Culture Conversations

Caleb and Alexandra Bruski are church planting in Oradea Romania. In this episode, Caleb shares his experience growing up as a missionary kid in a former communist country and what it's like planting a church there. He shares his conversion story and how he learned to exhibit both grace and truth while sharing the gospel and ministering to people.

Some resources mentioned and how to help Caleb and Alexandra in their ministry efforts:

1. Financial Support:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/2020-bruski-family-in-romania

2. Church Website:

https://www.ccmetanoia.com/

3. Van Til Apologetics:

https://smile.amazon.com/Christian-Apologetics-Cornelius-Van-Til/dp/0875525113/ref=sr_1_2?crid=35XFQ6E531TRZ&dchild=1&keywords=van+til+apologetics&qid=1593455887&sprefix=vantil+%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-2

Pete Rew grew up in a pastor's home with five siblings in Philadephia. He shares his unique journey in a fundamentalist baptist environment from infancy to graduating seminary. Pete shares in a raw and transparent fashion what pastoral life and church-planting are often like, from growing up in a church-planting home then himself parachuting into Pittsburgh to plant a church.

Resources:

1. Start-Up Podcast: Church Planting:

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/startup/llhekv/church-planting-1-the-movement

2.

Eileen Scipione has been a biblical counselor (focused on family, women, and children) for many years. Eileen has raised five children and currently resides in Pittsburgh PA. Eileen has a degree in Special Education and a certification from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. She has served alongside her husband George in pastoral ministry (as a pastor's wife), in overseas missions, and in biblical counseling, and training biblical counselors at Pittsburgh's Biblical Counseling Institute in Wilkinsburg PA. While still counseling many women and children Eileen is writing a book on female sexuality emphasizing "the whole woman," look out for that forthcoming book.

In this episode, the pastoral elders of Eternal City continue their conversation on race and ethnicity and more specifically they discuss a few New Testament texts involving ethnic tensions; in one instance we are told that the gospel is being undermined. The pastors also recommend many resources for furthering your understanding and going deeper into the topics discussed in the podcast today.

Dear White Christian:

https://www.amazon.com/Dear-White-Christian-Christians-Experience/dp/1944964126/ref=sr_1_2?crid=4VWYWO74N4N0&dchild=1&keywords=dear+white+christians&qid=1591719206&sprefix=dear+white+chr%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-2

Woke Church:

https://www.amazon.com/Woke-Church-Christians-Confront-Injustice/dp/0802416985/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591719277&sr=8-1

The Color of Compromise:

https://www.amazon.com/Color-Compromise-American-Churchs-Complicity/dp/0310113601/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UAT7KGF36WK3&dchild=1&keywords=the+color+of+compromise+jemar+tisby&qid=1591719317&sprefix=the+color+of+com%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

Oneness Embraced:

https://www.amazon.com/Oneness-Embraced-Reconciliation-Stronger-Together/dp/0802412661/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25L55SWLXAFA7&dchild=1&keywords=tony+evans+oneness+embraced&qid=1591719399&sprefix=Tony+evans+%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1

Let's Get To Know Each Other:

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Know-Each-Other/dp/0785281347/ref=sr_1_1?crid=863JXXX7D59P&dchild=1&keywords=tony+evans+lets+get+to+know+each+other&qid=1591719470&sprefix=tony+evans+lets+%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1

Who Is An Evangelical?:

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Evangelical-History-Movement-Crisis/dp/0300241410/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7C4QAF41D21V&dchild=1&keywords=thomas+kidd+who+is+an+evangelical&qid=1591719537&sprefix=thomas+kidd%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1

One New Man:

https://www.amazon.com/One-New-Man-Reconciliation-Theology/dp/0805448578/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591719622&sr=8-2

Tru-ID Podcast:

http://www.truidpodcast.com/

David French: American Racism:

https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/american-racism-weve-got-so-very

Carl Ellis: Prophets of Culture:

http://drcarlellisjr.blogspot.com/2020/06/protest-and-anarchy-in-black-and-blue.html

