Transformed & Transformational

What does it look like to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds"? How do we live intentionally for Kingdom impact? Join co-hosts Heather Brown and Keane Fine every Friday to learn from our guests about how we can grow in Christ and impact the world. This show is brought to you by TeachBeyond, an international Christian mission organization focused on transformational Christ-centered education serving individuals and communities.

188: Pieces of Purple (with Michèle Phoenix) 06/22/2025

187: Praying for the Unreached (with Keith Carey of Joshua Project) 06/13/2025

186: Waiting with Urgency (with Howard Dueck and Brian Delamont) 05/23/2025

186: Waiting with Urgency (with Howard Dueck and Brian Delamont) What does it look like to wait with intentionality rather than apathy or impatience? For the final episode of season 5, co-hosts Heather and Keane are joined by TeachBeyond Executive Vice Presidents Howard Dueck and Brian Delamont as they reflect on Acts 1 and waiting with urgency. Acts 1:4-26 “Waiting for something definitive is so much different than waiting for something that’s undefined.” -Brian Delamont “The fact that they are together in the waiting brings growth to one another in that time.” -Brian Delamont Romans 8:22-25 by Ruth Haley Barton “It’s our transformation in the waiting that actually enables us to act with love and wisdom in the world. There’s no quick and easy way to get there.” -Brian Delamont “He has given me accountability and responsibility to be involved in some level of decision making, but the Kingdom does not hinge on the decision I’m about to make in that moment, and that helps right-size the decision for me.” -Brian Delamont “Our hope isn’t on ourselves or our plans, but it’s on the Lord.” -Howard Dueck by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich “Take this period of waiting as a period of eager anticipation of what God [is] going to do next, as opposed to slipping into apathy or impatience or precipitated action. That’s where our whole soul is being shaped in that time.” -Howard Dueck “God is combusting something new within us.” -Howard Dueck “Rather than being stuck in this empty void of life, we have the opportunity to do what we can do because in God’s sovereignty, in His love and care for you, in His shepherding, you are right where you are and He’s right there with you.” -Brian Delamont “There’s this inner compulsion that builds with the waiting [...] and this growing our longing and capacity for the fullness of the Spirit so that then He can speak through us.” -Howard Dueck “Who you are wherever you are in that waiting stage is exactly what you’re going to be able to bring to wherever that other place may be.” -Brian Delamont “This is your time. Seep yourself in Scripture, in your craft that you’re learning, become all that you can be within your time of waiting. This is your apprenticeship.” -Howard Dueck Matthew 25:14-30 Thanks for your feedback! MONTH Reflection: What am I waiting for? What’s changing our lives: Keane: Kids packing their own lunches Heather: baseball on streaming platforms Brian: Learning from and doing life with others in TeachBeyond Howard: Grandparenting Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/36680435

185: Wanderlust for the Gospel - A Calling Story (with Natalie Kardol) 05/16/2025

185: Wanderlust for the Gospel - A Calling Story (with Natalie Kardol) Have you heard the term Fernweh (German “fern-vay”) or Wanderlust? What if God is calling us beyond a desire to explore far-off places? TeachBeyond member Natalie Kardol shares her story of longing to travel the world before she knew Jesus and longing to reach the world with the Gospel now that she does. Natalie’s story invites us to consider how we are using our gifts for God’s glory, whether at home or far away. “As long as I can think of, I always had this longing to go.” “When I became a Christian, I thought, ‘Wow, I wasted all these years traveling to these different cultures just because I wanted to be there, and I wasted it and wasn’t able to share Jesus [...] If I ever have a chance again to do anything like this, then I just want to do it for the Lord and share the Gospel with people around the world.’” “I don’t think it has really changed; I just didn’t know in my younger years that it was God’s calling on my heart.” “I translated the annual report, and that just opened my eyes, and I saw more and [thought], ‘Wow, this is an amazing organization.’” “God is working in the background.” “However fast or slow the process works, God is in charge. I cannot take credit for it; I am not fully responsible for the outcome of it.” “It’s an honor when you can connect people. It’s not about you.” “I don’t know what God is all of a sudden deciding to open up or not. I’ve learned by now that I cannot [...] plan what God has in store for me. It’s okay to not have it all figured out.” Thanks for your feedback! What’s changing our lives: Keane: Better Internet Heather: Working from a friend’s house during a power outage Natalie: Ability to travel with her husband on his work trips Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/36581145

184: Ending the School Year Well (with Mark Giebink and Season 5 Guests) 05/09/2025

183: Healthy Calling: From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work (with Arianna Molloy) 05/02/2025

