Graciously defending the Christian worldview / Plus, SkillBridge internships / April 2025
Release Date: 04/03/2025
“No perfect leaders, no perfect lives”: Five common qualities of Biblical leaders / November 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS If you are interested in this opportunity at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.), contact WSS Center Director Paul Robyn (wssdirector@ocfusa.org) or WSS Director of Hospitality Susanne Pappal (wssoffice@ocfusa.org) or call (814) 623-5583 for further information and an application. Your gift—large or small—directly provides opportunities for widowed members of the OCF family to find comfort, community, and Christ-centered encouragement at our Conference Centers. Visit ocfusa.org/givingtuesday to learn more and donate now. Register for a...
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Leadership Micro-series: A leader’s responsibility to care for people / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In the final episode of this Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), shares his third core principle—caring—and what it truly means to care for the people you lead. Far from being sentimental, Bluto explains that genuine care is a leader’s responsibility to meet both the physical and emotional needs of those under their command. Drawing from his military experience, he shares how simple, compassionate acts—like ensuring subordinates have proper equipment or recognizing when someone needs time to regroup—can transform a unit’s morale and...
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Leadership Micro-series: Four attributes of respect / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In part two of this Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), explores the second core principle—respect—and breaks it down into four key expressions: respect for your unit, for each other, for yourself, and for the authority entrusted to you. He explains that genuine respect begins with love for the people you serve alongside and extends to humility in how you lead them. Bluto cautions against the pride that can accompany rank or privilege, urging leaders instead to see their authority as a responsibility to mentor, develop, and care for others....
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Leadership Micro-series: Being a trustworthy leader / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In this first part of the Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), unpacks the foundational principle of trust. He explains that true leadership requires both character and competence: the moral integrity that inspires confidence and the professional skill that earns respect. Drawing from personal experience as a squadron commander, Bluto discusses how accountability, care for people, and technical excellence work together to build trust within a team. He shares real-life examples of mentoring, correction, and difficult personnel decisions, showing that...
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"Good leadership lifts others”: Practical truths for Biblical leadership, Part 1 / October 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Keep an eye out for this fall’s Connected print newsletter: A digital copy of the newsletter is also available online at ocfusa.org/connected Serve as the ministry support volunteer position: Check out the full volunteer listing for details and the application. Calling all female cadets & mids: Connect with your peers via OCF Sisters in Service’s monthly Zoom calls. Find out more on SIS’ Instagram: Register for a Winter Retreat session at one of OCF’s Conference Centers: 20-27...
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Bridges instead of islands: The state of the military sisterhood / September 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Check out and attend any of these local events: Aspentime Retreat: 26-28 September at Spring Canyon (Buena Vista, Colo.) BBQ Bonanza: 3-4 October at Fort Leavenworth (Kan.) OCF Hampton Roads Region Annual Fall Picnic: 4 October at Fort Monroe, Va. USNA Fall Retreat: 10-13 October at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.) OCF Mid-Atlantic Fall Retreat: 14-16 November at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.) Start an OCF small group: Read Rich's...
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Military Brats React: What makes the difference in raising military kids
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
Show Notes In this second part of “Military Brats React,” host Courtney Burdick continues the roundtable conversation with 2LT Dani Volle, USA, ENS Mary Ann Leonard, USN, and Matt Taylor as they reflect on their experiences growing up in military families. While the first part of the discussion centered on the challenges and mental health struggles faced by military kids, this episode shifts to the “strengths-based perspective”—seeing the good that can come out of a hard, transient lifestyle—. Have thoughts or want to share your own experience? Reach out to...
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Military Brats React: Mental health, faith, and finding strength
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In a recent Crosspoint episode, In this follow-up conversation, Courtney Burdick hosts three fellow military kids—2LT Dani Volle, USA, ENS Mary Ann Leonard, USN, and Matt Taylor—for a roundtable-style reaction episode. Having met at they discuss stories from their respective military kid experiences, thoughts on Claire’s research, and more. Have thoughts or want to share your own experience? Reach out to Courtney at courtney.burdick@ocfusa.org. If you would like to share your own story, Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic we should consider for a...
