Future Christian

Everything you think you know about discipleship is wrong, with Jessie Cruickshank

What if the goal of the Christian life isn't how we behave or even how we believe, but how we love? In this episode, Jessie Cruickshank joins the show to talk about discipleship, head-knowledge vs. heart-knowledge, and why facts don't produce transformation. In the conversation, she shares why churches needed to be emphasizing relational discipleship making and community building in order to create lasting disciples of Jesus.

Jessie Cruickshank holds an M.Ed. from Harvard in mind, brain, and education. She is an ordained minister and a nationally recognized expert in disciplemaking and the neuroscience of transformation. She has spent two decades applying neuroeducation research to discipleship, ministry training, experiential education, and organization development. Jessie is respected globally as a leader in missiological thought and a church and denominational consultant and is the founder of [Who]ology. Jessie lives and adventures with her family in Colorado.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

 

David Anderson Hooker on the power of narrative in shaping your church’s future

In this episode, Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker, founder and principal of Counter Stories Consulting, joins the pod to discuss the power of narrative. Dr. Hooker shares his background in mediation, conflict transformation, peace building, and trauma healing, and how he uses narrative approaches to envision a shared future that incorporates everyone. The conversation also touches on the importance of understanding the root problem and creating a context for healthier habits, as well as examining the narratives and stories that shape congregational spaces. 

David Anderson Hooker PhD, JD, M. Div. is the Founder and Principal Narrator for CounterStories Consulting, llc. CounterStories engages as a conversation and visioning partner with international, national and local civil society organizations, religious groups, organization leaders, and social entrepreneurs to craft narratives of their preferred futures and align organizational structures and internal practices in furtherance of their constructed narratives. For almost 40 years, Hooker has served as mediator, restorative circle steward, facilitator, community builder, scholar, and advocate. He is a graduate of Morehouse College (BS); Washington University in St. Louis (AM); University of Massachusetts in Amherst (MPH & MPA); The Emory University School of Law (JD); The Candler School of Theology at Emory University (M. Div); and University of Tilburg in Tilburg, Netherlands (Ph.D.). Hooker is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). In all of his preparation, he still believes his best professional training is as an understudy in community theatre and as a student of urban partner dances such as Detroit Urban Ballroom, Chicago Stepping, and the Cleveland Hand dance.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Matt Syrdal talks about Re-Wilding Christianity and Pursuing Passion Projects in the Church

Is managing the institution wearing you out as a pastor or church leader? Does Christianity feel too isolated for earth and creation? In this episode, we talk with Matt Syrdal, a pastor and spiritual innovator on the challenges of maintaining institutions and the importance pursuing passion projects as an opportunity for pastors to live fully into their calling and be visionary for the future church. Syrdal also talks about his eco-spirituality projects and why he believes Christianity needs to be "re-wilded" toward a more experiential and mystical faith. 

Rev. Matt Syrdal is a father of two and an ordained pastor living near the front range of the ancestral Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado. He has been influenced by the Christian mystical tradition, Jungian psychology, and the visionary lineage of Animas Valley Institute as a certified nature-based human development guide, currently in-training as a Soul Initiation Guide. In 2014 Matt founded Church of Lost Walls, a Denver Wild Church seeking to step across the threshold into a community based on sacred-reciprocity, relationship with the watershed, wild sacramental worship, and a commitment to ecological education and justice. In 2018 Matt co-founded Seminary of the Wild, an eco-ministry leadership and movement hub for a wild spirituality. Matt is has been a contributing writer for Progressive Christianity and currently writing a book called “Mythic Christ.” In 2022, Matt began his life’s work developing a Mystery School and launching a yearlong eco-depth training program called “Awakening Mythic Imagination.” Matt  has been mentoring women and men through dreamwork, deep imagery, leadership coaching, ceremony and ritual, and personal mythwork as channels for accessing the deep Self and living with greater authenticity and purpose in service to the world. 

Learn more about Mythic Christ Mystery School at www.mythicchrist.com

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Andrew Root on the Dangers of Self-Expression and Innovation Obsession in the church.

Are you feeling the pressure to constantly innovate and be competitive in both work and daily life? Do you ever wonder if this focus on innovation is truly necessary for good ministry, or if it is simply a response to the fear of decline? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, we talk with Andrew Root about innovation in the church, the limits of creativity and singularity, and the dangers of making the church the start of it's own story. More, we also talk about how the constant demand for pastors to be creative and innovative pushes them toward behaving more as a manager and less as a pastor.

