Here We Are So Here We Go

Brian Siewert, our Ministries Director, and his wife Celia were traveling to visit their daughter and son-in-law in Germany and while in Rome where they were spending a few days before going to Germany, Celia was injured while riding a scooter.  The post from Brian reads as follows..."Celia suffered a "fractured liver" and was bleeding internally into her stomach cavity.  It is a very serious injury that has taken many lives.  The last couple of days have been waiting and continued exams to see if the bleeding would stop or if surgery would become necessary.  She is right on the verge."  Please listen to this episode, join me in praying for Celia to be protected and healed and if the Lord moves you to provide financial assistance you can do that through the support tab or by sending a check to Faith At Home Ministries, (Memo - For Brian and Celia) 37483 Deer Ridge Drive, Crosslake, MN 56442.  Thank you.  

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Can you believe how many "wellness" plans, pills, programs and books there are today?  And the amount of money American's spend trying to get well and stay well is astronomical.  So, clearly no one has really figured it out because more and more wellness options are being published and produced everyday yet in this episode Pastor Mark is going to take us through one of his favorite passages where Jesus reveals the one true path to wellness.   

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Pastor Mark is back!  In this new episode, which launches his fall, 2021, series of podcasts Pastor Mark openly shares what it means when we say, "It's Ok Not To Be Ok" and some practical steps when can take to ask, assess, address and refresh when we are not ok.  

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Mark Holmen talks with Wayne Rice about how to bridge the mile gap with your grandkids.  Wayne Rice is a parenting and youth ministry expert, lover of bluegrass music, prolific author and most importantly a grandpa five times over.  Wayne and Mark discuss how to turn the excuses and obstacles of long-distant grand parenting into OPPORTUNITIES.  More information about Wayne's pioneering work with the Legacy Coalition or ordering his latest book called"Long-Distance Grandparenting"  can be found at www.legacycoalition.com 

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Followership requires imitation and the law of imitation can be seen everywhere.  We are all imitating someone, the question becomes who are we imitating?  This episode will look into the habits required to be better imitators of Jesus.  

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Most of us know someone who has been deeply hurt by church, or have been so wounded ourselves.  Pastor Mark speaks from the heart to the hearts of this who have been damaged by the church.  Listen in if you feel you want to stay away from church, if you are frustrated with organized religion, or if the church has left you confused about God, His love for you, or the ways He wants to work in your life.

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Whether it is depression, anxiety, or addictions, discussing mental health is something long overdue in Christian circles.  Join speaker Brett Ullman as he shares his personal journey and steps to wellness - while still struggling.  Brett Ullman is a conference speaker on topics like parenting, media influences, pornography, men's issues, mental illness and how the church can respond.  Brett's latest book, Parenting: Navigating Everything is available now.  To find out more, go to www.brettullman.com.  

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Listen to this powerful message that Pastor Mark gave at a funeral for a 54 year old man who died suddenly.  This message addresses the commonly misused statement "Everything happens for a reason" with the truth that "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him" from Romans 8:28.  This episode is great for anyone who is struggling with why bad things happen.  

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Pastor Mark shares how his recent experience, of being the victim of a hit and run, became a perspective changing moment for Him and how perspective changing moments change us and make us stronger.    

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If you have a prodigal child who has walked away from you and their faith you will want to hear this episode where Pastor Mark interviews Rob Rienow, Director of Visionary Family Ministries (www.visionaryfam.com) and author of "Never Too Late".  In this episode Rob shares practical things parents can do while they continue to parent through the difficult prodigal years.  

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It is becoming increasingly difficult to have spiritual conversations in our world today yet Deuteronomy 6 makes it clear that we have been called to "talk" about the ways of God "when we sit at home, walk along the road, lie down and get up" which means...all the time!  How do we have spiritual conversations with others today in a way that does not lead to fights or division?   In this episode, pastor Mark interviews Pastor Gary Rohrmayer, author of Spiritual Conversations: Creating and Sustaining Them Like Jesus & 21 Days to Increase Spiritual Conversations who provides some very helpful ideas and resources that can help us have healthy spiritual conversations with others.   

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Would you like to hear from teenagers how the pandemic has been impacting their mental health?  In this episode, Pastor Mark interviews two teenage leaders from the Lighthouse Project in Brainerd, MN who share the research they have done to discover how the mental health of teenagers has been impacted by the pandemic.  www.lhpmn.org  The Lighthouse Project is a student lead nonprofit dedicated to the focus and improvement of mental health, especially in schools through providing counseling sessions and eradicating the stigma around asking for help.

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Pastor Mark interviews speaker, author and resiliency expert Tasha Schuh.  This episode will amaze and inspire through the life story of Tasha who was paralyzed from the neck down as a teenager in a theatre accident and has gone on to become a nationally recognized speaker that challenges and inspires people of all ages to overcome and persevere.  For more information about Tasha go to www.tashaschuh.com    

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How has the pandemic impacted mental health in people of all ages?  What can we do if we are struggling as a result of this pandemic?  What can we do to help others?  In this episode, Pastor Mark interviews Sue Abderholden, Director of NAMI Minnesota (National Association of Mental Illness), where she answers these questions and many more.  Be sure to checkout www.namimn.orgwhich has a wealth of resources to help you and others.  

