In this episode, Fred interviews Doug Pagitt - American author, pastor, social activist, founder and executive director of Vote Common Good.

Learn more at:

https://dougpagitt.com/

https://www.votecommongood.com/

About Doug:

Doug Pagitt is a possibility enthusiast. Through creative, entrepreneurial and generative efforts, he works to enlist people to join in the hopes, dreams, and desires God has for a more beautiful world. A proud, concerned and hopeful American, Doug Pagitt is a social activist. He is Co-founder and Executive Director of Vote Common Good, a national political non-profit dedicated to inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing people of faith to engage in civic life. Pulling from his experience as an author, pastor and business owner, Doug consults for and trains churches, denominations, politicians, businesses and non-profits throughout the United States on issues of culture, leadership, social systems, Christianity and Progressive Evangelicalism. Doug has authored 10 books on spirituality, Christianity and leadership, including: Flipped (Random House 2015), The Inventive Age Series (SparkHouse 2012), and A Christianity Worth Believing (Jossey-Bass 2008). His latest book, Outdoing Jesus: Seven Ways to Live Out the Promise of Greater Than (Eerdmans 2019), is a hopeful and provocative commentary on biblical good news exemplified through present-day ordinary people making extraordinary contributions. In 2000, Doug was founding pastor of Solomon’s Porch, a Holistic Missional Christian Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also founded and remains active with the Greater Things Foundation, a charitable non-profit for empowering and fostering more beautiful, inclusive, and life-giving communities. Doug Pagitt has a BA in Anthropology and a Masters of Theology from Bethel Seminary. He lives with his wife, Shelley, in Edina, Minnesota and are parents of 4 adult children. Doug is also a novice ultra marathoner who, on most days, wishes he was out on a run.

In this episode Fred interviews two dear friends about their gender transitions in the context of Evangelical Christian Church culture.

In this episode, Fred interviews Dr. Jonathan Foster - Author & Executive Director of the Curian Network, about his book: At-One-Ment: An Open and Relational Take on Atonement (Micro Theology Series).

Learn more at:

https://www.jonathanfosteronline.com/

https://thecurian.org/

https://a.co/d/glGcyti

About Dr. Foster:

I’m into a bunch of stuff, the best of which is granddaughter, mountains, friendships, and art, but I’m also the co-founder and un-executive, executive director of the Curian Network, a new denominational tribe empowering faith communities, pastors, chaplains, and spiritual directors in their local, missional contexts.

Oh, and I write. Find me on Substack or pick up a book. Some of my books have won awards, and some haven’t. It’s sad, the not-winning-awards part, but I do get to add Dr. to my name as I successfully defended my dissertation in mimetic theory and open and relational theology. So, make sure to let everyone know about that news.

Let’s see, what else? Well, Tom Oord and I help make books at SacraSagePress, so if you write in a generally progressive theological way and are interested in partnering with us to bring your book to life, let me know.

Oh, I also hang out with people on my podcast and talk about all kinds of things that intersect with theology. If you can’t find me on FB, it’s because I’m blocked 🤔, but no problem, join a few thousand other people and subscribe to my Substack page, where you will get a post at least twice a month. Or find me on the IG @jonathan_foster.

Email: jonathanunderscorefoster@gmail.com.

In this episode, Fred interviews Melissa Ferrer Civil - Inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City.

Learn more at:

https://melissaferrerand.com/

https://www.kcmo.gov/programs-initiatives/poet-laureate

About Melissa Ferrer Civil:

Melissa Ferrer Civil (&), (she/they), formerly known as Missy T. Ferrari, is a poet, performer, organizer, and educator living on unceded Kaw, Kansa, Kickapoo, and Oceti Sakowin lands (KCMO). Rooted in the practical and the possible, their spoken word poems and songs are mostly responses to the world around them and their own internal journey. Melissa is the founder of the arts and organizing event series A Nation In Exile.

