Joni And Friends Ministry Podcast

At age 14 Sarah Willoughby's world turned upside down when she fell seriously ill. Sarah went from trail running and adventuring to spending her days sick in bed. Doctors struggled to diagnose her condition until they finally discovered the culprit: toxic mold. Facing the severity of her condition, Sarah sought the Lord. She joins the podcast to share how her faith in Christ has sustained her through the trials of chronic illness and to help you find hope amid your own hardships. Sarah is the author of He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness and the host of the Diamonds conference, a free online conference for Christians with chronic illnesses.  Learn more at sgwilloughby.com, Instagram: @sgwilloughby, and Twitter: @sgwilloughby. KEY QUESTIONS:Do you turn to God in your suffering?How can you find hope while dealing with chronic illness or pain? KEY SCRIPTURE:“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, c

Joni and Friends Nashville Area Director Larea Kwakye joins the podcast to talk about being called into ministry serving people living with disabilities, especially those struggling with poverty and in under-resourced communities. For more than twenty years Larea has followed God’s call on her life to share the Gospel with people from Tennessee to Europe to Africa. A lifelong learner who holds a doctorate in Christian counseling, Larea loves to watch God meet his people’s needs and transform their lives.Like Larea you can follow God’s call to serve people living with disability:Apply to volunteer with Joni and FriendsGive to Joni and Friends Nashville today KEY QUESTIONS:Do you know God’s call for your life?How can your church/community provide inclusion, equity, and equality for people navigating disability and poverty?How can you start making a greater difference? KEY SCRIPTURE:Matthew 22:36–40: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your he

Caregiving for a person with exceptional needs—whether it’s a child, spouse, parent, or friend—can be overwhelming. Mary Tutterow, author of The Heart of the Caregiver® study series, joins the podcast to share how peace is possible for caregivers in all circumstances.Mary didn’t expect to become a caregiver. She was a partner in an international marketing firm and a part-time local news anchor when her baby was born with cognitive and physical challenges, as well as an active seizure disorder. Mary quickly found herself overwhelmed as a caregiver, managing endless daily tasks while shouldering burdens of grief and anxiety. Mary created her study series for others who are exhausted by the responsibilities and emotions of caring for someone with disabilities, chronic illness, or age-related issues and the most recent addition to her series is The Peaceful Caregiver™. She also leads online and in-person small groups for parents and caregivers as well as workshops, webinars, and retreats. KEY QUESTIONS:What can h

Joni and Friends New England Area Director Maria DeGenova joins the podcast to share how God brought her deep healing through serving families living with disability. Maria is one of four sisters—and a twin! Two of her sisters deal with mental health struggles and learning disabilities. Like many siblings in households navigating disability, Maria needed God’s help to understand her own identity, story, and calling. And she wants you to discover what she has: that God is close and trustworthy, and that he has a good plan for your life.Maria’s life changed when she volunteered at Family Retreat. Serving families living with disability, she discovered the presence and hope of Christ like never before. Today Maria serves as the Area Director in New England, overseeing staff, volunteers, and programs that bring hands-on help and the love of Jesus to people with disabilities locally and across the globe.You can follow God’s call to serve people living with disability:Apply to volunteer with Joni and FriendsExplore

As a young child, Kyle Campbell was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem tumor, which caused symptoms from difficulty speaking and swallowing to nausea and general ill health. While radiation therapy in his teens alleviated some of Kyle’s symptoms, effects of the tumor (and side effects of his treatments) persist to this day. Now a husband, father of three, and author, Kyle is living a full, meaningful life. Through his difficulties, Kyle has developed a deep trust in God and has learned to live on purpose with faith, focus, and flexibility.Get your copy of Kyle’s book: Beyond Belief: How Living with a Brain Stem Tumor Brought Faith and Purpose to LifeKyle Campbell is a Christian, a preacher, a poet, a philosopher, a professor, and an advocate… but some of his favorite identities are husband and father. He has a BA in Philosophy from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and an MA in Rehabilitation Counseling from California State University, Fresno. Kyle currently holds a position serving students i

Vaneetha Risner joins the podcast again to talk about finding true hope in suffering. With a story that includes childhood bullying, losing an infant son, developing post-polio syndrome, and going through an unwanted divorce, Vaneetha has wrestled with God. But through her hardships, God has met Vaneetha in an unmistakable way and she has learned to trust him.With a passion for helping others find hope in their suffering, each of her books encourages readers to turn to Christ in their pain. Her newest Bible study, “Desperate for Hope: Questions We Ask God in Suffering, Loss, and Longing,” provides encouragement to find Christ in the midst of pain. Her study answers questions that believers often face when suffering strikes. KEY QUESTIONS:If God loves me, how could he let this happen?How can I know God’s presence when he feels so distant?What if this never gets better? KEY SCRIPTURES:2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed

When 30-year-old Marcy Gregg woke up from a coma, 13 years of her memories had disappeared. In her mind, she was still 17 years old. She didn't remember her husband or her three children, including the baby she had just given birth to in the hospital. Everything had vanished. Faced with the daunting task of rebuilding her identity, even turning to alcohol amid her struggle, God brought Marcy to her knees. When she turned to her faith, Marcy found hope, beauty, and healing.Get your copy of Marcy Gregg’s book, Blank CanvasSee Marcy’s artConnect with Marcy on Instagram: @marcygregg.KEY QUESTIONS:What defines your identity?Where do you turn when life feels impossible?Have you even felt angry with God? KEY SCRIPTURE:Romans 8:28–30: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he p

Hannah Snoots director of Special Abilities Ministry at Calvary Community Church in California, joins the podcast to share her story of finding joy, peace, and purpose in the midst of navigating disability. As a single mother raising two daughters with special needs, Hannah leans on the Lord for strength and hope. And having found belonging and love through her local church, Hannah encourages all churches—and believers—to embrace and celebrate people living with disabilities. Connect with Hannah on Instagram @Hannah Jane (@hannahjanesstory) • Instagram photos and videos.One in five people in the United States have a disability. Many believers living with disability can’t find a church home. You can help Joni and Friends change that! Joni and Friends exists to glorify God as we communicate the Gospel and mobilize the global church to evangelize, disciple, and serve people living with disability.Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA understands the importance of loving and celebrating people with dis

Pastor John Piper joins the podcast to share a hopeful vision for the second coming of Jesus. Hear how anticipating the return of Christ can help people who are suffering with hardship and disability today, plus the importance of cultivating a deep love for the Savior as we await his return.John Piper serves as founder and teacher at Desiring God and is chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. For 33 years, Piper served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church. He has authored more than 50 books, and more than 30 years of his preaching and writing are available at DesiringGod.org.KEY QUESTIONS:What will happen when Christ returns?How can anticipation of Christ’s return provide help and hope when you’re suffering?How can you cultivate a deeper affection for the Lord while longing for his return?  KEY SCRIPTURES:1 Thessalonians 41 Corinthians 15Matthew 13:43Luke 12:372 Timothy 4:8Galatians 2:20  Read more in Pastor John Piper's book Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ.As you listen, s

Welcome to Season 5 of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast!We are excited to kick off a new series of encouraging conversations about finding hope through hardship, and share practical ways to include people with disabilities in your church and community.What does it mean to suffer well?How can we understand and cope with pain, loss, disability, and grief? This season on the podcast, we will learn how to lean on Christ and redefine our experiences with suffering and disability. We will also hear from people living with disability in their own words.Each episode this season will feature a guest who will provide insight and biblical encouragement for you—no matter what you are facing in your own life.Episode One kicks off with renowned pastor, author, and teacher John Piper! Tune in to hear Pastor John’s hopeful vision for the second coming of Christ. And find out how the promise of Jesus returning can help you through today’s hardships and suffering. Subscribe to the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast whereve

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Galyna, the Joni and Friends in-country coordinator—alongside other Joni and Friends partners in the region—has organized rescue efforts and ongoing care for people with disabilities from Ukraine. Galyna joins the podcast to give updates on the continuing war, including what happens to Ukrainian refugees after they cross the border.You can help send Ukrainian refugees with disabilities the long-term support they desperately need: safe housing, food, hygiene products, medical care, and trauma recovery therapy. Give a gift today to provide complete, Christ-centered care! KEY QUESTIONS:What happens to Ukrainian refugees with disabilities after they cross the border?What long-term needs do Ukrainian refugees face?How can you help Ukrainians with disabilities?KEY SCRIPTURES:“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, bringing violence, destruction, and terror to Ukrainians, Galyna, the Joni and Friends in-country coordinator in Ukraine, has orchestrated ongoing rescue and care for people with disabilities in and around the warzone.  Galyna joins the podcast to share how God has strengthened and equipped her and other Joni and Friends partners to serve vulnerable people in the midst of severe danger. You can help send Ukrainian refugees with disabilities the long-term support they desperately need: safe housing, food, hygiene products, medical care, and trauma recovery therapy. Give a gift today to provide complete, Christ-centered care! KEY QUESTIONS:Whose needs can you put above your own today?How can you help people with disabilities in Ukraine? KEY SCRIPTURES:“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.” Psalm 31:1–2“From everyone w

"Advocacy makes change possible when people call out what is wrong, care enough to stand up for what is right, commit to the cause for as long as it takes, and have confidence in God's power to change hearts." -Angela Muir Van EttenLearn more about AngelaGet your copy of Angela’s book, “ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities”  Advocacy Resources:Find your state’s Protection & Advocacy resourcesLearn more about Centers for Independent LivingGet resources and confidential assistance through 211 KEY QUESTIONS:What are the keys to effective advocacy?What is an ally?Where can you find help to advocate for yourself or a loved one? KEY SCRIPTURES:“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8–9“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 ----