183: Healthy Calling: From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work (with Arianna Molloy) Dr. Arianna Molloy shares hopeful and practical guidance as we seek to understand and live out our calling. Arianna defines key terms, unpacks professional research, and shares personal anecdotes to cast a vision for a healthy, reflective practice for flourishing in work and in relationship with the Caller. | “As believers, our primary calling is to love God and love others, and to do that well in everything that we do.” “[God] is a personal, intimate designer, and He has equipped each of us with skill sets and passions.” Work as a calling: meaningful, identified Caller, skill set and passion, and pro-social “Passion alone is fine, but it makes you a great fan; passion and skill set make you a great employee.” “It becomes unhealthy when we confuse our relationship with the Caller with the calling, when we become so consumed with the calling that we forget about the people that we’re impacting on the other side.” “An unhealthy kind of calling in the workplace is not work as an expression of who I am, but work as the definition of who I am.” “The virtue of humility enacted [...] keeps us on the healthy calling path.” Micah 6:8 “Deep shame comes from the idea that work is a calling, and when you don’t want to do it anymore, it’s not the task that you don’t want to do anymore, it’s that relational connection that feels severed [...] It’s not ‘I don’t like what I’m doing anymore, it’s I don’t know who I am anymore.’” Communication when stressed: withdrawal, reduced awareness, physical tension “Burnout doesn’t go away on its own, so we have to stop romanticizing pushing through.” “Sabbath is not meant to just be for a day; we’re meant to live a Sabbath lifestyle. Sabbathing is turning our hearts and minds to the Lord, and remembering that all of the time all of the resources that we have are His, and we are not God and He is enough.” “Because calling is a process, even jobs that don’t feel exciting at all can teach you something about yourself.” : task crafting, relational crafting, cognitive crafting “Calling is about relationship. Focus on and pursue the relationship, and the Lord will clarify your calling.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Heather: Arianna: Voice messaging with her husband Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/36404935

182: From the Garden to the City (with Brian Delamont) 04/25/2025

182: From the Garden to the City (with Brian Delamont) Brian Delamont returns to the podcast as we explore the Biblical theme of creation, beginning in the garden of Eden and culminating in the city of God. Drawing from voices like Alistair McGrath and Albert Wolters, we consider what it means to live as faithful stewards of God’s world and reflect His image in our spheres of influence. From Genesis to Revelation, we are invited to participate in God’s ongoing work of transformation, restoration, and renewal. Genesis 2:8-20 “God gives humanity the occupation of partnering with Him in order to bring this garden to the fullness that God envisions for it, to partner with God in transformation.” Revelation 22 Psalm 19 Romans 1:20 “God’s revelation of Himself is so clearly seen that humanity is without excuse to know that there is a God and that He exists.” Romans 2:15 “To be created in God’s image means that we have these echoes of God’s design and God’s intention innately connected and integrated into our humanness.” “God wants us and created us and designed us to live integrated lives. There’s nothing that doesn’t have His fingerprint on it.” “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’ - Abraham Kuyper “The Kingdom has come – it’s here – and yet there is more to come.” “When we bring care or compassion or provision to others, we’re making small transformations that point to the King and point to the Kingdom, both now and the Kingdom to come.” “Stewarding creation is an expression of love for God because God loves what He has created.” “We don’t worship nature or creation, but we esteem it.” The Parable of the Faithful Steward in Luke 12:42-48 Jeremiah 29:4-7 “When we try to make God look like us, we are miscreating, but when we understand that we are created in God’s image, it enables us to integrate our faith, our spirituality, with the physical world, because that’s the way He intended it from the very beginning, all the way through Scripture.” “Science is never going to threaten God. How we apply science can threaten our understanding.” “What evidences do I see in creation for Him? What evidences, like Psalm 19, do I see in the law of God?” Revelation 21:1-5 “What started in a garden does become a city.” “In God’s city, there is life and light. The river that flowed in Eden now flows from the throne, and it’s the water of the river of life that is there for all nations. It’s part of our inheritance, it’s part of our sonship and daughtership with God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 May Reflection: Am I actively engaging in God’s creation mandate for the part of the world that I’m able to influence? What sphere of influence has God given me? What am I stewarding? What’s changing our lives: Keane: Water flavor drops Heather: Marking Bible passages while watching Brian: Springtime and tulips blooming Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/36303475

181: The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church (with Justin Schell) 04/18/2025

181: The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church (with Justin Schell) On this Good Friday, author Justin Schell traces the mission of God as seen in the sacrifice of Christ – to reveal Himself to humanity so that we may know Him in the world He’s made – and calls the Church to witness to this Master who invites us to feast with Him. Learn more about Lausanne’s “Mission is one of those things in ministry and in Christianity that so easily can become about other things than about God.” “The mission of God is Him revealing Himself to humanity so that we might know Him in the world that He’s made.” “That’s our role as a Church – we are witnessing to the God who has made Himself known.” John 12:23-24, 31-32 “You want to see the glory of God? You want to see the defeat of evil? Look at the cross.” “The cross is ground zero for the mission of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 12 “Our suffering isn’t a hindrance to the Gospel going forward; it’s actually the way it goes forward.” “God will use your fragrance, your sacrificed life, to bring men and women to know Him and to join the procession.” “There is no Christian ministry that isn’t cross-shaped. There is no such thing as true Christian ministry that’s not a dying to ourselves so that Christ might live through us.” “What will we do for Him if we will not feast with Him?” - Richard Sibbes “We can only serve the master for so long if we don’t actually enjoy Him.” “Don’t pray for perseverance, pray for joy, because you’re going to persevere in anything that you have joy in.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 John 11 “The Church is growing and being missional, even in the midst of their suffering.” “Christ is worth everything, and when things get hard, that’s a time to be on mission. We can be confident calling the world to Jesus, no matter what it costs, because it’s worth it.” “If you feel insignificant, you might finally be prepared to be someone who can witness to the all-sufficient God.” Luke 14 “The Master’s heart is set on a feast.” “Do you know how good the Master is? Do you delight in Him? Do you think you could have a ministry of inviting people to a feast? If so, that’s what mission is.” “Whatever capacity you think you need, whatever brilliance you think you need to develop or that you’re missing – that’s not what you need. You need to know the heart of the master, and then with joy, go out and invite men and women [to] come [...] That kind of evangelism is Biblical evangelism.” “If you can spend your days allowing your heart to be warm in the sunlight of Jesus and then go out and invite people to enjoy Him with you, then you’re ready to be a missionary.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Sons learning to ride bicycles Heather: Justin: Discovering a jazz radio station and sharing the book We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/36211890

