The Act Five Podcast

Hear week 1 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts : The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Jon Berends.

Hear week 2 of our Winter Learning Series,  Unreliable Instincts  : The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Marty Solomon.

Hear week 3 of our Winter Learning Series,  Unreliable Instincts :  The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination  with Brian Dijkema.

Hear week 4 of our Winter Learning Series,  Unreliable Instincts :  The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination  with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson.

Hear week 5 of our Winter Learning Series,  Unreliable Instincts :  The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination  with Angela Reitsma Bick.

Hear week 6 of our Winter Learning Series,  Unreliable Instincts :  The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination  with Joash Thomas.

Join Jon and Madi on the Act Five front porch as they chat with students, staff, and residents about this past year at Act Five. It's a chance to hear stories, what they learned, and how this year was formational for each of them. Our Porch Podcast episodes are designed to give you, our broader community, a sneak peak into life at the Act Five house, so we hope you enjoy hearing from each pers...

We are wrapping up our Winter Learning Series with Joash Thomas! Join Madi and Jon as they talk with Joash about justice, restoration, the critical role of looking back to ancient history, and how places shape our imaginations.  What a series this has been! If you’ve missed any of the conversations prior, the whole collection of speakers is well worth the listen. All of their talks from Unreliable...

Angela Reitsma Bick, co-author of Blessed are the Undone, hops on the podcast with Madi to talk about deconstruction, power, and practicing resurrection. And, of course, we talk about the imagination!  Leave a comment to join in on the conversation. Or fill out this 5-minute SURVEY to let us know your thoughts as a listener. Interested in coming to Unreliable Instincts? Registration is open until...

Listen to this bonus episode with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, The Shema .

Join our conversation with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson where we get a window into her own imagination as the director of the Windstone Farm Community and a lover and scholar of George MacDonald.  Walk with us as we receive the command to consider the lilies, to attend to good stories, and to trust in the work of being present in the particulars of our own places and lives.  We are so grateful for this...

Brian Dijkema, President of Cardus, hops onto the podcast with Madi and Jon to discuss the importance of thinking deeply, humanism, and whether we should burn down or build up institutions and why.  Leave a comment to join in on the conversation! Interested in coming to Unreliable Instincts? Registration is open until March 25, 2026. References from the Conversation: Cardus.ca   comment.org   Arti...

Marty Solomon joined for week 2 of Unreliable Instincts! Take a listen to the conversation Madi and Jon had with Marty that resulted in a debate about jazz music, talking about their favourite musicals, and understanding the differences between Empire and Shalom.  Leave a comment to join in on the conversation! Interested in coming to Unreliable Instincts? Registration is open until March 25, 2026...

Jon Berends kicked off our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts, with a talk titled, “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.” Here this bonus conversation where Jon and Madi talk about darkness and light, the role of knowing history and how it shapes our imaginations, and how people actually change.  Leave a comment to join in on the conversation! Interested in coming to Unreliable Instincts? Regi...

Who better than to kick off the launch of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts, than Dr James K. A. Smith! This conversation launches our series on fostering an imagination, and it’s one you don’t want to miss.  Jon, Madi, and Jamie talk about the stories we’re part of, disordered narratives, philosophy, liturgies, and the Gospel. We also dive into friendship, noble failures, hope, pre...

Welcome back! Jon and Madi take a few minutes to share about the upcoming Winter Learning Series titled "Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination" . Tune in learn more about the series. Register here to let us know you're coming, and invite a friend to join you! Check out last year's series, Six Acts in Six Sessions .

It’s time for another Porch Podcast! Our students have now completed their first term at Act Five, so we invited them to take a seat on the front porch with us to share some reflections and highlights from the fall. We hope you feel like you’re sitting on the front porch with us, hearing their stories firsthand.  Upcoming Events: ⁠Winter Learning Series⁠ To connect with us, find us here: ⁠Website⁠...

For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and conferences to tell their story as a student with us, and share more about Act Five. If you’ve had the privilege of getting to hear from them, you know how awesome they are! Here is Daniel's story, who is a graduate from the class of ‘25. In...

For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and conferences to tell their story as a student with us, and share more about Act Five. If you’ve had the privilege of getting to hear from them, you know how awesome they are! Here is Zoe's story, who is a graduate from the class of ‘24. Inter...

For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and conferences to tell their story as a student with us, and share more about Act Five. If you’ve had the privilege of getting to hear from them, you know how awesome they are! Here is Hannah's story, who is a graduate from the class of ‘22. In...

Tim Dichau is on the podcast! Tim was the pastor at Grandview Church for over two decades. He led the church to refocus its mission among the neighbourhood and for the good of the city. In this episode, we talk about the importance of attention and collaboration in engaging where you are, and Tim shares many examples of how he’s experienced the significance of staying long enough to witness transf...

Join in on a conversation with Aimee Berends, a musician and registered psychotherapist. Madi and Aimee discuss the role of music in our lives, why play and beauty matter, and the many unique ways in which trust is built. In our theme this year about fostering an imagination, Aimee also shares ways in which our imaginations are fostered or hindered, and how it's not neutral. Aimee also gets Madi p...

Act Five is a place of education, but how we educate is designed intentionally. Join us for a conversation with Justin Cook and Lena Scholman, two incredible educators, who bring us into thinking about the how and why of education.  Let us know what you think by commenting or reaching out. Upcoming Events: Storytelling Night in Guelph FUNDRAISER Storytelling Night in Hamilton Open House Winter Lea...

Phil Reinders joins us on The Act Five Podcast! He is a pastor and runs a Rule of Life community, Habitus . In this episode, we talk about how the Habitus community was formed, how a Rule of Life forms and deforms our attachments, and the desire to be in communion with Jesus and becoming more fully alive humans.  This conversation is one that will give you a glimpse into why the rhythms at Act Fiv...

In this second part of the Season 3 introduction, Madi, Jon, and Eric dig deeper into themes they didn’t cover in Part 1. Together they explore what it means to walk with emerging adults —those navigating identity, purpose, faith, and belonging. They discuss Act Five’s mission to provide spaces of exploration and commitment, reflect on character development practices, and share stories from wilder...