Talking About Things That Matter with People Who Matter

UNITY Belief Beat

Meet our newest staff hire, Graeme Gallagher, our M and C specialist. Hear his impressions from his first 6 months at Unity, his goals for the next 6 months, and his very unusual criteria of selecting sports teams to support.

(6-16-2021) The Man Behind the Camera

Things that Matter With People Who Matter,
Serenity Inns graduate and staff member Alfonso walks us through his recovery story and what he’s learned along the way. 
UNITY Lutheran Church
Brookfield, WI
June 23rd, 2021

(6-23-2021) Stories of Recovery

Things that Matter with People Who Matter,
Last week we began construction of the highly anticipated Backyard Project at CTK. Listen as Pastor Muriel talks with multiple people who have made this project possible. 
UNITY Lutheran Church 
Brookfield, WI
June 30th, 2021

(6-30-2021) Building the Backyard

Things that Matter with People Who Matter
Take a listen as we talk with guest speakers Deborah Monasterio and Nichole Stangel of Children's Hospital and Kyle's Korners about talking with kids about grief and death. This is the first part of a two-part series.
UNITY Lutheran Church
Brookfield, WI
July 14th, 2021

(7-14-2021) Talking with Kids about Grief and Death Part 1

Things that Matter with People Who Matter
Take a listen as we talk with guest speakers Deborah Monasterio and Nichole Stangel of Children's Hospital and Kyle's Korners about talking with kids about grief and death. This is the second part of a two-part series.
UNITY Lutheran Church
Brookfield, WI
July 21st, 2021

(7-21-2021) Talking with Kids about Grief and Death Part 2

Things that Matter With People Who Matter
Want to know what going on a trip to El Salvador is like? Listen to UNITY travelers as they recap their expectations, favorite moments, and advice from the El Salvador trip this summer.

You can donate to our El Salvador scholarship program by following this link: http://unitybrookfield.org/donate.htm

(8-11-2021) Making the World a Little Bit Smaller - ES Trip Recap 2021

Things that Matter with People Who Matter,
We sit down with UNITY's newest staff member, Michelle. We talk about her position as Director of Christian Education, her connection with UNITY, and what she is looking forward to this year. 
UNITY Lutheran Church
Brookfield, WI
September 8th, 2021

(9-8-2021) Look Up, Then Look Out - Talking With Michelle Aprahamian

Things That Matter With People Who Matter
Stories- they are our lifeblood. Our Bible is a centuries-long project of people passing down stories from generation to generation, and it is sacred because we recognize those stories still have so much to teach us! With that in mind, we set out to collect stories from some of our older members about their lives, what the world was like back then, and what they’ve learned along the way. Here is Part 1 of this 3-part series with our special guests John Purnell (78), Vina Tausend (83), and Marilyn Koplin (86).

(9-15-2021) A Trip Down Memory Lane, Three-Part Series

Things That Matter With People Who Matter
Stories- they are our lifeblood. Our Bible is a centuries-long project of people passing down stories from generation to generation, and it is sacred because we recognize those stories still have so much to teach us! With that in mind, we set out to collect stories from some of our older members about their lives, what the world was like back then, and what they’ve learned along the way. Here is Part 2 of this 3-part series with our special guests John Purnell (78), Vina Tausend (83), and Marilyn Koplin (86).

(9-23-2021) A Trip Down Memory Lane, Part Two

Things That Matter With People Who Matter
Stories- they are our lifeblood. Our Bible is a centuries-long project of people passing down stories from generation to generation, and it is sacred because we recognize those stories still have so much to teach us! With that in mind, we set out to collect stories from some of our older members about their lives, what the world was like back then, and what they’ve learned along the way. Here is the finale of this 3-part series with our special guests John Purnell (78), Vina Tausend (83), and Marilyn Koplin (86).

(9-29-2021) A Trip Down Memory Lane, Part Three

Barb Horner-Ibler, Medical Director at the Bread of Healing Free Clinic  joins Pastor John to discuss the need for a free clinic. How is that possible in a society that spends $3t trillion on healthcare?  What circumstances caused Bread of Healing to get started, what types of care do they provide, and what impact does  the clinic have on its community and the community on it?

Bread of Healing Free Health Clinic with Barb Horner-Ibler

This week, Pastor John is in El Salvador on our mission of healing trip, so we’re doing something a little different. We’re bringing you a conversation between Pastor John and Jill Barney that took place during our stewardship week livestreams. Jill is a longtime UNITY member who is active in a group called GRASP - it stands for grief recovery after a substance passing. She has a powerful story that we think you will find both meaningful and important.

GRASP with Jill Barney

In this episode we meet Diane Hill, Sheila McKinney, and Kathy Nevermann, three of the people who make the Bread of Healing Clinic go. They share their thoughts about making health care happen when material resources are limited but human resources abundant.

