Briefcase and The Barn

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

Gary’s out this week, so I sat down with Mike from ARPA Canada to talk real life: why a good friend sometimes tells you not to add another hobby, how to actually find mentors, what servant leadership looks like in the church, and how a grueling Terry Fox ride turned grief into grit—and reminded us to lead from within, starting at home. We also touch the hot stuff—free speech, MAiD, civil courage—n...

In this week's episode, we cover strikes and unions, AI hype vs. human souls, why weakness is a feature in the Christian life, adoption and foster care, and why eloping often beats blowing 20K on one day!  -- The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s bee...

This week’s episode is a bit of a mix — from communion and hyper-Calvinism to a murder mystery night and a mechanical bull. Gary and I talk faith, feedback, and a few laughs along the way. Honest, raw, and very “barn meets briefcase.” -- The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and...

This week on The Briefcase & The Barn, Gary and I wander from tractors to tithes, why isolation is the devil’s best friend. Plus, some barn banter and real talk on what sacrificial giving looks like when you’re running a business and raising a family. Rick Warren, Francis Chan, and Randy Alcorn all make cameo appearances in the conversation, just not literally ;) -- The Briefcase & The Bar...

This week, Gary and I crack open two things we all wrestle with: finding a church you can actually breathe in and forgiveness that doesn’t turn you into a doormat. We also cover interest rates and the “Messiah complex” that gets us in trouble when we think we can fix people. *Don't forget to grab your tickets to my Live Event!* *Live Event Tickets:* https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leadership-life...

*Live Event Tickets:* https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leadership-life-lessons-with-colonel-tray-ardese-tickets-1680267618679?aff=oddtdtcreator This week, Gary and I covered a lot—9/11 memories, Charlie Kirk’s murder, and where Christian hope fits when the world feels upside down. We dug into foreign workers, hiring expectations, the so-called “housing crisis,” and whether parents should kick their ad...

*Live Event Tickets:* https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leadership-life-lessons-with-colonel-tray-ardese-tickets-1680267618679?aff=oddtdtcreator This week, Gary and I went all over the map—starting with Netflix and Narcos, then asking the question: do Christians really need to drive the speed limit? We also got into one of the big ones: are pictures of Jesus actually ok, or are they breaking the 2nd Co...

This week on The Briefcase & The Barn, we cover it all—Gary’s family camp adventures, Kyle’s back surgery recovery, Quebec’s move to ban public prayer, tough questions about God’s sovereignty and evil, the gun control debate, and even when kids should get their first phone. Faith, family, politics, and real life—all through a Christian lens. -- The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dut...

This week, Gary and I sat down to answer a pile of listener questions—and you guys didn’t hold back! We got into everything from spiritual warfare vs. sleep paralysis, to Dutch “cultural sins” we laugh off but maybe shouldn’t. We also tackled whether God cares about the careers Christians choose, and if it’s a sin to believe wrong theology. Lastly, we watched and reacted to a heavy but powerful cl...

This episode goes all over the map—in the best way. I’m back with Dr. Edward Les, who was on Episode 30 of The Furiously Curious Show. He's a pediatric ER doc and cancer survivor, talking about his new book "Cloudy with a Risk of Children." We get into the hot topics of hitting your kids, ADHD, and why boys can’t sit still—plus the bigger stuff like birth rates, family culture, and e...

This one’s a mix of deep faith talks, real-life stories, and the kind of rabbit trails you’ve come to expect from Gary and me. We get into why I’ve been reading the book of John the same way, over and over, and how it’s made God way more real to me.  We talk about conflict, courage, and why most of us will do more to avoid what we fear than to get what we actually want. Oh—and we somehow cover dai...

This one’s got it all: mechanical bulls, back pain, and a justice system that punishes honking more than hate. We dive into Isaiah 55, radical grace, and the insanity of Canada’s court rulings. There’s marriage wisdom from Spurgeon, real talk on forgiveness, and a brutally honest coaching testimony. It’s raw. It’s ridiculous. It’s real. --- The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Refor...

This one’s a ride. We talk about losing listeners over “offensive” takes, whether the God of the Old Testament is really different, and how shame and secrecy are wrecking people. We get into the Coldplay cheating scandal, spiritual warfare, parenting rants, and even why I think 16-year-olds shouldn’t vote. I also share the wild story of how coaching changed my life—and how it’s now changing others...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

Gary’s off this week, so I sat down with my good friend Matt Kean, pastor of a Salvation Army Church. We talk about why he thinks half the people in church might not even be saved, what it really means to follow Jesus, and what to do when you don’t feel anything toward God anymore. We also hit on devotions, free will, and some thoughts on Mark Carney vs. Trudeau. -- The Briefcase & The Barn is...

Kyle and Gary delve into a wide-ranging conversation about parenting struggles, spiritual growth, church culture, and how legalism often overlooks the heart of the gospel. Kyle opens up about his upbringing in the NRC and his faith, reflecting on the difference between behavior modification and genuine heart transformation. -- The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits wh...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

Special Episode: With Nicole Van Ruitenburg! The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...

The Briefcase & The Barn is hosted by two Dutch Reformed misfits who’ve spent most of their lives in the church’s side-eye. Kyle Van Ruitenburg is the PK and connections guy who’s been around the world (and yes—straight off the boat). Gary Baars is the money guy who’s been around just about every farm and cow. Together, they have blunt, funny, real talk about business, life, faith, culture, an...