Deeper and Wider

How can the Kingdom of God inform journalism and the way we engage in social media? In todays episode we are going to hear from Stephen Roach Knight as we unpack the topic “Kingdom Journalism: Storytelling and the Magnalia Dei”.We explore questions like…-What is Kingdom journalism?-Why is kingdom journalism so important?-How does kingdom journalism challenge the powers that be in our world?-What are better ways we can communicate online in a way that aligns with the Kingdom of God?And more!

Stephen Roach Knight is passionate about media, technology, justice, and the future of faith. He is the co-founder of Transform Network, and he also currently serves as Special Assistant to Rev. Dr. II and also as the Internal Communications Manager for Repairers of the Breach. Stephen is also the former National Faith Organiser for the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival which he is still heavily involved with at the national level. To find more information on our guest today find him at stephenroachknight.com. He is also on facebook at Stephen Roach KnightAnd on twitter, and instagram at knightopia.

To find out more information on the June online moral march on Washington that Stephen was speaking on, then head to https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june2020/.

Also, check out transformnetwork.org. Transform network is which is a network with a mission to to resource, train, and mobilize people and communities of faith to discern and join what God is already doing in the world with transformational church and social justice. They are also running online classes at transformclassroom.online.

And also find out more information on Repairers of the Breach by going to breachrepairers.org. This is an American not-for-profit organization that seeks to build a moral agenda rooted in a framework that uplifts the deepest moral and constitutional values, to redeem the heart and soul of the United States

We hear Cate’s story and we explore things like…-What it is like being a Christian woman in leadership-What are the unique challenges of being a Christian woman in leadership-The prevalence of patriarchy within the church-How a theology of complementarianism & rigid gender roles emerged (and why it’s wrong)-Learning about (and embracing) the divine feminine within Christianity as part of a more multifaceted faith-How we can challenge both implicit & explicit patriarchy both within the church and the wider society-What could a genuine egalitarian church look likeAnd more!

Born in the US and raised between Canada and Australia, with a faith tradition spanning Anglican, Baptist, Church of Christ, Uniting, Mennonite and independent Pentecostal expressions, Cate has learned to be comfortable moving in liminal spaces. Cate's undergraduate degree is in Social Work, and her graduate degree is in Divinity; she is also a trainer and assessor. With a background in working with at-risk youth in inner city contexts, in outdoor educational programs on a Ranch in Canada, in the prison system and in a Seminary overseeing the online learning program and training people for pastoral ministry, Cate is driven by a relentless pursuit of the unfolding, naming and shaping of the Kingdom of God in every context. Cate is a terrible gardener, loves single malt scotch and will beat you at the traffic lights every time.

Cate can be reached at www.catevose.com where you can connect with her writing, speaking and consulting practice.

Part 2 of 2 of our conversation with Jarrod McKenna as we continue to tackle some of the big questions of the nonviolence of Jesus and its implications for us.

Pastor & Author Brian Zahnd says of Jarrod that “has the keen mind of a theologian, the warm heart of a pastor, and the dauntless courage of an activist. And as a skilled communicator all three of these attributes are evident as he seeks to form people in Christlike peacemaking. I have the highest respect for Jarrod McKenna and his work.“ Jarrod’s nonviolent activism has twice been awarded the Quaker’s Donald Groom Peace Fellowship. He is the Founding CEO of CommonGrace (Which is a movement of over 45,000+ Christians in Australia working for ‘beauty, generosity and justice’ in the public square), the co-initiator of #LoveMakesAWay for refugees which has become the largest faith based civil-disobedience movement in Australia’s history, is the former National Advisor for Faith and Activism for World Vision Australia, and for over 15 years has shared his home with refugees, people returning from prison and those doing it tough in the context of two neo-monastic communities including “First Home Project” which assists refugees and asylum seekers to find housing and employment.

You can follow Jarrod on facebook by finding him under his name, or on Twitter and Instagram at jarrodmckenna (all one word). Also listening to his podcast Inverse podcast- where him and his mate Drew Hart explores ways the Bible can turn the world upside down (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inverse-podcast/id1358332600).

We tackle some of the big questions when it comes to the nonviolence of Jesus and its implications for followers of Jesus today. In doing this, we’ll hear from my mate Jarrod McKenna as we hear his story and explore things like…-What is non-violence, actually?-What is non-violence trying to achieve?-What does non-violence look like on the ground?-What do we do with the larger questions of non-violence as it pertains to problems in our world? What are the different forms of non-violence that exist in the world?And more!

Pastor & Author Brian Zahnd says of Jarrod that he “has the keen mind of a theologian, the warm heart of a pastor, and the dauntless courage of an activist. And as a skilled communicator all three of these attributes are evident as he seeks to form people in Christlike peacemaking. I have the highest respect for Jarrod McKenna and his work.“ Jarrod’s nonviolent activism has twice been awarded the Quaker’s Donald Groom Peace Fellowship. He is the Founding CEO of CommonGrace (Which is a movement of over 45,000+ Christians in Australia working for ‘beauty, generosity and justice’ in the public square), the co-initiator of #LoveMakesAWay for refugees which has become the largest faith based civil-disobedience movement in Australia’s history, is the former National Advisor for Faith and Activism for World Vision Australia, and for over 15 years has shared his home with refugees, people returning from prison and those doing it tough in the context of two neo-monastic communities including “First Home Project” which assists refugees and asylum seekers to find housing and employment.

