Kinfolk

Many people dream of their wedding day and see themselves walking down the aisle. This week P.T.  and Ray Sanders discuss the vision it takes to get to the altar, the symbolism of the altar, and the vision you need to lead after you say I do! Support the show

 In today’s religious and popular culture, marriage has become an idol and the ultimate symbol of happiness and completion. This week we discuss marriage, as a tool for seeing God’s glory and experiencing real love.Support the show

Baron Elias is an author, preacher, and teacher. After giving his life to Christ, he noticed that there were few pastors or theologians that looked like him, dressed like him, or talked like him. He founded the ministry Block Huggers and has dedicated his life to ‘hugging’ the block by loving and living in his community as an urban evangelist. This work isn’t always glamorous and requires a long-term commitment. Join us as we talk to Baron about being committed to calling for the long haul. Support the show

Shawn Thrasher is a realtor, church planter, and pastor of The Palm Church in Miami, Florida. Shawn attended seminary believing it would allow him to work cross-culturally in ministry. However, he was met head-on by the challenges with diversity that the church is still wrestling with today. In addition to church planting, Shawn is a father to five beautiful children and family is central to how he thinks about discipleship. Join us as we talk to him about ministry, family, having doubts, and what it means to stay committed to your calling by trusting God’s plan.Support the show

Today, on the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, PT shares a story that's never been told before. He offers thoughts on tangible, immediate changes that are needed around  public assistance programs and policing, including the George Floyd Policing Act. Sometimes it doesn't feel like a lot has changed in one year.  Yet even when things feel hopeless, the Gospel remains a joy-giving source of hope that one day justice and change will come.Support the show

Mike Dixon is a worship leader, recording artist, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Mike comes from an athletic family and is 6 foot 5 inches. He seemed destined for sports, but after attending a music clinic at his local church, it was clear that music was his calling. Mike is passionate about leading worship, and he educates us on what it really means to lead in worship. His songwriting is vulnerable, which admittedly causes him to wrestle with God, but that’s what makes his lyrics so powerful. Join us as we talk to him about what it means to be committed to calling even at your own expense. Check out his latest songwriting venture:  The Sustainer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEsp8P6Aod0Support the show

Isaac Moore is a Houston native who’s gone from the bottom of Third Ward to the top of the fashion industry. As a fashion designer at Isaac and Moore, Isaac specializes in handbags, but if you ask him, he doesn’t create handbags, he creates experiences. Isaac was raised by the streets, but found his home in fashion when he started designing clothes like his own suit for prom. His story is filled with pain and struggle. However, he has never stopped being committed to the vision and calling that God gave him. Join us as we talk to him about what it means to be committed to your calling despite the odds. Check out Isaac and Moore https://www.instagram.com/isaacandmoore/Support the show

Stephen G. Butler has served as a grant writer, community organizer, and is now an Assistant Dean at the Oklahoma City University School of Law. Most importantly, Stephen has been a great friend since our college days at Oklahoma State University.  Through his calling, Stephen has worked to create solutions to solve problems like access to healthcare, the subprime mortgage crisis, and has developed projects to address the challenges facing public schools. To Stephen, your calling isn’t limited to just one vocation. Join us as we talk to Stephen about what it means to be committed to your calling from season to season. Support the show

Ronnie "Reconcile" Lillard has been a college football player, he’s a rapper, youth advocate, court case manager, and father of five. He wears a lot of hats, but one thing is for sure, he’s always doing it for the community. After leading ministry in Houston, he returned home to his native state of Florida where he is now a director at the non-profit organization Youth For Christ, where he leads outreach programs for at-risk youth.  Join us as we talk to him about navigating family, ministry life, the joys, and even the pain of living out your calling. Listen to Streets Is Suicide by Reconcile here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocTl6iOIU1sSupport the show

Welcome to Season 2 Kinfolk! This season, we're focusing on what it means to be called by God and how every one of us has a calling in our life.  Join us as we talk to artists, entrepreneurs, financial coaches, and professors, about their journey to living out their calling in the different places and spaces where God has called them to serve. Support the show

We needed to talk to somebody who understood politics and understood the gospel and we called Thom! Thom Mozloom is the president and founder of the M Network, a branding and strategic communications firm based out of Miami, Florida. Thom has worked with leaders on both sides of the aisle, from Jeb Bush to Barack Obama. Thom takes us behind the scenes on how political messaging is tailored for various voter blocks-persons of color, evangelicals, etc.-and how these tailored messages contribute to division and conflict in the Church. Thom is a second-generation Phoenician and he draws from his ethnic and cultural background to discuss our need for restorative justice over retribution. When asked, “Where do we go from here?” Thom says we have to seek out neighbors and walk out our calling to forgive — 70 times 7.Support the show

