What does it look like to walk alongside a student wrestling with sexuality, identity, or shame, not with a list of rules, but with the love of Jesus? In this episode, we sit down with Laurie Krieg, Director of Parent Programs and Discipleship at the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, speaker, and co-author of the forthcoming Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Confused World (2026).

Laurie opens up about her own story of experiencing same-sex attraction in college, the mentor who helped her feel the deeper needs beneath her desires, and what it actually means to move from chains to freedom. From there, the conversation covers practical and theological ground that every campus leader needs: what marriage, singleness, and sex are really for, why a theology of yes is more compelling than a theology of no, and how hospitality has been one of the most powerful tools in her ministry.

We also talk about what students are really asking when they push back on faith, how to lead out of scars rather than open wounds, and why clarity of language with peaceful gospel confidence may be the most important thing leaders can bring to this generation.

Whether you are a campus minister, a parent, or someone still working through your own story, this conversation is full of wisdom, honesty, and hope.

Resources and Books Mentioned

• Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Confused World by Laurie and Matt Krieg (forthcoming 2026)
• Journey by Laurie Krieg (self-published soul care workbook, available on Amazon) — a gospel-centered discipleship resource for individuals, mentors, and groups wrestling with sexual brokenness
• Laurie and Matt's marriage book (available through their publisher)
• Whole In My Heart podcast, co-hosted by Laurie and Matt Krieg
• Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender — cfsg.org
• A Praying Life by Paul Miller — Laurie's most recommended resource for transforming your prayer life
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality podcast by Pete Scazzero — particularly the episode on "doing the work before the work"
• Gospel and Life podcast (Tim Keller) — specifically the sermon "Paul's Prayer for Experience" based on Ephesians 3:14-19
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield — cited as an influence on Laurie and Matt's practice of radical hospitality

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

Brenna Blaine is a contemporary theologian, bestselling author, and teacher whose life story is anything but a straight line. From a painful childhood marked by abuse and her parents' marital struggles, through years of wrestling with same-sex attraction, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, to a dramatic encounter with God on a YWAM base in Maui, Brenna's journey into faith and ministry is the kind that defies easy packaging.

In this conversation, Brenna opens up about receiving a bipolar diagnosis in the middle of her ministry career, what it means to pursue spiritual maturity when symptoms do not disappear, and how the church has often failed students by treating emotional health as a threat to faith rather than a part of it. She also shares what it looks like to steward your story wisely, why lament belongs in our worship vocabulary, and how ancient spiritual practices are some of the most countercultural tools available to the next generation.

Whether you are a student trying to make sense of your faith and your struggles, a campus minister walking alongside people in pain, or someone who just needs to hear that God is actually big enough for your real questions, this episode is for you.

Books

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
• Brenna's own book: Can I Say That?: How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

JP Poulter has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of technology, communication, and faith, from shaping global digital strategy at the LEGO Group to founding one of Europe's pioneering voice technology agencies. Now, as a fractional Head of AI and Innovation and founder of consultancy Three Point, JP is one of the clearest voices helping churches, ministries, and organizations navigate what he believes is the most transformative technology in human history.

In this conversation, JP breaks down what AI actually is in plain terms, why the church tends to follow culture rather than lead it, and what campus missionaries need to rethink right now about how they're preparing students for an AI-shaped world. He also gets personal, sharing how campus ministry in London shaped his faith, why he thinks the church needs to be 100x more present online, and why Joshua 1:9 keeps coming back to him in this moment.

This one is equal parts challenging and encouraging. If you work with college students or lead in any ministry context, you don't want to miss it.

Website: https://www.jamespoulter.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespoulter

Resources JP mentioned

• "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer: https://www.johnmarkcomer.com/books/the-ruthless-elimination-of-hurry
• "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com
• Center for Humane Technology (Tristan Harris): https://www.humanetech.com
• Google DeepMind Podcast hosted by Hannah Fry: https://deepmind.google/discover/the-podcast
• Relevant Magazine/Podcast: https://relevantmagazine.com

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

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Recorded live at the Collegiate Conference in Champaign, Illinois, this conversation features two IlliniLife leaders with very different work lives and the same deep commitment to the local church and campus mission field.