180: Teaching with Humor: Building Rapport in the Classroom (with Kevin McClintock aka @MrMcTikTok) 04/11/2025

179: Worlds Here and There: A Resource for Moving Internationally (with Paul Snider) 04/04/2025

178: Transformation in God’s Family (with Brian Delamont) 03/28/2025

178: Transformation in God’s Family (with Brian Delamont) What does it look like to bear with one another? What message are we proclaiming, and how does the message dwell within us? Brian Delamont returns to the podcast this week to unpack Colossians 3. “Learning is actually so rich and so all-encompassing. It’s not just hearing a tidbit of information or being able to do a single skill; it’s understanding and applying that skill in context, in community, in relationship to other things that are happening.” “It’s our churches, it’s the community of Jesus followers that we find ourselves in, that can be greenhouses and accelerators for transformation. They’re the places where we can really grow and mature together.” Colossians 1:28 “When they welcome Onesimus back, this group of Jesus followers proclaims something. They proclaim that there is forgiveness. They proclaim that there is repentance. They proclaim that there is acceptance, regardless of what your social status is or what you may have done. You are welcome in this community. That is a proclamation because it’s verified by their actions.” Colossians 3:12-17 “Bearing with one another is a continuous process.” “When we worship well, we let the message of Christ dwell among us.” “Worship, by its very nature, means that we submit our thinking, our voices, our bodies to God and align together with His truth. There’s a willing submission to participate with the larger group.” “Just as God is omnipresent, in everything and everywhere, there’s no space or action in our lives where He should not be, where His Name, His character isn’t seen and proclaimed.” March Reflection: As a community, what do we proclaim to those around us? What’s changing our lives: Keane: More frequent visits from his brother with the Frontier Airlines annual pass Heather: Rewatching episodes of during Lent Brian: Using Pinterest for a home renovation project Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35885300

177: Transformed Students to Transformed Adults in Tanzania - A Calling Story (with Emmanuel and Ruth Mbennah) 03/21/2025

177: Transformed Students to Transformed Adults in Tanzania - A Calling Story (with Emmanuel and Ruth Mbennah) Emmanuel and Ruth Mbennah serve as TeachBeyond leaders in Tanzania with an amazing story and vision for their country. Hear how Emmanuel’s childhood experience with school and Ruth’s background as a teacher play into their ministry today. “Where I was born and where I grew up, there was no church, there was no school, there was no hospital, there was no road going to that place.” -Emmanuel “No matter the circumstances in which one grows up, education can really define the destiny of the person. Education is key, education is possible. People regardless of where they are born and where they are raised; they have the potential to pursue education.” -Emmanuel “I was fortunate to have a teacher who also had a heart to expose us to the Word of God, and then somehow God used that to propel me into a further search.” -Emmanuel “You need education, but one that acknowledges and makes space for the learner to encounter the exposure to the Gospel so they can change.” -Emmanuel “I celebrate telling this story because I see the hand of God in my life.” - Emmanuel “We want teachers to know the Bible and to be able to transform students, and also students can transform communities.” -Ruth “The Gospel story is actually our strong instrument when we talk about transformation.” -Ruth “This is the kind of ministry that carries the mechanism that can lead to the realization of the promise of education.” -Emmanuel “We want them to know this is a very unique opportunity for the transformation of communities through the Gospel, using education. So I would like to impact schools, owners, managers, teachers, to have the philosophy of transformational education become the philosophy of education for Tanzania.” -Emmanuel “Everyone who has access to education must have access to education that can transform their lives.” -Emmanuel “I’m not in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am a product of divine orchestration to be here now to do what I’m doing.” -Emmanuel “I was not just lucky. God was up to something, and that something was for today, for such a time as this.” -Emmanuel “I want the Gospel to transform every group that I meet when I train using Sparrow Project strategies.” -Ruth “For us as believers, it’s not so much accomplishments as much as the grace of God that has propelled us to this point.” -Emmanuel What’s changing our lives: Keane: Online book club Heather: Visiting a friend from university Ruth: Sparrow Project techniques Emmanuel: Speaking at a retreat and reflecting on his level of commitment Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35802960

