Religion & Spiritual Crisis: Ministry in a Secular Age Workshop

Religion & Spiritual Crisis:

Ministry in a Secular Age Workshop

Ministry in a Secular Age

Tripp Fuller is on a roll. I can hardly keep up with all the classes he's been offering lately!

Here's another excellent class for those interested in how the Christian faith works inside of a secular church culture. Let's just say it can and it can't.

The can part is pretty easy: "Love God, Love your neighbor."

The can't part is a bit harder because of all the disinformation the church gives off about what "Is of God" and what "Isn't of God".

Lately, it feels like:

"That which is of God according to the church really isn't of God. And that which is claimed not to be of God by the church really is of God."

Get it?

The Church is living out its own age of reversals where the light claiming to be light is really darkness but thinks it is light assuring its congregations by defensive denials and apologetic arguments.

But not so. If you've been following me on Relevancy22 and the assortment of articles posted here you'll see readily enough that what is thought true of the gospel of Christ really is not of Christ when spoken through the secularity of churches claiming to be "biblical".

Which is a shame.

And yet, over the years what true Christianity is has been presented and explained time and again from many voices and through many articles how and what and why a biblical Christianity is, and is not, what it could be.

Let's learn together again!

Sign up for Tripp and Andy's class, "Ministry in a Secular Age" and bring your prayer and devotional being to the group.

The Church of Jesus has a lot of heavy lifting to do in the new pandemic age to come with all its confusion and strident voices declaring those who are of God and those who are not.

I, for one, pray to the Lord to give to me and my readers hearts full of conviction, humility, and inquiring spirits. To this end, thank you Lord for your faithfulness in these difficult days.

Amen,

R.E. Slater

April 13, 2021

https://homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/oursecularage/

The 6 Feature Sessions

Session 1 - Why the Handmaid's Tale is [not] a good ministry model Or What happened to all the devils and demons? Ministering to people who file belief away as private.

Session 2 - When Margaritas replace a Speaking God: Ministering to people whose lives are framed by immanence as opposed to transcendence.

Session 3 - The Need to Recognize Authenticity: What happens to denominations and pastors when our age is an authentic one and our authority is our own self.

Session 4 - Stained Glass Narratives, melted crayons, and a stack of unanswerable questions.

Session 5 - Why Speed Kills…the church: The church isn't facing a decline of resources but a loss of time.

Session 6 - Why relevance is a drug: Moving beyond ministries of relevance to encounters of resonance.

* * * * * * * * *

Andrew Root

Luther Seminary

Andrew Root is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations.  His most recent books are The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), The End of Youth Ministry? (Baker, 2020), The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019), Faith Formation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2017), and Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies: Youth Ministry in the Age of Science (Fortress Press, 2018).  Andy has worked in congregations, parachurch ministries, and social service programs. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Kara, two children, Owen and Maisy, and their dog. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Andy spends far too much time watching TV and movies.

Tripp Fuller

University of Edinburgh

Dr. Fuller is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh. He recently released Divine Self-Investment: a Constructive Open and Relational Christology, the first book in the Studies in Open and Relational Theology series. For over 12 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast (think on-demand internet radio) where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill, or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3.5 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to... topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History, etc. Tripp is a very committed and (some of his friends think overly ) engaged Lakers fan and takes Star Wars and Lord of the Rings very seriously.

* * * * * * * * *

FAQs

Is this class just for ministers?

No. Anyone interested in the changing shape of religion, spirituality, faith, and culture can join the fun. We will be framing the sessions to address the questions and challenges for those on the ground. When does the class meet?

The class is asynchronous and you can participate fully without being present at any specific time. The weekly streaming session will take place on Tuesdays at 5pm eastern starting June 15th. How do I get access to the class content?

The complete class content collection will be available on the password protected resource page. The downloadable audio and video of each session will be uploaded there and available for at least a year.

What happens after I sign up?

The email you enter when signing up will receive an email from tripp[at]homebrewedchristianity[dot]com. The email will include access to the resource page, details on how to join the class Facebook group, and more.

Do I have to have Facebook?

No. Facebook is not required to participate, but an additional way to connect with other class members and interact throughout the class.