The Cry of our culture
Earlier this year, we were invited to partner with one of the premiere filmmaking organizations in the country, Windrider. The organization holds their annual, immersive summit in the midst of the world-renown Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. Their mission is to engage in the cultural dialogue taking place in film, yet with a redemptive lens. Windrider has been blazing trails for emerging filmmakers and students for more than twenty years, and I saw firsthand the power of it.
Leading up to our being there for the summit, their team informed us of the emerging trends in film in 2023, and one of the most popular themes represented on film at Sundance this year was, yes, you guessed it…….fatherhood.
During the opening night session of the summit, CEO and Co-Founder John Priddy said the following words to the hundreds who were in attendance, and they’ve stuck with me since.
“Independent film is often referred to as the cry of our culture.”
Did you catch that?
Not the gauge of our culture.
Not the hope of our culture.
It’s the cry of our culture.
Meaning, it’s coming from a place of deep longing within the human heart.
Films shown this year where the role of a father was a central theme were both inspiring and equally heart-wrenching. Stories of heroism, belief, forgiveness, and a father’s love for his children captivated audiences. While stories of betrayal, manipulation, abuse, and addiction seemed all too common for many in the room, as tears were plentiful. Whether young or old, boy or girl, the role and influence of a father in our lives evokes tremendous emotion, good and not so good.
The greater conversation around fatherhood in our present day, as well as the often termed “dire” state of men in general, continues to garner considerable headlines. The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Washington Post and many others have all taken turns in highlighting the issues and challenges men are facing.
Now before I go much further, we must agree that there continues to be great difficulties and obstacles plaguing women, and our ability to move away from a zero-sum thinking mentality will be the first step in properly holding space for this important dialogue. In this context, zero-sum thinking presents the idea that if we sound the alarm for men’s issues, we’re in some way denying the obvious trials women uniquely face across a broad spectrum of our society. This is not true, and it’s a tactic of the enemy, which leads to further divisiveness. Instead, as followers of Jesus, we recognize the cruciality, the responsibility in fact, of engaging with these difficult conversations head-on. For both men, and for women.
Regarding men, I’ve personally seen enough data, read enough articles and books, listened to enough commentary on the subject over the past few years that’s honestly broken my heart. I’ve wept over it, and honestly, I continue to. This has stirred within me so much that I left a very comfortable career to lead Kinsmen, a start-up 501c3. That through it, we might become more than just educated commentators, but practitioners, pioneering and blazing new trails that are actively engaging in thoughtful and lasting solutions to the chronic problems men face today.
To the believer I propose these questions:
Do we not carry within us a key ingredient to the healing of our land?
Do we believe that the true gospel of Jesus Christ holds solutions to the problems of our day?
The answers are yes, yes and Amen in fact.
So then, how do we move forward? How do we, like Windrider, engage in these necessary conversations for our day? I can only speak for what we’re doing with Kinsmen, but here’s how we’re intentionally engaging in this greater conversation on a broad scale nationwide and here locally.
Kinsmen Journal / Faith. Fatherhood. Work. Podcast
We recently reprinted Vol 1, as a timeless coffee table book. The book is beautifully designed. It’s rich with stories and images that edify, not tear down. The content is not a theological argument, it’s an invitation, designed to provoke meaningful thought, to encourage men to engage in necessary conversation. Conversation with God, conversation with one’s self, a spouse, with our children, even within our community and our work. Conversation is a starting point, the book and podcast are our starting point.
And for our podcast, we’re more than 20 episodes in. Season 1 has been an audio companion to the journal, with additional commentary, story, questions, and even prayer. We’ve just begun dropping episodes centered on Work. We usually release 3-4 episodes each month. Take a listen here, subscribe and share with others.
Kinsmen: Table / Gatherings
Since June of last year, we’ve intentionally gathered men in our community and region. I've seen firsthand the compounding effect of creating intentional space for men.
We've held four gatherings in the past nine months for men from various backgrounds, yet all male. Here locally, we've been laser-focused on removing the transactional and fleeting elements that often accompany male spaces. Instead, we've leaned into authenticity, story, honor, hospitality, friendship, purpose, and great food.
Here are a few testimonies of what's happened as a result:
- Launch of business ventures
- Mentorship
- Business partnerships renewed
- Non-profit organizations / Donor connectivity
- Deep spiritual and personal growth
- Friendships flourishing
In the latter part of 2024 and into 2025, we’re exploring markets outside of Springfield to connect and galvanize men. A few likely landing spots in the foreseeable future will be Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, MO, Dallas, and Denver. If you’re in one of these cities or others, and want to bring a Kinsmen: Table experience to your community, let’s talk.
Lastly, later this week I’ll be sharing about a boutique gathering we’re hosting later this spring, centered on the themes of Faith, Fatherhood, and Work. Again, our aim as an organization is to engage, to move, to take action, and I believe this gathering will be transformational for all who are in attendance as we move the conversation forward with action.
Thank you for reading this update about the work our organization is doing. I’m deeply grateful and thankful for your time, it’s your most valuable asset.
Be encouraged, God is moving, and we’re humbled to experience what He’s doing in our midst,
Peter