176: A Roadmap for AI in Education (with Dr. Benny Fong) 03/14/2025

176: A Roadmap for AI in Education (with Dr. Benny Fong) Dr. Benny Fong joins co-hosts Heather Brown and Keane Fine to share perspectives and tips for leveraging AI as a teacher. Dr. Fong provides practical applications, ethical considerations, and how AI, when used wisely, can help minimize the mundane and allow educators to focus on relationships for Kingdom impact. What are your experiences with AI in your classroom or school? Share with us at . “The misconception is that the kids will just shift totally to using an artificial teacher or something. [...] We know that book learning is really only one part of learning. The bigger part of learning comes from a mentor, a teacher, a guide to light that fire of curiosity.” “The whole idea of generative AI is to generate new content based on past context and experiences and information.” “You have to treat it as a new technology, emerging technology. What are you comfortable with?” “As with any technology, we [have] to know the ethical boundary and the privacy first,” Suggestions for practical application: ChatGPT for lesson planning with differentiation or search engines Real-time translation Multi-modal feature “We don’t want to shortcut the process for beginning teachers to become good teachers. We don’t want to shortcut the process for students to learn their content.” “I think the danger obviously is always viewing tools as good or bad. It’s always nuanced. I think that the more that we understand the tool [...] the better we can wield this tool [...] for God’s work and for His Kingdom.” “As educators, we are lifelong learners.” “AI is really just the latest in terms of tools that forces us as educators to be flexible in how we engage our stakeholders.” “Education leaders have to start [...] They need to recognize that things are changing. They need to work with the teachers and parents and students to formulate prudent policies first to get on the same page. Then, once things are on the same page, then that frees up the teacher to the next step, which is to innovate and learn.” “We want to build [...] salt and light and ambassadors to the world that needs the Gospel. What does that look like with the help of AI?” “Minimize the mundane stuff so that I can maximize the relationship.” “Real leaders are created through mentoring and through relationship. So, what I feel is that AI, if used properly, can actually maximize that relationship building and mentoring aspect with those around us.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Doodling on a Heather: Benny: Being reminded about grace at a recent marriage conference Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35673600

175: 10 Ways to Prepare to Serve in Missions (with Amanda Cameron and Rachel Schmitt) 03/07/2025

175: 10 Ways to Prepare to Serve in Missions (with Amanda Cameron and Rachel Schmitt) Thinking of serving in missions someday? Hear from co-host Heather Brown, along with mobilization coaches Rachel Schmitt and Amanda Cameron, about practical steps you can take now as you consider missions for the future – and in the meantime, make an impact where you are and continue to grow in Christ! Pray. Serve where you are. “How can I be plugged in? How can I use what God’s given me and actually build and grow those skills that could be used in the future? Those things can be used now, too, and benefitting the communities that we’re in. It can help with our discernment in the future, but also has an impact now.” -Heather Take a trip internationally. “I love that God is the same God everywhere.” -Heather “It was a great opportunity for me to see life outside of my own small little bubble that I had grown up in, to expand my horizons, to learn more about what it looks like to live in another country, to see how things are done differently, and to see how the church functions in other countries.” -Rachel Learn more about TeachBeyond’s here. Get involved in a missions-minded church. “I remember feeling inspired, like, ‘I want to go to Africa. I want to be at a school in Africa.’ That stirred in me that desire, and it wasn’t until years later that God opened the door for me to actually do that.” -Amanda Seek wisdom from others. “With wisdom and discernment, bring people in who can help you with wisdom and discernment.” -Heather Befriend internationals. “There’s such a value to spending time with people and learning about their cultures.” -Amanda Give sacrificially to missions. “We cultivate a heart for missions as we invest in missions.” -Heather Attend a missions conference or class. Read, listen, and learn. by David Frazier Follow TeachBeyond on social media: | | Download our free ! Closing Advice: “Be proactive [...] and move forward and God will reveal where He wants each of us to be.” -Amanda “As long as you’re continuing to move forward, He’ll guide you and lead you in the direction that He wants you to go.” -Rachel Want to connect with a mobilization coach? to begin a conversation! Read the article related to today’s conversation . What’s changing our lives: Heather: Amanda: Thrift stores Rachel: Weekly Spotlight: Sign up to receive We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35570255

174: From Renewed Minds to Transformed Cultures (with Brian Delamont) 02/28/2025

174: From Renewed Minds to Transformed Cultures (with Brian Delamont) Brian Delamont, TeachBeyond Vice President, returns to the podcast to share from 2 Corinthians 5 about what it looks like for our personal, internal transformation to impact culture – “getting out of our heads and into our neighborhoods.” Romans 12:1-2 “Every culture, every sub-culture, has patterns of thinking, patterns of behavior.” by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy “For everyone everywhere, there’s a ‘way that we do things around here.’ So what people think moves then from internal to external because it’s the values that drive the action. What you value in your thinking is going to exhibit itself in what you do.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 “Transformed thinking leads to transformed practices.” “Trying to make people behave in the ways that Christians behave without the transformation of Christ is impossible. You can’t make an old creation behave like a new creation.” “Because you have been made new in Christ, the life that you live should look different.” by Richard Niebuhr Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. by Andy Crouch Galatians 2:20 “A life shapes culture because it lives out the transforming values of what it believes.” “Our lives matter more than we know because God, in His sovereignty, is working through the symphony of lives that is the single tone of each Jesus-follower combining with His global Church to reveal His glory to the world.” February Reflection: Where is the Holy Spirit prompting me to bring more of the culture of His Kingdom coming? What step will I take to be the influence that Jesus is giving me the opportunity to be? What’s changing our lives: Keane: about loading the dishwasher Heather: Networking with new and old connections (and check out the !) Brian: Preparing legos from his sons’ childhood to play with grandchildren Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35438910

173: Former Missionary, Current Pastor, and TeachBeyond Dad - A Calling Story (with Dave Totman) 02/21/2025

