Host of the area's top radio morning show, Greg Batton of WMBD, joins Greg Fish for a look at the topics that are driving life in the Peoria region right now. Join us for lots of laughs, some great stories, and a look at how we can best address some of the serious topics facing our region and world. Greg is a fantastic guest, a well-respected voice in our region, and a man of many important (and some not so important) insights....

Frankly, pastors have a seemingly impossible task set before them in navigating the COVID minefield and creating solutions that will honor Christ and provide care to as many people as possible. Today we tackle the weighty and highly controversial issue of reopening. Bearing in mind that it is nearly impossible to be timely with information since COVID responses are continually changing around us, we endeavor to give you as function...

Fresh out of high school, our own Kate Rolffs joined the World Race Gap Year program, where she joined 36 other young people for a missions adventure to Swaziland, Thailand, and Nicaragua. Though the COVID-19 crisis brought an end to this trip a couple of months early, it was still a life-changing event for Kate. Tune in for a few of Kate's life-changing experiences, and hear how a mission-minded young lady from Peoria, IL took...

Associate Pastor Tanya Edward-Evans, along with Director of Fine Arts & Discipleship, Dr. Carol McPherson, join us at the table for a healing, helpful conversation on racism. It's the topic everyone is talking about right now, but the messaging regarding the appropriate response are mixed at best. What should be our response, and how can white people of faith do better? What is the key to building healthy relationships betw...

In this episode, the tables are turned, and 116 host Greg Fish is interviewed by Pastor Tim Ozment. Greg's new book, Be Patient, Take Courage, Don't Grumble, is being released early because of its relevance to the time we find ourselves in with the pandemic crisis. The book encourages us to change the way we face our challenges, and how to move forward into what is ahead of us when we might before to go back in time. The ti...

In another special edition dealing with our response to the mandated shutdown, we talk with Dr. Carol McPherson, our Director of Discipleship & Fine Arts Ministries, about how FUMC is taking its mission seriously even through the shutdown. Difficult times have necessitated creative and out-of-the-box thinking. Not only are we learning to survive, we are thriving in the way we are continuing to disciple believers and share God&#...

In this special installment of Stories from the 116, Greg talks with FUMC Director or Community Ministries & Mission, Dan Philips, about things we can do to help others whose personal struggles are not slowed down by the pandemic. Learn how our Loaves & Fish program has adapted to feed the needy around us, how Backpack Buddies is striving to continue to put meals in the hands of hungry young students, and what you can do to...

This week we invite FUMC Director of Youth Ministries, Christina Koeppel, to the illustrious 116 studios to discuss how COVID-19 concerns and sheltering-in-place have effected our youth ministries. Christina gives us insight into the minds and hearts of our teens, discusses their incredible spiritual strength, and gives us ideas for communicating with them while hunkered down at home. Join us for a couple laughs and a some serious ...

In our first podcast since COVID-19 has changed the way we live, our Director of Children and Family Ministries, Kara Bushong, shares uplifting stories of ways families are thriving despite social distancing. What can we do to keep our kids spiritually active during this time of confinement? How do we talk to our kids about Coronavirus? This quick look at how Kara is helping our parents stay connected will also offer all our listen...

What happens when a small group at FUMC begins to carry a burden for the under-served students in our community? A program is born that literally changes the life-direction for many young people who may have otherwise been brushed aside. Here the stories of how at-risk elementary students were shown love, care, and blossomed into community changers as adults. You'll also hear of a program developed to honor a man who dedicated ...

In this final installment of the Liberia Story, Vision Team members Pastor Tim Ozment and Dan Philips return to the heart of their fact-finding trip to West Africa to tell the stories behind the story of their visit. From learning if an American can ride a Liberian motorbike, to the heart-warming experience that culminated from a trip to a city that none of them wanted to visit. If you ever wondered if giving resources to missions ...

Julie Rolffs and Amy Zuehls return to take a deeper dive into the stories and life-changing events of their recent trip to Liberia, West Africa. They went to observe how our missions giving can best serve the people of Liberia, but came back with a deep sense of how God's spirit is transforming the world. You'll learn that giving money to support a mission is more than just a way to meet a goal. Our gifts truly change lives...

When we support the building of a school in an impoverished area of West Africa, can we really know if it makes any difference? Can we go outside our comfort zone and find the comfort of God present as we step into a different world to discover all we have in common? A team of four recently set off on a journey to understand how our resources could be put to work in Liberia, but in the process, their lives were changed. In episode ...

When we support the building of a school in an impoverished area of West Africa, can we really know if it makes any difference? Can we go outside our comfort zone and find the comfort of God present as we step into a different world to discover all we have in common? A team of four recently set off on a journey to understand how our resources could be put to work in Liberia, but in the process, their lives were changed. In episode ...