Refugia Podcast: A Podcast About Renewal

Our final episode of Season 4! This week, we travel to Hawaii with a whole troop of good people to visit some remarkable refugia spaces near Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. This episode, produced by Colin Hoogerwerf and Jim Stump, first aired on the Language of God podcast in April of 2025. To learn more about the Language of God podcast, visit their website here . Language of God is produced by Biologos , a...

Christina Bagaglio Slentz is Associate Director for Creation Care for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego . Learn about how her diocese prioritizes climate action here . In this episode, we often refer to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and the ways that faith communities are living out its stated goals . We also discuss the theme “seeds of peace and hope,” the official theme for the 2025 ecume...

As a lay leader of Traverse City Presbyterian Church , Linda Racine and a team of enthusiastic congregants prompted her church to start on a journey toward effective climate action. You can read about their commitment to creation care and learn about their 3 bright ideas for reducing carbon emissions in this congregation-led video . Traverse City Presbyterian took advantage of tools like the Inter...

Elaine Heath is the abbess of Spring Forest , a new monastic community in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Spring Forest centers around communal prayer and meals, a vibrant farm, refugee support, and other ministries you can read about here . You can learn more about Elaine’s work as an author and speaker on her website , or in articles like this one from the Center for Action and Contemplation. Many...

Father Pete Nunally is the founder of Water and Wilderness Church , a Washington DC-based outdoor church and watershed community. You can read more about the model of Water and Wilderness Church here . Father Pete is a passionate and well-spoken advocate on his social media pages and other forums, as in this interview with Creation Justice Ministries . Many thanks to Father Pete and the lovely gro...

Doug Kaufman directs the Anabaptist Climate Collaborative , an organization that leads climate justice initiatives from an Anabaptist faith perspective. Doug and his team support Mennonite and other Anabaptist churches, helping to build networks, train leaders, and empower climate-related initiatives. Doug describes environmental work as a form of peacemaking, a way of countering the slow violence...

Dave Celesky founded called Redeem MI Land , a nonprofit organization inspiring communities of faith in Michigan to invest personally in land restoration projects. Dave describes how his home church, Unity Reformed in Norton Shores, Michigan, has supported the very first Redeem MI Land project, creating a prototype for other communities to follow. Dave’s church is also joining a cohort of A Rocha...

In this episode, Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, describes how experimenting with one small church garden led to connections with other churches and then with farmers and eventually to a transformed ecosystem—in this case, a food shed. This inspiring refugia story weaves through health justice, food security, and climate resilience. Even more, this story ce...

Welcome to the first episode of Season 4! I’m so glad to share with you this delightful episode about a group of terrific Lutheran folks who exemplify joyful lay leadership and getting a whole congregation on board on behalf of climate action. Many thanks to Judy Hinck and to the lively group of Mount Olive members who spent an afternoon with me and Ron sharing their climate justice journey (so fa...

Join us for another season of the Refugia Podcast, with eight new episodes (plus a bonus!) releasing weekly starting September 14. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Dave Koetje returns as co-host to reflect on what we’ve learned about refugia church from our guests this season. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Fellow Fortress Press authors Sharon Delgado and Talitha Amadea Aho discuss writing books during a pandemic, young people's spiritual hungers, and the resources the church can offer during a climate crisis.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...

The executive directors of Creation Justice Ministries explain how faith-based climate organizations can bring people together, inspiring churches and individuals to build social cohesion and work toward a livable and just future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers o...

Rev. Gerry Koning describes the process of moving from an ordinary, traditional congregation to a refugia church focused on "all abilities, all creation, all nations." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substac...

Rev. Jim Antal recounts his long experience in climate activism and shares his conviction that Christians, and people of all faiths, are called to a communal vocation at this crucial moment in history. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

Theologian Ruth Padilla DeBorst describes life in Casa Adobe, an intentional Christian community in Costa Rica, and discusses what faithful living can look like as we seek to resist complicity in the abuses of empire. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

Rabbi Shapiro, founder of an interfaith clergy training program called The Joseph Project, discusses how religious ritual and story bind us together and help us strengthen community in times of crisis.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...

350.org co-founder and Executive Director May Boeve describes the joy and challenge of connecting climate activists across the globe, scaling up climate solutions, and drawing on faith to drive courage and prophetic speech. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...

To open Season 3, homiletics professor Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade considers the prophetic role of churches amid the climate crisis, as well as the challenge of working for long-term transformation through preaching and structured dialogue. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscri...

We're back! Join us for Season 3 of the Refugia Podcast starting Sept. 18. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Biologist Dave Koetje returns to reflect with host Debra Rienstra on major themes from Season 2. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Writer Fred Bahnson explores the distinction between arks and refugia. He describes his visit to the church forests of Ethiopia and his involvement in the community garden movement, and he ponders the role of metanoia and mystical connection in a refugia faith.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discu...

Kathryn Mae Post describes her own process of reckoning with a faith crisis, engaging in anti-racism work, and starting out in religion journalism at a time of major cultural and religious transition. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes...

Wildlife biologist Tim Van Deelen reflects on the spiritual challenges of wildlife conservation and considers the call to value the commons and engage in strategic activism.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter....

Katerina Parsons reflects on refugia in international development settings, on engaging in advocacy and activism as a young adult, and on feeling restless and place-starved at once. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/refugia/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianews...