Shows / The Act Five Podcast
The Act Five Podcast
Come sit on Act Five's digital front porch to hear stories and learn together!
Episodes
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 56: Campus Ministry, Lament, and Reclaiming Childhood with Sara DeMoor
Join in on this conversation that we thoroughly enjoyed with Sara DeMoor, the CRC Campus Minister at the University of Guelph. With years of working with…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 55: Proximity, Calling, and Biking with Jeff Neven
Jeff Neven, CEO of Indwell, is a local Hamiltonian who loves the city we all live in. Listen in on how he’s being proximate to the marginalized has shaped him…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 54: A Changing Relationship with Hope, The Role of Music, and Becoming a Dad with Eric Fusilier
We put our producer, Eric Fusilier, on the mic for this episode! Get a glimpse into Eric’s story which involves how his relationship with hope has changed over…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 53: Summer Resets, Renovations, and Practicing Hope with Jon Berends and Madi Kimmerle
Welcome back! After a summer away from posting regularly, we hope you enjoyed listening to the talks from our winter learning series speakers. Our newest…
The Act Five PodcastEp 47: Unreliable Instincts - Jon Berends
Hear week 1 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts : The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Jon Berends.
The Act Five PodcastEp 48: Unreliable Instincts - Marty Solomon
Hear week 2 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts : The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Marty Solomon.
The Act Five PodcastEp 49: Unreliable Instincts - Brian Dijkema
Hear week 3 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Brian Dijkema.
The Act Five PodcastEp 50: Unreliable Instincts - Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson
Hear week 4 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson.
The Act Five PodcastEp 51: Unreliable Instincts - Angela Reitsma Bick
Hear week 5 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Angela Reitsma Bick.
The Act Five PodcastEp 52: Unreliable Instincts - Joash Thomas
Hear week 6 of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian Imagination with Joash Thomas.
The Act Five PodcastEp 46: Porch Podcast with Year 7
Join Jon and Madi on the Act Five front porch as they chat with students, staff, and residents about this past year at Act Five. It's a chance to hear stories…
The Act Five PodcastEp 45: The Big Book, Justice, and Ancient History with Joash Thomas
We are wrapping up our Winter Learning Series with Joash Thomas! Join Madi and Jon as they talk with Joash about justice, restoration, the critical role of…
The Act Five PodcastEp 44: Deconstruction, Power, and Practicing Resurrection with Angela Reitsma Bick
Angela Reitsma Bick, co-author of Blessed are the Undone, hops on the podcast with Madi to talk about deconstruction, power, and practicing resurrection. And…
The Act Five PodcastEp 43: The Shema with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson
Listen to this bonus episode with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, The Shema.
The Act Five PodcastEp 42: Considering Lilies, Stories and the Particular with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson
Join our conversation with Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson where we get a window into her own imagination as the director of the Windstone Farm Community and a lover…
The Act Five PodcastEp 41: Deep Thinking, Being Human, and Institutions with Brian Dijkema
Brian Dijkema, President of Cardus, hops onto the podcast with Madi and Jon to discuss the importance of thinking deeply, humanism, and whether we should burn…
The Act Five PodcastEp 40: Jazz Music, Fiction Stories, and Empire vs Shalom with Marty Solomon
Marty Solomon joined for week 2 of Unreliable Instincts! Take a listen to the conversation Madi and Jon had with Marty that resulted in a debate about jazz…
The Act Five PodcastEp 39: Darkness & Light, The Role of History, & How we Change with Jon Berends
Jon Berends kicked off our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts, with a talk titled, “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.” Here this bonus conversation…
The Act Five PodcastEp 38: Disordered Narratives, The Gospel, and Belovedness with Dr James K. A. Smith
Who better than to kick off the launch of our Winter Learning Series, Unreliable Instincts, than Dr James K. A. Smith! This conversation launches our series on…
- The Act Five Podcast
The Beginning of 2026
Welcome back! Jon and Madi take a few minutes to share about the upcoming Winter Learning Series titled "Unreliable Instincts: The Case for a Robust Christian…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 37: Porch Podcast - Grace & Place
It’s time for another Porch Podcast! Our students have now completed their first term at Act Five, so we invited them to take a seat on the front porch with us…
The Act Five PodcastEp 34: Alumni Ambassador Intern: Daniel's Story
For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and…
The Act Five PodcastEp 35: Alumni Ambassador Intern: Zoe McSloy Whatford
For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and…
The Act Five PodcastEp 36: Alumni Ambassador Intern: Hannah Goddard
For the first time ever, we have three incredible Alumni Ambassador Interns! Our Alumni Ambassadors get the opportunity to visit schools, churches, camps, and…
The Act Five PodcastEp 33: Neighbourhood Engagement, Repenting of Idolatries, and a Commitment to Stay with Tim Dickau
Tim Dichau is on the podcast! Tim was the pastor at Grandview Church for over two decades. He led the church to refocus its mission among the neighbourhood and…
The Act Five PodcastEp 32: The Role of Music, Building Trust, and Playfulness with Aimee Berends
Join in on a conversation with Aimee Berends, a musician and registered psychotherapist. Madi and Aimee discuss the role of music in our lives, why play and…
The Act Five PodcastEp 31: Climbing Trees, Education, and Imagination with Justin Cook & Lena Scholman
Act Five is a place of education, but how we educate is designed intentionally. Join us for a conversation with Justin Cook and Lena Scholman, two incredible…
The Act Five PodcastEp 30: Rule of Life, Attachments, and Becoming More Alive with Phil Reinders
Phil Reinders joins us on The Act Five Podcast! He is a pastor and runs a Rule of Life community, Habitus. In this episode, we talk about how the Habitus…
