Kindred Podcast

Genesis 3 has shaped how many people understand humanity, failure, and distance from the divine. But what if the story is less about perfection lost and more about connection strained? In this conversation, we explore the difference between “good” and “perfect,” the role of freedom in relationship, and why risk may be essential to love. This episode reflects on vulnerability, organic consequences,...

In this message, Ron Toft continues Kindred’s journey through Genesis 1–2, highlighting two core themes: unity and the earth as God’s dwelling place. Ron challenges the common “God is far away” framing and invites listeners to see creation as God’s home, which reshapes how we view ourselves, our neighbors, and even our enemies. Kindred Church is a Christian community gathering in Reno, Nevada. We...

We continue our Genesis series with Ron Toft exploring Genesis 1–2 as an origin story of relationship, not a battleground between sides. Ron reframes the creation narrative as a story of unity: one God over all things, one humanity formed from the ground, and a call to partnership rather than hierarchy. Along the way, he invites us to recover the delight and nearness in the text, and to resist usi...

In this week’s teaching, Ron Toft invites us into the ancient world of Genesis 1–2 and asks a different question than many of us grew up with — not how God made the world, but why this story was told in the first place. We explore the worldview of the early Israelites, the fragility of life in the “little strip of green” they called home, and how the creation story speaks about order, chaos, belon...

Why do we keep returning to the Christmas story when the world is still hard and unfinished? In this Christmas reflection, Kristine explores the birth of Jesus as a quiet challenge to power and a source of hope for those who are tired, uncertain, or in need of healing. Set against the grand birth stories of empire, the manger tells a different story—one shaped by vulnerability, presence, and love....

In this Advent message, Rob reflects on peace as more than the absence of conflict. He traces the biblical idea of shalom — wholeness, harmony, and the world as it should be — and names the forces that pull us away from that vision, both within us and around us. He also reminds us that we aren’t left to face any of this alone. Through the humility of the Incarnation, God meets a fractured world wi...

This week, Laurel opens up a tender, grounding reflection on Advent through the lens of waiting - not as passive endurance, but as the lived ache of longing, hope, and being human. Drawing from Elizabeth’s story, Laurel shares how waiting shapes us, how desire is not a flaw, and why the name Emmanuel still carries real comfort for people longing for healing, connection, justice, or change. She wea...

In this message, Jessie Townsend wraps up our series on Progressive Christianity by exploring what we choose to place in our kids’ “backpacks” as they grow. She walks through four core lessons that shape the way we guide children in their spiritual lives: God’s love as their foundation, the beauty of being made in the image of God, the importance of honest questions, and a faith that shows itself...

This week, Garrett opens up the book of Jonah in a way that hits a little closer to home than expected. He explores why Jonah really ran, what mercy looks like when it feels unfair, and how easy it is for any of us to cling to judgment instead of compassion. Garrett names the tension we all carry when scripture holds both warning and hope, and he invites us to read the harder passages through the...

In this episode Garrett McGeein digs into the pressure many of us inherited around evangelism — the fear, the urgency, the sense that you're always one conversation away from failing God or failing someone else. He unpacks how those ideas took root and why they still cling to so many people who grew up in evangelical spaces, even after their beliefs have shifted. At its heart, the talk is abo...

In this episode, Bobby Hilberg leads a heartfelt reflection on what it means to be “the church” in a progressive, inclusive context. Drawing on insights from thinkers like Brian McLaren, Richard Rohr, and Rachel Held Evans, Bobby explores how church can be both a refuge and a challenge—a place where belonging, justice, and community intertwine. Through stories, Scripture, and a series of recorded...

In this week’s message, Al Berreman explores gender and sexuality through a progressive Christian lens — not as an argument for inclusion, but as a starting point for transformation. Drawing from stories of women in Scripture and the lived experiences of queer and trans people, Al invites us to see God’s work beyond traditional structures of marriage, purity, and gender roles. This talk challenges...