173: Former Missionary, Current Pastor, and TeachBeyond Dad - A Calling Story (with Dave Totman) This episode covers a lot of ground as co-hosts Keane and Heather talk with Pastor Dave Totman. Dave shares about his experience growing up on the mission field, his own calling to missions, and invaluable suggestions for anyone considering serving in missions. He also unpacks what it means for a church to “hold the ropes” for its missionaries and the blessing of having his adult daughter now serving in missions. Listen to some of our previous . “When [my dad] was told no, he trusted that what God was doing in his heart and in his life, that God was going to make it happen.” “Where we are weak, where sometimes we feel like or have even been told that we don’t have what it takes, God can overcome any of that stuff.” “God can use me with my interests and my gifting in a very different way than my dad.” by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken “It was not a couple of days or couple of weeks thing; this was actually a couple of years. It took a while for me to realize what God was doing.” “Any decisions have to be saturated in prayer.” and “The process of praying through and considering those different things and the conversations that that led to around the dining room table - that was where God was working and shaping our hearts.” “You open up your hands to God, and you say, ‘Anywhere, anytime, anything. I just want to be obedient. I’m going to follow You. You made me in Your image, and You’ve designed me to bring You glory, so I want to bring You glory, and I’ll do it anywhere, anytime, I’ll do anything to bring You glory.’” “Looking for wise counsel around you [...] that’s a really vital piece of discerning God’s will.” “We are called to reach our neighbors, we are called to reach our wider community, but we are also called to be the Gospel light around the world.” “We’ve been the recipients of seeing a church be faithful to [holding the ropes].” “We need to know our missionaries, we need to care for our missionaries, and that’s way beyond caring for just their financial needs.” “One way to support is to read the prayer updates carefully, and then we’re all humans, so let’s engage at a human level with compassion.” Dave’s suggestions if you’re considering missions: Pray! Ask others to pray with you Consider taking a short-term mission trip Read missionary biographies Serve where you are “For a boat that’s tied to the dock, the rudder is worthless [...] Once you push off, the rudder can direct the boat anywhere. I don’t want to be a boat tied to the dock asking God to lead me.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Lego sets Heather: Instagram feed of only those you’re following () Dave: Learning from Charles Spurgeon this year Weekly Spotlight: Sahel Academy and We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35373965

172: More than Brains on Sticks: Capturing the Hearts and Imaginations of Students (with James Enns) 02/14/2025

171: Reflections from the Fourth Lausanne Congress (with Susie Njogu and A. S.) 02/07/2025

170: Moving from Anxiety to Peace (With Brian Delamont) 01/31/2025

170: Moving from Anxiety to Peace (With Brian Delamont) What keeps you up at night? What thoughts play on repeat in your mind? In this episode, Brian Delamont joins us to explore how God transforms our thinking—especially when it comes to anxiety and security. Drawing from Scripture we discuss how trusting in God's care can reshape our worries and bring lasting peace. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on seeking God's Kingdom first and allowing His truth to guard our hearts and minds. by Jennie Allen Proverbs 12:25 by Jonathan Haidt “Anxiety can flow from what we expose ourselves to, and it can be addressed or mitigated by what we expose ourselves to, as well.” Luke 12:22-34 “God will take care of what is in His hands. Every good father watches over his children. The Father knows what you need.” “God’s Kingdom is where He rules and He reigns. It’s the wonder of the garden creation and the splendor of the new city with the Lamb of God and its centerpiece and light. Think about seeing God’s Kingdom in relationship to anxiety and security. When I seek His Kingdom, there is no fear in this task. It’s God’s Kingdom, and He rules, so I don’t need to. He invites me to be part of that dominion, and the starting point for God’s Kingdom coming is my heart and mind. If I give Him me, then his Kingdom will begin to be seen in me because I’ll reflect it. And God knows what we need. “Our Shepherd will provide care; therefore, I don’t need to be afraid to do what He has called me to do.” “Transformation is a change in how I think.” Psalm 127:2 “God will accomplish His purposes. No amount of hard work, early mornings, late nights are going to gain a thing if God’s not in it.” “Rest is one of the gifts God has given us to counter anxiety and release control.” Philippians 4:6-8 “God is offering us peace, even in persecution which is beyond a normal human response… It’s God setting up a fortress of peace around your heart and your mind.” by C. S. Lewis by Dallas Willard January Reflection: What am I thinking most about? What’s changing our lives: Keane: by Jonathan Haidt Heather: Cordless rechargeable lamps Brian: Reflecting on what he is thinking about Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/35093275

169: Interning in Missions – A Calling Story (with Chloe Powell) 01/24/2025

169: Interning in Missions – A Calling Story (with Chloe Powell) Chloe Powell, university student in the USA, shares about her summer internship experience with TeachBeyond - learning about the organization, using her gifts to serve, and deepening her understanding of global missions. “Whether you’re the missionary being sent or you’re the sender offering your support, those roles are all needed.” “You hear a lot about missionaries and they’re the ones who are going out on the mission field and serving, but there’s so much that happens behind the scenes, and those people are still considered missionaries, as well.” “I witnessed a practical approach to be able to contextualize the Gospel message in a way that’s understandable cross-culturally while still valuing that person’s cultural identity.” “Displaying humility and being willing to ask questions can really lead to beautiful relationships.” “When you ask lots of different TeachBeyond members about what TeachBeyond is, they are likely going to give you many different answers. Through my internship, I was able to get a glimpse of a variety of those different descriptions and see the different parts that make up TeachBeyond.” “Knowing that I don’t have to do it on my own and that the Lord has prepared the way and He has prepared me and equipped me with all that I need to be able to do that, that was so encouraging to hear.” “Pursue whatever the Lord is placing on your heart and continue to walk through those doors that the Lord has opened for you, and just trust that His plan is great.” “It can be so easy to want to stay in your own comfort zone, but it’s in those moments when we’re out of our comfort zones that we experience the most growth.” “Being part of something bigger than myself and knowing that the Lord can use me to help transform lives and communities around the world is just such an exciting thing.” “My generation has a great access to understanding and wanting to learn more about people who are different than ourselves, and I think that’s something that we can really bring to the mission field.” What’s changing our lives: Heather: Creating stickers on iMessage Chloe: Time with family and friends over the holidays Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34989230