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Faithful Leadership: You won’t get this perfect—and that’s OK
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
The July episode of Crosspoint served as Part 1 of a conversation with LTC Lee Robinson, USA, director of the U.S. Military Academy’s American Politics Program and an academy professor in the Department of Social Sciences. We began answering this overarching question—"What does it look like to follow Christ in uniform, when your faith is personal, your authority is public, and the Constitution sets the boundaries?” In Part 2 we continue this timely discussion on how Christian military leaders can live out their faith with integrity, while respecting the pluralism of today’s armed...
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“Just see God at work”: Prioritizing Biblical mentorship / August 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Become findable on the OCF Directory: to add or update your group’s information on our online directory of Bible studies. Apply for Spring Canyon’s Deputy Center Director opening: and apply NLT 15 August. Check out our new Widowed Ministry webpage: helpful resources, invitations to fellowship, and scholarship funding for summer programs at the Conference Centers. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Why is mentoring important to the Christian in the military? Answering that question and others in this episode are COL Jim Brown, USA (Ret.), and...
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Staff changes across the OCF team: Visit ocfusa.org/job-openings to learn more about vacant positions as a result of OCF's ongoing job moves. https://www.ocfusa.org/job-openings/
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Sign up for summer programs at the Conference Centers: Visit ocfusa.org/CCexperience to find the right program and week for you at Spring Canyon (Buena Vista, Colo.) or White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.). https://www.ocfusa.org/CCexperience/
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Take the next step in growing as a Local Leader: Visit springcanyon.org/3b to learn more about the upcoming OCF LEAD! Local Ministry Leadership Track at Spring Canyon this June.
ASK OCF
Landon Spaulding, who now serves as OCF’s Online Training Development Coordinator, shares his experience as a SkillBridge intern with OCF.
To learn more about SkillBridge opportunities, read our latest article or visit ocfusa.org/skillbridge. https://www.ocfusa.org/2025/03/serving-beyond-the-uniform-ocfs-skillbridge-internships/ https://www.ocfusa.org/skillbridge/
GUEST SPOTLIGHT
Today’s guest spotlight features an excerpt of a conversation with Jay Seegert about defending the Christian worldview. Author, international speaker, and managing director of The Starting Point Project, Jay holds degrees in both Physics and Engineering Technology and has been lecturing on the authority of Scripture for the last 40 years. https://www.thestartingpointproject.com/
He explains what it means to defend the Christian worldview, the significance of addressing the existential questions, and how the Bible ought to be our key source for these conversations. Jay also shares what our motive should be when engaging in discussions with those who hold other worldviews.
Interested in hearing more from Jay about similar topics discussed in today’s episode? Stay tuned for the full, bonus episode coming this month, and consider attending the first week (6-13 June) of White Sulphur Springs’ Summer R&R program as Jay will lead speaker sessions related to his topic: “Defending the Christian Worldview.” https://www.whitesulphursprings.org/event/summer-rnr-1/
If you would like to share your own story, complete the form on OCF’s “Be a Guest” webpage. Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic we should consider for a future episode of the show, send an email to podcast@ocfusa.org. https://www.ocfusa.org/podcastguest/
POINTS TO PONDER
As you listen to this conversation with Jay, here are a few questions to ponder in your personal time, with a small group, or with a mentor:
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In your own words, why is it important to be able to defend your Christian worldview?
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When speaking with individuals of other worldviews, how do you ensure you care more about the individual with a need for the gospel than you do about winning the argument?
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What topics have you been faced with during worldview-oriented conversations that you’d like to study further?
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Jay mentioned 1 Peter 3:15. What other relevant verses come to mind when thinking about how to discuss worldviews?