You can follow Jarrod on facebook by finding him under his name, or on Twitter and Instagram at jarrodmckenna (all one word). Also listen to his podcast Inverse podcast- where him and his mate Drew Hart explores ways the Bible can turn the world upside down (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inverse-podcast/id1358332600).

It’s not something you notice until someone points it out, but food has a central role to play in the life of faith. So we’ll hear from baker and writer Kendall Vanderslice as we hear her story and explore questions like:-What is the relationship between food and faith?-What role does (and can) food play in the life of faith?-What does church communities incorporating food in their worship look like?-How will the church be different if we did worship over a meal?And more!

Kendall Vanderslice is a baker and writer from Durham North Carolina, and she writes on the intersection of food and faith. She is a graduate of Wheaton College (BA Anthropology), Boston University (MLA Gastronomy), and Duke Divinity School (Master of Theological Studies). She writes for Christianity Today, Christ and Pop Culture, Religion News Service, and Faith & Leadership and is the author of We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God. Check out her website at http://kendallvanderslice.com/ and follow her on either Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @kvslice. And get a copy of her book available on Amazon and also on Audible at https://www.amazon.com.au/We-Will-Feast-Rethinking-Community/dp/0802876307

We hear Tara’s story and we explore what it means for the church to do community engagement…-So, what is community engagement?-What is the churches role of engaging community?-How might this be the wider role of God’s salvation of the world?-What’s the difference between a church doing charity, and a church engaging the community?And more!

Tara describes herself as a community engagement strategist, social change enthusiast, perpetual student of theology and a cautious agitator for the common good. For 5 years Tara led a church in transition, learning and experimenting with better ways to be a transformed people transforming our world. In 2020, Tara has taken on a role with Hillsong Perth leading a new Campus in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. In addition to her current role at Hillsong Church, she has lead a number of community engagement initiative in the past, she has also previously been the state coordinator for community engagement for the movement known as Australian Christian Churches (ACC) and has a passion to see a society more shaped by equity.

Follow Tara on either Instagram (@taraconradt) or Twitter (@Pastor_Tara). Find out about Hillsong Perth North at www.hillsong.com/perth/north

We hear Brads story and we explore things like…-What an inclusive view of Jesus’ salvation is (and how it’s distinct from other views)-Making the case for Christian inclusivism-Common misconceptions of Christian inclusivism-Addressing some of the common pushbacks against Christian inclusivism-What saving faith actually is-People having experiences with Jesus without them even knowing it-How the Holy Spirit is working across all cultures, people, and places to move people towards the knowledge of God-What about those who have a deeply bad experience in their previous faith? How could Jesus be working there if there was so much darkness? And more!

Dr. Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Canada. His books range from Christian Spirituality and Theology to Political Philosophy to illustrated Children's works. He is the Dean of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen's University (New Brunswick Canada) and on Core Faculty with the online Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice. His most recent books are “A More Christlike Way: A More Beautiful Faith” and “IN: Incarnation & Inclusion, Abba & Lamb”. These two books can be found at https://www.amazon.com/More-Christlike-Way-Beautiful-Faith/dp/1889973335 and https://www.amazon.com/Incarnation-Inclusion-Abba-Lamb/dp/1082461733.

Follow Brad Jersak on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook at https://twitter.com/bradjersak, or https://www.instagram.com/bradjersak/, https://www.facebook.com/BradJersak/

We hear Steve’s story and we explore things like… -What Jesus-shaped justice is-How the justice of the Kingdom of God is different from other versions of justice-Why we are to care about justice-Reading the Bible through the lens of the poor -Jesus giving us a justice that goes deeper than either end of the political spectrum -How we can engage in justice in our everyday life-what the church will look like if we took justice seriouslyAnd more!

Steve McKinnon is the state manager for Prison Fellowship and the Western Australian coordinator of TEAR Australia. He has a background in youth work, pastoring, chaplaincy and community development. He believes he is called to build a bridge between the church and the streets. This means to firstly provide a Christ-like community of transformational love for marginalised people and secondly to challenge the church to reach out to the poor and marginalised and thus be transformed also.

For more information on Prison Fellowship Australia visit https://prisonfellowship.org.au/ and for more information on TEAR visit https://www.tear.org.au/

Check out this sneak preview of our guests for Deeper & Wider...!

This season includes Steve McKinnon, Brad Jersak, Tara Conradt, Kendall Vanderslice, Jarrod McKenna, Cate Vose, Sandra Basham, Erica Hamence, Jonathan Martin, and Mark Godfrey.

We will be tackling topics ranging from Jesus & justice, an inclusivist salvation, church & community engagement, food & faith, a nonviolent faith, woman in Christian leadership, sex & spirituality, tackling domestic violence in the church, a more beautiful Pentecostalism, and being led by the Holy Spirit.

Click subscribe and share far and wide...! See you in 2020.

Before any interviews occur, I want to share with you the vision for this podcast through talking about boxes and glasses. Yep.You heard correctly. So listen to this 'episode 0' introduction to Deeper & Wider... Interviews coming soon...