The first week of August resulted in the planning of a podcast, which has been a year-long dream for several staff members of Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM). The conversation led to finalizing the title of the podcast -Forward Through Faith, with Adelante en la Fé for the Spanish version -as well as setting up the first series of episode topics and putting in place a recording schedule.

“We really want to be relevant to today’s opportunities for sharing the Gospel,” Karla Gonzalez, YLM’s Interim Executive Director, explained during the planning meeting, “To be able to relate God’s Word to people, no matter where they are in their faith journey.”

For the staff members who are wanting to contribute to the conversations that will make up podcast episodes, there is excitement at the joyful opportunity to preach the Gospel, to be able to relate it to others, and to share the way God continuously works at, and through, YLM. While these staff members are believers and members of LCMS churches, they also come from different backgrounds. From a life-long Lutheran to the unchurched who was saved in their adult years, the perspectives shared will vary, giving the opportunity to connect with listeners.

“We hope to touch on deep topics, tough ones too, but to always bring the listener back to the Word of God,” Daniuska, who became a Christian believer in her thirties and joined the Lutheran church in 2016, shared during the planning meeting, “To be able to see the world through God’s perspective will be a way to relate the Gospel to anyone who listens.”

The first series of episodes, in English and Spanish, will focus on what the kingdom of God is and the parables of Jesus in the New Testament teaching what the kingdom of God is like. One of the goals for this podcast is to be able to have guests join in, and on the first week of recording the first English episodes, Rev. Luther S. Allen III was able to join in a couple of them.

“Back in 2020, I had hoped to be able to visit YLM, even reached out and got information on what’s needed to come here,” Pastor Luther explained the day before recording, “It didn’t happen then but I looked at my schedule earlier this year, made plans, and God’s timing is indeed perfect. It is a joy for me to join this new endeavor.”

The first episodes, in English and Spanish, are scheduled to be released in November, the first Monday of each week.

The hope is to use this new ministry platform so many more people could encounter the Gospel, for churches to have another resource in their ministry efforts, and to connect God’s children with His Word. As more episodes continue to be planned, recorded, and released, we pray for God to show His Word into the hearts of those who listen.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”
Romans 10:17