Jennifer Schroeder talks with Falon Barton and Rachel Collins about their experiences in ministry with emerging adults, their research of the "dones," and how these two conversations converge to shape how we think of young adult ministry and the church. Their insight provides church leaders with innovative ways to walk alongside emerging adults as they build or rebuild their spiritual lives.

Barton and Collins published two articles on their research in Volume 11 Issue 1 of Discernment. Read the articles here: digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol11/iss1/ 

You can access the resources discussed in this podcast at www.emerge-collaborative.com/ 

Myles Werntz talks with Ellen Di Giosia about her role as the Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) of Texas. They help the audience get acquainted with what CBF is and how they can utilize its resources. Ellen shared the future goals of CBF and how you can partner with them either in Texas or in your home state. 

Carson Reed talks with Heather Gorman and Mark Nelson about their new book, Lunchroom Theology: Pushing Tables Together in a Fractured World. In this podcast, Heather and Mark discuss the theological and sociological origins of the polarization we’re experiencing and then examine how Jesus and the earliest Christians help us think faithfully and creatively about how to push tables together in our fractured world. 

This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You can listen here or head to our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar recording. 

0:00-3:45: Intro

3:45-4:45: Prayer

4:45-7:45: Purpose of Writing Their Book

7:45-13:00: Increasing Polarization of the Church: Turning Instead to “Lunchroom Theology”

13:00-23:45: Faithful Improvisation 

23:45-26:00: Submitting to the Holy Spirit

26:00-29:30:Conversation Leader vs Conversation Starter

29:30-33:15: Humility Leads to Fun and Relief?

33:15-38:30: Engaging in Good Theological Conversation for Our Culture

38:30-41:15: Conclusion in the Book: “Therefore…”

41:15-48:15: What is the Goal of Our Conversation?

48:15-54:45: Internal Work that Needs to Be Done 

54:45-58:20: Pragmatic Strategies For Connection Amidst Diversity

58:20-1:03:00: Final Emphasis

In this podcast, Carson Reed talks with Samjung Kang-Hamilton and Mark Hamilton about their new book, Story, Ritual, Prophecy, and Wisdom, as well as offer insight and practical wisdom to the ways that narratives, practices, and forthright speech give rise to healthy, living communities of faith that demonstrate wisdom. 

This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You can listen here or head to our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar recording. 

0:00-3:15: Intro

3:15-4:05: Prayer

4:05-8:45: The Hamiltons Talk About Their Book About Living Out the Bible

8:45-10:45: Purpose of the Book

10:45-17:00: Connection Between Narrative/Stories and Community

17:00-25:15: How We Can Incorporate More Stories in Our Sunday Gatherings

25:15-34:30: Ritual: Another Element Important to Identity

34:30-40:30: Prophetic Witness

40:30-47:15: How Scripture Helps Form Wisdom Community

47:15-50:10: Including Children In What the Church is Doing

50:10-54:45: Keeping It Fresh, But Also Biblical

54:45-58:15: Encouraging Preachers to Navigate All 4 Modes

58:15-1:02:00: Final Thoughts

In this episode, Myles Werntz and Ian Harber have a vulnerable conversation about his personal faith journey. Ian discusses his home life growing up, the many losses he has faced, and how the grief in his life affected his walk with God. Through his deconstruction and reconstruction process, Ian Harber discusses his experience with faith deconstruction and how he navigated through this hardship. 

0:00-2:00: Intro

2:00-11:20: Ian’s Story

11:20-19:00: What is “DeConstruction”?

19:00-27:45: Key Stages of DeConstruction

27:45-33:15: Accompanying Someone Through DeConstruction

33:15-38:30: Advice for Pastors

38:30-40:00: Contact and Closing

Dr. Carson Reed talks with Dr. Dan Bouchelle in the January Intersection webinar. Dan discusses his work with the Mission Resource Network and how we might we learn from brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. 

This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You can listen here or head to our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar recording. 

0:00-3:45: Intro

3:45-4:30: Prayer

4:30-10:00: About Missions Resource Network

10:00-19:45: Importance of Prayer to MRN

19:45-26:00: Difference Between Movement in the West vs the East: “Missional Mindset”

26:00-32:15: Relational vs Event Churches

32:15-37:45: Suffering and the Human Experience

37:45-40:45: Is Technology Helpful?: Established Relations vs Introductions

40:45-46:20: Helping Churches and Leaders Become More Relational

46:20-49:45: Multicultural and Diversity Skills

49:45-53:00: Professionalized Ministry in America

53:00-56:10: Final Comments

56:10-58:30: Closing

Myles Werntz talks with Richard Beck about his book, "The Shape of Joy." In this episode, Richard delves into the concepts of joy and self-esteem and their intersection with ministry. 

