BUILDING FAITHFUL FUTURES
Welcoming Middle Schoolers, Confirmation vs. Youth Group & Finding Grounding in Doubt
Hosted by Caleb Wragge | WNYG Podcast | St. Andrew Lutheran Church
IN THIS EPISODE: Caleb Wragge (Host), Logan, Grace, Kate, Valentina, Cadence, Nora, McCoy, Gabe
INTRO
A new season, a bigger team, and a format built for getting to know each other: instead of one topic, everyone takes turns asking the group a question of their own — dream houses, favorite movies, five-year plans, and more. Meet this year's leadership team.
DREAM HOUSES
A strong lean toward water and nature: lake cottages (modern-but-still-old-fashioned, one specifically with flowers and a light blue exterior), a log cabin with a big study and a bonfire pit, and a small rustic cabin somewhere mountainous and away from everything. A couple of votes for a dim, cozy city apartment first, with a lake house to come later. And one very simple standard: tall ceilings, and room for a lot of dogs.
HOW EVERYONE SPENDS ALONE TIME
Knitting and reading outside, drawing to music, long walks in nature, doomscrolling with a heating pad (no shame), power-walking the dog with headphones in, coloring books, reading with a cat curled up nearby, and watching movies.
FAVORITE MOVIES
An eclectic list: the newest Knives Out mystery (praised for its sharp commentary on religion and community), To All the Boys I've Loved Before, a lifelong love of Tyler Perry's Madea movies, Grown Ups 2 (specifically for the cameo-heavy cast), Ten Things I Hate About You, The Wizard of Oz as an endlessly rewatchable classic, Star Wars: Episode III (seen in theaters for its 20th anniversary), the horror-comedy Ready or Not, and Mrs. Doubtfire. One dedicated Wicked fan reports seeing it in theaters with her face painted green.
BEACH OR MOUNTAINS?
Mountains win by a wide margin — mostly on account of a shared distaste for humidity — though the beach still gets love for swimming and the sound of waves. One person splits the difference: visit the beach, but live in the mountains.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?
The answers span a wide range of goals: PA school (physician's assistant), nursing school, finishing a degree at UND, a future in nuclear engineering focused on climate solutions, sports broadcasting or therapy (and hopefully a couple years into marriage by then), a career in special education, possibly law school, and one still-deciding vote between business and interior design — with the one firm requirement being "wear cute outfits and be important."
LOVE LANGUAGES
A good spread across all five: words of affirmation (compliments as a genuine daily practice for more than one person), quality time — specifically the kind described as "comfortable silence," just enjoying being near someone without needing anything else to happen — acts of service, physical touch (hugs specifically, not handshakes), and gifts, with an honest confession that gift-giving is a double-edged sword when you can't find something that feels good enough.
FAVORITE ANIMALS
Otters (river and sea) top the list for more than one person, along with a longtime cat skeptic who's since become a full convert, a lynx pick for sheer elegance, goats (a genuine childhood nickname from a grandfather), a grizzly bear traced back to a personality quiz, dogs and specifically yellow ducks, sea otters and cheetahs, and a very loved 14-year-old chiweenie named Kona who recently caught a squirrel (details declined for the podcast). Also in the mix: orangutans, piglets, and French Bulldogs.
FAVORITE SPORTS FIGURES
Cristiano Ronaldo, Vikings safety Harrison Smith, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, former Twins outfielder Max Kepler (with a plea for him to come back), and a sweet personal story about writing a former-neighbor NFL player a get-well note as a kid after he got injured, only for him to show up at the door. Also mentioned: a beloved WNBA star known for staying closely connected to her Minnesota roots, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and (with a laugh) a loyalty pick for the Packers.
LIFE MOTTOS AND VERSES TO LIVE BY
A few favorites worth sharing:
"Everything happens for a reason — even the bad things. I can't see my life any other way than this happening."
- Cadence
"Do not lean on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5)
— Valentina, on staying steady through hard weeks
"Don't repay evil for evil... instead, pay them back with a blessing" (1 Peter 3:9)
— Grace, on choosing kindness even when it's hard
"You can only control yourself and how you think about things — not anything around you."
— McCoy
Other favorites floating around the group: the "let them" theory for dealing with people who are unkind, the reminder that "it's not weird to be weird," and the belief that "being embarrassed is the embarrassing thing" — a case for just doing what makes you happy without worrying how it looks.
Caleb closes with a piece of advice he leans on constantly in youth ministry: listen to the kids, and don't assume you know better than what they're telling you.
CLOSING ADVICE
The episode ends the way it started — loose and funny — with a running joke about all the hypothetical sponsors the team's picked up along the way (Letterboxd, BuzzFeed, and a standing invitation to the Minnesota Lynx), before the whole group does a call-and-response shoutout to the actual sponsor, Thrivent. Sign-off: you are loved — and don't forget to follow and subscribe.