Kate Boyd, author of An Untidy Faith, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how American churches have idolized the nuclear family. Kate notes the ways churches structure community around life stages, often excluding those who are single, childless, queer, widowed, or otherwise outside the cultural “norm.” Drawing from her own experience as a married, childless-by-choice woman, Kate identifies the unspoken assumptions that shape small groups, volunteer roles, and social expectations in church settings. She criticizes how church marketing models built around suburban, middle-class ideals have sidelined Jesus’ vision of the family of God—and how rethinking this can create more inclusive, connected communities. This episode is essential listening for pastors, church leaders, and anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit into the traditional church mold.
Key takeaways from this episode:
Church structures often default to life-stage segregation, which marginalizes people who don’t fit the traditional nuclear family timeline.
The nuclear family as an ideal is more cultural than biblical, shaped by marketing strategies and postwar American values, not Jesus or the early church.
Intergenerational and cross-stage friendships reflect the true family of God, and churches must actively reshape how they build community to reflect that.
Important Links:
Kate’s website - https://kateboyd.co
Kate’s Substack - Kate Boyd
Kate on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kateboyd.co/
Christianity Without Compromise episode featuring Dr. Malcolm Foley
Kate Boyd is a writer, Bible teacher, and digital creator helping Christians navigate faith with integrity in complex spaces. She holds a Master of Theological Studies with an emphasis in biblical studies from the Perkins School of Theology and is the author of An Untidy Faith: Journey Back to the Joy of Following Jesus. She runs the Untidy Faith Substack and regularly creates resources for Christians seeking depth, nuance, and community beyond conventional church structures.
You Might Also Like:
Why Church Size Doesn’t Measure Success - Justin Belt
In this conversation on the Christianity Without Compromise podcast, host Jake Doberenz interviews church planter Justin Belt about challenging the modern obsession with church size and attendance. Justin shares his personal journey of hearing God’s call to plant a church, only to find that obedience did not lead to instant success, large crowds, or ext…
Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at jakedoberenz.substack.com.
Christianity Without Compromise is a part of the KFM Broadcasting network.
