Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Crystal Keating has been part of Joni and Friends for over ten years helping the ministry answer thousands of calls, letters, and messages about disability, sharing resources, and holding fast to hope in Jesus through life’s greatest hardships. Her prayer for the Ministry Podcast is that each conversation will help listeners and their loved ones “bear much fruit” (John 15:8) in acts of love throughout the disability community.

Tune in to Crystal Keating’s interview with Joni Eareckson Tada from season one

More podcast episodes mentioned:

• Jerry Sittser
• Randy Alcorn
• Rachel LeMaster
•  Darby Strickland
• Vicki Zoradi
• Jamie Stark
• Tracey Motoda
  • Mutual Friendship When Disability is Involved
  • Thriving with Spinal Muscular Atrophy During COVID-19

Explore episodes from the past six seasons

KEY QUESTIONS: 

In what new ways can your church and community welcome, include, and love people with disabilities?

Times of transition can be difficult—how can you trust God and put your hope in him as you face a new beginning or a bittersweet ending?

What hope for the future has God placed on your heart?

KEY SCRIPTURES: 

Philippians 1:3–6: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Do you find yourself feeling nostalgic, wistful, or drained going into Christmas? Perhaps frustrated, frantic, or lonely? Joni knows well that Christmas time doesn’t automatically induce joy, especially as you grapple with the challenges of disability, grief, or other hardships. This is why she invites you to think deeply about Christ’s coming, and his death on the cross, meditating on what this salvation message means to you personally. Because gratitude will prepare your heart to find joy and fulfillment in Christ’s coming, bringing light into the darkness, and joy that transcends the deepest of pain.

Learn more at joniandfriends.org/christmas

If you need hope today, Joni and Friends can help:

Sign up to receive encouraging daily devotionals written by Joni

Download Joni and Ken’s Bible-reading plan to journey with them through God’s Word

Tune in to Joni’s radio programs

KEY QUESTIONS:

How do you cultivate the Christmas spirit?

Who in your life could use a word of encouragement this season?

What (or whom) are you most grateful for today? Stop to give God thanks!

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Take time to read and meditate on the promises found in Isaiah 9:6–7:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Stacy DeWitt is the Executive Director of James Storehouse, a community-based non-profit established in 2012. She works daily with an outstanding volunteer team to meet emergency needs to help expedite cases and ease transitions for children and families. By offering essential support to foster children—including those with disabilities—James Storehouse helps to break multi-generational cycles of abuse, neglect, and poverty.

Stacy is bilingual and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts/ Spanish. She has done graduate work at California Lutheran University and Fuller Theological Seminary. Stacy has three children ranging in age from fourteen to twenty-four. She is also an adoptive mother and has had the great joy of being a foster mother as well. She considers it the highest honor to fight for justice and to be a strong voice for the voiceless and most vulnerable in her community.

Located in Newbury Park, California, James Storehouse partners with local public and private child welfare agencies. From cribs to college, James Storehouse supports children in foster care, youth aging-out of foster care, children who have been commercially sexually exploited, children “at-risk” of removal, and all their caregiving families. The organization has received commendations from Los Angeles County and Ventura County recognizing its service to the child-welfare community.

Learn more about James Storehouse

KEY QUESTIONS:

What are the most pressing needs facing foster children, especially those with disabilities?

How can we, as Christians, respond to the needs of vulnerable children?

What can the church do to support foster children with disabilities?

KEY SCRIPTURES:

Psalm 82:3–4: “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

“The deepest transformations in our lives actually happen from some of our deepest woundings…good healing happens in community.”

What can the body’s healing process show us about repairing relational wounds? This week on the podcast Crystal is joined by Dr. Cymbeline T. Culiat, a scientist, entrepreneur, and co-author of the new book Designed to Heal: What the Body Shows Us about Healing Wounds, Repairing Relationships, and Restoring Community. 

Listen as Dr. Culiat provides a fascinating look at how the restorative processes of our physical bodies provide a model for healing the painful wounds of broken relationships and divided communities, including wounds within the church. Discover practical ways to address the need for reconciliation, wholeness, and function in our relationships with God, with one another, and within our communities.

Download Your Free Chapter of Designed to Heal
When you download chapter 1, you'll be entered to receive a free copy of the book.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

"When everything around me was changing, I knew that God wasn’t going to change. Without that truth, I don’t know where I would be today.”