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Pastor Mark interviews his friend and coauthor of the book Home Sweet Dysfunctional Home, Dr. Mark Smith and together they discuss how every family is dysfunctional yet all can be functional as there is hope for crazy, messed up families.  

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Mark Holmen talks with seasoned pastor and grandparent John Coulombe.  Until his recent retirement, John Coulombe served for more than thirty years as the InterGen pastor at the Fullerton Evangelical Free Church where he worked with “experienced” adults and other age groups as well.  John has been featured on Focus on the Family, TBN, TLN, and CBN television networks and Christian radio talk shows.  As a gifted communicator and relationship-builder, he now serves as the Director of Development for The Legacy Coalition. He and his wife Jacque have two sons and eight grandchildren.  For more information, go to www.legacycoalition.com.

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"God, why don't you do something?" is a common question we can find ourselves asking.  In this episode, Pastor Mark shares not only the answer God gives to that question but the challenge He has for us as well.  Get ready for a great Kingdom Assignment you can "do."  

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In this episode, Pastor Mark shares how Faith At Home Ministries has pivoted to being a research based ministry that now serves churches in a much deeper way as they seek to develop and sustain a faith at home focus.  Pastor Mark also walks us through the new Pandemic Impact survey that they have developed that reveals how faith life has been impacted by the pandemic and where people desire help moving forward.  More information about the survey can be found at https://www.faithlife.me    

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Pastor Mark interviews a very special guest (you'll just have to listen to find out who it is) about singlehood.  What is it like being single in today's world?  How do you deal with questions on God's will and singlehood?  Is church a comfortable place for people who are single and what can be done to make it more comfortable?  How, as a single person, do you keep envy from your heart and what are some misunderstandings people have about single people?  

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Pastor Mark interviews Bill and Ann Parkinson who have all sorts of great wisdom and insights to share about parenting and grandparenting and especially how to maintain healthy relationships with your grandchildren as they become teenagers.  Bill has been one of the pastors at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas for 30+ years and he also serves as the Pastors Division Director for the Legacy Coalition.

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Many moms feel the pressure and guilt that comes from chasing perfection - having a significant effect on home relationships. Amy Rienow joins Mark Holmen on this episode to offer encouragement and hope to build healthy relationships and feel joy. Amy is the author of several books, including today's topic, “The Not So Perfect Mom.” Amy’s experience as a counselor and mother of seven shines through with honest and practical parenting advice. Amy and Rob Rienow lead Visionary Family Ministries (www.visionaryfam.com).

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Based on his book,Impressive Parenting, Pastor Mark shares what the Bible shows are the most important things a parent can do to lead their children to have faith in Christ.  As parents, we are leaving impressions on our children, the question becomes are we leaving the type of impression that will lead them to want to know, love and follow Jesus themselves?  To purchase either an E-book, or printed copy of Impressive Parenting go to https://www.faithathome.com/resources.html.

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Special guest, Brad Bullock, joins Pastor Mark and shares his compelling and convicting perspective on teens and what they need most from their parents.  As a 15 year youth ministry leader, who has worked with thousands of teenagers and their parents, Brad shares some insights that only someone with his experience has and it will bless all parents, and even grandparents, who listen to this episode.

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In this episode I share what God has put on my heart in relation to the events of January 6 in Washington DC and the overall 2020 Presidential election.  Please know these are my personal thoughts and feelings and do not necessarily represent the  elders or staff of the Log Church.  Essentially, where the Lord led me was... "Where's Our Focus Been?  Where's Our Focus Gonna Be?"  

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In this episode, Pastor Mark will unpack the commonly used phrase, "God will never give you more than you can handle?"  Is that true?  Is it Biblical?  You might me surprised by what you find out.  

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Pastor Mark shares the direction Faith At Home Ministries will be going in 2021 including new research they will be doing to reveal how the pandemic has impacted faith life at home.  

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What is the story behind Faith At Home Ministries?  What is faith at home about?  What is it's mission and how has God been working through it over the past 15+ years to impact churches, parents and grandparents all across the world?  

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Pastor Mark shares some random thoughts and truly inspirational stories that will help people, and provide some good practical ideas we can implement, in the midst of this pandemic Christmas season we find ourselves in.  

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Pull up an easy chair, a cup of hot chocolate, a paper and journal as we take a moment to consider Christmas and the past year with 4 everyday moms.  Write down your own answer to these questions:

What will Christmas be like for you this year?  Who will be there? What is the best thing to come out of Covid-19 for your family? What is your family's favourite outdoor Christmas activity? What is your favourite non-healthy Christmas food? What is your favourite HEALTHY Christmas food? What is your favourite Christmas song? What is a favourite Christmas Bible verse and why? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-holmen/support

God places a high priority on sibling relationships and Satan wants to destroy them. In this episode Brian Siewert talks with parenting expert Rob Rienow about how parents can help their children heal from conflict and become best friends in Christ.  GET A COPY OF ROB'S LATEST BOOK!  LIMITED BOOK GIVEAWAY:  email Rob@visionaryfam.com with the subject lineBOOK GIVEAWAY - HEALING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.

