Grey Pages

Dezi and the crew spend some time reflecting on the centrality of hospitality and the stranger ethic.

This week on Grey Pages, we flip the script with a long-overdue ladies takeover episode! For the first time ever, we hear directly from the women who have been holding it down behind the scenes of the Brave Cities movement. Join Bree Linderman, Chelsea Repic, Cheryl Halter, and Lindsey McCall—the wives of Lance, Joel, Hugh, and Taylor—as they share candidly about life, marriage, motherhood, leadership, and living out a missional call as a family.This episode centers the voices of women whose steady presence, faithful discernment, and often-invisible work have helped shape families, ministries, and entire communities.In this episode, you’ll hear:🔥 How they’ve navigated mission as family, not just “supporting roles”🌪️ The balance between stability and flexibility in life and ministry🛑 Real talk about boundaries, burnout, and permission to say “no”💡 Why authenticity matters more than fitting into anyone else’s mold😂 Hilarious (and sometimes ridiculous) “war stories” from life in the trenches🙌 What’s helped them stay grounded through unpredictable seasons🧭 Words of wisdom they’d offer to their younger selves—and to anyone just starting the journeyKey Quotes:“It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to not be at everything. That doesn’t mean you’re failing.”“Don’t compare your life to someone else’s call—walk your road faithfully.”“Authentic community isn’t a luxury. It’s how we survive.”

– Lessons from Senegal with Joel RepicIn this special episode of the Grey Pages podcast, Joel Repic joins the team live from Senegal to share a deeply moving reflection on mission, suffering, and the slow, faithful cultivation of Kingdom ecosystems. What begins as a simple story about a fruit orchard becomes a rich metaphor for prophetic work in hard soil—spiritual, cultural, and literal.Joel recounts his time with a Senegalese pastor and his wife—pioneering believers in their tribe—who have built a refuge, a youth center, a school, and an orchard in one of the most difficult contexts imaginable. Together, the team explores what it means to fall in love with the process, to work with your hands, and to find hope not in the results, but in the slow, faithful labor of love.From aquaponics systems in Tampa to mango trees in Senegal, this conversation is a testament to those who plant where the ground is dry, who water with tears, and who stay even when there's little fruit—because they love the soil and the people on it.Topics Covered:The slow work of Kingdom ecosystems in hard placesWhy some of the most faithful work bears fruit far down the road—or not at allLearning from suffering, not success, in global missionThe healing power of working with your handsEmpire vs. Kingdom thinking: Results-driven vs. process-loving workAquaponics as a parable for community-buildingApostolic foundations and generational thinkingWhy “loving the process” might be the most sustainable posture for missionA Few Quotes:“He doesn’t just love results—he loves the soil and the people who live on it.”“It’s not normal for beautiful things to grow quickly.”“You might have to cut down the very tree you spent ten years tending.”“Kingdom work is everywhere. You’ll find Jesus in it—I promise.”Who This Episode is For:Mission workers, church planters, social entrepreneurs, anyone doing hard work in dry places, and all who need a reminder that slow faithfulness matters more than quick fruit.

In this episode, Jon, Hugh, and Taylor sit down with their longtime friend David Gobout from St. Louis to unpack the gritty, raw, and faithful journey of community-rooted ministry.David shares his evolution from entering a marginalized neighborhood with the classic church planting mindset to uncovering that what the neighborhood actually needed was something much different — presence, patience, listening, and decades of relationship-building.From running neighborhood events and building a beloved outdoor basketball court to taking over the historic Melvin Theater and opening it up for the community, David’s story reveals the heart of long-game ministry — where slow, faithful work creates deep roots and real trust.Topics we cover:✅ Why David didn’t plant a traditional church✅ What it means to uncover the “good news” in a neighborhood✅ How the Melvin Theater became a hub for help, hope, and collaboration✅ The challenge and beauty of playing the long game✅ Why small acts of love (like building a basketball court) matter more than flashy programs✅ The power of contextual mission — and why results may take decades✅ Rethinking success: from counting heads to reshaping perceptions of God

In this episode, the team dives deep into one of the more nuanced and often overlooked ideas in the book—anonymity. What does it mean to “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”? Why did Jesus warn against broadcasting our good works—and how does this relate to the current culture of self-promotion, brand-building, and nonprofit storytelling?We explore the tension between being visible in the world and avoiding self-glorification, drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and practical wisdom. From discussions about spiritual posture to nonprofit fundraising, entrepreneurial restraint to kingdom strategy, this episode unpacks why anonymity might just be one of the most important and freeing principles in the ecosystem life.Topics Covered:The freedom of not having to promote yourselfJesus’ teachings on secrecy and spiritual intentionThe tension between “let your light shine” and “do it in secret”Why we might be getting in our own way with branding, storytelling, and constant updatesThe iceberg metaphor: putting our good works beneath the surfaceStrategic silence and the "Messianic secret"How identity, audience, and pressure shape our decisionsWhen sharing the story is helpful—and when it becomes performanceNonprofit realities, fundraising nuances, and ethical storytellingLearning from John Perkins, Bonhoeffer, and the axiom: “Let it be self-evident”

🎙️ Episode SummaryIn this episode, we sit down with Jesse Cruikshank—neuroscientist, author, missional strategist, and former roller derby player (yes, really!)—to dive deep into the brain science of discipleship. We unpack how our understanding of spiritual formation has been shaped more by the Enlightenment than by Scripture, and how the way we teach and learn often inoculates us against transformation rather than leading us into it.This conversation is a must-listen for anyone wrestling with how the church should teach, disciple, and form people into the way of Jesus. Spoiler: it's not through 40-minute sermons and passive listening.📌 Key Themes & Topics:The difference between semantic memory (facts) and autobiographical memory (identity & transformation)Why most sermons and passive teaching methods don't lead to real changeHow risk, experience, and relational learning create real discipleshipThe Enlightenment’s impact on the church and why we prioritize information over formationWhy status and power play such a major role in how we think about church leadershipHow to rethink church gatherings to actually form people spirituallyWhy shame can only be healed in community and not in your prayer closetThe importance of identity formation in discipleship💡 Notable Quotes:🧠 "Your brain doesn’t care about truth—it cares about identity. If we were designed to seek truth, it wouldn’t hurt to change our minds."📖 "The way we teach in church actually inoculates people against transformation. They think they know something just because they heard it."⛪ "We’ve been handed a model of church from the Enlightenment that prioritizes intellect, status, and control—none of which actually transform people into Christlikeness."👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 "How do you deep-teach your children? Do you sit them down for a 40-minute monologue? No. You teach them in the rhythms of everyday life. Why do we think church should be different?"