Jenny Smith was a typical teenager—a gymnast who loved makeup, played in a band, and was active in her church youth group. But at 16 years old, she sustained a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down. Now relying on others for her most basic needs, privacy and independence seemed like things of the past. But Jenny refused to give up, and over time she discovered that a wheelchair could take her places she’d never dared to imagine. This week on the podcast, listen as Jenny shares how you can live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.

Read Jenny’s book or visit her website to see her latest videos and updates.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

On our last episode of the podcast, Vicki Zoradi shared the miraculous story of how God carried her through a life-threatening battle with severe septic shock. Although medical professionals gave her virtually no chance to live, God had a different plan. 

But despite beating the odds, inadequate blood supply to her extremities caused Vicki to lose both of her hands and feet. Now, fitted with prosthetic arms and legs, she is returning to share about God’s enduring love through loss and grief.

Visit Vicki's website to watch her story.

Vicki's new book, Tested by Fire...Fueled by Faith is now available! Request your free copy from Joni and Friends while supplies last.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

On her 60th birthday, shortly after receiving a Teacher of the Year award, Vicki Zoradi was diagnosed with an innocuous kidney stone. When the kidney stone became lodged between her bladder and kidney, she was rushed back to the hospital 36 hours later in severe septic shock. Medical professionals gave Vicki virtually no chance to live, but God had a different plan.

Despite miraculously beating the odds and surviving 35 days in the Intensive Care Unit, inadequate blood supply to her extremities caused her to lose both of her hands and feet.

Now, fitted with prosthetic arms and legs, Vicki is joining Crystal on the podcast for a two-part conversation about her miraculous story of loss and hope.

Subscribe to hear part 2 on our next episode!

Visit Vicki's website to watch her story.

Vicki's new book, Tested by Fire...Fueled by Faith is now available! Request your free copy from Joni and Friends while supplies last.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

“Songs are our portable theology… There’s something about the way music gets into our hearts and minds that's different than all other mediums of communication."

We all experience darkness. Perhaps darkness has come for you in the form of a painful loss, a chronic illness, deep loneliness, or perpetual anxiety. Because we are all human, we understand what it means to battle with darkness. 

This week on the podcast, singer-songwriter and author Ginny Owens who has been blind since the age of three is back to shine light on finding hope through life's dark and challenging circumstances. Listen as she offers practical ways to cultivate rest in a busy world and tells of the spiritual power and perspective she’s found in the songs of scripture.

Hear Ginny Speak with Crystal about Contentment

Learn powerful ways of drawing closer to God through music and prayer in Ginny's new book, Singing in the Dark, and accompanying EP, Sing Hope in the Darkness. Order your copy.

Find Ginny on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

“The bigger our vision of Jesus and the more confidence we have in who he is, the more our circumstances pale in comparison.” 

Is it possible to be content in any situation? When faced with circumstances outside your control, it can be easy to feel lost and hopeless. But you are part of a bigger story, and you have a purpose.

Blind since age three, singer-songwriter Ginny Owens has a unique approach to music and writing that have a way of helping us see more clearly and find hope in suffering. This week on the podcast, she is sharing about pursuing contentment as you live by faith and not by sight. After facing several harrowing struggles in her own life, Ginny discovered a deep contentment that changed her perspective on her challenges. Because although you don’t always get to choose your circumstances, you do get to choose the story your life tells.

“It is in the darkness that we learn who we are, and most importantly, we learn who God is.”

Learn powerful ways of drawing closer to God through music and prayer in Ginny's new book, Singing in the Dark, and accompanying EP, Sing Hope in the Darkness. Order your copy.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

"What does the church bring to the table? We specialize in love and human kindness, manifested in Christ-like friendships."

Previously on the podcast, Dr. John Swinton shared how stigma affects those struggling with their mental health. During this insightful conversation, he shared practical ways to love our neighbors well. 

This week, Dr. Swinton is returning to expand on how the body of Christ can create a community of belonging for those facing mental health challenges. He offers up new ways of seeing one another in which difference and disability are embraced as a valid way of being fully human and fully alive to the possibilities of God. Because when we view each person as a unique individual, rather than defining someone by their diagnosis, we can create an environment of friendship and belonging.

“When Jesus, who is God, sits in the margins with those who are marginalized, the margins change.”

Related Podcasts:

• Mental Health and Loving Our Neighbors Well
• Walking with God through Schizophrenia
• Caring for Someone with Schizophrenia
• A Response to Depression
• Depression and Anxiety When Life is Going Well
• Mental Illness and the Church

Order Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.