The Shock Absorber

In the latest episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Tim shares exciting news as he joins the Soul Revival staff full-time! He opens up about his new role and what he's most looking forward to as he embarks on this new chapter.

Tim also reflects on his departure from Youthworks by discussing his "9 Points on the Future of Youth and Children's Ministry." He shares his insights on how the future of ministry is evolving to be more slow, pagan, and intergenerational. He emphasises the importance of acknowledging that child faith is real, holistic, and often ad-hoc. Finally, he highlights the church's role as a communal, essential, and participatory space for spiritual growth.

00:00 Intro
02:29 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Thrasher | My War
12:25 Tim joins Soul Revival full time and what he's looking forward to
24:50 Tim's 9 Points: The future is ad-hoc
36:55 Tim's 9 Points: The church is participatory
40:13 Tim's 9 Points: The future is slow

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Youthworks House Conference
Thrasher | My War
The Loop ft. Tony Hawk & Mat Hoffman (2001) | Jackass
The Effective Ministry Podcast
Quin's Chip Lunch episode

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

In a shorter episode of the Shock Absorber podcast, Stu and Joel dive into a range of insightful questions about how Soul Revival approaches ministry. They explore the dynamics of different congregation sizes, discuss the language used to describe them, and the importance of targeting your base effectively before expanding.

They also chat about Stu's 13 years of church planting experience, reflecting on the pitfalls they've encountered, including the challenges of balancing tradition with modern cultural adaptation. The conversation touches on the use of the Bible as a grounding reference point and the lessons learned from trying to launch multiple gatherings simultaneously. They also emphasise the value of iterative design, where setbacks are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures, and the difficulty in knowing when to persist or pivot.

00:00 Intro
00:58 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: U.S. National Conventions
06:23 Sizes of congregations
11:00 The pitfalls of church planting over the last 13 years

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

The West Wing

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Join Stu, Tim, and Joel as they dive into the Christian moments that stood out at the 2024 Olympic Games. They also tackle some intriguing questions Stu has about Soul Revival's approach to church planting, youth ministry and growth. Hear about the rationale behind Soul Revival's decision to start a Friday night gathering and how they're crafting a natural path for young people at church.

Plus, they explore the concept of 'moderate intergenerationality' and its crucial role in Soul Revival's strategic vision. Don't miss this insightful discussion!

00:00 Intro
01:17 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Christians at the Paris 2024 Olympics
11:20 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Christian marketing appropriation
16:02 Building a church from a youth ministry
24:49 Structuring church for youth to grow up into
38:08 The Bible is key to youth transitions
50:41 Moderate intergenerational means accommodation amongst the generations

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

‘Conditions were perfect’: how the breathtaking image of Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina was taken
The Top Christian Highlights of the Paris Olympics
How photographers captured the Trump assassination attempt
Tim Tebow Has No Regrets About How His Faith May Have Impacted His NFL Career
Cordano Russell's "Jesus is King!"
ENC Ministries
Kenda Creasy Dean

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

In Part 5 of our Resilient Disciples series, Stu, Tim and Joel dive into the Last Supper death work showcased at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony and explore how Christians can respond with both sorrow and love in the face of God being mocked.

They also unpack how being a resilient disciple involves living counter-culturally and partnering with God in His mission to make more disciples. As the world grows increasingly secular and Christians become a minority, it's crucial to resist the temptation to conform church practices and ourselves to societal norms. Instead, we’re called to return to the example of the early Christians, embracing the counter-cultural nature of our faith and supporting one another in our shared mission with God.

00:00 Intro
01:33 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: The Olympics Last Supper
17:02 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Blues Brothers
21:58 Individualism has lead to entitlement in the church
29:39 Transformed to counter-intuitively work together
43:25 A lack of surprise that Christians are mocked
51:40 Just a Christian version of everybody else
1:00:33 The shift of Christians not being in the minority
1:05:52 Going to church is the counter-cultural distinctive

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Alexamenos Graffito
Paris 2024 Last Supper
Blues Brothers
Jean Twenge
Does Money Make You Mean? by Paul Piff
Piss Christ
Moonbah Festival

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Tim and Joel look at the fourth practice of Resilient Faith from Faith for Exiles which leads them on a discussion of how we can encourage Christians to be disciples in all aspects of their life, including their vocation. Have we handled the discussion well? Are we helping people bridge the divide between the sacred and the secular?

Younger generations are becoming more ambitious because of the culture, but how can we help them pursue goodness, truth and beauty when they are at school and work?

