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What would it take for every child entering foster care in our county to land in a safe, loving, gospel-shaped home? That question drives our conversation with Matt Stohrer of Keystone Family Alliance. Matt’s family has fostered 23 children and adopted nine, and he now helps churches turn conviction into action in caring for vulnerable children in Lebanon county. We trace his journey from military service to foster care and explore how structure, teamwork, and faith create sustainable ministry for vulnerable kids.

Matt outlines three practical pathways any church can begin right away: Gateway requests that meet urgent needs like cribs, beds, and clothing; care communities of six to eight volunteers who provide meals, rides, and consistent support to foster families; and a clear pipeline to recruit and equip new foster and adoptive homes. We also face the sobering realities—over 15,000 children in Pennsylvania foster care, and many foster parents leaving within two years without support.

Grounded in the doctrine of adoption and the call to care for orphans and widows, we discuss hospitality as mission, trauma-informed care, and how Keystone Family Alliance equips churches with training, coaching, and ready-to-use frameworks that multiply impact while lifting the administrative burden from pastors.

Learn more at keyfam.org or email matt@keyfam.org
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Start the year by aiming at what matters most. We explore the opening line of the Westminster Shorter Catechism—“to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”—and turn it from a memorized phrase into a lived way of seeing time, work, and desire. With 1 Corinthians 10:31 as our grounding, we unpack how ordinary moments like eating, resting, and doing our jobs can be offered as worship, and we push back on the myth that joy depends on comfort or prosperity.

I share four simple practices for shaping a God-centered year: set your intention to glorify God in every place, acknowledge His gifts rather than hoard credit, trade inferior ends for the ultimate end, and learn to enjoy God even when life hurts. Along the way we revisit the often-misread Puritans, draw on J. I. Packer and Edward T. Welch to reframe worry, and consider why salvation is first about the display of God’s glory before it is about our escape from guilt. Psalm 73 helps us see that when flesh and heart fail, God remains our portion; Psalm 84 steadies us with the promise that He is both sun and shield.

Listen to reorient your goals and recover the freedom of living for God’s honor and your joy in Him. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the conversation.

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In this episode of Catechizing Conversations, we sit down with Max Myers, Director of the Lebanon Men's Rescue Mission, to discuss gospel ministry among some of the most vulnerable men in our community.

Max shares the mission and vision of the Lebanon Men’s Rescue Mission, offering insight into how Christ-centered mercy ministry addresses not only physical needs like shelter and food, but also the deeper spiritual needs of the heart. We explore how the gospel shapes their approach to addiction recovery, homelessness, discipleship, and long-term restoration.

This conversation highlights the vital role of local ministries in embodying the love of Christ, the importance of faithfulness in ordinary means, and how the church can come alongside organizations that seek lasting transformation through the gospel.

Whether you’re interested in mercy ministry, community outreach, or understanding how doctrine and compassion meet on the ground, this episode offers a thoughtful and encouraging look at Christ’s work in Lebanon County.

For more information, visit: Men’s Programs | Lebanon Rescue Mission