Shalomies with Elizabeth Woodson and Yana Jenay Conner

Afleveringen

• Fig Leaves and Yokes: Finding Our Way Out of Shame to Shalom 15.07.2026 50min

  Shame is a powerful emotion. This makes sense, considering it is one of the first negative human emotions we encounter in Scripture. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, their first instinct was to cover themselves with fig leaves and go into hiding. Since then, however, we've become more creative. Shame not only drives us into lives of masking and hiding, but also into lives of performance and spiritual over-functioning beneath ill-fitting yokes.In this episode, Elizabeth and Yana have an honest conversation about the many ways shame can shape our lives. Together, they explore how shame manifests in both subtle and obvious ways, our attempts to cover it with fig leaves or out-perform it with ill-fitting yokes, and how Jesus offers us a better way to live.If you struggle with shame or perfectionism, we hope this conversation will help you enter into the rest and freedom Christ died for you to enjoy.Questions Covered In This EpisodeHow would you define shame?What are some ways we try to cover our shame with fig leaves?What is a yoke? What ill-fitting yokes can we put on to try to out-perform our shame? What is the yoke Jesus offers? How does the gospel liberate us from shame?What are some practical ways we can come to Jesus in response to His invitation in Matthew 11:28-30? Key Passages:Genesis 2:25, 3:6-7; Matthew 11:28-30Recommended Resources:Habits of Resistance by Elizabeth WoodsonShame Interrupted by Ed Welch The Woodson Institute Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTubeJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• When Our Heroes Fall w/Lisa V. Fields 01.07.2026 59min

  "Nobody's outside the possibility of moral failure." — Lisa V. FieldsIn a broken world filled with fallen people, these words are sobering—but true.When a ministry leader we admire falls into sin, the impact can reach far beyond disappointment. The pastor whose sermons strengthened your faith, the Bible teacher who helped you understand Scripture, or the Christian influencer whose content encouraged your walk with God can suddenly become the source of confusion, grief, and even spiritual disillusionment. Their failure can leave us questioning not only them, but also the faith they once helped nurture.In this episode, Elizabeth and Yana are joined by Lisa V. Fields, founder of The Jude 3 Project and author of When Heroes Fall: Healing from the Aftermath of Sin. Together, they have an honest and compassionate conversation about hero worship, the tension between mercy and accountability, and how to hold on to faith when someone you respect has failed.Lisa, Elizabeth, and Yana share candidly about moments when their own faith was shaken by the moral failures of ministry leaders and discuss the biblical truths that helped them regain their footing. They explore how to process grief, disappointment, and distrust without allowing another person's sin to define your relationship with God.If you've found yourself discouraged, wounded, or questioning your faith in the aftermath of a ministry leader's failure, this conversation is for you. Our prayer is that, despite the failures of human leaders, you would cling afresh to the faithfulness of the One who never fails.Questions Covered In This EpisodeWhat personal experiences and observations of the church and church leadership led you to write this book? Why do you think that a ministry leader’s moral failure tends to impact someone’s faith in God? There are our parasocial heroes and IRL (in real life) heroes. Why do you think it's important for us to keep this distinction in mind when navigating our hurt and disappointment when our heroes fall?What truths from God’s Word do we need to hold onto when our heroes fall?How do we seek the restoration of those who have been directly impacted by the moral failures of others?Why do you think the church has historically given more attention to the restoration of fallen heroes than victims? When a hero falls, how do we faithfully live in the tension of doing justice on behalf of the offended and loving mercy in response to the offender? How would you encourage someone who is struggling in their faith in the aftermath of a ministry leader’s moral failure? Key Passages:Exodus 20:2-3, Micah 6:8, Mark 10:18 Recommended Resources:When Heroes Fall by Lisa V. FieldsThe Jude 3 Project Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a...
• Count it all Joy 17.06.2026 54min

  Have you ever been told to “count it all joy” in the middle of a difficult season and thought, "How am I supposed to do that?”In this episode, Yana and Elizabeth talk honestly about what perseverance looks like when life is hard. They explore what Scripture says about suffering, share some of their own experiences, and discuss why the voices you listen to and the people you walk with matter more than you may realize.If you're finding it difficult to trust God in the middle of disappointment, grief, or unanswered questions, this conversation is for you. We hope it encourages you to keep holding on to Christ and reminds you that God is at work, even in seasons you wouldn't rather not be walking through.Questions Covered In This Episode:What is a recent season of difficulty you’ve experienced? What made it hard?What did quitting look like or feel like as an option during that time?What were people around you saying, and did it help or hurt?Looking back, what did that season build in you that you're genuinely grateful for now? How did your faith in God grow?In hindsight, where was God working that you couldn’t see or appreciate while you were going through. What do you wish someone had told you when you were going through?What would you say directly to the listener who is asking "Is perseverance worth it?"Key Passages:James 1:2-4, Romans 3:3-5, Galatians 6:9Recommended Resources:Habits of Resistance by Elizabeth WoodsonJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• What's Good, Shalomie? 03.06.2026 39min

