Sun Prairie United Methodist Church Podcast

The Good We Can - Episode 3: "Hope and Voice"

🎧 Episode 3: Hope and Voice – Meeting People Where They Are

In this episode, Bill and Sarah sit down with Heather Young, a member of Sun Prairie United Methodist Church who brings over a decade of experience in jail and prison ministry. Heather shares powerful stories from her weekly Bible studies and tutoring sessions inside both Racine and Dane County Jails—stories of deep listening, human connection, and the quiet unfolding of healing and hope in hard places.

Heather reflects on the difference between punitive justice and restorative justice, and how presence, empathy, and Scripture can become tools of transformation. Whether she’s singing through a cell door slot or helping someone rediscover a forgotten dream, Heather’s ministry reminds us what it means to show up with compassion where dignity is often denied.

🌐 Resources & Contact Info
Learn more about the Madison Area Jail Ministry: madisonjailministry.org

📧 Contact Heather Young
Phone: 414-350-9485
Email: heatherusty@myfamily.org

💬 Reflection Question:
Where are you being called to show up—with love, humility, and presence?

🎙️ Subscribe and listen to more episodes at sunprairieumc.org → under Worship Together.

Sermon - A Summer Check-In With Jesus

In this message inspired by the story of Mary and Martha, Pastor Jenny encourages us to pause amid summer’s busy rhythms and distractions to choose “the better part”—gracious attention to Jesus’ presence. Through intentional moments of quiet, reflection, and prayer, we’re invited to reset our hearts and listen for God’s voice in the everyday moments of our lives.

 

Hopeful Persistence

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Romans 15:13, reminding us that God fills us with joy, peace, and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Using her decades-long journey to solve a Rubik’s Cube as a metaphor, Pastor Jenny encourages us to persist in life and faith with trust—believing that even in seasons of confusion, God is patiently aligning the pieces.

Sermon - Love That Crosses the Street

In this message centered on the parable of the Good Samaritan, Pastor Jenny reminds us that loving our neighbor means taking action—crossing boundaries of fear, difference, or comfort to offer mercy and compassion without judgment. As we spend this summer with Jesus, we’re invited to live a faith that doesn’t just stay in our heads or hearts, but moves through our hands and feet into a hurting world.

Backstage Grace

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Galatians 6:2, which calls us to bear one another’s burdens as a way of fulfilling the law of Christ. Just as actors need a backstage to rest and be real, we too need safe spaces and relationships where we can be vulnerable—and offer that same grace to others.

Sermon - Catch a Wave

Summary:

In this sermon, Pastor Brad compares Peter stepping out of the boat to catch a wave of faith with the daring and fear that come when we face life’s storms. Just like Peter, we’re called to let go of fear, trust Jesus in the chaos, and step boldly toward the One who meets us not in safety—but in the waves.

Reflection Question:
When in your life have fear and faith collided—and what would it look like to step out of the boat and trust Jesus in that moment?

Meantime

In this Word of the Week devotional Pastor Jenny takes a look at scripture from Matthew 9:36-38. We ponder together what it feels like to be in between things and who God calls us to be in the "mean time". 

No So Easy- Word of the Week

As we celebrate John Wesley's birthday, Pastor Jenny takes a moment to reflect on his three simple rules and how they are not so easy to follow all the time. 

Sermon - A Summer of Healing and Hope

In this sermon, Pastor Jenny reflects on three intertwined stories from Matthew 9 where Jesus calls the outcast Matthew, heals a bleeding woman, and raises a young girl—each moment revealing Christ’s power to bring healing and hope through simple presence and compassionate attention. As we enter summer, we’re invited not just to rest and play, but to walk closely with Jesus—looking for him in the overlooked places of our lives, receiving his grace, and sharing his hope with others.

G.P.A.

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on 1 Corinthians 3:9, reminding us that we are coworkers in God’s service—God’s field, God’s building. As graduation season celebrates individual GPAs, we’re invited to redefine GPA as God plus People equals Accomplishment, recognizing that true impact comes through partnership with God and one another.

Sermon - Everywhere You Go, Jesus Goes Too

On Trinity Sunday, Pastor Jenny invites us to see the Great Commission not as a burden, but as a grace-filled invitation to share God's love in small, daily steps—trusting that Christ walks with us even when we doubt. Rooted in the image of God (Imago Dei), we are called to reflect divine diversity, equity, and inclusion as we love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in our world.

Recess

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Psalm 46, reminding us that God is our refuge and strength, present even in times of chaos and uncertainty. In the spirit of summer and sacred rest, we’re invited to rediscover “recess” as a holy practice—stepping away to play, breathe, and renew in God’s presence.

Sermon - The Journey With Jesus

In this Pentecost message, Pastor Brad tells the story of Jesus calling the first disciples and reflects on why they left everything to follow him—not for comfort, but for meaning. Like the disciples and like Thomas Merton, we’re invited into a deeper journey with Jesus, one that may not be easy but offers peace, purpose, and a life led by the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, Come

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Acts 2:1–2, describing how the Holy Spirit came suddenly and powerfully on Pentecost, like a rushing wind and wildfire. We’re invited to pray “Come, Holy Spirit, come” with openness and attentiveness, trusting that the Spirit still moves among us—often in unexpected, everyday moments.

Sermon - Empowered for the Journey

As Jesus ascended, he left his disciples not with final farewells but with a blessing and a promise: the power of the Holy Spirit to go out as witnesses of God’s love. Pastor Jenny encourages us to carry that same blessing into our summer journeys—not as a break from faith, but as an invitation to see and share Christ’s presence in the everyday moments of life.