Everybody's got a story. Today, we're getting to know Joel Aurand, the new Student Ministry Director at our Aurora Campus. Joel spent ten years teaching at Harvest Christian Academy before stepping into this new role, and if you've never met him, this is your chance — to hear how he got here, what he's learned along the way, and what he's excited about now that he's shepherding students full-time.

It's also a bittersweet one — this is the final episode of Conversations with Jeff Bucknam. But don't worry, we're not going anywhere. In a couple of weeks, Jeff will be back with his co-host, Pastor Tommy Creutz, for a brand-new podcast called The Threshing Floor—where they'll separate the wheat from the chaff on some of today's biggest biblical questions. What's true. What's not. Why it matters. We'll see you there.

Executive Producer and Host: Pastor Jeff Bucknam Co-host: Pastor Tommy Creutz Guest: Joel Aurand Sound design, mixing, and editing: Louis Go Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Sherri Smith

Everybody's got a story. Today Pastor Jeff gets to know Eric Freckman — a husband, a father, a financial planner, and a faithful Christ-follower and member of the Rolling Meadows Campus of Harvest Bible Chapel. Eric helps people make wise decisions with their money for a living. Today he's just here to have a conversation. Pull up a chair. Executive Producer and Host: Pastor Jeff Bucknam Co-host: Pastor Tommy Creutz Guest: Eric Freckman Sound design, mixing, and editing: Louis Go Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Sherri Smith

Matthew Bhushan just walked across a stage to collect his high school diploma. In a few days, he'll walk onto a college campus in Iowa for the first time. In between those two moments is a story about what it looks like to head into a new season with your faith intact — maybe even stronger than when you started. Matthew joins Pastor Jeff to talk about his relationship with Jesus, what he's learned so far, and what he's carrying with him into freshman year. Executive Producer and Host: Pastor Jeff Bucknam Co-host: Pastor Tommy Creutz Guest: Matthew Bhushan Sound design, mixing, and editing: Louis Go Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Sherri Smith