168: Through a School Leader’s Eyes (with Walter Hopkins and Lori Neuman) 01/17/2025

168: Through a School Leader’s Eyes (with Walter Hopkins and Lori Neuman) What exactly does a Head of School do? What does your school leader wish you knew? Hear from two school directors, Walter Hopkins and Lori Neuman, about their experiences leading Christian schools, from big-picture vision to the everyday details. “What the vision was initially – to reach Spain – has been expanded to reaching the nations with the Gospel message.” - Walter “The Lord has placed a shepherd’s heart in me, and that’s what I love to be able to do - to be able to shepherd the staff and the students.” - Walter “It’s a big mix of the day-to-day little minute things but also the big picture and the direction that the school is going, so it’s a fun mix. Each day is unique and full of new things that I have no idea will come, and that’s honestly what makes it fun – it’s always different.” - Lori “God gives us little by little additional responsibilities and ideas and opportunities. So, I think it’s important to say ‘yes’ and trust God with what He’s giving you, and seek Him in all of it.” - Lori “I never ever twenty years ago would have imagined myself sitting in this chair.” - Walter “When they see a school leader not being fazed by things or not letting their emotions get in the way of leading, that makes a big difference to them.” - Lori “If I’m asking things of the staff that I myself don’t want to do or don’t think I have time to do, then that’s probably a good check that I don’t think this is a good thing to be asking of the staff.” - Lori “It’s healthy to delegate because you can’t do it all. I can’t do it all, and even though I think that I can, that’s just pride.” - Lori “One of the most important ways that someone can support a school leader is through prayer.” - Walter “To see what is happening outside of our school building, where parents are doing life on life with other parents, and they’re out there in the plaza outside of the school sometimes for hours and hours, and the love of Christ is being shared – that’s a beautiful thing to see.” - Walter to learn more about current school leadership openings with TeachBeyond! What’s changing our lives: Heather: New baby niece Lori: Finding a quicker route to get home from work Walter: Balancing graduate classes with work and life Weekly Spotlight: and We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34890230

167: You Can Rest and You Can Trust: Messages for Pre-Teens (with Katy Boatman) 01/10/2025

From the Archives: New Year, New You? (with Mark Giebink) 01/03/2025

From the Archives: New Year, New You? (with Mark Giebink) For our first episode of 2025 we are digging out an episode from the archives! Enjoy this conversation from 2021 discussing how to move into the new year with intentionality. Are you setting New Year’s Resolutions or goals for 2021? Join us for this conversation with Mark Giebink, TeachBeyond’s Director of Member Care, helping us shift our focus from striving for success to hope-filled surrender. “Silence and Solitude, things that we tend to ignore in our busy lives, help us to make space for that reflection to give us time to look back, but then also to look forward, to really have a conversation with God about what we want life to look like.” “If COVID has given us a gift, I think it’s been to slow us down a little bit. It’s exposed our interiors. As our outside world is iffy and unstable, it has exposed our hearts.” “We can rearrange the furniture in our lives, but the real change happens inside us, in our hearts and in our minds.” “Three key ingredients to transformation are honesty, God’s presence, and a loving environment.” “God lives and works and meets us in reality. He doesn’t meet us in what we wish were the case or our fantasyland; He meets us in real life. That’s the beauty of the incarnation.” Romans 15:13 “Hope is a huge ingredient for change. If we don’t have hope, we’re not going to do it.” “Love is so much greater a motivation to change than fear.” “Celebrating every success is important, breaking that big overarching goal into small steps.” “Hold resolutions with open hands and make them an ongoing conversation with God so that it’s not a one-time conversation.” “There are two circles in life: things we can control and things we can’t. We have to make sure our resolutions are related to things we can control.” “To know that we are known and loved by God, that’s a great motivator for transformation.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Rocket book Heather: Snuggly Sweater candle Mark: Chickens and grandkids Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34705730

166: Transformed Direction (with Brian Delamont) 12/27/2024

165: On Tour at Christmastime - A Calling Story (with Danny Plett) 12/20/2024

165: On Tour at Christmastime - A Calling Story (with Danny Plett) From playing music with his family to his calling into missions work to touring through Germany, musician Danny Plett traces the story of God’s provision and faithfulness in his life. Danny pulls back the curtain on dark seasons of his life and gives a behind-the-scenes look at his Christmas tour in Germany. “My prayer had always been: ‘I want to be able to provide for my family, I want my ministry to affect people for Jesus Christ, and I want to be able to not burn my family out.’” “God’s economy is just so different. What we consider big and what we consider successful is maybe great for some people, but it’s a bit of a misnomer in the economy of God’s Kingdom. I began to see things very differently. I began to see success and see what was significant, what was important, in a completely different way.” “In those seasons of vulnerability, the enemy comes and he really tries to ramp up, turn the volume up on fears.” “There’s a lot of material that I can choose from to write songs from – songs of hope, songs of lament, songs of joy because the dark days are over, songs of praise and worship, songs that talk about my doubts and my fears, and many, many people can relate to that.” “There’s a handwork aspect of songwriting that many people can learn, but then you have to put soul into that container. You have to put authenticity and a kind of realness that impacts people on a deeper level.” “Christmas is really just my favorite time of the year. It’s when the Savior of the universe entered my world, and there’s so much material there that can be written in countless songs.” “I want to write songs with depth. I want to write songs that go to the true spiritual meaning of Christmas - and for that, for the unplumbable depth of what took place at Christmas, for that reason, I love Christmas.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Starting a new journal Heather: Hobby nights with friends resuming Danny: Going slower and being in shape Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34542435