The Next Evangelicalism:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Evangelicalism-Freeing-Cultural-Captivity/dp/0830833609/ref=sr_1_2?crid=D5BR71G3J7GO&dchild=1&keywords=the+next+evangelicalism&qid=1591720133&sprefix=the+next+evan%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-2

God Made Me AND You:

https://www.amazon.com/God-Made-You-Celebrating-Diversity/dp/1948130130/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shai+linne&qid=1591720193&sr=8-2

God's Very Good Idea:

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Very-Good-Idea-Delightfully/dp/1784982210/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K3FR8734XXQZ&dchild=1&keywords=gods+very+good+idea+book&qid=1591720234&sprefix=gods+ver%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1

Eternal City Church has 5 core commitments, one of which is to "Unify Peoples." We seek to do this through a variety of means, one of them being honest and open conversations about controversial, hard, and emotionally explosive topics such as race/ethnicity along with all it's accompanying luggage. In this conversation, the pastors of Eternal City have sought to speak in love with the Biblical gospel as the main interpretive principle; seeking to show love, charity, and respect, they discuss openly and transparently these very tense topics.

Justin Coaxum is one of the pastoral elders of Eternal City Church. Justin is a gospel-saturated, people-loving, culturally-savvy man. He has a very keen eye for cultural phenomena and it's meaning towards a love of neighbor and cultural engagement. In this episode, Justin shares his story of conversion, his early life as a Christian and how he navigates all the tension surrounding ethnic-division in the church and wider culture.

Eddie Jones is a pastor at Eternal City Church and has been a Christian for over 30 years. Eddie shares his story of how he came to know Jesus, his struggle with same-sex attraction, and how he experiences living in America as a black man. He shares his desire and strategy for unity in the church and culture surrounding ethnic tensions and misunderstandings. Eddie is an engaging storyteller and his passion comes through loud and clear in this interview.

Eddie Jones is a pastor at Eternal City Church and has been a Christian for over 30 years. Eddie shares his story of how he came to know Jesus, his struggle with same-sex attraction, and how he experiences living in America as a black man. He shares his desire and strategy for unity in the church and culture surrounding ethnic tensions and misunderstandings. Eddie is an engaging storyteller and his passion comes through loud and clear in this interview.

Scott Prentice is a church planter with the Acts 29 church planting network in Pittsburgh PA. In this episode, Scott shares his story of childhood, conversion, early influences, call to full-time ministry, and what it's like to be assessed by Acts 29 and then eventually become an assessor for Acts 29. The gospel of Jesus' grace is on full display in Scott's story.

What is the nature of the gospel? Is the gospel something we do or something God has done? Is the gospel the good news that Jesus is King or that he is our substitutionary sacrifice? Does the good news come into clear focus during the four gospel accounts? These and many more questions will be answered on this episode of Culture Conversations.

Recommended Resources:

1. Greg Gilbert: What Is the Gospel:

https://www.amazon.com/What-Gospel-9Marks-Greg-Gilbert/dp/1433515008/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=VH7AMX2NHTSG&dchild=1&keywords=greg+gilbert&qid=1588948516&sprefix=greg+gilber%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUDY3MFJLU1lKTFlNJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTIzNDkwMkE5MTI1WkJRNUIzSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzM1NDAzU0tVNEJLVVdNVTM2JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

2. D.A. Carson (General Editor): Biblical Theology Study Bible:

https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Theology-Study-Hardcover-Comfort/dp/0310450403/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2A1DI7FRGQ6MK&dchild=1&keywords=biblical+theology+study+bible&qid=1588947737&sprefix=biblcial+theo%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVkRBVlpIWVU5TDkxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDI3NTgwVk9CTlBTQTZGV0cxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNTg4OTYxOE84STdDVjEwTFRHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

3. Harvey Turner: Friend of Sinners:

https://www.amazon.com/Friend-Sinners-Evangelism-Harvey-Turner/dp/1632960761/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1588947870&sr=8-1

4. Greg Koukl: Tactics:

https://www.amazon.com/Tactics-10th-Anniversary-Discussing-Convictions/dp/0310101468/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1588948007&sr=8-1-spons

5. Mark Farnham: Every Believer Confident:

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Believer-Confident-Apologetics-Christian/dp/1632695200/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1588948148&sr=8-1