In today’s episode we talk with attorney, entrepreneur, and activist, Meagan Harding, who is the co-founder of Rosa Rebellion, a platform for creative activism by and for women of color. As a civil rights attorney, Meagan has fought for wrongful conviction policy and has worked to shine a light on solitary confinement through the Texas Civil Rights Project. Meagan’s commitment to fighting for the black community is unshakable; however, she talks honestly about the exhaustion, frustration, and sorrow, that comes with being an activist.  Rest is a biblical mandate and for Meagan, that means that rest and recovery is essential to how God wants us to show up in the fight for liberation. This led to her Rebel + Rest project, which provides space for rest, therapy, and total care to activists across the country.   For more information on Rosa Rebellion and the Rebel + Rest project, visit here: https://www.rosarebellion.com/homeSupport the show

We talked to a lot of great folk with interesting people this season! We sat down with Olaide Banks -- entrepreneur, artist, attorney, and Renaissance man -- to try to process what we heard after 8 episodes (2 more episodes, this season). Thank you for continuing to listen. The best is yet to come!Support the show

Support the show

On this episode we talk with Pastor Donald Bell, Sr.  the pastor of Covenant Blessing Fellowship in Los Angeles, California.  He has unique experiences through his work in clinical traumatology. Pastor Bell pulls from his own experiences being detained by police as a young man and his extensive experience as a trauma counselor to offer a unique perspective on licensing police. Pastor Bell gives keen insight on the political and religious division in our country. When asked, “Where do we go from here?” Bell says that we need integration with wisdom and to give each other love, grace, and space, when it comes to having difficult conversations. Support the show

In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Michael Emerson, Department Head and Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Chicago.  He is the author of the classic: "Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America." The killing of George Floyd hit home for Dr. Emerson, a native of Minneapolis. In this episode, Dr. Emerson talks to us about how his faith has shaped an incredible, long-standing body of work focused on religion, race, and the different ideological perspectives on justice, equity, and the moral right, in black and white communities of faith. Dr. Emerson’s research contextualizes the division that we are witnessing in Christian communities today. When asked, “Where do we go from here?” he points to the need for truth and reconciliation commissions that include historical testimony and create plans for restitution. Emerson says this type of reconciliation is not only needed, it is the gospel work we have been called to do.  Support the show

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Erica Soltero Ngwolo, assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Her work focuses on developing health promotion programs that help minority youth overcome social determinants or root causes of health like lack of access to healthcare, safe places to be active, and healthy food resources, to prevent obesity and Type 2 diabetes. "Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood, and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care." -- Samantha ArtigaWhen we ask Dr. Erica Soltero Ngwolo, “Where do we go from here?” she points to the need for greater acknowledgment of social determinants in healthcare so that we can develop better care and research strategies that let black and brown patients know that we see and hear them.Support the show

In this episode, we sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery. Wesley is an Ohio native and talks to us about joining the trade of journalism in the 8th grade and the heroes that inspired him to blaze his trail in an evolving field with little representation. He was a lead on the Washington Post's "Fatal Force" project that won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2016 as well as the author of They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement.Wesley's work focuses on issues of policing, justice, and race relations, and can be found in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, CBS News, The Atlantic, the cover of Newsweek, and now on 60 Minutes. His groundbreaking work on the frontlines of Ferguson to George Floyd gives him a unique perspective regarding the narratives told around police brutality. When asked, “Where do we go from here?” he speaks earnestly about the power we have as individuals and as a collective and how he believes that there is no better time like the present for us to rise. Check one of his most recent articles here:  https://www.newsweek.com/police-reform-alone-wont-stop-another-george-floyd-being-murdered-1512023 Support the show

In this episode, we talk to Chris Clemons, a native of Houston, Texas, and church planter in Pearland, Texas. Pastor Clemons is the lead pastor of The Way of Life Baptist Church. Pastor Clemons shares how he uses the power of prayer to navigate race relations in the U.S. and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead an ethnically and politically diverse community. When asked, "Where do we go from here?" he shared his thoughts on the need for reform in our justice system, policing, and the need for educated voters to hold politicians accountable.Support the show

In this episode, we talk to Amanda K. Edwards, a native Houstonian, lawyer, former city council member, and former candidate for U.S. Senate. Amanda shares her faith-driven passion for public service and unexpected journey into politics after graduating from Harvard Law School. When asked, “Where do we go from here?” she passionately encourages all of us to become advocates by raising our voices for change and accountability. Edwards warns that the road ahead will be long, but we’ve been here before in the civil rights movement and we have to endure.  For more from Amanda on priority issues and how to get involved in the city of Houston visit amandafortexas.com.See also her editorial in Essence Magazine here:  https://www.essence.com/op-ed/systemic-racism-kamala-harris/Support the show