Nick Majeski came to the University of Illinois to become an engineer, then sensed God’s call toward vocational ministry, but not immediately. After graduation, he spent five years working as a network engineer on campus, discipling students from the inside, before turning down a major salary jump to join staff. Along the way, God used unlikely doors, persistent mentors, and even a triathlon to shape his calling and widen his reach.

Kyle Kloepper followed a different path: full-time engineer, full-time church member. He shares why he stayed rooted in Champaign even as bigger markets tried to pull him away, how God provided work at key moments, and why the church needs committed professionals who view ministry as non-negotiable, not optional.

Together, Nick and Kyle talk about discipleship that lasts decades, the power of calling people to stay, the tension of money vs. obedience, and what they’d say to students and missionaries making decisions right now. If you’ve ever wondered what faithfulness can look like after graduation, this episode is a clear, steady invitation: pour your life out for Christ, wherever you are, and trust that God can do more than you can see.

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

What does it look like when the local church takes responsibility for reaching the university campus? In this episode, Jay sits down with Miriam Swanson, evangelist, speaker, and National Director of Fusion USA. Miriam shares her journey from a student at the University of York to championing the role of the church in discipling college students across continents. With stories ranging from choosing a church based on where her non-Christian friends might feel welcome to moving into overlooked neighborhoods as an act of obedience, Miriam’s life reflects a contagious passion for Jesus and the next generation. Together, they explore evangelism, discipleship, and the surprising ways God is moving among Gen Z both in Europe and the U.S.

https://www.fusionusa.org/

https://www.instagram.com/hellofusionusa/

https://www.fusionmovement.org/resources/product/howtomakedisciples

https://relate.younglife.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKPWqTllHh0

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

In this episode, Kristal Poff, pastor at New Life Christian Fellowship at Virginia Tech and co-director of the Adirondack Leadership Training Program, shares her 17-year journey in campus ministry—a story marked by God’s faithfulness through deep loss, unexpected callings, and a lifelong passion for evangelism. Kristal reflects on how formative relationships, personal grief, and a community that embodied the love of Christ shaped her vision for ministry. She offers practical insights on building trust, adapting evangelism methods for changing cultures, and helping students feel truly known and loved as a foundation for the gospel. Along the way, she tells powerful stories of transformation, shares her go-to scriptures, and explains why slowing down to walk with people is essential for long-term fruit. Whether you’re a seasoned campus minister or just starting out, Kristal’s wisdom will inspire you to lift your eyes, stay present, and keep at it—because Jesus is still changing lives on campus.

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

Ryan Kozey has worn a lot of hats: campus missionary, professor, consultant, strategy lead, and church development director. In this conversation, he traces a journey that started as a Bowling Green State student in the late nineties and led to two decades of investing in college ministries and local churches across the United States. Ryan explains why the campus remains a strategic mission field, unpacks his data-driven “scorecard” for tracking spiritual growth and gospel impact, and shares practical ways churches can measure what they truly value. The discussion ranges from everyday dinner-table evangelism to the challenges of biblical literacy, the future of co-vocational church planting, and how small churches can out-innovate megachurches by staying nimble and collaborative. Listeners will also hear Ryan’s unexpected career “two truths and a lie,” the resources that shaped his view of discipleship, and his call to play the long game of faithful obedience.

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/

Ronnie Goble and Alfonso Mack have been following Jesus together since their college football days at Bowling Green State University. Now, they serve side by side at Rooted Church—a young, dynamic church plant in Metro Detroit focused on reaching the Woodward corridor with the gospel. In this episode, they share stories from their early days on campus, how a meal at Buffalo Wild Wings sparked a friendship that turned into a ministry partnership, and why they believe the local church is essential for long-term spiritual formation.

We talk about bold evangelism, the power of relational discipleship, and why southeast Michigan presents both unique challenges and incredible opportunities for gospel witness. Whether you’re planting a church, doing campus ministry, or just want to grow in living out your faith where you are, this episode will encourage and equip you.

Books:

Andy Crouch - the life we’re looking for - reclaiming relationship in a technological world

The relational soul

Rooted Church Link: https://www.rootedch.com/

https://www.collegiate.church/podcast

https://www.instagram.com/collegiate.church/