  In This Episode:Why Yana spent three months on sabbaticalWhat Elizabeth learned from a season of nonstop ministryThe role counseling has played in cultivating shalomHow friendship sustains us through difficult seasonsWhat it means to trust God when you don't know what's nextThe theme and vision for the new season of ShalomiesResources Mentioned:Habits of Resistance by Elizabeth WoodsonWaiting Isn't a Waste by Mark VroegopGalatians 6:9Ephesians 2Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalom + The Culture 17.12.2025 48min

  In this final episode of the first season of Shalomies, Yana and Elizabeth talk about what it really means to pursue shalom in a world that’s constantly forming us to reflect its image. Drawing from Elizabeth’s upcoming book, Habits of Resistance, they talk about suffering, the role of Scripture, and why God’s grace—not striving—is the key to a  faithful and distinctive Christian life.Recommended Resources:Habits of Resistance (Book)Bible Recap (Podcast)From Beginning To Forever (Book)Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalom + Work 10.12.2025 37min

  In this episode of Shalomies, Yana Jenay sits down with her friend and mentor, LaToya King, Chief Operating Officer of the Triangle Community Foundation, for a rich conversation about what it means to pursue shalom in our everyday work. LaToya shares her story and the experiences that shaped her calling, as well as the Scriptures and beliefs that guide how she leads and serves.Together, they explore how so much meaningful ministry can happen outside of church walls and why it can be difficult for believers to see their jobs as part of God’s mission to restore wholeness in the world. LaToya speaks candidly about the challenges of living out faith in settings where values aren’t always shared—including how she navigates conflict, maintains integrity, and seeks the good of the communities she serves.Throughout the episode, LaToya offers wisdom for working with intentionality: approaching our roles not simply as tasks to complete, but as opportunities to seek the welfare of the city through presence, excellence, compassion, and courage.This conversation is an invitation to see your work—whatever it is—as a place where God is present and active, forming you and using you to bring shalom to the world.Key Scriptures:Jeremiah 29:7Matthew 22:36-40Romans 12:2Questions Covered In This Episode:What beliefs or passages of Scripture guide your approach to your work?It’s been said that most ministry happens outside of the walls of the church. Would you agree with this statement? If so, why?Why do we struggle to see work outside of the church’s walls as a part of God’s mission to restore shalom?One of the benefits of working in a church setting is that there is a shared biblical worldview, work ethic, and code of conduct. Even if we people stray, we have the Scriptures as a shared text to draw people back to. The same is not true outside of the walls of the church. What have been some of the challenges you faced when it comes to living out your faith at work?How do you navigate conflict at work? Recommended Resources:Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy ShermanA Just Leader: Thriving in a Fractured World by David SpickardThe Institute for Faith, Work, and EconomicsJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalomies: Shalom + Friendship 03.12.2025 46min

  In this episode of Shalomies, Yana and Elizabeth explore the joys and struggles of friendship, confessing the time they've gotten it wrong and what God has taught them along the way. They discuss the pain of friendship loss and share the practices they adopted to avoid it when possible. If you’re in the thick of a relational conflict or grieving friends lost, we pray this conversation will provide you with hope and direction as you consider what’s your next step in cultivating shalom in your friendships.Key Scriptures:Psalm 131Psalm 139:23–24Ecclesiastes 4:9–12John 15:13Acts 15:36–41Romans 11:36Romans 12:18Galatians 2:11–14Galatians 6:2James 4:1–2Questions Covered In This Episode:Why do you think friendship has become a rising conversation in our culture?How has your understanding about friendship evolved over time?What does Scripture tell us about friendship?How do we maintain and pursue shalom in our friendships?Can you think of a time when shalom was broken in a friendship? What did it look like to repair that relationship?How do we grieve friendship loss?Recommended Resources:Living Beyond Offense: Doing The Hard Work of Forgiveness God's WayMade for People: Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of FriendshipJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalomies: Shalom + Singleness 26.11.2025 44min

  In this candid and compassionate conversation, Elizabeth Woodson and Yana Conner explore the complexities, beauty, and challenges of Christian singleness. Drawing from their own experiences as single women, they dismantle harmful church messages, unpack common misconceptions, and offer a biblical vision of singleness that is rooted in purpose, dignity, and Shalom. They discuss the emotional realities of longing, grief, and sexual frustration, while emphasizing the spiritual maturity and sanctification that singleness invites—not as a waiting room for marriage, but as a life stage full of God-given agency, calling, and joy.Elizabeth and Yana also challenge churches to better support single adults through belonging, inclusion, and genuine family, rather than centering marriage as the pinnacle of Christian life. Their message is clear: Shalom—wholeness, peace, and flourishing—is available to singles right now because it flows from connection to Christ, not relationship status. With honesty, humor, and theological depth, this episode offers hope and a fresh imagination for what faithful, flourishing singleness can be.Key Scriptures:Psalm 16:5-8Psalm 22:1 Psalm 37:4John 10:10Questions Covered In This Episode:What misconceptions or misplaced perspectives about singleness prevent believers from experiencing shalom?How can singles live fully in God’s wholeness without “waiting” for another life stage?How can the church better embody shalom for singles in its community life?Where are you experiencing  longing? How could your current [single] season be leveraged for unique kingdom impact? Recommended Resources:Embrace Your Life: How to Find Joy When the Life You Have is Not the Life You Hoped For Living Single with Yana Jenay PodcastJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalom + Forgiveness 19.11.2025 52min

