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LOGLINE
During the first hundred days of Trump’s second Presidential Administration, FAMILY MEAL gathers diverse Next-Gen Christian Faith Leaders from across the country to wrestle with ideas of identity, formation, imagination and Oneness.
DESCRIPTION
We’re getting closer to the 100 day mark of the second Trump presidential administration.
Recently signed executive orders target immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, DEI, the Department of Education, the Smithsonian Museums, and more. Many people around the country are fearful for their own personal freedom, and also for the safety of the ones they love.
In light of the edicts and legislation, Colleges and Universities across the nation are unclear on how best to protect student questioning, free speech and public engagement. At schools like Columbia, Harvard, Boston University, and more, students are now increasingly fearful about even questioning the status quo. According to a March 11, 2025 Boston Globe article,”Student protesters try to protect international peers amid Trump attacks on higher education”, UMass campus organizers have adopted the chant, ‘Who keeps us safe? WE keep us safe.’ And as Master of Divinity students, Marisa Prince and Calvin Lee are feeling the effects of the moment as well.
In an effort to create safe space for student questioning and dissent, [GOSPEL] is producing a new podcast experience called FAMILY MEAL. In Spring 2025, the Dinner & Conversation series will bring together a wide-tent mix of Next-Gen Christian Faith Leaders in Boston, MA; Columbus, OH and Berkeley, CA. Together, they will explore key concepts like Identity, Purpose, Faith Formation, and the possibilities of the Moment.
NEXT-GEN CHRISTIAN FAITH LEADERS
FAMILY MEAL defines ‘Next-Gen Christian Faith Leaders’ as up-and-coming leaders - regardless of age - invested in the future of the Christian Faith. Most are:
Seminary and Theological School Students preparing to lead the next iteration of the American Christian Church;
Undergrad & Graduate Students taking seriously their Christian faith;
Lay Leaders currently within traditional Church and Faith Spaces; and
Believers outside of Church Spaces who are still invested in the future of the Faith.
[GOSPEL] is building a wide-tent intergenerational community passionate about renewing the witness of the Church, and transforming faith-driven engagement in our country.
Young Believers, Believers of Color, and those passionately pursuing Freedom and Justice are on the frontlines of the biggest issues of our day. We have an appetite for fresh spaces and content that grapple with how our faith can engage the world and shape the future of the Church. There’s a hunger for honesty, equity, freedom and justice in our faith communities, our world and in the media we consume. We pray [GOSPEL]’s curated spaces cultivate bold leaders unafraid to speak truth to power, who are equally committed to transforming communities from within.
TONE & STYLE
Smart, youthful, energetic, raw and authentic - FAMILY MEAL is rooted in a love for the Biblical vision and purpose of the Church. Show participants don’t pull any punches - offering timely Next-Gen commentary on the cultural Christian landscape, alongside fresh vision for inspired ways for the wide-tent Church to come together. The Pod captures distinct voices of a generation, and amplifies the urgent concerns of those with a heart to serve faith communities across the Nation. Discovery is a key theme of the show - discovery of ourselves, each other, and the developing vision for the Church of tomorrow.