0:00-1:50: Intro

1:50-3:45: New Book, Shape of Joy

3:45-8:00: What is Joy? The Great Debate

8:00-10:45: Problem with Self

10:45-14:45: Issues and RoadBlocks

14:45-22:45: How to Begin Getting Out of the Rut We Are In

22:45-27:25: 6 Steps to Find Our Way to Joy

27:15-37:00: Connecting the Dots to Ministry

37:00-39:00: Contact and Closing

Join the conversation with Brad East as he discusses ways to minister to those who have left the church, the half-churched. In our generation of living online, Dr. East guides us through the difficulties of sharing the gospel to the Digital Generation. 

This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You can listen here or head to our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar recording. 

0:00-4:00: Intro

4:00-5:30: Prayer

5:30-7:15: Genesis of Brad’s Book

7:15-12:00: Milk vs. Meat

12:00-15:00: Catechesis: What It Is

15:00-21:30: How Can Catechesis Can Be Done Well: Reviving Biblical Literacy

21:30-24:00: Continuous Biblical Story 

24:00-27:30: Emphasis on Community Within the Letters

27:30-32:45: Ministry in the Modern Age: Keeping Substance While Getting on Their Level

32:45-37:15: What Does Meaningful Life Look Like? Communicating Stakes To Our Youth

37:15-41:10: Roles of Art and Drama in Catechesis

41:10-47:15: Children and Their Capacity in Faith

47:15-49:45: Distinction Between “Evangelism” and “Catechesis”

49:45-53:30: Challenges of Ministry in the Digital Age

53:30-56:30: Creating Microcultural Habits in an Adverse Culture

56:30-59:45: Takeaways from Conversation

59:45-1:01:15: Prayer and Closing

Myles Werntz and Steve Bezner discuss the topics within Dr. Bezner’s newest book, Jesus is Too American. In this conversation, Steve talks about his journey of leading his Houston church through a sermon series that calls us to lean more into Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount and embody the culture that Jesus calls us to.

0:00-2:00: Intro

2:00-6:30: Steve’s New Book, “Your Jesus is Too American”

6:30-8:45: Why is This Topic So Important Theologically

8:45-10:30: Where Do We Start?

10:30-16:15: Pacing Ourselves in the Church and Practicing Honesty

16:15-19:15: Sermon on the Mount: What Jumped Out at Steve

19:15-22:20: Biblical Power Distribution and Dynamics

22:20-26:30: Sermon on the Mount: Drawing Deeper into Its Interrelated Truths

26:30-28:00: Importance of Community for Motivation and Courage

28:00-30:00: Most Challenging Aspect for Steve

30:00-31:30: Contact and Closing

Listen to the conversation with Suzie Macaluso about the Church Research Council. Christianity is in decline in the United States today, and so many changes are occurring in our culture as well. However, researchers are at work seeking to learn about what is happening in Churches of Christ. In this Intersection webinar, Dr. Suzie Macaluso will give an overview of cultural and sociological trends as well as tell us about this new research group that is forming to learn about congregations in Churches of Christ in terms of demographics, practices, and other sociological factors.

This podcast is a part of our Intersection Webinars. You can listen here or head to our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar recording. 

0:00-3:30: Intro

3:30-4:15: Prayer

4:15-5:45: Church of Christ and the “Nones”

5:45-12:30: Church of Christ Statistics Over the Years in Contrast to Other Traditions

12:30-15:30: Importance of Sociological Work for These Goals

15:30-19:00: Church Research Council

19:00-21:45: Contacting Churches of Christ for the Survey

21:45-24:00: Different Teams for the Survey

25:00-27:00: Research on Diversity Throughout the Church of Christ Tradition

27:00-29:30: Self Identification as a Church of Christ

29:30-33:15: What Else Are The Researchers Curious About?

33:15-36:00: Possible Research on Church Education 

36:00-41:05: What is the Goal for this Data?

41:05-42:00: Moving Past Conservative vs. Progressive Boxes

42:00-45:00: Keeping an Active List of Congregations

45:00-46:50: Ways to Participate in the Survey

46:50-48:00: Student Work Within the Survey and Data Collection

48:00-51:00: Seeing and Identifying Trends Over Time

51:00-54:00: Other Ways That The We Can Help the Research

54:00-56:30: Overview of Preliminary Data

56:30-59:30: Closing and Prayer