The Grey Pages with Brave Cities

S2 Ep 23 Give Me a Shovel: Stories from the Frontlines w/ Olsen & Stice

In this episode, we welcome Carl Olson and Justin Stice, two faithful practitioners embedded in very different but equally meaningful contexts. Carl joins us from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he's in the early stages of planting seeds for a Kingdom ecosystem, often feeling isolated but deeply rooted in a hope for what's to come. Justin shares from Lubbock, Texas, where over a decade of commitment has grown into a robust, distributed ecosystem of Kingdom communities, causes, and commerce.Together, we explore the tension between early-stage pioneering and long-term sustainability, the spiritual psychology of apostolic leadership, and the beautiful (and painful) reality that Kingdom work never really stabilizes. From coffee shops and after-school programs to spiritual rhythms and community meals, these two stories offer a look at what it means to love the work, trust the process, and stay faithful in both the wilderness and the forest.Key Themes:Apostolic beginnings and ecosystem buildingThe loneliness and isolation of pioneering workThe language and lens of Brave CitiesLearning from the poor and refugee communitiesFinding satisfaction in the process, not the resultThe false promise of stabilityHow community sustains mission over timeFeatured Guests:Carl Olson – Community practitioner and mental health professional in Sioux Falls, SD. Find him on Substack or social media. (@carlolson)Justin Stice – Founder of Kingdom Co-Op in Lubbock, TX & author of Whole Mess to Wholeness by Justin Stice⁠ Learn more at kingdomco-op.com, and @justinstice on Facebook/Instagram

S2 E22 Brave Ladies- An Unpredictible, Authentic Adventure

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.”

S2 E21 Communities of Desire

In this episode, the Brave Cities crew explores a different kind of organizing principle: shared desire. Rather than building around outcomes, metrics, or even vision, we ask what happens when a community is rooted in a mutual longing — for Jesus, for justice, for neighbor love, for the poor, for the way of the Kingdom.Drawing on influences from René Girard to Walter Wink, and from 12-step communities to monastic orders, the conversation shifts the frame from performance to formation, from hierarchy to mutuality, and from strategic goals to embodied longing.Key ThemesDesire as the organizing principle of spiritual communityFrom top-down vision to decentralized invitationGirardian “mimetic desire” reframed through the lens of JesusWhy formation happens in process, not performanceCreating culture that pulls people up instead of pushing downThe difference between triangle leadership and circle communityInviting others into a life of desire without over-planning the pathNotable Quotes:“You don’t need a plan — you just need a desire worth living out.”“Fall in love with the process, not the outcome.”“If you stop walking, Babylon pulls you backward.”

S2E20 Love the Soil, Love the Work

– 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.

S2 E19 Benevolent Trauma | A Pathway to Change

👣 Episode OverviewWhat does it take to move from inspiration to action? In this episode, the Brave Cities crew is joined by digital strategist and pathway architect Jason Bowman, alongside longtime co-laborer Joel Repic from Aliquippa, PA. Together, they tackle the growing desire among church leaders and creatives to reimagine church, mission, and community life—and the sobering reality that very few actually make the leap.Through the lens of denominational structures, digital platforms, and embodied life among the poor, the team explores:Why inspiration rarely translates into real-world changeThe challenge and gift of being apostolic or prophetic in established systemsThe urgent need for clear, actionable pathways into sustainable missionWhat Leviticus, Moses, and benevolent trauma have to do with kingdom movementsThe role of structure, systems, and the Spirit in forming resilient alternatives to BabylonJason brings hard-earned wisdom from the online learning world, while Joel reflects deeply on denominational shifts and discerning God’s activity in the margins. Jon, Hugh, and Taylor weave in stories, metaphors, and convictions drawn from their own journeys into intentional, incarnational living.🔑 Key ThemesApostolic loneliness & the cost of loyaltyWhy most leaders recreate what they leftMaking obedience plausible through real pathwaysFrom prevailing models to prophetic experimentsFundraising, risk, and the economics of mission“Benevolent trauma” as an engine of transformationDual operating systems & monastic imaginationBuilding new wineskins without dishonoring old ones