Melissa received a Bachelor’s Degree in both Creative Writing and Italian from The Florida State University. She has also received her Master’s of Education with a specialization in Urban Education from Park University. She received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Randolph College. She was also long listed for the Palette Poetry 2021 Emerging Poet Prize. They are a Charlotte Street Studio Resident, a Chrysalis Institute Alumnus, and a Heartlandarts KC Fellow. Melissa Ferrer Civil is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, Missouri.

In this episode, Fred interviews Dr. Chris Hanson, M.D., Th.D. - Pediatrician & author of Open and Relational Parenting: Loving Parents Reflecting a Loving God.

Learn more at:

https://openrelationalparenting.com/

https://openrelationalparenting.substack.com/

About Dr. Hanson:

Dr. Chris Hanson is a pediatrician who has practiced in Memphis, TN for 27 years. He earned his ThD degree from Northwind and the Center for Open and Relational Theology in 2025. He is interested in the daily lives of his patients and their families and in helping them develop healthy, nutritive parent-child relationships.

In this episode, Fred interviews Janay Reliford - Chair of the Kansas City Reparations Coalition & Founder/CEO of Camp C.H.O.I.C.E (Children Having Opportunities in Creating Environments).

Learn more at:

https://kcreparationscoalition.org/

https://www.campchoicekc.com/

Meet Janay:

Janay Reliford is a Kansas City community leader, founder of Camp CHOICE, and chair of the Kansas City Reparations Coalition. After becoming a teen mom and overcoming early hardship, she dedicated her life to youth empowerment, family support, and advocating for Black reparations and community healing. Her work focuses on helping young people build confidence, purpose, and strong decision-making skills.

In this episode, Fred interviews Brian Recker - Author of Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love.

Learn more at: https://www.brianrecker.com/

Meet Brian Recker:

A former Marine Officer, the son of a Baptist preacher, and an alum of the fundamentalist Bob Jones University, Brian spent eight years as an evangelical pastor before deconstructing his faith to find a more inclusive spirituality. He now speaks about following Jesus without fear of hell on his popular Instagram account and his Substack, Beloved. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has four children and a rescue pup named Maev.

In this episode, Fred interviews Jennifer Hall - Disciples of Christ Worship Leader, Music Educator & Reiki Master.

Learn more at: https://www.reflectyourlight.com/

Meet Jennifer Hall: Hi! My name is Jennifer. I have been an elementary music teacher in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District for 24 years.

I was honored in 2019 by my school district to be chosen as the elementary teacher of the year. I have dedicated my entire career to bringing the joy of music to inner-city children and found a lot of fulfillment and life-purpose through the blessings of that job.

In 2017, I was attuned to Reiki by my sister, Mary Bolan, who is a Disciples of Christ Christian Church Minister and a Reiki Master. During my Level II attunement, I had the most spiritual experience of my life during which I knew that offering Reiki Healing to others is my true calling. I made it my goal to perform 100 free reiki healing sessions so that I could truly hone my skills as I learned. I asked my “guinea pigs” to give me feedback as I developed my own style. After I felt confident in my abilities, friends and family started sending me referrals and I continued to offer healing through word-of-mouth (no website, business name etc.) only.

In the fall of 2020, I started hearing the Holy Spirit speak to me that it was time to devote more time to my healing business so I quit teaching full-time and now teach Elementary Strings (violins, violas and cellos) 3 days a week and see clients two days a week plus occasional evenings and weekends.

In 2014, I had treatment for Ovarian Cancer and used Integrative as well as Traditional Medicine to help me fully heal from that often-deadly cancer. At the time, I didn’t know about Reiki but I received massage, acupuncture, BodyTalk, chiropractic adjustments and worked with an Integrative Medicine M.D. who gave me Vitamin C infusions as well as nutritional and energetic supports. Many, many people prayed for me and supported me through that season. I learned a lot about worthiness, intentions, affirmations and faith. I am grateful that we have many healing modalities available to us today. This is a unique time in history to benefit from Eastern and Western medical and spiritual healing traditions.