Live from the Siburt Institute

About Live from the Siburt Institute

Vibrant conversations between ministers, church leaders, and scholars, brought to you by the staff of the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry at Abilene Christian University. The Siburt Institute’s mission is to equip church leaders and help churches thrive. Topics include contemporary issues facing churches and church leaders, as well as ways that scholarship can inform church leadership.

Publisher

siburtinstitute

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Mar 2023

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

77 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Collin Packer: Practicing Racial Reconciliation as Gospel Discipleship

   In this episode, host Jennifer Schroeder sits down with Collin Packer from Let's Talk Race Ministries (LTR) for an open conversation about racial reconciliation in the church. They dive into why these conversations can feel hard, how true reconciliation requires honest truth telling over quick fixes, and why listening to impact matters more than defending intent. For anyone wanting to go deeper, Collin shares about the helpful tools available at LTR, including free Zoom classes starting next week (10/19/2026). Ultimately, this episode is an inspiring call for churches to embrace difficult conversations as an act of gospel discipleship. Listen for these three talking points: Prioritizing Impact Over Intent: When conversations get uncomfortable, it is easy to get defensive about having good intentions. True healing happens when we set aside defensiveness, listen sacrificially, and care about the actual impact of our words and actions. Reconciliation is a Long-Term Journey: Real unity cannot be rushed with quick fixes or colorblindness. It takes honest truth telling, confession, lament, and rebuilding trust over time. Doing the Work Together as Discipleship: Church leaders should not try to lead racial reconciliation alone from the pulpit. Instead, they should work together, stay curious, and weave reconciliation into the regular life of the church. You can contact Collin at collin@ltrministries.com and you can find out more about LTR on their website, Facebook, and Instagram. LTR's next round of free classes begins October 19, 2026, and you can register here.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   The Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction: Talking with the Director

   In this episode, David Kneip talks with Dr. Jackie Halstead, an ACU faculty member and the CEO of the Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. Dr. Halstead is also the director of the Siburt Institute's Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction, which has been in existence for over 20 years but since 2022 has been partnership between the Selah Center and the Siburt Institute. In this conversation, David and Jackie talk about what we mean by spiritual direction at all, how the Selah Certificate got started, and some of the particulars of the program. Two particular highlights you won't want to miss: When Dr. Halstead talks about the outcomes that we see in our participants, and Ways to discern whether this might be the right time for you to consider joining a cohort. You can use this link to learn more about the Selah Certificate, including the book lists that David and Jackie talked about in the episode, and you can email Dr. Halstead directly by using this link. Please let us know if we can provide more information, or if you'd like to apply for our next cohort!

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Tish Harrison Warren: What Grows in Weary Lands

   Today's episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating spiritual exhaustion, burnout, or disillusionment. Myles Werntz sits down with Anglican priest and author Tish Harrison Warren to chat about her book, What Grows in Weary Lands. Together, they dive into the reality of those unsettling seasons where God feels distant. Tish shares how her own season of weariness led her to draw wisdom from the fourth-century desert fathers and mothers, who wrote about spiritual dryness long ago. Rather than treating weariness as something to quickly fix with self-care or productivity hacks, she reframes the "desert" as a space to sit with our souls and be honest before God. The conversation highlights how people (especially leaders) often respond to exhaustion by either flaming out (through affairs, substance abuse, or renunciation of faith) or numbing out (through workaholism and constant distraction). Tish and Myles explore why we need to trade a transactional, "marketable" faith for a deeper acceptance of mystery. Ultimately, they offer a vision of Christian resilience anchored in honest relationships, sacramental worship, small daily joys, and a resurrection hope that assures us dry deserts will eventually bloom. Don't miss these three highlights in the conversation: The Trap of "Flaming Out" or "Numbing Out": When faced with spiritual dryness or feeling like God is distant, people often react in two destructive ways. They either "flame out" through public meltdowns and scandals, or "numb out" through workaholism, minor vices, and constant distraction. Real growth happens when we stop hiding behind busywork and actually sit honestly with our inner struggles. Rejecting "Marketable Christianity" for Mystery: Tish addresses the temptation to turn spiritual practices into a consumer app or a "spiritual prosperity gospel" that promises non-stop emotional high points if you put in the right work. True faith makes room for mystery, unfulfilled expectations, and seasons where God feels silent without assuming something has gone wrong. Anchoring Resilience in Sacraments, Honest Community, and Daily Joy: Real Christian resilience goes much deeper than superficial self-care. It is built on transparent relationships where you have no secrets, participation in sacramental worship like the Eucharist, making space for simple everyday pleasures, and holding fast to a resurrection hope that transforms our current trials into eternal formation. To connect with Tish, reach out to her here and you can order her newest book here.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.