164: Round Table: The Incarnation in the Classroom 12/13/2024

164: Round Table: The Incarnation in the Classroom In this episode, TeachBeyond educators reflect on the profound significance of the incarnation in the classroom, exploring how Jesus’ full humanity and divinity shape Christian teaching. Through personal insights and Scriptural wisdom, we discuss embodying Christ’s love, the power of living out the Word, and practical advice for celebrating Advent with joy. Join us as we consider how the incarnation transforms not only our hearts but also the way we educate. by Point of Grace “In Jesus is the full expression of God but it’s Jesus’ full humanity. A central Christian claim is that Jesus was fully God and fully human [...] We only know what God is like through Jesus’ full humanity.” - Wyndy “While not bound by time, there is significance about the particular ways in which God chose to show up.” - Wyndy “Jesus was Jewish, Jesus was working class, Jesus had to flee for His life at some point as a political refugee, and those things seem to matter. They matter to the Gospel writers.” - Wyndy John 1 “The incarnation is Word made flesh. While we will never fully be incarnate because God is God incarnate, God became flesh, we are called to be like Jesus. We are called to incarnate the word that He has given us.” - Becky “Jesus lived out what it means to be love on earth.” - Becky by Samuel Wells “How do we know how to make these improvisations? How do we know how to act? It’s by studying the script.” - Becky “If I want them to see Jesus in me, that means I have to have Jesus in me. I have to be spending time in the Word and have the Word dwelling in me in order for my students to see that.” - Heather by Ray Anderson “Lean into it, have fun with it. Let’s just rejoice in this time period of a little more crazy. There’s so much fun in it, too.” - Heather “Advent is the beginning of the church year. It now sets the season for everything that is to come.” - Wyndy What’s changing our lives: Heather: Wyndy: Focus on rest in this season Heather: Using her walk to and from school to be still Becky: Exploring the topic of “the city” in Scripture while working on a course Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34414820

163: A Historically Accurate Nativity (with Jessica Jenkins) 12/06/2024

163: A Historically Accurate Nativity (with Jessica Jenkins) How do you picture the nativity scene? Jessica Jenkins shares historical and cultural insight into the birth of Jesus and shares encouragement for telling the story of Christmas. Follow Jessica Jenkins at Read about the “In a house birth, Mary would be surrounded by family and neighbor women and possible midwives, and so you have this whole community surrounding Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Rather than them being shamed and ostracized and pushed away, it’s the gathering in and caring for them.” “Luke tells us that this house had a guest room. That word in Greek, ‘kataluma,’ is often what is translated in many English translations as the ‘inn.’ Where we’re used to reading in Luke 2 ‘there was no room for them in the inn,’ the Greek word there is ‘kataluma,’ which really means ‘guest room.’” Luke 22 and Mark 14 “It’s not going to be sparse, like our typical stable scenes, where it’s just Mary and Joseph and a sheep. You’re going to have aunties and hosts and hostess and kids running around screaming and maybe a chicken flying through.” “You mean Jesus came to be one of us? He’s not born in a palace?” “Jesus is the One who draws near. He is with you.” “It’s really amazing to think about how God just surrounds these people, and He just puts Himself right in the middle of everyday happenings. The angels come and announce in a big way, which it’s definitely worth announcing, but He’s also just coming in the absolute simplicity of birth and day-to-day life.” “The typical nativity story is God not with us. God’s away in a manger. He’s pushed out, He’s far away, He’s not really with us, He’s over there. But Emmanuel is God with us.” “Figuring out how to teach kids about Jesus can feel really overwhelming. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once.” “God came to be with His people, including children.” “If we can ground our kids [in the truth] that Jesus is near them, rather than being a far-off distant God ready to reject them at a moment’s notice for a failure, but He’s a God who draws near, that will fundamentally change how they view God and their ability to attach to God and trust God.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Staffs made out of dowels for his kids Heather: Meet-up with other Christian women in her area Jessica: Sweatshirts Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34311460

