Zao Church Collective

It can be so hard to reach understanding among people with different identities, perspectives, languages and cultures. But what if that’s part of God’s design? Difference is a gift, and it can bring us closer to holiness - if we learn to trust each other and God.

Just a few short chapters after the creation story, The Flood comes crashing down to wipe away most of humanity. How do we make sense of this? Did God really just etch-a-sketch creation?

So the first big plot point after humanity's expulsion from the garden is... fratricide. This story is coming in hot with drama, but what does it say about the nature of people? Are we doomed to be violent from the start?

We think we know the story of The Fall, right? Adam, Eve, Snake, Apple, Bummer Town. But how many different ways are there to interpret this story?

The Bible starts out with one creation story (in the beginning...) and then the next chapter, we etch-a-sketch and start again. A new creation story, with a different order of events, characters, and vibes. What gives? And how do we trust the Bible when it can't agree with itself from page one?

Every great story starts with a great first line. But after that, Genesis can get a little... complicated. Buckle in as we spend some time in the first book of the Bible, making sense of the stories we tell about who we are, who God is, and why we'll be okay - even when things get messy.

Should my faith be simple and easy? The support that comforts me during difficult times? Turns out that a relationship with God is just like other relationships. It can be a source of comfort, strength, joy, and connection - but it takes work to build all of that, and you get out what you put in.

Conflict is not a fave for most of us. But our faith calls us into uncomfortable space and gives us everything we need to conflict our way to deeper, more connected, more trustworthy community. We've got this - together.

We're taught that being cool means being aloof, a touch cynical, and generally above all of...this. So how can we have an earnest, eager faith, one that hopes genuinely in the Good News? Forget being too cool for school and become the faith powerhouse you long to be.

Sometimes we can feel all alone, forging our own path towards liberation from scratch. But there have always been radical followers of Jesus heaven-bent on liberation and love. Come celebrate the people who made your radical faith possible and reclaim the generational wisdom of the underground church.