Coming Home

What does it mean to live out your faith on and off the field? In this episode of Coming Home, host Dr. Nathaniel Pérez sits down with Gordon College baseball players — Colby Galipeau, Caleb Stuart, and Kevin Whalen, hosts of The Faith Talks Podcast — and Athletic Director Jason Linders to explore how athletics can be a powerful platform for faith, discipline, and community.

They discuss what “coming home” means spiritually and personally, finding identity beyond performance, and how community and mentorship shape the lives of Christian athletes. Whether you’re a competitor, coach, or believer learning to balance passion and purpose, this episode offers a rich perspective and real stories of transformation.

🎙️ Coming Home is a podcast by Gordon College in Wenham, MA — exploring faith, culture, and belonging with thought leaders, guest speakers, and members of our community.

Episode Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

Dr. Nathaniel Pérez welcomes listeners and frames the episode’s theme: faith and athletics.

00:38 – Meet the Faith Talks Podcast Team

Colby, Caleb & Kevin introduce themselves and reflect on what “coming home” means to them — from shared values to spiritual rest.

06:00 – From Public School to Christian College

The trio shares how growing up in secular schools shaped their decision to attend Gordon College and stand firm in faith.

09:10 – Faith in High School Sports

Stories of living out faith as student-athletes, witnessing through actions, and the power of quiet example.

16:00 – Kevin’s Testimony: Finding Faith Freshman Year

Kevin recounts his conversion at Gordon and how faith transformed his mindset toward competition.

21:00 – Identity Beyond the Athlete

Caleb reflects on injury, loss, and learning to find value in Christ rather than performance.

27:30 – Faith and Competition

What fuels Christian athletes? Gratitude, discipline, and confidence rooted in calling.

32:50 – Role Models of Faith

The students share athletes and mentors who inspire them — from Tim Tebow to their own fathers.

36:30 – Brotherhood & Accountability

How vulnerability and community sustain faith; inside their men’s Bible study, MOGs (Men of God).

46:00 – Launching the Faith Talks Podcast

The origin story behind their own show and their vision to reach peers with relatable conversations about faith.

53:00 – Introducing Jason Linders

Dr. Pérez welcomes Gordon’s Athletic Director, who shares his background, calling, and experience in college athletics.

54:30 – From California to Gordon College

Jason’s journey through ten institutions, discovering faith-based leadership and community.

57:00 – Faith in Leadership and Coaching

Using sports as a platform for discipleship and modeling Christ-centered leadership.

1:02:30 – Defining Success in Sports

Developing young people, academic excellence, and competitive integrity — beyond the scoreboard.

1:07:00 – Advice for Student-Athletes

Jason’s guidance on time management, discipline, and faith formation amid the challenges of college life.

1:11:00 – Life Beyond the Field

Family, hobbies, favorite teams, and how he stays grounded through worship and service.

1:13:00 – Closing Reflections

Jason shares final thoughts on faith, sports, and legacy.

Episode Summary:

In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Nathaniel Pérez welcomes Daniel Montañez—theologian, pastor, and advocate for immigration justice—to explore how God’s story has always been one of movement. Together, they discuss what it means to follow a “God of migration,” how scripture frames displacement and belonging, and how the Church can reclaim its voice in conversations too often dominated by fear.

Montañez shares insights from his own bicultural upbringing as a Mexican and Puerto Rican American, his research as a doctoral candidate at Boston University School of Theology, and his work as Executive Director of the Center for Public Theology and Migration and founder of the Migration Christian Conference.

From Genesis to Revelation, from the movement of the Spirit to the modern realities of migration, this episode invites listeners to see that God’s redemptive story is a story of journey—and that our call as followers of Christ is to walk with compassion, courage, and proximity alongside those on the move.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Coming Home
Dr. Nathaniel Pérez introduces the heart of the podcast: exploring faith, culture, and belonging through meaningful conversation.

01:00 – Introducing Daniel Montañez
A look at Daniel’s background—doctoral student, founder of the Migration Christian Conference, and leader in theology and public engagement.

01:40 – What Does “Coming Home” Mean to You?
Daniel reflects on growing up across multiple states and cultures, and how his concept of home has become both spiritual and relational.

04:30 – Growing Up Mexican and Puerto Rican
Daniel shares stories of his parents’ ministry and the richness—and tension—of living between two cultures.

07:40 – Faith and Culture in the Latino Church
How worship, testimony, and community shape Latino Pentecostal spirituality and identity.

09:50 – The God Who Moves
Daniel explains how scripture reveals a God of movement—from the Spirit in Genesis to Christ’s “cosmic migration” in the gospel.

13:50 – Reading the Bible Through the Lens of Migration
How viewing scripture as a story of displacement and restoration deepens our understanding of the gospel.

17:20 – The Imago Dei and Human Dignity
Exploring how every person—especially the migrant and stranger—reflects the image of God.

20:40 – Reclaiming the Church’s Role in the Immigration Conversation
Daniel challenges the Church to move beyond political soundbites and toward theological reflection and redemptive action.

24:20 – Overcoming Fear with Courageous Faith
How Christians can respond to fear with empathy, proximity, and Christlike hospitality.

29:20 – Proximity and Relationship
Daniel discusses why relationships are central to transformation and how listening can dismantle barriers.

31:50 – A Call to Serve: Daniel’s Personal Story
From struggling to embrace his identity to discovering his calling to serve immigrant communities.

38:30 – Stories of Hope from the Immigrant Church
Daniel shares moving testimonies from undocumented pastors whose faith endures in the face of hardship.

43:00 – Renewing Our Minds and Hearts
Reframing immigration through the ethics of Jesus—loving our neighbor as ourselves.

46:50 – The Migration Christian Conference
A behind-the-scenes look at the conference’s mission to unite pastors, scholars, and activists for redemptive action.

50:20 – Joy, Calling, and Community
Daniel reflects on joy in hospitality, connection, and gathering people together—whether around theology or a backyard grill.

52:10 – Hope for the Next Generation
A closing challenge to students and young leaders: to be humble