The Act Five PodcastEp 29: Towards What End: Purpose, Character, and Disconnection
In this second part of the Season 3 introduction, Madi, Jon, and Eric dig deeper into themes they didn’t cover in Part 1. Together they explore what it means…
The Act Five PodcastEp 28: Towards What End: Community, Learning, and Formation
Season 3 kicks off with stories from the summer as Madi, Jon, and producer, Eric, return to the digital front porch to celebrate one year of the Act Five…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 27: Act Five with Brian Walsh
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 26: Act Six with Laura De Jong
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 25: Act Four with Steve MacDouell
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 24: Act Three with John Bowen
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 23: Act Two with Jackson Theune
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 22: Act One with Nina Schuurman-Drenth
This summer, we’re releasing all the sessions from our winter learning series this past year, Six Acts in Six Sessions. This series is taught by dynamic…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 21: Boredom, Digital Detox, and an Anxious Generation with Christina Crook from JOMO(campus)
JOMO stands for the Joy of Missing Out, and Christina Crook is all about inspiring people to get back to real connections, and letting ourselves feel bored to…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 20: Communal Identity, Listening, and Shame with Cindy Stover & Adrian Jacobs
Cindy and Adrian are integral in the Indigenous Learning of our gap year program! They both bring vast experience and deep thought around how to engage with…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 19: Prayer, Rule of Life, and Wonder with Jill Weber
We can’t know for sure, but we wonder if Jill Weber’s commitment to prayer is what birthed Act Five. She is definitely the reason we host Spaghetti Wednesday…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 18: LIVE from our Front Porch with Act Five Students, Residents and Staff
Welcome to the episode where our “digital front porch” meets our actual front porch! Hear right from some our students, residents, and staff about their…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 17: People, Place, and Praxis with Steve MacDouell
What does it mean to be people of our places? Why does it even matter? Join in on today’s conversation with Steve MacDouell, a pastor and professor, as we talk…
The Act Five PodcastEp 16: Bema, Chutzpah, and Two-Degrees with Marty Solomon
The Bema Podcast is a key teaching resource for our Six Acts class with our gap year students, so it was such a delight to have Marty Solomon, the host of The…
The Act Five PodcastEp 15: Hospitality, Death, and Compost with Justin Eisinga
As people who love, and deeply believe in community, we aren’t naive to how hard and complex it is. It can feel like compost. Take a seat with us as we chat…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 14: Unity, Confession, and ABC with Dave Witt and Steve Dykstra
Maybe our desire for unity isn’t enough. Maybe it’s only with confession, humility, and a dose of desperation that we can wobble our way into a unity that is…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 13: Seeds of New Creation in El Salvador with Delaney and Rebecca
As our gap year students are in El Salvador visiting our partners there, we figured it was a great opportunity for you to get to know them too! Hop on a…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 12: Imagination, Improvisation, and Innovation with Jon, Madi, and Eric
Welcome to a new year and a new season of The Act Five Podcast! On today’s episode, join Jon and Madi in a conversation around some of our most frequently…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 11: Wrapping Up Season 1 with Jana Arnold and Evan Maxwell
We’ve made it to the end of our first season of The Act Five Podcast! For this episode, our two Resident Leaders, Jana and Evan, have joined us for a…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 10: Act Five Turns Five Storyteller - Toon Garritsen
On September 28, 2024, we celebrated Act Five turning FIVE years old, and as part of the event, we had three people share stories about their experience. Take…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 8: Act Five Turns Five Storyteller - Alyssa Zilney
On September 28, 2024, we celebrated Act Five turning FIVE years old, and as part of the event, we had three people share stories about their experience. Take…
- The Act Five Podcast
Ep 9: Act Five Turns Five Storyteller - Rachel Kodde
On September 28, 2024, we celebrated Act Five turning FIVE years old, and as part of the event, we had three people share stories about their experience. Take…
The Act Five PodcastEp 7: The Story of The South Coast Beach Project with Willemina Zwart
In Port Dover, ON, is the South Coast Beach Project. The SoCo Beach Project is a 4 month spring/summer discipleship and community living experience for young…
The Act Five PodcastEp 6: The Story of Micah House with Stephanie Schreuders
A few blocks west of the Act Five home is Micah House, a home for Refugee Claimants. We’ve become great friends, and we’d love for you to meet them and hear…
The Act Five PodcastEp 5: Alum Story with Emma Loveday
Hear from Emma (year 5) as she shares about her experience with L'Arche through her time at Act Five.
The Act Five PodcastEp 4: The Story of L'Arche Hamilton with Dave and Cynthia
Directly within the neighbourhood the Act Five home is in, you can find all five of the L’Arche Hamilton homes. As neighbours, we’ve committed to regular meals…
The Act Five PodcastEp 3: The Story of Coldwater Canada with Matt Gray
During our gap year, students participate in three different trips to the wilderness with Coldwater Canada. They are deeply interwoven with us, and we’d love…
The Act Five PodcastEp 2: The Story of Russet House Farm with Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat
Our gap year students just spent a couple days learning from Brian and Sylvia at Russet House Farm, which has become a favourite spot for many Act Five…
The Act Five PodcastEp 1: The Story of Act Five with Jon Berends
It seems only fitting to launch The Act Five Podcast with the story of how it all came to be, and what the last few years have been like. Hear the story…