My Church Experience

Jeff Huisjen
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

Many people have thoughts on the intersection of life and faith. And many of us struggle to reconcile these thoughts with our experiences with the church. Some of these experiences have been beautifully positive while some have been heartbreakingly negative. But for many of us we wonder, is there room for both of sides of those experiences to be true? And if they can both hold truth, is there a safe space to talk about them? My Church Experience exists to have open, honest, and real conversations about the way the church has helped, hindered, or both their journeys of life and faith.

  1. Sep 16

    S2 Ep. 4 - Jon Mestas

    Guest Jon Mestas joins the podcast to talk through his experience with religion growing up, the ways it's pushed him to form his faith, the ways it's impacted his own parenting, and the ways it's caused him to dig deep into theology and church history. Growing up faith and religion looks like a lot of different things and there's always pros and cons. How do you navigate through celebrating and recreating the pros, while battling against the challenges of the cons? And how do you then turn around and form your own faith while simultaneously raising your kids?

  2. Sep 2

    S2 Ep.3 - Michelle Stotts

    Special guest Michelle Stotts joins the podcast to talk about faith, family, and what it has looked like for her being on staff at a church. Growing up in the Church and in a church can be a pivotal and very important part of life. What does it look like to navigate the idea of making faith and church participation your own and how do you navigate what that looks like when you're raising and establishing your own family?

  3. Aug 19

    S2 Ep. 2 - Thomas Roscoe

    Jeff's good friend, musician, and worship pastor, Thomas Roscoe joins the podcast to talk about growing up a PK, stepping into full time ministry, and unpack a bit of what worship really is. Ministry isn't for the faint of heart and it can impact our lives and faith in a number of ways. Especially when we carry history and context into it. But, what does it look like to live a life of faith in the midst of all of these challenges?

  4. Aug 5

    S2 Ep. 1 - Taylor Idema

    Taylor Idema joins the podcast again to reflect on the first season. What things stood out to her? Has her opinion or thoughts on why the podcast exist changed? And, what does season two have in store?

  5. May 20

    Ep. 16 - Crissy Huisjen

    Very, extra special guest, Crissy Huisjen, Jeff's wife, joins the podcast to talk about growing up in the Lutheran Church, catechism, college ministry, and raising a family in the church while being married to someone in vocational ministry. There's certainly ups and downs and pros and cons that come with faith, but when you're walking through life and faith with someone tied to the church, it can add some extra challenges. How do you maintain faith in the midst of people pleasing, figuring out different denominations, and growing as a family?

  6. May 6

    Ep. 15 - Tyler Sugden

    This week special guest Tyler Sugden joins the podcast to talk about his experience as a teen in the church. Following that he addresses the transition from high school into college, into married life, and then into parenthood. He also digs into the intersection of science and faith and the way that's played out in his life and career. The way faith plays out in our lives changes and shifts as we go through different phases. But the bridge between faith and life can be a challenge especially when we're in transition or the local church lets us or someone we love down.

  7. Apr 22

    Ep. 14 - Rob Acker

    Special guest, Rob Acker joins Jeff on the the podcast to talk about a life in ministry. From finding rhythms to leading well, and loving the Lord while loving people even when they're hard to love, Rob shares his experiences over a number of decades in the church. There's something to be said for faithfulness and for the depth of experience that one can bring to bear after serving faithfully in the church for as long as Rob has. But, how does vocational ministry shape personal faith and how do you keep negative experiences and hurt from shaping your view of God?

  8. Apr 8

    Ep. 13 - Julia Eigenbrood

    Julia Eigenbrood jumps in as the guest on this episode of the podcast to talk through finding a new faith community after a move. Coming from somewhere where she and her family were deeply rooted to trying to put down roots was a challenge. Even more challenging when the new community didn't and doesn't align fully with everything they'd hoped. At the end of the day, trying to do faith and life on your own is hard, maybe impossible, and there are no perfect churches. But how do you find somewhere that's a good fit, and how do make sure that any disappointments or hurts don't impact the way you view God?

See All (20)

About

Many people have thoughts on the intersection of life and faith. And many of us struggle to reconcile these thoughts with our experiences with the church. Some of these experiences have been beautifully positive while some have been heartbreakingly negative. But for many of us we wonder, is there room for both of sides of those experiences to be true? And if they can both hold truth, is there a safe space to talk about them? My Church Experience exists to have open, honest, and real conversations about the way the church has helped, hindered, or both their journeys of life and faith.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Huisjen
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jeff Huisjen
  • Show Website
    My Church Experience

You Might Also Like