What I’ll miss (and what you may have missed) about Midday Connection

If you were a regular listener of Midday Connection, you know by now that the program comes to an end on Friday, September 18. I served as the last full-time technical producer. It has been encouraging to hear from the many listeners who will miss the program and our team.

When I personally found out the program was ending, I began processing how to say goodbye. I started writing this weeks ago, knowing I wanted to share my heart when it was time. This blog entry has nothing to do with the “how” or “why” the program is ending, but more about what I’ll miss about being with the team and putting the content on the air… and maybe what you didn’t realize about Midday Connection.

15 Things You Didn’t Know About Midday Connection

Haha. Ever see those articles posted across social media to make you click the link and spend precious time reading? Well, that’s not really what I have here. But I hope you still want to keep reading! 🙂

It’s been said by those who listened on the radio (and even by some of our co-workers), “It’s a program for women.”

Midday Connection was an hour-long radio program, produced by the Moody Radio network in Chicago. The show began in 1992, and even though the voices have been different through the years, it evolved into a program that, I believe, encouraged listeners to grow in their journey and think outside the proverbial box.

The latest core team consisted of Anita Lustrea, Melinda Schmidt, and Lori Neff. I was privileged to be the last full-time technical producer. We also had author Caryn Rivadeneira on the team this past year. And I don’t want to forget the many students who came through to gain experience in broadcasting.

It wasn’t just a program for women.

Admittedly, the program was intentionally marketed as a “weekday radio program designed to encourage women, with a focus on growing the whole person: body, mind and soul.” Even though I got to sit in the producing/engineering chair each day, I know I wasn’t the lone male listener. It was always great to get a guy calling in with a question or comment, encouraging us with what he gleaned from one of the programs.

My point is, it wasn’t just a program for women. Some of the topics did gear toward wives, being a mom, or how to approach your husband or kids… but there were other topics that could benefit any listener — dads, husbands, college students, singles, couples, anyone…

• We did a series with James Bryan Smith on “The Good and Beautiful God,” where we were challenged to get to know the God that Jesus knows! How much closer can we get than that?
• Author Mark Scandrette and his wife Lisa joined us for a series called “Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most,” which as the title implies helped us look at what we value in life, whether it comes to what we’re spending or what we already own and comparing it to our relationships and those we cherish.
• We looked at what David meant in the Psalms when he said his soul thirsted for God, as author-speaker Whitney Kuniholm helped us develop a lifestyle on “how to meet with God.”
• Professor Klaus Issler expounded on how we can have a deeper and relationship with God, exploring how we can have a friendship with Him.
• We regularly discussed the news headlines in our Current Events program, encouraging each of one of us how to approach sensitive subjects and how to discuss them — that even if we disagree, we can still have a decent conversation without malice, and maybe even still be friends!
• There were some work/life coaches that joined us to talk about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test, and how that could benefit our relationships at work or at home, but knowing what our strengths are and learning how we can encourage others in their perceived weaknesses.
• Counselors Ray & Nancy Kane visited with us regularly encouraging married couples in ways to communicate with each other, sharing their own personal struggles and victories from their marriage. Gordon & Gail MacDonald also joined us to talk about what they’ve learned about relationships and friendships through their seasoned lives.

It spurred me on to dig deeper.

Those are just some of the highlights that I remember from my time with Midday Connection. There were so many topics that encouraged me as a person and they (the topics and the team) spurred me on to dig deeper in my spiritual journey. I’ve come to discover ways of thinking maturely and having conversations that invoke more questions, even if I don’t come up with an answer right away.

What I’ll miss…

From a program perspective, that’s what I’ll miss about Midday Connection. And I’ll also miss the laughter and fun that I had with the team. I’ll miss running down the hall to each of their offices every day. But I’m thankful for the friendships we’ve formed.

If you listened often, Midday Connection had a place in your life, and maybe you thought of the team as your friends as well. If you weren’t a regular listener, maybe I’ve enlightened you on what you missed all these years.

(You can continue to listen to Midday Connection online for one year’s worth of archives at the program website.)

We all have projects in the works. Please stay in touch with all of us. Here’s how:

• Friends of Midday Facebook page
• Anita Lustrea – anitalustrea.com • Facebook • Twitter
• Melinda Schmidt – Facebook • Twitter
• Lori Neff – lorineff.com • Everyday Prayer podcast
• Mark Breta – Facebook • Twitter

It has been a pleasure and privilege to be a part of the Midday Connection team, and to have a part in each of your lives as you listened each day.

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