Concordia Seminary Newsroom
Sharing the Joy of Jesus through Podcasts
Jessica Bordeleau was 4 years old when her family was invited to go to church with friends. She saw firsthand how the Lord worked through that Christian community to welcome her family and show them the love of Christ. “I knew something had changed in my family,” she said. “The church community became so important to my parents. I saw them sharing their faith with others. They were just so excited they couldn’t hold it.”
Bordeleau, digital publishing coordinator for Concordia Seminary, produces and hosts two faculty podcasts: “Lectionary Kick-start” and “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived.” To the listener of either podcast, Bordeleau’s excitement for God’s Word and eagerness to learn more about Him is palpable as she facilitates discussions with and between the Seminary’s distinguished professors. Her Christian joy, she said, is an inheritance from her parents, who received God’s Word as adults and were visibly transformed by their faith.
Bordeleau’s parents not only received the faith, but they also lived it. “It was normal for us to talk about faith at home and to pray together,” she said. The teachers at her Lutheran school and the college-aged camp counselors at her Lutheran summer camp lived the faith, too. As a collective, the intergenerational chorus of adults throughout Bordeleau’s life inspired her to become a teacher and to tell children about the Gospel. She earned a degree in education from Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon.
“I want to be able to tell people about Jesus in any way I can.” — Jessica Bordeleau
After college she served as program director at Camp Luther in Wisconsin and sought opportunities to deepen her knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. As part of this effort she enrolled at Concordia Seminary and completed a master’s degree in systematic theology. She took this Seminary-enriched understanding with her as she went on to direct Christian education and youth ministry at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Minnesota and later at Timothy Lutheran Church in St. Louis, where she continues to volunteer.
She also served a dual call at Timothy and the LCMS Youth Ministry Office, where she coordinated Lutheran Youth Fellowship (now YouthLead). It was during her time there that she and her husband, Adrian, started their family of three children. It also was during this season of life that she branched into new media. Having spotted a need for multimedia resources to accompany youth leadership training, she began learning the tools of the media production trade, largely by working alongside her husband, who specializes in media communications.
Bordeleau continued developing her production skills by freelance work. It was through these projects that Dr. Michael Zeigler, the speaker of The Lutheran Hour, asked her to co-host a Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) podcast called “Speaking of Jesus.” Later, her resume and ardent advocacy for the Seminary made her a natural fit when the Seminary created a new position to oversee the launch of the new faculty podcasts.
Under the guidance of the Seminary’s Theological Research and Publication department, “Lectionary Kick-start” debuted in May 2023. Bordeleau hosts weekly conversations on the lectionary texts with Dr. David Schmitt and
Dr. Peter Nafzger, both homiletics professors at the Seminary. “During campus events I spoke with as many people as I could, and asked, ‘What kind of podcast would you listen to? What kind of podcast would help you in your ministry?’” she said. The podcast provides preachers and teachers with ideas and inspiration as they write their sermons and prepare their teaching lessons.
Following the success of “Lectionary Kick-start,” which has an average of more than 850 downloads per episode and has accrued an audience spanning pastors, deaconesses, teachers and laypeople, Bordeleau began producing another podcast called “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived.” Her second Seminary podcast, which began in September 2023, helps listeners deepen their theology as faculty explore the many ways in which God is active in the everyday lives of believers. Episodes have explored topics like artificial intelligence and Christian nationalism, among a wide-ranging list of subjects.
On the shows and in ordinary conversation, Bordeleau’s sincere appreciation for practical theology and authentic gladness about the Word of Jesus shines through. When discussing what she enjoys most about hosting and facilitating the two podcasts, her eyes light up. “It’s been so exciting for me to have these conversations with teachers in our church body,” she said, “and to learn from them while helping share their understanding of Scripture with the larger church.”
Bordeleau marvels at the many souls whom her podcasts and their distinguished teaching guests now reach. “It’s all about Jesus, and I want to be able to tell people about Jesus in any way I can,” Bordeleau said. “Nothing in life is as important as our relationship with God and our understanding of His love for us through Jesus.”
Listen to “Lectionary Kick-start” and “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived” on podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The podcasts also can be found on the Concordia Theology website at concordiatheology.org/podcasts.