Theology Anywhere

Having conversations with young people can be scary. If those conversations are about important issues or topics, having conversations that matter can feel like an overwhelming  pressure. Laying the groundwork for transformative conversations happens through preparing and connecting. This leads to open discussion and hopefully engagement with the world. This episode talks about 1 method to help lead young people in conversations that are meaningful.  

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There are a lot of theological words and concepts that get thrown around in churches. Often pastors and leaders just assume that everyone knows what they mean and therefore don’t take the time to explain those concepts and the role they have in faith. This session talks about conversion: what it looks like to start a journey of following Jesus and how we can support young people as they begin that journey themselves

If you’re interested in the idea of conversion, I really like Richard V. Peace’s Conversion in the New Testament!

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There are a lot of theological words and concepts that get thrown around in churches. Often pastors and leaders just assume that everyone knows what they mean and therefore don’t take the time to explain those concepts and the role they have in faith. This session talks about the Image of God, an idea that’s present in Genesis 1 than helps to explain who we are and the role we have on Earth. 

If you’re interested in the idea of the Image of God and how the context of the Ancient Near East plays a role in our concept of it, check out “The Liberating Image” by J. Richard Middleton. It’s a dense read but beautifully lays out this concept. 

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Have you ever read a story from the Bible or maybe heard someone teaching from scripture and were just not sure about how that specific section fit into the overall story? Are you not sure if you even know what the overall story or theme of the Bible is? You’re definitely not alone! Often church leaders talk about pieces of scripture without helping people understand the overall story: the story of God. This is the story that God has written and continues to write in our world and in our hearts. 

In this training, we break down the story of scripture into 7 acts: creation, fall, promise, Israel, Jesus, church and restoration. By walking through each section, we hope you see how God is develop and progressing this story not just in the Bible but also in the world. God has a story and is inviting for us to join the story!

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Adolescence is a confusing time. Not just for young people but also for those that care about them. In this series, we will be covering some of the most pertinent issues facing modern adolescents. In this final session, the issued of multiple selves as well as expectation and stress are covered before ending with the question of what adults can do in the face of these issues.

The questions to reflect on for this session are:

Where have you seen the dissonance or confusion in the young people entrusted to your care due to their multiple selves?

What is something that is happening now or has happened recently to a young person that you’re connected to that could be used to help them process across contexts?

In what area or areas do the adolescents you are closest to feel the most stress and weight of expectation?

Thinking specifically about 1 or 2 teenagers that you’re close to, what are some things that you could realistically do this week to invest in social capital for them?

 

If you find this series helpful and want more information, please check out:

Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers by Chap Clark

Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Powell and Clark

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Adolescence is a confusing time. Not just for young people but also for those that care about them. In this series, we will be covering some of the most pertinent issues facing modern adolescents. In this session, we cover issues of interconnection and systemic abandonment

The questions to reflect on for this session are:

Where have you seen or experienced this systemic abandonment in your community?

Even as an adult, how has deeper interconnection changed the way that you interact or connect with those close to you? How about with acquaintances?

Consider this situation: a young person has come to you overwhelmed by comments on their social media. They show you a picture they recently posted of them with their friends at a local restaurant. There are multiple comments such as “I’m traumatized. Please get a gym membership” and “You look so ugly. Why are they friends with you?” What are some things not to do when responding to this situation?

 

If you find this series helpful and want more information, please check out:

Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers by Chap Clark

Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Powell and Clark

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Adolescence is a confusing time. Not just for young people but also for those that care about them. In this series, we will be covering some of the most pertinent issues facing modern adolescents. This first session starts the conversation by trying to define adolescence. 

The questions to reflect on for this session are:

The questions for this session are: what things would you say defined your experiences as an adolescent?

The second is at what point in your life would you say that you went from being an adolescent to being an adult? What events, experiences or ways of thinking and acting defined the move into adulthood for you?

 

If you find this series helpful and want more information, please check out:

Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers by Chap Clark

Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Powell and Clark

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This is the second installment in our series about the Apostles’ Creed. In this session, we will explore the titles that the creed gives to Jesus: Christ, son of God, Lord. We also talk about the story of Jesus that creed tells, breaking down each part to see what it says about who Jesus is. We will then talk about the Person of the Trinity that the most people are confused by: the Holy Spirit. The teaching focuses on the work of the Spirit and what is says about how God is at work in Christians, in the Church and in the world.

The questions to reflect on for this session are:

Do you tend to focus more of Jesus’ human nature or divine nature? By considering the other one, how does it change the way you think about Jesus?

How is the Spirit working to transform your life or community with God’s resurrection power? How might God be calling you to come alongside of that worked help bring the new creation?

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For almost 2,000 years, the Apostles’ Creed has helped Christians to understand the character and nature of God. Over this 2-part series, we will diving into this beautiful ancient statement of belief and exploring what it says about who God is and who we are. We begin by talking about what a creed is and why creeds are important to the church before moving on to talk about what it means that God is father, creator and almighty.

The questions to reflect on for this session are:

What has been your experience of the Apostles’ Creed? Is it something you can recite from memory or is it new to you? How has the Creed affected your faith journey?

What are some characteristics or experiences of your father to you project onto God when God is called father? What about your father is similar or different than your heavenly Father?

When you think about God continually creating, sustains and perfecting the world, where do you see God working in your world and in your life?

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Welcome to Theology Anywhere! This episode is just a short intro to the plan behind this podcast as it sets us up to have conversations about theology, ministry skills and culture!

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