What's The Word? Ep.2 - Oh—we have two people! Ft. Bishop Emily Hartner
Bishop Emily K. Hartner on "Come and See: Go and Tell," Church Hope, and the Fellowship Hall Draft
Host Gerson Mendoza-Hipolito welcomes the Rev. Emily K. Hartner, the 79th bishop of the North Carolina Synod. She shares about balancing ministry and family life, finding time through early workouts and reading-into-a-nap, and her growing interest in soccer. Bishop Emily describes the Synod Gathering theme, "Come and See: Go and Tell," as an invitation to collaboration, sharing resources and ideas so congregations broaden their sense of what's possible and partner in ministry. She offers hope rooted in the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection, describes feeling most connected in worship and presiding at liturgy, and ends with a light "Fellowship Hall Draft" covering potluck desserts, hymns, church coffee, underrated volunteers, VBS snacks, Lutheran phrases, post-worship meals, and name tags.
What's the Word? was recorded in May 2026 at Lenoir-Rhyne University during the North Carolina Synod Gathering, themed "Come and See. Go and Tell."
nclutheran.org
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
00:40 Meet Bishop Emily
01:13 Finding Personal Time
01:49 Come and See Theme
03:11 Resourcing Congregations
04:21 Hope for the Church
06:09 Feeling Connected in Worship
07:42 Fellowship Hall Draft
11:56 Name Tags and Wrap Up
28 Sept 2026
What's The Word? Ep. 1 - "Average Church?"
Pastor Jennifer Shimota talks about campus ministry, synod vitality, and Holy Trinity Sunday.
In this episode of What's The Word?, Pastor Jennifer Shimota sits down with host Gerson Mendoza-Hipolito. She shares how she stepped into an interim campus ministry role at Elon University while serving at Coble's Lutheran and why she still feels called to parish ministry. They explore the stories of ministry being shared across the synod and the surprising, spirit-led connections that happen beyond what's planned on the schedule. The conversation turns to what an "average" congregation looks like, why pew numbers shouldn't measure vitality, and how language about 'small churches' can shift. Finally, they discuss Holy Trinity Sunday, how worship and ministry are rooted in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and a few lighthearted church-life picks, from potlucks and hymns to underrated volunteer jobs and name tags.
What's the Word? was recorded in May 2026 at Lenoir-Rhyne University during the North Carolina Synod Gathering, themed "Come and See. Go and Tell."
nclutheran.org
30 Apr 2026
Keeping Up With The Youtherans: "Family" With Kaitlyn
In episode four of Keeping Up with the Youtherans, we hear from Kaitlyn Losh from St. John's in Salisbury. A lifelong Lutheran, Kaitlyn, reflects on how deep relationships, youth involvement, and a strong sense of belonging have shaped her faith, and emphasizes that noticing, welcoming, and building community are key to keeping young people connected to the church.
Keeping up with the Youtherans features 10-minute or less episodes so you can hear from youth around the North Carolina Synod about what they think about this church and its future. Each episode has accompaniment Bible study to go with it that can be used with adults, youth, or intergenerationally.
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Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100
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YouTube
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Engagement
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