How to Build Your Own Table: 3 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Create Something New

What do you do when the church, workplace, organization, or community you once called home no longer reflects your values? How do you know when it's time to stop fighting for a seat at someone else's table? And if you decide to leave, how do you figure out what comes next? Maybe you've spent years trying to make an institution better, only to discover that there's a limit to how much change its leaders will tolerate. Maybe your presence is welcomed, but your perspective isn't. Or maybe you have a vision for something different, but you're not sure you have the resources, experience, or courage to build it. **This episode of The Justice Briefing will help you think through your next move.** Dr. Jemar Tisby shares lessons from his journey out of white evangelical institutions and into building Tisby Media, an independent organization dedicated to truth-telling at the intersection of faith, history, and justice. Drawing on his personal experiences with racial exclusion, institutional resistance, and entrepreneurship, Jemar offers three practical principles for turning dissatisfaction into constructive action. You'll discover how to move beyond simply knowing what you want to leave behind and start identifying what you want to create. And you'll learn why **building your own table might not be what you actually need.** ### In this episode, you'll learn: - How to recognize when an institution has made space for you without giving you meaningful power - Why righteous anger can be a powerful starting point for creating positive change - How to identify the deeper motivation that will sustain you when building something new gets difficult - The three factors that can help you discover a mission uniquely suited to your gifts and convictions - The surprising difference between building your own *table* and building your own *chair* You'll also hear about Jemar's forthcoming book, Notes from an Evangelical Rejec*t*, and get updates on projects from Tisby Media, including the upcoming short film *What Will We Tell Them?* **If you're tired of shrinking yourself to fit someone else's vision—or you have a dream of creating something better but don't know where to begin—this episode will help you see the possibilities in front of you and take your next step with greater clarity.** ### Mentioned in this episode Notes from an Evangelical Reject — Jemar's forthcoming book, available for preorder. Publication date: January 19, 2027. How to Resist White Christian Nationalism — A self-paced course featuring practical action steps. **Jesus Was a Migrant** — Watch the trailer and learn about community screenings at https://jesuswasamigrant.com. **What Will We Tell Them?** — A new narrative short film from Tisby Studios. **Book Launch Team** — Join Jemar's launch team for exclusive resources, updates, and opportunities to help spread the word about *Notes from an Evangelical Reject*. Join HERE. **Footnotes** — Subscribe for historical insights and analysis at the intersection of race, religion, and politics. JemarTisby.Substack.com ### Episode chapters 00:00 – How to Build Your Own Table 02:27 – Why So Many People Are Questioning Their Institutions 07:48 – Jemar's Journey Through White Evangelicalism 12:58 – When You're Given a Seat but Not a Voice 17:19 – Principle 1: Identify Your Internal Driver 19:59 – How Righteous Anger Can Fuel Constructive Change 21:24 – The Vision That Pulls You Forward 22:28 – Principle 2: Create a Clear Mission 24:09 – Discovering Your Gifts and Learning to Trust Yourself 27:33 – Finding Joy and Passion in Your Work 29:29 – Identifying the Need Only You Can Address 31:09 – Principle 3: Decide What You're Actually Building 31:43 – The Difference Between Building a Table and Building a Chair 36:21 – How Jemar Built Tisby Media 40:03 – The Justice Briefing, Teaching, and the Justice Institute 42:40 – Tisby Studios and the Power of Film 44:10 – *What Will We Tell Them?* and the Legacy We're Creating 46:16 – *Notes from an Evangelical Reject* and the Book Launch Team 54:02 – Upcoming Projects and New Developments 58:04 – Why We Need New and Truer Institutions ### Follow Jemar Tisby YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JTisby ### About The Justice Briefing *The Justice Briefing* is your weekly guide to current events at the intersection of faith, history, and justice. #TheJusticeBriefing #JemarTisby #EvangelicalReject