"I work for Jesus and get paid by Toyota"
- Jack Hollis, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor North America

00:00 Intro
01:17 Week Away 2024
09:00 CULTURAL ARTEFACTS: Holiday Round-Up
33:00 Bridging the sacred and secular divide
47:00 The ambitions of younger generations
54:55 Calling is about the goodness, truth and beauty

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Cal Newport
Ultra-Processed People, by Chris Van Tulleken
Liquid Death
Sporting Intelligence Substack
The Rest is History
Faith for Exiles, by Dave Kinnaman & Mark Matlock
Think Biblically podcast
City Bible Forum

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Resiliency in discipleship is the name of the game as Stu, Tim and Joel chat about how intergenerational relationships can improve it, based on the research in Faith for Exiles.

Are rosters and a highly specialised church environment lead us to only be pleasant strangers? The Bible calls us to be more than that where the church community can be transformed by the Spirit's sanctification. The problem is, we get lonelier and lonelier as a society. Intentional, meaningful relationships can be the antidote.

00:00 Intro
02:46 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Biblical Critical Theory
26:20 The choice we get, the lonelier we get
30:15 Meaningful relationships and outward looking friendships
36:27 Intentionality and presence in forming relationships
45:49 Intergenerational relationships produce greater resilience
52:41 Community transformation through the Spirit
1:02:07 Problems with a specialised church environment
1:15:12 Dave educates us on early commercial airlines

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Coddling of the American Mind, by Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
Faith for Exiles, by Dave Kinnaman and Mark Matlock
Young Catholics defy Pope, choose Latin as rift grows in Australia's biggest church
Pan AM Clipper Magic with Boeing 707 1958

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Tim and Joel as sit down with Anthony, who, along with his wife Trudi, is preparing to move to Ethiopia. Partnering with CMS and Kale Heywet Church, their attention is to equip and develop future leaders in the country.

In this episode, Anthony shares the story behind their call to Africa, highlighting the incredible work God has already done and continues to do in Ethiopia. He gives us an insight into country's life, traditions, cultural practices and religious heritage but also real-life stories of how the gospel in changing people's lives in the region.

00:00 Intro
02:46 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Biblical Critical Theory
11:16 How do you best serve God?
16:19 Culture shocks and being in new places
29:30 Theological training and wholistic faith
38:19 The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
45:21 The impact of the gospel on Ethiopian society
58:11 Civil unrest and partnering alongside Christians in Ethiopia
1:02:05 What has changed in Ethiopia
1:10:52 Supporting Anthony & Trudi

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Anthony & Trudi's CMS page
Biblical Critical Theory, by Christopher Watkin

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Joel and Stu chat about why cultural discernment is an essential skill of a resilient disciple and what kind of posture we can adopt towards it and be equipped to engage with it?

Key to this is applying Biblical wisdom, but in a world where we are educated by search engine, what place does wisdom have and will it even be listened to? How do we build the muscles of cultural discernment - slow down and make room for conversation.

00:00 Intro
07:08 CULTURAL ARTEFACT: Come Fly With Me
16:58 Cultural discernment in digital Babylon
26:36 A creative posture towards the world
33:59 Does wisdom still have value?
39:50 Equipped to engage - avoiding being frenetic or fraught

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Australia Come Fly With Me
Justine Clarke
SpaceX SuperHeavy Landing
Motorsport Magazine podcast

CONTACT US:

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Tim, Joel and Fi talk about what it takes to be a resilient disciple because God doesn't owe us an easy life.

Resiliency reveals itself through a certain form of resistance, which as a Christian, can only come from an intimate relationship with Jesus. The book Faith for Exiles helps the discussion on what gets in the way of that relationship - religious clutter, individualism, layering Jesus over the top of what's cultural acceptable.

00:00 Intro
01:15 The Second Best Rescue + Silo + Bonhoeffer
19:56 Resiliency is...
33:15 The intimacy loop with Jesus
40:17 Clearing religious clutter
46:13 Brand Me, Brand Jesus
54:58 Does our life reflect our commitment to Jesus?

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Square One Camp
Awesome God, by Rich Mullins
Silo
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
Faith for Exiles by David Kinnaman & Mark Matlock
Deeper, by Dane C. Ortlund

CONTACT US:

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here

Tim and Joel continue the discussion on the intersection of technology and discipleship. Topics range from applying Vygotsky's theories to faith formation, a Christian response to the creator economy, and whether we exist in a digital Babylon in Australia as posited by Mark Matlock and Dave Kinnaman in their book Faith For Exiles.

00:00 Intro
01:15 Tim's expedition to Chicago
14:36 Applying Vygotsky's theories in faith formation
26:06 Dangers of the creator economy and a Christian response
49:24 Discipling in a digital Babylon when gospel inoculation is common

DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE

Children's Spirituality Summit
Lev Vygotsky
Jean Piaget
How I Became A Full-Time Youtuber From a Garden Shed
Matt D'Avella
Ali Abdaal
Alex Hormozi
Joel's Substack
David Kinnaman
Faith for Exiles, by Mark Matlock and Dave Kinnaman

CONTACT US

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

Check out what else Soul Revival is up to here