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Even though most parents did not receive healthy Biblical sex education from their parents, all studies show that the more positive, healthy, sex education taught from home, the less promiscuous and confused our kids will be. In this episode, Brian Siewert talks with parenting expert Jim Burns about how to teach our children the Purity Code and what to teach our kids from age 3 through the teen years.

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If you have an adult child, you know that parenting doesn’t stop when a child reaches the age of eighteen. In many ways, it gets more complicated. Both your heart and your head are as involved as ever, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact. In this podcast Brian Siewert talks with parenting expert Jim Burns to gain perspective on how to navigate the toughest and the most rewarding parts of parenting grown kids.

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In this episode Pastor Mark interviews Larry Fowler who is the founder of the the Legacy Coalition (https://www.legacycoalition.com/) which has become a powerful movement that is helping grandparents across the US and world to become more intentional with a renewed purpose for their role as spiritual influences in the lives of their grandchildren.  This episode will inspire, motivate and and equip grandparents with grandchildren of any age, stage or walk in life.  

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In this episode, Pastor Mark interviews Ralph Berry, counselor from Teen Challenge in Brainerd, MN to get his perspective, as an African American, Christian, husband, father and counselor on racism.  In this compelling interview listeners will hear a very unique and informative perspective that will challenge and convict people of all races.  Friends, racism is something we must discuss and address with one another and this podcast episode will help you do that.   

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The world offers us hope with a question mark...meaning hope that is optimistic but not certain.  I hope I will win the lottery.  I hope the pandemic will end soon.  But the God I know wants to give us an unwavering hope.  He wants us to have hope with an exclamation point that we can be certain in.  In this episode Pastor Mark will share with us the things God has given us to put our hope in that will give us unwavering hope no matter what comes our way.  

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How is your memory?  Have you ever forgotten something important?   We are all forgetful people and throughout the entirety of Scripture we see God continually reminding His people of things they have forgotten.   So, when we say we don't know God, maybe it's more that we have forgotten who God is and that He is the greatest reminder of all time and the greatest forgetter as well.   

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Many people wonder where God is and if He can truly speak to them in ways others say he does.  How do we hear the voice of God?  How do we know the voice we are hearing is God's?  In this episode Pastor Mark will discuss how God speaks to us and what we need to do to hear him because He is a voice we can trust.  

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In today's world we tend to struggle giving grace to one another and many of us have never experience true grace in our lives.  How can we understand God's grace when we have never experienced it in our own lives?  In this episode Pastor Mark will share some very personal experiences that helped him understand God's grace and how an understand of God's grace can truly be life changing for all of us.  

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Many people have seemingly valid reasons for not trusting or believing in God based on experiences they have had in life.  Yet when they are asked to describe who God is to them, the responses usually lead me to say "If that's who God is, I wouldn't trust or follow Him either."  In this episode I will be discussing the God I wish you knew as a good, good, father.  Sadly, our earthly experiences with fathers has tainted our understanding and appreciation for who our God really is as our good, good, father.  

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God didn't intend the local church to be a drop-off centre for your children.  Church is to be a partner in helping understand how to do a better job of equipping your home to be the primary place where faith is nurtured. 

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Who is part of your extended family?  God made the family as a multigenerational unit for a reason.  Everyone needs the wisdom and counsel of godly elders who may be family members or "familiar" people.  Do your kids have an extended family?

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Parents want what is best for their children.  

We all want our kids to avoid drugs, alcohol, violence, gangs and promiscuous sexual activity.  We want them to get good grades and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  What part does FAITH play in leading them to make good choices and how can we be most effective in doing this as parents?

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As parents, we pass on things to our children every day.  They're watching us, learning from us and emulating us.  The question is not ARE we passing things on - but WHAT are we passing on to our children.

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Followership requires continually choosing to remain a follower.  When you stop following, you are no longer a follower.  What are the habits required to remain a fully devoted follower of Jesus?  And you might be surprised to learn that remaining will lead to movement rather than stagnation.  

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Followership requires sustained connection to the leader.  The weaker the connection the more difficult it becomes to follow.  This episode will explore the things we can do to stay connected to God?  

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In this episode Pastor Mark discusses the first law of followership - the law of buy in.  Followership begins and ends with the conscious and willing choice to buy in to following and being a follower.  This law requires us to have humility, respect, knowledge and trust.  Are you a bought in follower of Jesus?  

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Pastor Mark makes the case for why we should be pursuing followership over and against leadership.  Could it be that in our pursuit of leadership we have forgotten that walking with Christ is about followership?  

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Pastor Mark shares the recent CDC findings on how the pandemic is affecting mental health and what we can do to help.  

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