The American Psychological Association defines exhibitionism, in part, as the disposition or tendency to draw attention to one’s self, particularly through conspicuous or attention-seeking behavior. It’s one thing when this kind of behavior is

Living In The Age Of Google

May 16th, 2022 39m 25s

Has the age of Google and ever-evolving technology done more to contribute to the struggles of returning citizens? Tune in with Ruth Jefferson, Phil Merten, Diamond Faucha, and Mark Wenzel as they talk about this and more in this episode of "St

Gossip & Story-Sharing: How to Navigate Them Both in the Context of Ministry

May 3rd, 2022 52m 13s

Join Diamond Faucha, Pastor Phil Merten, Pastor Mark Wenzel, and Ruth Jefferson as they talk about gossip, the harms that it can do in terms of ministry, and how the Church can work together to create environments conducive to an ecosystem of l

Let's Talk About The Jury Selection Process

Apr 18th, 2022 1h 19m

Here, on "Stronger" our goal is to talk about the types of challenges that returning citizens and their families face. One challenge that might not come to mind so readily is the topic of jury selection. Join your hosts Ruth Jefferson, Phil Mer

Opioids And Returning Citizens

Mar 22nd, 2022 1h 6m

Join Mark, Phil, and Ruth as they talk about opioids, returning citizens, and how we as the Church can reduce stigma surrounding these topics so that we're better equipped to walk with others who have these challenges as part of their stories.

"Distance" Prison Ministry

Mar 8th, 2022 56m 16s

Welcome to Stronger! Join us for this episode as we talk about connecting incarcerated people to Christian communities. As we talk about walking with returning citizens, one of the elements of this that can still raise questions is how do we wa

Stronger Unscripted Ep 1

Mar 1st, 2022 56m 50s

Come and hang out with the hosts of Stronger as they talk about some of the things that have been on their hearts lately and look at current events through a Biblical lens all focused on the goal of helping us to better walk with returning citi

Stronger: Poverty And Prison

Feb 8th, 2022 1h 4m

Prison and poverty. This alliterative pair is a relationship that social workers and those passionate about social justice issues have often studied. But how are they related? And, how can understanding this also help us to walk with others? Jo

Harmonize:Welcome Ep

Oct 18th, 2021 48m 38s

Our first episode of "Harmonize" was marked by all of the usual things you'd expect. Technical difficulties? Check. Awkward pauses in a couple of places? Check. And maybe a few things you wouldn't expect. But hey. Welcome to "Harmonize". We're

What to Expect When You're Returning

Oct 5th, 2021 52m 59s

Fear has often been described as false expectations appearing real. This acronym is helpful because it can help us to see the distance that sometimes exists between expectations and reality. This idea might seem easy enough. But what happens wh

Creating A Culture of Welcome

Sep 23rd, 2021 58m 20s

Round versus flat characters. This is one of those ideas you may not have thought about since your last English class. But there's something we can learn from even as we look into how to start or even improve in the way that we walk along with

Identity Flows from Relationships

Sep 7th, 2021 1h 5m

Identity flows from relationships. This may be easy for us to understand when we look at the development of children. But this connection can be lost when we look at the lives of the formerly incarcerated and how relationships can lead to the t

Bigger: How the Transformative Message of the Cross Overshadows the Weight of the Past

Sep 2nd, 2021 50m 42s

What About Criminal Thinking?

Sep 2nd, 2021 1h 5m

Criminal thinking. It's an idea that's been made popular by shows like Law & Order and Criminal Minds. But if our understanding of the term stays there, we'll miss out not only on a greater understanding of God's grace toward us. We'll also mis

Institutionalization

Sep 2nd, 2021 53m 49s

Institutionalization. Brittanica defines this term as "the process of developing or transforming rules and procedures that influence a set of human interactions". And, while it's one thing to look at this from an overarching systems perspective

A Message to the Formerly Incarcerated

Sep 1st, 2021 1h 7m

Being able to serve others well starts with our realizing that we're daily being loved and served by God. Learning to live free after jail or prison also starts at this critical point. Join your hosts Mark Wenzel of Institutional Ministries and

Speaking of Sex – Addressing the Elephant in the Room

Aug 25th, 2021 1h 3m

Disclaimer: This podcast episode contains topics that may be sensitive for some audiences. Please take care of yourself when thinking about whether to listen. Listener discretion is advised. tw:saYou go to your mailbox and, in with other piece

Welcome to Stronger

Aug 18th, 2021 45m

If you're someone who's getting out of jail or prison or are someone looking into how you or your church can get involved in jail or prison ministry, welcome to Stronger. The Stronger podcast/live stream that is.

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