  In this episode of Shalomies, Yana and Elizabeth explore forgiveness and shalom through the lens of Yana's new book, Living Beyond Offense.They discuss forgiveness as a merciful decision requiring vulnerability, examine the barriers that keep people stuck in unforgiveness, and clarify the crucial difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. The conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of finding healing in broken relationships.Key Scriptures:Genesis 1-3Matthew 18Psalm 37Questions Covered In This Episode:You started your book on forgiveness with a discussion on shalom. Why did you feel like it was important to start a book of forgiveness there?What do you think are our greatest barriers to obeying Jesus’ command to forgive?What are some ways we can move through these barriers to obey Jesus’ command to forgive?After reading your book, it’s clear to me that you spent a lot of time studying and wrestling with Scripture. What was one thing unexpected that you learned during your time in God’s Word?What’s your prayer for this book? Recommended Resources:Living Beyond Offense: Doing The Hard Work of Forgiveness God's WayJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalom + The Wilderness 12.11.2025 35min

  In this episode of Shalomies, Yana and Elizabeth sit down with Kristel Acevedo to talk about finding Shalom in wilderness seasons. We explore how God meets us in hard and uncertain places, the importance of honest lament, and the grounding practices that help us stay rooted when life feels overwhelming. Through Scripture and personal story, we reflect on how the wilderness can become a place of formation, presence, and unexpected peace.Key Scriptures:Psalm 13:1-6Guest Bio:To learn more about Kristel Acevedo, please visit www.kristelacevedo.comQuestions Covered In This Episode:How would you define a wilderness season?How have you experienced God’s peace in a wilderness season?In your book, you highlight the story of Hagar. How would you say Hagar experienced shalom in the wilderness?   Why is lament an important part of cultivating shalom?What practices help you stay grounded in God’s presence when life feels uncertain?Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Shalom + Discipleship 05.11.2025 41min

  In this episode of Shalomies, Yana and Elizabeth unpack how discipleship serves as a pathway to experiencing shalom. Together, they explore what it means to move beyond information toward transformation in discipleship and discuss how real growth happens through reflection, patience, and community. Listeners are encouraged to seek out mentors, invest in discipleship relationships, and remember that becoming whole is a process shaped by both God’s grace and the people He places in our lives.Key Scriptures:Matthew 16:24Colossians 1:9-14Colossians 1:28-29Questions Covered In This Episode:What discipleship methods have you seen focus only on knowledge or emotions?What dangers arise when discipleship lacks wholeness?Why must discipleship integrate head, heart, and hands?What holistic discipleship methods have you seen produce shalom? What practices cultivate wholeness?How can leaders help the people they disciple live more integrated lives in Christ?Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• Why Shalom? 29.10.2025 28min

  In this episode, Elizabeth and Yana do a deep dive into the meaning of shalom–a biblical concept that speaks to God’s desire for wholeness, peace, and flourishing in every part of life. They explore what it looks like to experience and cultivate shalom in a broken world, drawing from Scripture, the life of Jesus, and their own personal stories. Together they discuss how God’s vision of wholeness restores what’s fractured in our lives and communities. Key Scriptures:Genesis 1:26-28Luke 4:18-19Ephesians 1:9-10Questions Covered In This Episode:How did we stumble across a theology of  “shalom”, individually and then together?What is a biblical definition for shalom? How does Scripture’s definition of shalom differ from the world’s definition of peace?Where in your life do you long for God’s wholeness? How does pursuing shalom change the way we view our life and purpose?Join the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube
• What is Shalomies? 22.10.2025 3min

  After two years of dreaming, Elizabeth Woodson and Yana Jenay Conner finally hit record! They talk about what shalom really means—God’s vision of wholeness and peace—and how it shapes everything from singleness to work, friendship, and forgiveness.🎧 Subscribe and follow @elizabethwoodson & @yanajenayJoin the Conversation:Thanks for listening to Shalomies! We’d love to hear how the podcast is helping you pursue peace and wholeness in your own life. Share your thoughts, questions, or testimonies with us over on Instagram @shalomiespodcast. Elizabeth and Yana would love to hear from you! If you’re enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a little more shalom this week.Follow Us:Instagram | YouTube