Human Resources Are The Best Resources: Bread of Healing Clinic Part II

Our 18th Mission of Healing Trip in El Salvador took place February 11-18, 2023. Health educators and medical teams were able to work with 472 clinic visitors in 4 different communities over the course of the week.

We’ll use 3 podcasts to talk with different participants on the trip. This first episode focuses on mornings. Each day, the clinic gets set up in a new site with new people helping and attending. How does it come together in minutes after months of planning?

We’ll talk with Cindy Dostal (nutrition and women’s health), Eric Gravenkamp (counseling) and Megan Meiklejohn and Sally Thomas (one of four medical teams) about the situations and stories shared with them by our partners in El Salvador.

Brand New Day- Mornings with the Mission of Healing Crew

A few decades back, when collegiate women’s sports were still in most people’s periphery, Susie Sprecher was playing for NCAA soccer championships at UW-Madison. Fast-forward a generation and one of her daughters, Kylie Sprecher, is competing at the highest of levels nationally, a Golden Eagle from Marquette. By the time Kylie arrives at MU, sports nutritionists, trainers and psychologists are on the scene. Same sport. Different worlds. So many unique and life-filled experiences. So much exposure to the challenges and pitfalls of such a singular focus on one part of your life. Listen in on a great conversation between mother and daughter, one generation of player to the next,  and mostly just the wisdom of two people who’ve learned a lot from their journey through the world of  Division 1 (D! in the title) sports.

D1 X 2= ?

The February 2023 Mission of Healing trip continued a tradition of medical, health and wellness delegations to El Salvador that date back to 2005 for Unity and to 2000 for some of our Wisconsin and  Minnesota partners. 

This is Episode 2 of a 3-part look at the history of MOH, the intricacy of planning for it, and the daily rush of being part of something so challenging and worthwhile.  

On this episode we’re joined by two travelers who’ve been in it for the long-haul, 20 total trips between them, Mike Gutzeit and Julie Hoesly.  They in turn are joined by one of the 7 first-time travelers on the trip, Trisha Smith. The continued in-flow of new energy, mixed with experience has allowed us to remain committed as the lead congregation. This episode looks at afternoons…the challenges of the hottest part of the day, daily tear-down, and getting back to home-base in San Salvador.

In It For The Long Haul, Episode 2 Mission Of Healing 2023

This is Episode 3 of a 3-part look at the history of MOH, the intricacy of planning for it, and the daily rush of being part of something so challenging and worthwhile. 

The February 2023 Mission of Healing trip continued a tradition of medical, health and wellness delegations to El Salvador that date back to 2005 for Unity and to 2000 for some of our Wisconsin and  Minnesota partners. 

For this episode, we talk to Mary Ehresman,  a member at Edina (MN) Community Lutheran Church, with whom we’ve partnered on this trip for over a decade. Mary brings with her medical skills, experience in Central America, and an easy-going sense of humor.  That makes her a great fit with Greg Buck, one of our ongoing medical providers and Erika Taipala, a future provider who went on our summer relationship trip and then the Mission of Healing trip within a 6 month period. All three combine to give you a great window into how each day on the trip draws to a close and thoughts on how this important relationship with the Salvadoran Lutheran Church can continue to evolve.

Mission of Healing 2023, Episode 3

Sara Matchulat Zejnic grew up at the Cross of Life campus of Unity.  She was confirmed here, a part of our youth group, and a frequent Worship Assistant and singer in worship.  Sara was a repeat traveller on our earliest El Salvador trips. She and others helped us  establish the young adult-to-young adult connections that have been one of the hallmarks of our 20-year relationship there. 

Sara’s presence in El Salvador helped make her aware of the way in which poverty, gangs, natural disasters, war, and human aspirations trigger emigration from one country to another. Today she works with immigrants who enter the US  through many channels. On this episode of Belief Beat, Sara shares how her life experiences led  into the work she now does. She talks about the current immigration system and the ways in which faith-based and secular immigration agencies work with immigrants. What works?  What doesn’t? Where does she find hope? 

It’s so good to hear from someone raised here who now does such significant work on a daily basis.  Sara is the Deputy Director of Programs for the International Rescue Committee, working in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Immigration Through The Eyes of Someone Who Sees it Every Day

UNITY Lutheran Church,
UNITY's Blood Drives,
Pastor John Horner-Ibler,
Marilyn Ranney

Belief Beats Marilyn Blood Drive

Pastor Muriel and Caitlin Dominski talk El Salvador!

(08-22-24) Stories From El Salvador

UNITY Lutheran Church (ELCA)
Cross of Life Lutheran Campus
20700 West North Avenue
Brookfield, WI  53045

Christ the King Campus
4600 Pilgrim Road
Brookfield, WI  53005