Faithly Podcast

What happens when the dream you built your life around suddenly dissolves? In this episode of The Faithly Podcast, Alicia Lee sits down with Kelsey O’Connor as she shares her journey from Division I athlete to nationally recognized speaker after a career-ending concussion changed everything.

When injury forced her into months of recovery—stripping away her ability to compete, study, and even function as she once had—Kelsey was confronted with a deeper question: who am I without my performance? In that season of stillness, she discovered a life-changing truth: her worth was not rooted in achievement, but in being loved by God. That revelation reshaped how she saw herself and ultimately led to her 2023 commencement speech at NC State which went viral, reaching over 70 million viewers across 27 countries and launching a new calling centered on identity and resilience.

In this powerful conversation, Kelsey shares practical insight on handling rejection and navigating criticism, exploring the freedom that comes from grounding your identity in Christ rather than in your accomplishments.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Faithly Podcast. In this premiere episode, host Alicia Lee is joined by Pastor Steve Milazzo—Lead Pastor of Bethlehem Assembly of God and President of the Hope Day Network—to explore the powerful story behind Hope Day, a nationwide movement reshaping how churches serve their communities.

What began 15 years ago as a unified outreach in Hempstead and Uniondale has grown into a model for transformational compassion and collaboration. Pastor Steve recounts how a burden God placed on his heart as a teenager, to help people experience God’s love in tangible, practical ways, ignited a movement that has since served over 195,000 people.

In this final episode of our Voices from the Masterclass special series, Pastor Adam Durso is joined by Dr. Mark Labberton and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer for a candid and compelling conversation on leadership, worship, and the quiet weight of longevity in ministry.

Pastor Adam asks what it takes to sustain leadership over decades. Both guests agree: it’s not just anointing or skill that matters, but fruit—character, humility, and relational integrity. Dr. Labberton and Bishop Ulmer challenge the model of the isolated, burned-out leader and offer something better: space for vulnerability, mentorship, and intentional friendship. 

In a powerful and emotional turn, Bishop Ulmer opens up about the disorientation of transition, sharing what it feels like to step away from the pulpit after 41 years and adjust to a new rhythm of identity and purpose. Dr. Labberton shares how staying connected to younger leaders has kept him grounded and surprisingly useful in this next chapter of his ministry journey.

Their in-depth discussion crescendos with a shared plea for real friendship: the kind where you can share both your best and worst moments with the same person, acknowledging that while loneliness is common in ministry, it isn’t inevitable.

(02:12) Why Preaching Masterclass feels “weighty”
(09:17) The missing ingredient 
(11:14) The Brehm Center story:
(14:33) Ulmer on transition after stepping aside 
(20:36) Longevity in ministry 
(27:18) The danger of being untouchable
(33:18) The threat of honesty 

Follow us on social media:

In this episode of Voices from the Masterclass, Pastor Adam Durso sits down with Dr. Dharius Daniels and Pastor Judah Smith to explore what makes this gathering so spiritually weighty, and why leaders today must rethink how they approach the calling to ministry.

Perhaps the most important part of the conversation is their honest exploration of how easily leaders drift from intimacy with Jesus into professional performance. Pastor Judah reflects on the danger of performative humility and the invitation to stop producing long enough to truly receive from God. Pastor Dharius shares a framework for recovery, emphasizing the difference between replenishment and returning: not just filling your tank, but actively retracing your steps back to spiritual alignment.

The conversation lands on the necessity of pre-emptive margin. In a culture that rewards hustle, the pastors challenge their fellow leaders to reclaim rest, even when it looks “unspiritual,’ and offer listeners a powerful reminder: your value to God is never based on your output, but on the truth that He is your Father, not your coach.

Introducing a global audience to the life of the authentic Jesus is a huge undertaking, and so on this episode of Faithly Stories, host Alicia Lee welcomes Stan Jantz—Global Ambassador for the Come and See Foundation—to explore how a lifetime in Christian publishing led him to one of the most ambitious global media projects of our time: supporting The Chosen.

From translating the series into 600+ languages to creating digital tools for local churches, Stan shares how this groundbreaking show is reshaping global evangelism. Join us as we explore how The Chosen brings the Gospels to life in a way that resonates across cultures, from Egyptian refugee camps to families raising neurodiverse children, highlighting the humanity, divinity, and relational depth of Jesus.

Join host Alicia Lee on this episode of the Faithly Stories podcast as she sits down with Robbie Seay—worship leader, songwriter, and EVP of Leader Development at The Worship Initiative—to explore the sacred role of worship leaders in forming Christ-centered communities.

From his early years leading worship alongside David Crowder at Baylor University to mentoring over 11,000 worship leaders today, Robbie shares how worship leadership is more than music, it’s about storytelling and spiritual direction, faithfully shepherding others into God’s wondrous presence.

In this week’s episode of the Faithly Stories podcast, host Alicia Lee is joined by two inspiring voices, Dr. Mike Hayes and Dr. Jeffrey Garner, who have each dedicated their lives to helping others reconnect with God’s love and rediscover joy as they walk in authentic spiritual transformation.

Dr. Hayes, pastor, author, and international ministry leader, shares how his decades of ministry have led to a deep conviction that true happiness isn’t found in outward success, but in aligning our lives with Kingdom values. Through the Make Room process and their latest book, “Real Happy: Jesus’ Surprising Path to Genuine Joy”, Dr. Hayes invites listeners to re-center their lives around God’s presence and priorities.

What if the church of tomorrow looked less like an institution and more like a grassroots movement? Tune in to today’s episode of the Faithly Stories podcast as host Alicia Lee sits down with Eugene Kim, founder of New Wine Collective and Executive Director of the Wild Fig Network, to explore a bold, necessary reimagining of Christian community in today’s spiritual landscape.

Drawing from over 25 years in ministry, Eugene shares how his own journey led him to re-evaluate traditional denominational structures and develop new models of church grounded in interdependence, mutual accountability, and justice-oriented community. Through powerful initiatives like New Wine and Wild Fig, he’s helping to create spaces where innovation and authentic listening guide spiritual formation.