Built for This

On this episode of the Built For This podcast, our host, Dr. Steve Mason, president of LeTourneau University, is joined by Steve Russell, the president of JAARS. JAARS stands for Jungle Aviation and Relay Service, a missions ministry that focuses on covering the last mile of missions using special-purpose aircraft, boats, and off-road vehicles – relaying God’s Word, his missionaries, and vital supplies across age-old geographical barriers. As the Christian Polytechnic University, LeTourneau has the privilege of working closely with JAARS from temporary mission trips to employing our future aviators.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Serving the Lord how you're wired: Military command, national politics, and late-in-life flight training all became preparation for a role Steve never applied for
• Small obedience precedes big assignments: A one-week volunteer trip to scrape paint led to leading an entire mission organization four months later
• Mission Aviation: JAARS closes the last-mile gap in missions. Bringing the Word of God into the most remote parts of the world.
• Character opens doors competence can't: Technical skill matters, but a good testimony and a heart for people are what sustain someone in the field long-term
• Availability Over Ambition: Over decades, the prayer moved from "bless what I'm building" to "show me where you're already working"

AI is here. As a society, we can't hide from it, especially not in our careers. So how do we, as Christians, approach generative AI wisely, and even joyfully?

In this episode of the Built for This Podcast, Dr. Steve Mason sits down with Dr. Michael McGinnis, Dean of Engineering at LeTourneau University, to explore how AI is reshaping our world — and how we can adapt rather than retreat. Dr. McGinnis shares his personal testimony, his unconventional path to engineering, and insights from his new book, The t-Shaped Engineer in the Age of AI.

Key Takeaways from this episode:

• Dr. McGinnis's testimony and his self-described journey as the "least engineery engineer"
• What Christian education looks like in the Age of AI
• Helping students flourish — not just academically, but as whole people
• What it means to be a “t-Shaped Engineer" and why it matters more than ever
• The 2x2 axis framework for student formation in the digital age
• The seven factors that lead students to "the big life"
• Why faith is essential for engineers
• How LeTourneau helps students' faith grow in college and why that's increasingly rare in higher education

Whether you're a professor, a student, or simply someone navigating the challenges of our digital age, Dr. McGinnis offers frameworks, encouragement, and a faith-grounded perspective that goes far beyond engineering.

What does it look like to build technology that reflects the gospel? In this episode of the Built for This Podcast, LETU President Dr. Steve Mason sits down with James Kelly — founder and CEO of FaithTech, a global movement of Christian technologists now active in 50 cities across 22 countries. James shares how FaithTech began with 35 people in a coffee shop and grew into a worldwide community of builders, developers, and leaders committed to redemptive design. Together, they explore the difference between reckless, responsible, and redemptive technology; why a biblical framework matters more than ever in the age of AI; and how Christians in tech can stop feeling sidelined and start shaping culture for the kingdom. If you work in technology — or are training to — this conversation will challenge and inspire you to build differently.

In this episode, we cover:

-The growth of a mission through business

-The difference between reckless, responsible, and redemptive technology — and why it matters

-Why AI built around God's incommunicable attributes leads to idolatry and destruction

-How Jesus redefined impact: friendship to the power of time vs. the world's "force over time" equation

-What it looks like for Christian technologists to feel seen, equipped, and empowered in the church

-The future of AI in higher education and why dynamic, personalized learning is the pathway forward

-The upcoming FaithTech Institute — a think tank bridging faith, technology, and academia

Learn more about FaithTech: faithtech.com

Learn more about LeTourneau University: letu.edu

Join LeTourneau University President Dr. Steven Mason in conversation with Shirley Hoogstra, President Emerita of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), for an inspiring discussion about the past, present, and future of Christian higher education.

In this episode, Shirley reflects on her decade of leadership at the CCCU, sharing insights on navigating cultural shifts, maintaining financial stability, and preserving the distinctive mission of Christian institutions. She addresses the difficult reality of Christian college closures while offering hope and practical wisdom for institutional resilience.

Key Topics:

• The changing landscape of Christian higher education and its growing skeptics
• Why "headwinds are for our benefit" in strengthening institutional excellence
• The vital role of board governance and financial stability
• The importance of mergers and strategic partnerships
• LeTourneau's new partnership with the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity
• Biblical principles for leadership in challenging times
• The value proposition of Christian education: intellectual depth, spiritual maturity, moral clarity, and vocational purpose
• Casting a vision for 2035: Purpose, People, and Place

Whether you're a student, educator, administrator, or supporter of Christian higher education, this conversation offers encouragement and strategic insights for the road ahead.

