Needed Time

Join us as we enter the home stretch of this season of Needed Time and our focus on gratitude.  We’re joined by friends Tad and Maggie Weiss as they recount the miraculous story of Maggie surviving being hit by a bus while on a college term abroad in Spain.  The story of her amazing recovery and subsequent athletic achievements is astonishing, beautifully told in her dad Tad’s recently published book, “25 Meters to God.”  We’ll als...

Thanks for joining us for another helping of our podcast “Needed Time” as we continue to explore the theme of gratitude.  This week we’re joined by Ethan Neal, the Director of Food Systems for the Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis.  Through food shelves, community meal programs, outdoor and hydroponic farms, Ethan is dedicated to providing individuals and families with much needed choice and access to healthy food, suppor...

Thanks for joining us for this fourth episode of our third season of Needed Time! Today we’re joined by our friend Adaobi Nduka, who serves as the Community Impact Pastor at the Mill City Church in Northeast Minneapolis.  We know you’ll love hearing Adaobi’s infectious enthusiasm for connecting the church with human needs, and all the ways her gratitude sustains her.  We’re also grateful to bring you the amazing music of our friend...

Join us as we welcome local community activist and justice advocate Mar Valdecantos as she shares something of her journey in seeking to make possible affordable housing in her city and beyond. We’ll also welcome a musical offering from the Needed Time House Band as well as the artistry of Nashville based singer songwriter Casey Wasner. As always, our hosts Will Healy and Rob Ryden will entertain (mostly themselves, actually) with ...

Welcome to our third season of Needed Time, coming to you a bit earlier than expected because, well, we just couldn’t help ourselves!  We’re glad you’re here as we kick off our Fall theme of “Gratitude,” in anticipation of the National Day of Thanksgiving arriving just a bit down the road. As always, we’re thrilled to make welcome a variety of amazing guests, stellar music (including that of the Needed Time House Band), a dash of p...

As we wrap up this season of Needed Time, we’re going out with a bang! Our guests are Tony and Gordette Oliva, sharing with us their remarkable journey from Cuba and Hitchcock, South Dakota (population: 112) all the way to Cooperstown and baseball’s Hall of Fame. We’ll also be featuring the amazing Cuban jazz of our friends Doug Little and Nachito Herrera along with the fiddle wizardry of Michael Hildebrandt. Pleased to have you jo...

This week our Needed Time podcast welcomes guests Jason Decker professor of philosophy and Jason Ripley professor of religion. Both Jasons and both professors, they share their unique journeys in life and academia. This episode also includes two new offerings of favorite classics from the Needed time House band featuring music stylings of Grace Ryden,  Patrick Nelson and Kenny Wilson.  This episode explores new territory with old f...

This week our Needed Time podcast welcomes guest Billy Steele, member of the incomparable gospel group, The Steeles. The youngest of his siblings, Billy, also performs, writes, and produces for the Sounds of Blackness, where he serves as Assistant Director and with whom he is the co-recipient of three Grammy awards. We’re thrilled to have Billy share his remarkable journey with us, along with another offering from our Needed Time H...

Needed Time, week 5, features a far-ranging discussion with singer/songwriter Alison Rae Ogren. After years of the music deal in Nashville, Alison has returned to Minnesota and is engaged in a little bit of everything up in her corner of the world. Alison shares on beauty, friendship, deep stuff of heart and mind, and provides the perfect encouragement to consider just what it is that makes us tick and brings us happiness. In addit...

This week’s Needed Time episode marks the half-way point in our Lenten podcast as we’re  joined by our friend Scott Richardson. Scott shares his journey, one that landed him in Northfield, Minnesota and all manner of professional and community involvement, a reflection of his deep sense of place and a what a long term commitment to a community looks like. Once again we’ll be featuring terrific music by the Needed Time House Band al...

Our Lenten journey continues with an exploration of personal journeys—lessons and truths experienced by our guests as they welcome us in. This week, Will and Rob interview the Honorable Mark Vandelist, Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. Mark’s amazing journey has taken him through major health challenges, a long career in the legal profession, and then to answering a calling to serve as a judge, one that has allowed him ...

This week’s episode continues our Lenten exploration of personal journeys and the lessons and truths experienced by our guests as Will and Rob interview Paul Healy, co-founder of the Cebu Shelter for Children, an orphanage that grew to become one of the largest and most respected in the Philippines. Paul’s remarkable journey covered some 43 years of caring for abandoned, neglected and abused children in Cebu City, a place of both b...

Welcome to Year 2, Episode 1 of Needed Time! This year explores the subject of personal journeys and the lessons and truths they've revealed. Here in week 1 Will and Rob interview Minnesota Gopher basketball legend and Minneapolis community activist and leader Al Nuness. Al's fascinating insights on living a meaning-filled life are accompanied by age-old musical faves from T-Bone Walker and Son House -- served up with muc...

After a much-needed season of Lent, the podcast celebrates a much-needed Easter morning! The program unpacks mysteries around Easter sunrise services, youth group egg bakes and bunny-inspired marshmallow treats and Will shares some personal insights on resurrection. And this week's music takes no prisoners with hand-clapping, gospel shouts from Robert Robinson, Southern Gospel Revival, Daisy May, and a knockout collaboration f...

As we near the last week of Lent, educator, naturalist and maple-mustering mando maven Craig Johnson joins Will and Rob to share some brilliant takes on the natural world and the lessons available for our inspiration and instruction. The eclectic musical lineup includes whiz kid Jacob Collier, Patti Griffin, Rivers & Robots and some mando-ing from Peter Ostroushko and the terrifyingly faast Johnny Staats. On the other side of t...

This week features a far ranging interview with Quillan Roe, the co-founder of the award-winning bluegrass group The Roe Family Singers. Delightful and funny, honest and thoughtful, Quillan and our hosts invite you to stop, breathe deep and consider just why we're stopping and breathing deeply. Ah yes, Lent. Musical offerings from Chris Smither, Rhiannon Giddens and The Roe Family Singers, along with a verse from the astoundin...