person with Wayne Shepherd

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