MINI-SERIES: Get a taster for what Berea is like as Stu runs the first tutorial from the Berea Internship.

As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, the guys explore how institutions evolve, questioning how ideas can be institutionalised while still remaining relevant over time.

Stu then starts up the Berea tutorial with a deep dive into ministry frameworks, beginning with Berea’s spiral method of learning—where content is introduced in layers, revisited, and explored more deeply over time. The key question: What does it look like to develop a ministry framework? Rather than prescribing what to think, he emphasises how to think about ministry, recognising that every church—whether intentionally or not—operates within a particular framework.

The question is what is Jesus’ Theology-Strategy-Practice. Looking at Matthew 22:37-40 and the parable of the Good Samaritan, we get an insight into how the Soul Revival ministry began. Instead of running a culturally relevant program, they shifted to a countercultural model—prioritising deep, relationships that have been won for us by Christ. It led to an important realisation: rather than institutionalising programs and ideas, their ministry should institutionalise friendships. Drawing from Bonhoeffer’s vision of expanding friendships, they explore how discipleship flourishes when relationships are at the core of Christian community.

Looking at history, they discuss how discipleship and mission thrived in multi-generational settings and critique the Homogeneous Unit Principle, which often led to generational gaps and people leaving the church. Instead, they advocate for a ministry framework rooted in inclusivity, relational discipleship, and a mission that extends across all ages and life stages.

00:00 Intro
01:21 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Saturday Night Live turns 50
11:20 Berea begins: What is your ministry framework?
19:15 What is Jesus's Theology-Strategy-Practice?
34:56 Challenging the paradigm of friendship
40:53 Generation gaps and losing people from church

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

“SNL50” Brought the Stars, Nostalgia, and More Questions About the Future
More Cowbell Sketch
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks - SNL

CONTACT US

Shock Absorber Email: [email protected]
Shock Absorber Website: shockabsorber.com.au
Soul Revival Shop: soulrevival.shop

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