What does it mean to flourish and pursue "shalom?" In our language, shalom is translated, simply, as peace. But Dr. Amy Sherman, author of Agents of Flourishing, suggests that on a broad level, shalom is simply what God intended things to be. More narrowly, it means to have peace with God, peace with self, peace with others, and peace with God’s creation. Join us for a conversation between Dr. Amy Sherman, named by Christianity Today as one of the 50 most influential Evangelical women in the U.S., and Dr. Steven D. Mason, President of LeTourneau University, as we explore what it means to flourish and pursue shalom in every corner of society.

Welcome to a conversation that gets at the heart of true polytechnic education: The liberal arts need STEM as much as STEM programs need the liberal arts. The Christian Polytechnic University is called to embody this balanced truth. We know it. We live it. And our guest today gets it. Join us for a conversation between Dr. Steve Mason, President of LeTourneau University, and New York Times best-selling author Scott Hartley. His 2017 book, The Fuzzy and the Techie, speaks to the reasons why broad based Liberal Arts education actually prepares us better for a machine-led world than STEM alone. And his work often involves helping colleges & universities design educational programs that blend the humanities and technology. Get ready to learn more about why, well, we’re built for this.

Dr. Steven Mason sits down with Dr. Kathy Koch to talk about the challenges of a world so connected, yet so lonely for many.

How ought we, as Christians, raise up our children to view technology in a way that helps them flourish?

Drs. Steven Mason and Josh Brake, professor of engineering at Harvey Mudd College and LeTourneau alum, discuss ideas of technology, education, and human flourishing, the value of struggle, the automation or augmentation of A.I., and finding the good life in our digitally-saturated society. Dr. Brake authors The Absent-Minded Professor, a weekly Substack outlet for manifestos on technology, education, and community through a Christian lens.

You can access The Absent-Minded Professor on Substack at https://joshbrake.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web.

Subscribe to the Built for This podcast today for more content and stories.

Learn more about LeTourneau’s Faith, Science, and Technology Initiative: https://www.letu.edu/fst.

Check out the LeTourneau University YouTube channel for all kinds of video content: ⁠https://youtube.com/@LeTourneauUniversity?si=iUJEXwtyEqIn6-2a⁠.

Watch the feature-length documentary, Made for More: A Computer Science Journey: https://youtu.be/ln6IPRjV7SA?si=AMRt5pTdOxWntron.

Visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu⁠ for more information on LeTourneau University.

To begin building your story as a student, visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu/apply⁠.

Dr. Steven Mason joined Dr. Jonathan Pennington, author of Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed for the Good Life, to discuss how the Bible communicates a robust philosophy for life and human flourishing. Pennington highlighted the importance of a comprehensive Christian philosophy in providing answers to life’s fundamental questions and emphasized the role of Christian institutions of higher education in helping others nurture a balance between meaningful relationships and technology.

You can get Jesus the Great Philosopher on Amazon: https://a.co/d/59qIWVn

Subscribe to the Built for This podcast today for more content and stories.

Check out the LeTourneau University YouTube channel for all kinds of video content: ⁠https://youtube.com/@LeTourneauUniversity?si=iUJEXwtyEqIn6-2a⁠.

Visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu⁠ for more information on LeTourneau University.

To begin building your story as a student, visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu/apply⁠.

Drs. Todd Ream and Jerry Pattengale, authors of The Anxious Middle: Planning for the Future of the Christian College, talked with LeTourneau University President Dr. Steven Mason about how institutes of Christian higher education can be well-positioned to navigate a climate of cultural change when they have established a clear sense of purpose. In addition to aspiration, the three discussed the importance of illumination and collaboration both within and outside the higher education sector. Ream and Pattengale also highlight the need for Christian institutions to serve the church and help the next generation navigate a world deeply dependent on science and technology.

You can get The Anxious Middle on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/3CZNSgh.

Subscribe to the Built for This podcast today for more content and stories.

Check out the LeTourneau University YouTube channel for all kinds of video content: ⁠https://youtube.com/@LeTourneauUniversity?si=iUJEXwtyEqIn6-2a⁠.

Visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu⁠ for more information on LeTourneau University.

To begin building your story as a student, visit ⁠https://www.letu.edu/apply⁠.