When an unexpected disability or disease turns your life on end, how do you journey through each day without letting fear, depression, or discouragement overtake you? Dr. Jean Sutherland can answer this question from personal experience; she has leaned on the Lord through three bouts of aggressive cancer (and treatments) that have significantly altered her life, abilities, appearance, and even the way she eats and speaks. Dr. Sutherland joins the podcast to share how God has sustained her through suffering and taught her to rely on his strength in her weakness. Like Dr. Sutherland, Joni often leans on Scripture and hymns during long, difficult nights. She shares some of her favorites in her book Songs of Suffering. If you or a loved one needs encouragement this season, Songs of Suffering will help you find faith, peace, and comfort in the fight.Listen to Dr. Jean's Spotify Playlist of Hymns  KEY QUESTIONS:When unexpected difficulties come do you fall into fear, depression, or discouragement?How can you trust

A recent Joni and Friends survey identified respite care as the top unmet need among families living with disability. Many parents and caregivers who lack respite care options have to just keep going despite exhaustion, isolation, and discouragement. Disability advocate Jennifer Evans joins the podcast to talk about the gift of respite—how providing this type of rest can enable families to experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ.Download We’ve Got This and other Respite Care ResourcesDiscover all of the Joni and Friends Church Training Resources About Jennifer Evans: As disability advocate, author, and speaker, Jennifer’s work address topics of overcoming addiction, burnout, and mental health challenges. Jennifer has served at Joni and Friends Arizona, and as Executive Director for Grace Sober Living, a nonprofit organization that provides Christ-centered recovery care and housing to people overcoming addiction. Jennifer has also worked as director of a public health charity where she developed communit

Jennifer Evans is a humanitarian, author, and speaker whose work address topics of overcoming addiction, burnout, and mental health challenges. Jennifer has served at Joni and Friends Arizona, and as Executive Director for Grace Sober Living, a nonprofit organization that provides Christ-centered recovery care and housing to people overcoming addiction.Jennifer has also worked as director of a public health charity where she developed community-based hearing healthcare programs. She is a native Arizonan and graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. RECOVERY RESOURCES:Alcoholics AnonymousCelebrate Recovery KEY QUESTIONS:How do you heal from addiction?How does community promote recovery?How can the church help people who struggle with addiction? KEY SCRIPTURES:“Then he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this

After more than 55 years living with quadriplegia and chronic pain, Joni Eareckson Tada knows what it means to “press on” through suffering. As she celebrates her 73rd birthday, she’s using this miracle milestone to share the Good News of Jesus with families struggling with disabilities. Will you give in Joni’s honor and help others press on in their suffering? Celebrate Joni’s  Birthday!If you or a loved one need encouragement, Joni’s book, Songs of Suffering, will bring comfort and inspiration that has seen Joni through countless long, difficult nights. Songs of Suffering includes 25 hymns with accompanying devotions and photography designed to spark hope in hardship.Learn more about Joni’s life and faith in her autobiography, Joni: An Unforgettable Story.KEY QUESTIONS:How do you deal with obstacles?How do you fight for joy?Do you allow troubles to build your faith? KEY SCRIPTURES:“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14“We are ha

Rosaria Butterfield used to be a committed unbeliever, a leading thinker in queer studies, and a practicing lesbian. Then God used an invitation to dinner in a modest home, from a humble couple who lived out the Gospel daily, simply, and authentically, to draw Rosaria to himself. Dr. Butterfield shares her story in her book, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into Christian FaithRosaria is also the author of The Gospel Comes with a House Key, which points to the power of radically ordinary hospitality in a post-Christian world.Learn more about Dr. Rosaria Butterfield. KEY QUESTIONS:What is the connection between “hospital” and “hospitality”?How does God use hospitality to heal people?How can I practice hospitality with my disability(ies) or other limitations?How can the church practice hospitality? KEY SCRIPTURES:“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.” Psalm 68:5–6“How good and pleasant it is when

Rosaria used to be a “committed unbeliever,” a tenured professor at Syracuse University, a leading thinker in queer studies, and a practicing lesbian. Then God used an invitation to dinner in a modest home, from a humble couple who lived out the Gospel daily, simply, and authentically, to draw Rosaria to himself.Rosaria shares her conversion story in her book, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into Christian FaithLearn more about Dr. Rosaria Butterfield KEY QUESTIONS:How can ordinary hospitality bring someone to faith?How is true Christian hospitality different from entertaining? What makes a good “hospitality home”?What are the spiritual benefits of sharing life, and being vulnerable with one another? KEY SCRIPTURE:“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24–25----Find more en

Jodi Stuber, co-founder and program director of HopeWell Ranch and the co-author of Project Solomon: The True Story of a Lonely Horse Who Found a Home—and Became a Hero, joins the podcast to share how her organization uses rescued horses to help meet people’s emotional, spiritual, physical, and social needs. Through their compassionate and creative approach to equine therapy (therapy using horses), Jodi and her husband Ty have witnessed God healing hundreds of people: Veterans with post-traumatic stress, people with disabilities, and children and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, and other challenges.-----“It’s hard to be lonely, isn’t it? To miss someone who should be here?”Jodi Stuber wasn't looking for another horse for her struggling therapy ranch—let alone one like Solomon. After losing his herd, he was solitary and sad, spending his days standing near the plastic deer in his yard for company. No stranger herself to loss and heartache, Jodi knew she had to give Solomon a home.The road to r