It was a pleasure to sit down with Terri Caldwell and Rebecca Meyer and hear more about Doors of Hope, one of our ministry partners. Doors of Hope is part of City on a Hill Ministries in Zeeland, Michigan. They seek to work alongside people in whatever struggles they are experiencing in life, whether that's domestic violence, divorce, recovery or financial problems stemming from generational poverty. They aim to speak truth into the shame that comes along with these things and remind people of their God-given worth and value as they coach them through building a new foundation of practical life skills.

We took a short break from recording as Tyler was in Zambia for the past couple weeks! On this episode, we’ll welcome Tyler back and hear about his experience there, how he spent his time and what he learned. We’ll talk about the similarities and differences of Zambian culture to American culture and how he sees the Holy Spirit working there. Tyler emphasizes the power that the simple gospel story holds and how he was reminded of that during his time in Zambia.

This past week, Tyler and Pastor Toby sat down with one of Pastor Toby's friends, David Rendon. Ever since he was a little boy in Texas, David wanted to be a trucker. Years later, David moved to Michigan and got his own truck. As he made frequent trips between West Michigan and the Chicagoland area, David recognized that his job provided some unique opportunities to show God's love to people. We also hear about David's process of coming to Christ and the importance of obedience.

This past week, we had the opportunity to talk about the Holy Spirit with Pastor Jose Duran. Jose grew up in Venezuela in an animistic culture where he was very aware of the spiritual realm, but not familiar with Jesus. He had his first encounter with the Holy Spirit at a prayer meeting that a friend invited him to when he was 16 years old. He gradually formed a relationship with God and now is a church planter and pastor who has lived abroad but currently resides in Holland, Michigan with his wife and son. Tyler and Pastor Toby talk to Jose about being in tune with the Holy Spirit, as well as recognizing the great power of Christ that has been shared with us through the Holy Spirit. Jose discusses the importance of praying boldly for what the Spirit puts on our hearts.

This week, Tyler sat down to talk with Providence member Mary Rynsburger. Over the past several years, Mary and her family have been hosting Bible studies for neighborhood kids in their backyard. The structure of these Bible studies has evolved over the years, and last year during COVID it became a key time for the kids to connect with each other, play some games, and learn about God. Their neighborhood has kids that come from a variety of faith backgrounds, so they have had some unique opportunities to introduce people to the gospel. Mary talks about what this experience has been like for both her and her husband Case, as well as their kids.

We're excited to have Bryant Russ back for a follow-up episode to Episode 16! Prayer is something we talk a lot about as Christians. It is a very important part of a relationship with God, but it can sometimes seem hard to know where to start. Tyler and Bryant talk about jumping into a conversation with God wherever you're at, as well as the many good things that can happen when we start to pray.

For this episode, the tables are turned! Tyler Schnute, our usual host and Director of Worship at Providence, takes the guest seat and answers questions our listeners had for him. We definitely had fun with this one! Among the topics discussed: an instrument he's been wanting to learn, his favorite aspect of Reformed theology, and the correct way to consume an Oreo.

This week, we welcome Bible teacher and fellow podcast host, Bryant Russ! Tyler and Bryant discuss how reading Scripture often brings up questions. They talk about how to handle those questions, as well as the importance of pairing Scripture with prayer and reading it in community. Ultimately, the purpose of Scripture is to help us encounter God.

This week, Tyler is joined by Karen Machiela, a longtime member of Providence, as well as Sue Prins, our Director of Adult Discipleship. They discuss the long break we’ve had from traditional church attendance and how that has evolved into new habits and routines for many. This time has also provided the space to reflect on how and why we do church. Tyler, Karen and Sue share some of their experiences and insights and talk about the importance of reaching people where they’re at.

For this episode of the podcast, we have a return guest! Tyler interviews Julie Leeson, our Director of Children’s Ministry. She talks about the unique opportunity to step out of old routines and try new things this year, and she shares about how her prayer life has been enhanced over the past year by being more intentional and disciplined. Julie also discusses some hopes she has for Children’s Ministry.