Them Before Us Podcast

Join the TBU team for our great big Father's Day episode! We've got interviews with Robin Porter from LoveLife, Roland Warren, the CEO of CareNet, a "Here for the Comments" segment on the best dads in media, and all our staff join together to share about their own mothers and fathers and the positive impact they made on each, growing up.Pastor Robin Porter has served in church ministry for over twenty years in various roles, including as lead pastor of Eastside Bible Fellowship in Bellevue, WA. He was introduced to the ministry of LOVE LIFE two years ago and was deeply impacted by the ministry's church and gospel focus to serve the most vulnerable. God continues to grow Robin's boldness to stand for life even as He equips Robin to mobilize and unite the church around the issue of life. See more: https://lovelife.org/Roland C. Warren is an accomplished author and serves as president and CEO of Care net. His first two books, Bad Dads of the Bible: 8 Mistakes Every Good Dad Can Avoid (Zondervan) and Raising Sons of Promise: A Guide for Single Mothers of Boys (InterVarsity Press), have helped fathers and mothers apply biblical principles to their parenting journeys. His latest book, The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must Be Pro Abundant Life, guides Christians on a new way forward for the pro-life movement in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. See more: https://care-net.org/roland-warren/

In this episode, we sit down with Phil and Melody to talk about Family Preservation Ministries and their upcoming UNSHAKABLE 2026 Conference. Their mission is clear: to protect, preserve, and strengthen families through the local church—helping people before they reach crisis or end up in the foster care and adoption system. Grounded in the Gospel, this ministry is church-driven, professionally supported, financially healthy, and deeply collaborative. Through coaching, advocacy, and networking, they empower ministries to proclaim the Gospel, equip churches, steward resources wisely, and model generosity—all while making collaboration simple and effective.Learn more about this organization and their upcoming event at https://upstreamcollab.org/Bios:Melody Marshall is the Co-Executive Director of My Village Ministries, a local initiative focused on family preservation, and the Co-Executive Director of Upstream Collaborative, a nationwide network of family preservation ministries. After receiving a B.S. in Human Development and Family Science, Melody has pursued work that aligns with God’s calling to serve vulnerable families.Melody’s professional journey has spanned various roles, from house parent for at-risk teens to paraprofessional for children with special needs. Her experiences have shaped her unwavering dedication to the marginalized, the orphan, and the widow. Guided by a deep faith, Melody has seen God’s hand at work in her life, leading her to a clear calling to mobilize the Church to preserve socially isolated families in crisis, helping them build sustainable support systems and pathways to healing.Phil Krause is happily married to his wife, Erin, of 16 years and a father of 4 lively kids, living in Columbus, Ohio. He has almost 20 years of experience serving vulnerable families/children, including being a foster, adoptive, and host parent. He is currently the Co-Executive Director of My Village Ministries out of central Ohio, where they seek to accomplish family preservation through biblical hospitality. He also serves as the Co-Executive Director of Upstream Collaborative, which is a national collaborative that seeks to further equip family preservation ministries to protect, preserve, and strengthen families through the local church. Additionally, Phil has served as an elder for 4 years at Awaken Church in Columbus, Ohio.

Colson Center’s John Stonestreet joins the Them Before Us podcast to discuss the new documentary Truth Rising. The film explores the rise of Western Civilization, the profound impact it has had on human history, why it’s now at risk, and what we can do to preserve it. TBU’s Katy Faust is also featured in the film. Truth Rising premieres September 5—don’t miss it!------------------John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center. He’s a sought-after speaker and author on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of Breakpoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He has co-authored five books including A Practical Guide to Culture and Restoring All Things. Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John is an ordained deacon in the Anglican Diocese of All Nations (Anglican Church of North America). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO.

Today, Jenn is joined by Chelsey Painter Davis, "whose viral videos have broken the ice on disability and shattered stereotypes through her shockingly relatable humor, breath-catching stories, and vivacious charm.Growing up a survivor of in-vitro fertilization, Chelsey has never been afraid to question modern preconceptions surrounding reproductive healthcare. She lost her vision due to birth control pills she was pressured to take when she was only 19 years old and started sharing her story publicly in 2019. Then when her son was targeted for abortion after a prenatal diagnosis in 2021, she took on the mantle of ProLife speaker to share his survival story. Now, Chelsey travels across the country enrapturing audiences through her versatile storytelling, raw vulnerability, and exceptional courage as she shares her gripping journey from pain to purpose."We hope you're encouraged by this story. Check out her website to learn more! https://www.chelseypainterdavis.com/

In his second time on the Them Before Us podcast, Professor Robert P. George shared about his new book: "Seeking Truth & Speaking Truth: Law and Morality in our Cultural Moment." In his decades as a professor, George has taught between 8,000-10,000 students in the Ivy Leagues and hopes this resource will shift our culture back to reason and truth seeking instead of emotionalism.Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Things-Through-Morality-Culture/dp/1641774215Check out Episode #019, where Professor George lays out "natural law" and why it matters for children: https://open.spotify.com/episode/06Gx9TRXzF2De8sLlXLOUM?si=6kON-jD-SJ2EcW2d4sRcdQ&nd=1&dlsi=7ce62b7944e746f1Bio: Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He has served as chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and before that on the President’s Council on Bioethics and as a presidential appointee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He has also served as the U.S. member of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST). He is a former Judicial Fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States, where he received the Justice Tom C. Clark Award. A graduate of Swarthmore College, he holds J.D. and M.T.S. degrees from Harvard University and the degrees of D.Phil., B.C.L., D.C.L., and D.Litt. from Oxford University. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and is a member of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Jenn interviews Maridel Sandberg, the President and Founder of Together for Good, a national nonprofit launched in 2017 to partner with the local church in supporting vulnerable families before a crisis leads to separation. If we can get to moms who need support before their children get involved in the government system, think how many lives could be positively changed! This was a great conversation and a great place to get involved. More info below:https://www.tfgood.org/Full Bio: With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Maridel has devoted her career to family preservation, adoption advocacy, and strengthening community-based responses to family crisis. She is a founding member of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a national coalition committed to inspiring and equipping the Church to care for orphans and vulnerable children. Maridel has been instrumental in advancing faith-based solutions to child welfare challenges on both local and national levels. Maridel attended Northwestern University and has continued her education through decades of hands-on leadership, organizational development, and training in trauma-informed care and community mobilization. Her personal journey as a mother of eight—three biological and five adopted through the loving decisions of birth mothers—fuels her passion for standing alongside parents who choose to raise their children but lack the support systems they need to succeed.Under Maridel’s leadership, Together for Good has become a trusted partner in the effort to reduce child welfare involvement and promote long-term family stability. She continues to lead with humility, vision, and a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to work together—for the good of children, the good of families, and the good of our communities.

Jenn sits down with EksAyn Anderson, author, speaker, and founder of the Dadfluence movement, to discuss why fathers are one of the most critical forces shaping the future of children and society. From the heartbreaking story of losing his mother at age eight to practical, research-based parenting wisdom, EksAyn challenges men to reclaim fatherhood as their primary calling and reminds us that building strong families isn't just personal; it's civilizational. They discuss how fathers can overcome common struggles like distraction, workaholism, and addiction, and reflect on what a five-year-old’s hike up an 11,700-foot mountain reveals about building confidence and courage in children.See more from EksAyn here:https://www.dadfluence.org/p/dadhttps://eksinfluence.com/