162: Therefore We Do Not Lose Heart (with Brian Delamont) 11/29/2024

162: Therefore We Do Not Lose Heart (with Brian Delamont) Brian Delamont talks with co-hosts Heather and Keane about how God often works through difficult circumstances to transform us: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). “He’s in control, and He is good. He leads us into this opportunity to have difficulties and trials become part of the transformation that He longs for us to experience in order to become all that He intends.” “We’ve been given this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit, the glory of God in us, to move us towards transformation.” 2 Corinthians 3:18-4:1 “Transformation means difficulty, and difficulty can mean transformation, if we choose to let it work in us the way God intends it to.” by John Mark Comer “It’s not a matter of instant change. There is no experience in the Christian life that will reproduce His image in a moment. It is a process, not a crisis.” “You and I are not fully transformed the moment we decide to act on Jesus’ invitation to become His apprentices. It’s this ongoing process.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 “Spiritual growth and transformation doesn’t mean we have fewer and fewer challenges. It means that when the challenges come, when I’m hard pressed, for example, my response is that it’s more like Jesus. There’s the fruit of the Spirit.” “Am I suffering because I’m doing things that are contrary to God’s best design for my life, or am I suffering because I’m doing things that are going to reveal His greater glory?” 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 “In the transformation process we don’t run to difficulties, or foolishly seek out persecution or ridicule. This is not the life Jesus modeled for us at all [...] Suffering itself is not the purpose. If that were the case then God would be tremendously cruel.” “God has good outcomes for us in mind: Our transformation through difficulties, our growth in joy, perseverance, character, hope, and in being refined to reveal the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-6 “Our sufferings, our difficulties do more than transform us as individuals. They can transform our friends and our family, our community, as we share and journey through these experiences together.” “It’s not instant happiness [...] it’s walking with God through these difficult times. And we know the difficulties are actually a given if we follow Jesus.” “In walking through these difficulties that transformation becomes so much more visible. It reveals the genuine power of the gospel in the midst of my difficulties, in the midst of our suffering together. And yet in these challenges, we do not lose heart.” “God is in control. He is sovereign. He sees you, and He is also running the universe in the way He wants it run – in a good way, ultimately, because God is not just sovereign, He is good. And we can rest in that so that we do not lose heart.” by Timothy Keller November Reflection: What do You want to transform in my life right now as I face this difficulty? What’s changing our lives: Keane: Sticker door Heather: Functional strength training Brian: Having a rare, non-cancerous tumor Weekly Spotlight: We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34198250

161: A Lifetime of Service - A Calling Story (with Jack Stenekes) 11/22/2024

161: A Lifetime of Service - A Calling Story (with Jack Stenekes) Jack Stenekes has been serving with TeachBeyond (formerly Janz Team) for over 50 years, first on the stage and then behind the scenes in administration and finance. What stories and wisdom does he have to share? Listen in to hear his heart for evangelism and faithful obedience to the Lord. Learn more about the history of Janz Team and TeachBeyond in . “Music was to undergird and support the work of evangelism, and it always was meant that way.” “We’d have up to 80% unchurched kids that would come out for these events, and I think in those occasions, I realized, ‘Wow, God is doing something very remarkable through our presentation of the Gospel through music and through the preaching of the Word.’” “Even though changes were there, doors of opportunity also became available.” “It’s not necessarily a person’s ability, but a person’s availability.” “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” - Corrie Ten Boom “When you do look back, you see it in perspective, and that’s not possible when you’re in it. With all of the changes that took place, I’m just so grateful that the Lord impressed upon me just to stick with it and do what you need to do at the moment.” “Let’s do this together. The Lord has a way forward. He has solutions for us, and I’m happy to be part of it. A person doesn’t have to be in the limelight; that’s not necessarily where it’s at.” “Anticipate that God is going to continue to give you a means to serve.” “Our vision and our purpose should be to reach people for Christ.” “That’s my prayer for the organization - that we actually aim for the heart of people, not just for their minds.” “God is going to provide what we need for the moment in the times of challenge.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Getting a large white board Heather: Stories from the 70th anniversary episodes Jack: Getting older and learning a new pace We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/34096151

160: Resilient Educators (with Steshire Buyinza and Ellen Kujawski) 11/15/2024

160: Resilient Educators (with Steshire Buyinza and Ellen Kujawski) Persevering through difficult seasons often brings new perspectives on God’s faithfulness and provision. In this episode, two school leaders - Steshire Buyinza in Uganda and Ellen Kujawski in the Dominican Republic - share about their experiences pioneering in establishing new schools and how they have seen God at work amidst challenges. Don’t miss the special 70th anniversary story from TeachBeyond’s first teacher! Learn more about Arbor Christian Academy ( | | ), Butambala Christian Learning Center ( | | ), and Black Forest Academy ( | | ) “We started this school out of the need that we saw in the community for young people to have something that they could do and feel like they mattered in the community - but as well, preach Christ to them, preach the living hope to them, give them the love of Christ, for them to know that they are loved, they are not alone.” - Steshire Buyinza “Is this where God has called us? Is this what we’re supposed to be doing? And He just over and over affirmed that, ‘Yes, I have called you to San Francisco.’” - Ellen Kujawski “We didn’t want to be the people who came in with our vision of what we thought a school should be. We really wanted to be sure that it reflected the needs and desires of the local community.” - Ellen Kujawski “I have learned that God is good and He is good. I have learned that when you trust God, everything is possible.” - Steshire Buyinza “What I have really learned from persevering through these difficult things is that God is faithful.” - Steshire Buyinza “It’s so easy for us to forget the things that God has done because in the moment they are such big concerns, and then I’m learning to celebrate when God does meet those needs instead of just moving on to the next concern.” - Ellen Kujawski “This all belongs to God. He is the one who called you and He is faithful [...] This is His work. Whatever we are doing, it is all for His glory.” - Steshire Buyinza “You’re not alone. You’re not the only one who is facing these kinds of situations.” - Ellen Kujawski “You’re doing a great job. God has trusted you as a vessel to reach out to these children, to reach out to these young people. May God bless you.” - Steshire Buyinza What’s changing our lives: Heather: New routines with shorter days Ellen: Raising a 15-month-old Steshire: Reading through the book of Genesis with her students We’d love to hear from you! Podcast Website: Learn about TeachBeyond: /episode/index/show/transformedandtransformational/id/33940767

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