Kindred Podcast

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...

In this powerful message, Brandon Evans explores the tension between religious tradition and the surprising, uncontainable movement of the Holy Spirit—both in the early church and today. Drawing from Acts 15, Brandon highlights a pattern throughout church history: whenever institutions tighten their grip, the Spirit moves in fresh, unexpected ways through those previously pushed to the margins. If...

In this episode, Alison Berreman reflects on what the early church’s response to empire can teach us today. Using Acts 11 and 12, she contrasts the resilience of Christian communities with the dependence and idolatry of state power. With honesty and nuance, Alison explores the tension of living faithfully in a time when empire and Christianity are deeply entangled. What does it look like to create...

In this eye-opening episode, Grace Nichols shares reflections from her recent trip to Cuba, weaving personal experience, historical context, and biblical insight into a powerful conversation about poverty, justice, and generosity. Grace explores the stark contrast between tourist luxury and local scarcity, and invites us to reflect on what it really means to be "open-handed" in a world m...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Kindred podcast, Garrett McGeein dives deep into the tension between divine omniscience and human free will, exploring the philosophical and theological implications of middle knowledge. Using passages from the book of Acts as a springboard, Garrett unpacks how God's foreknowledge and human agency coexist, challenging traditional views while inviting o...

In this heartfelt and theologically rich reflection, Alison Berreman explores the difference between sacrificial love and generative giving. Drawing on the teachings of Jesus, the writings of philosopher Erich Fromm, and personal insights, Alison challenges the common Christian framing of self-sacrifice as the highest virtue. Instead, she offers a vision of love rooted in wholeness, vitality, and...

In this Easter message, Kristine Caliger explores the multifaceted nature of the gospel—not as a single answer or formula, but as a mosaic of stories and perspectives. Drawing from parables, scripture, and the writings of Rachel Held Evans and Paul, she weaves a compelling vision of Jesus as both radically generous and courageously just. This episode invites us to embrace the tension in our storie...

In this Palm Sunday message, Garrett McGeein reflects on Jesus’ so-called “triumphal entry” and reclaims it as something far more subversive and quiet: an anti-empire act of kingdom imagination. Drawing from Mark 11 and Zechariah 9, Garrett explores how Jesus resists power-grabbing and spectacle in favor of patient, self-giving love. The kingdom of God, he says, isn’t built with swords—it’s built...

In this episode, Ron Toft walks us through Acts 10 and 11 in a powerful, personal teaching about one of the most pivotal turning points in the New Testament—the moment the gospel reaches beyond the Jewish world and into the life of a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Ron unpacks Peter’s vision, the surprising work of the Holy Spirit, and what it means for us today when God says, “What I have made c...

Rob teaches from Acts 2 and reflects on the Pentecost story as a moment of radical inclusion and spiritual clarity. Instead of focusing on the spectacle of tongues, we explore what this passage reveals about God’s heart—speaking directly to the outsider, the marginalized, the ones who don’t usually get a seat at the table. We also ask what this means for how we understand the Holy Spirit today, an...

In this episode of the Kindred Podcast, guest speaker Alison Berreman dives into a thought-provoking exploration of Saul's dramatic transformation into Paul. Reflecting on her own journey, Alison wrestles with deep questions about grace, justice, and the nature of salvation. Was Saul chosen for a reason? Did he deserve it? And what does that mean for us today? Join us for a heartfelt discussi...