Grey Pages

We are so grateful that Leslie Kim was able to join us for this episode of Dezi Sessions!

In this episode Lindsey joins Taylor for another chat with Dezi

You don't wanna miss this one!

We are back with another incredible conversations with our big brother Dezi

Dezi Baker, Kingdom community leader and coffeehouse owner who cultivates arc-like, neighborhood 'brave city' ecosystems. He talks about music and coffeehouse culture shaping community. He frames kingdom vs Babylon structures and discusses spiritual powers and humility in spiritual warfare. He names practical practices like tables, baptism, and local economies as ways to subvert prevailing powers.

We are super excited to kick off this series with Dezi Baker. Buckle up!

They discuss funding struggles and the odd gaps between money and kingdom impact. Conversation about grassroots community growth and surprising neighborhood wins. Reflections on pride, boasting, and the value of nonfinancial resources like relationships and volunteer expertise. Stories about improbable projects that succeeded and the discipline of remembering provision.

A great conversations with one of Hugh's longtime co-conspirators

They revisit gritty, real-life frontline work and the messy joy of restarting a drop-in center with showers, laundry and meals. They explore grassroots gatherings that incubate missional entrepreneurs and community businesses. They describe designing a multi-use ‘park’ as a kingdom hub and reflect on startup energy, risk, and renewed vigor in daily service.

Justin Stice, founder of Kingdom Co-Op and author, discusses building resilient kingdom communities in Lubbock, Texas, while Carl Olson, a mental health professional, shares his pioneering work in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Together, they explore the challenges of early-stage community building, the loneliness of leadership, and the importance of mentorship in fostering resilience. They also reflect on embracing socioeconomic diversity and the constant tension between ideal aspirations and real-world challenges, all while loving the process of their transformative journeys.