Steve Lear

“You are the expert in the room on the things you have dedicated your life to understanding and discussing…Good presentations leave you with the idea that you’d like more. Yesterday was a good presentation! I believe you are a valued resource, and I consider it a blessing to have learned from you.”

– Karl Wolfe (The Wesely Group)

“Thanks so much for joining our group Friday! The information and interaction were great…I thought it was a good mix of questions, comments, and answers throughout the discussion. A return visit would certainly be welcomed by our group…”

-Tom Wesely (The Wesely Group)

“Thank you so much for your insightful and thought-provoking presentation yesterday. I am truly grateful for all that you taught us! I look forward to working with you in the future as we find more opportunities to have you come back and continue to teach us at Crown of Glory.”

– Pastor Laura Laughlin (Crown of Glory Lutheran Church)

“Steve recently returned with a presentation about the Middle East and did a wonderful job! He is an outstanding speaker, and his content is excellent…He relates well to his audience and can answer their questions…We enjoyed him so much that we have scheduled him to come back a third time to tell us about his trip to Israel.”

– Marilyn Weldin (The Glenn in Hopkins)

“Thank you SO much for joining us last Friday to teach our students the art of having Courageous Conversations! It was the first of many Nosh & Knowledge sessions this semester, and you definitely set a high bar for the rest of them. Thank you for giving your time, expertise, and enthusiasm to help Hillel enrich the lives of Jewish students.

– Polly Lehman (Hillel)

“Thank you for speaking to our confirmation class last night. I think the class was expecting a more formal lecture, which is why I loved how you sat down, told stories (and a few jokes), inquired into their thoughts about God, religion, and the Jewish faith, and spoke of different ways to explore what they believe. In particular, I think your story about the babysitter and the many paths to the top of the mountain was a good umbrella for the class’s current study of different world religions – and their personal faith journeys. You made it less academic and more personal. Again, thank you for your insight and for sharing your faith with us. Peace.

– Dean Ammerman (Minnehaha United Methodist Church)

“The delightfully positive comments continued today when people were still talking about your presentation yesterday. It was a joy to be the convener yesterday and visit with you a bit more personally. You were the perfect fit .”

– Vernita at Incarnation Lutheran Church

“…a big thank you to you all for your time and contributions to the panel discussion. The feedback received from the survey and conversations with attendees was very positive! So again, thank you! And it was great to see so many students in the audience! Your expertise has enlightened the next generation on a very important topic! Let’s make sure we stay in touch on this subject and others in the future.”

~ Dan Hiebert, MSU Mankato – Associate Professor of Financial Planning (Maverick Conference on Financial Success)

“Thank you for giving a thoughtful and knowledgeable interactive speech representing the tenuous situation we face in Israel, and with antisemitism growing worldwide.”

~ Arlis Grossman (Ham & Eggs Club)

“It was a pleasure again to have you speak to the Club. Your insights are so good, and you speak with such passion and conviction while also keeping it friendly and conversational.”

~ James Utt (Ham & Eggs Club)

“Thank you so much for coming into our church and telling us about your religion! I feel very luck to have been able to ask questions and learn more about your religion!”

~ Raina Palombo

“I just looked through your site and was inspired by the topics you’re offering. Your creative spirit and ability to turn life experience into meaningful conversation is something I deeply admire. I’d love to explore ways to collaborate, especially if there’s an opportunity to organize a group to engage with your material this fall. Let me come up with some ideas, and I’ll get back to you to keep the conversation going.”

~ Rabbi Yitzi Steiner (Chabad U of M – The Rohr Center for Jewish Student Life)

“Thank you so much for a great presentation…I got a lot of positive comments and folks telling me to be sure and invite you back! So we’ll make that happen.”

~ Laurie Ranheim Franklin (Woodlake Lutheran Church, Richfield)