What does it really mean to have a “biblical” marriage? In this week’s message, Brandon Evans reexamines traditional views of marriage through a progressive Christian lens, exploring how scripture reflects evolving cultural contexts rather than a single divine blueprint. From polygamy and arranged marriages in the ancient world to modern blended and nontraditional families, Brandon challenges the...

In this week’s message, Ron continues Kindred’s series on Progressive Christianity with an honest exploration of salvation, sin, and what it means that God is “with us.” Moving beyond the traditional versus progressive divide, he invites listeners to hold multiple perspectives—seeing Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as expressions of divine love and oneness rather than simple transaction or id...

In this episode of the Kindred Podcast, Ron Toft takes on the weighty topic of sin with both honesty and hope. Ron reframes sin not just as personal moral failings, but also as systemic patterns of harm that shape our world—inequalities, abusive power structures, and the ways we benefit from them. Drawing from scripture, theology, and lived experience, he challenges us to recognize both our compli...

In this week’s Kindred gathering, Brandon opens up about a deeply personal shift in how he understands God’s role in the world. Drawing from his own journey of faith, doubt, and collapse, he challenges the idea that God is in control of every detail—and instead invites us to consider a God who is present, active, and collaborative with humanity through the Spirit. Together, we explore questions ab...

In this episode, Al Berreman asks the big question: Who is God, and how do we know them? Through stories from scripture and our own community, Al reflects on the many ways people experience God—from healing and joy to silence and struggle—reminding us that at the center of it all, God is love. Kindred Church is a Christian community gathering in Reno, Nevada. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization...

This week, Pastor Rob continues our series on Progressive Christianity by asking: What do we do with the Bible in this space? Together, we explore traditional views of Scripture—its authority, clarity, and truthfulness—while also naming the ways those interpretations have too often been weaponized. Rob invites us to unlearn harmful readings and discover healthier ways to approach the Bible as a di...

This week on the Kindred Podcast, Dr. Brandon Evans kicks off our new series Creatively Progressive Christianity . Brandon shares his own journey of faith transformation—how education, openness, and following Jesus led him from conservative beginnings into a more expansive, progressive understanding of Christianity. He reflects on the “slippery slope” of rethinking long-held beliefs, the role of e...

In this episode, Ron Toft wraps up Kindred’s months-long series on the book of Acts with a challenge: what if our calling isn’t to overthrow the ‘empires’ of our time, but to build a better kingdom within them? Ron reflects on the early church’s community-building, its tension with unjust power, and how joy, vulnerability, and genuine connection can quietly transform the world. It’s a call to live...

What does it look like to live out the values of Jesus in a world shaped by empire and domination? In this episode, Garrett McGeein explores the story of Stephen’s trial and execution in Acts 6–7, inviting us to consider a new kind of power—one rooted not in retaliation, but in courage, truth, and compassion. Drawing parallels to modern systems of control, Garrett challenges us to embody kingdom e...

In this episode, Rob Griffin reflects on the theology of complementarianism—what it is, where it came from, and the harm it’s caused. Drawing from scripture, personal experience, and the stories of women leaders in the church, Rob offers a powerful call to dismantle the old narratives that silence women. With clarity and conviction, he reminds us: the church is incomplete without the voices and le...

This week, Allison Berreman explores the evolving relationship between God and Abraham in Genesis 15–17. What begins as an unconditional promise becomes a mutual covenant—shifting from grace alone to grace with responsibility. Through the lens of spiritual growth and divine parenting, Allison reflects on how God's love meets us where we are and invites us into deeper trust and maturity. It&ap...

In this episode, Rob Griffin unpacks the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, inviting us to see it not just as a story of conversion, but as a radical moment of inclusion. With historical insight and theological depth, Rob explores how eunuchs in the ancient world represented gender and sexual minorities—and how scripture speaks directly to their belovedness. Through passages from Isaiah, Mat...

In this timely and challenging message, Ron Toft reflects on the early church’s response to oppression in the book of Acts—and asks what it means for us today. As progressive Christians navigating a shifting cultural landscape, are we preparing to grasp power or lay it down? Drawing on Jesus’ teachings and the actions of the apostles, Ron explores what it looks like to resist the cycle of retaliat...