Andrew Root is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations.  His most recent books are Churches and the Crisis of Decline (Baker, 2022), The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), The End of Youth Ministry? (Baker, 2020), The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019), Faith Formation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2017), and Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies: Youth Ministry in the Age of Science (Fortress Press, 2018). Andy has worked in congregations, parachurch ministries, and social service programs. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Kara, two children, Owen and Maisy, and their dog. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Andy spends far too much time watching TV and movies.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Navigating the Changing Landscape of Church with Todd Ferguson and Josh Packard

Trying to navigate the changing landscape of church? In this episode with Dr. Josh Packard and Dr. Todd Ferguson, we discuss their book Stuck and delve into the challenges faced by clergy members, particularly those with a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. But it's not all doom and gloom - they also suggest solutions for struggling congregations and talk about the future of Christianity. With a focus on navigating the current cultural conversation around LGBTQ+ issues and preserving diversity of expressions while expanding them, this podcast offers valuable insights into the need for adaptation and innovation in the church.

Dr. Josh Packard is a sociologist and researcher.  He was the founding Executive Director of Springtide Research Institute and former professor at the University of Northern Colorado, where he was also the Executive Director of the Social Research Lab. He currently serves as the Vice President of Strategy for the National Catholic Educational Association.  Josh is the author of the ground-breaking book Church Refugees: Sociologists reveal why people are DONE with church but not their faith as well as numerous academic articles about faith and religion. Find him online @drjoshpackard

Dr. Todd Ferguson is a sociologist of religion at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. His research focuses on the social organization of religion, specifically congregations and their clergy. He is fascinated with the fact that religions are more than ideas and beliefs. They create structures and communities that profoundly affect people’s lives. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology at Baylor University. Before becoming a sociologist, Todd earned a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and was a pastor in Houston.  Todd is married to Emma, a veterinarian, and they have two wonderful children.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

 

 

Life on the Road with Mark Dorn

The journey of following Jesus can be at times lonely, isolating, and unfulfilling. What if that's all part of the process?  Counselor, professor, and author Mark Dorn joins the pod to talk about why he believes Christians and especially pastors and church leaders need to lean in to their feelings of longing and unfulfillment, why he thinks chasing after fulfillment is antithetical to the way of Jesus, and why darkness is a precious opportunity. 

Mark S. Dorn is Professor of Music at Colorado Christian University, as well as a private practice counselor.  In his work at CCU, Mark leads the Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble, teaches trumpet lessons, and is actively involved in the mentoring of undergraduate students.  He is both a freelance musician and conductor, as well as an author. With a longtime investment in discipleship and counseling, his curiosity about how knowing God can lead to personal transformation has propelled him into counseling, writing, and a lot of musing about the journey. He is married to Jill, with four grown children, a new baby, and ten grandchildren, and lives in Morrison, Colorado where he is never far from his next mountain adventure.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

 

Jack Shitama gives a Family Systems Perspective on the UMC split

Since pre-Covid times, the United Methodist Church has been embroiled in conflict and disagreement over human sexuality, resulting in the splits and splintering playing out over the last several months. In this episode Pastor, author, and Family Systems expert Jack Shitama examines the rift via a FST approach, talking about how the conflict arose, what he thinks are some of the problems, and how he thinks things will play out.

Jack Shitama is an author, teacher, speaker and coach. His family systems approach to leadership helps congregational and nonprofit leaders achieve their best spiritually, physically and professionally. He is an avid learner with a passion for taking the most recent secular learnings and applying them to spiritual leadership. Jack is also an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and currently serves as the Executive Director at Pecometh Camp & Retreat Ministries in Centreville, MD. He is also the Director for the Center for Vital Leadership.

Jack is the author 3 books, including of Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety, 

Jack and his wife of 40 years, Jodi, have four adult children and three grandchildren. Jack is an avid runner and has completed the Baltimore Marathon three times. He plays guitar and bass in the Jacob’s Well Band, his church’s worship band. He enjoys all kinds of sports, cooking, reading, traveling and, most of all, seeing people experience spiritual growth.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

Rohadi Nagassar on how your church can Thrive

Everyone seems to be focused on the same thing, trying to re-vitalize and re-charge declining churches. But what if everything we're trying is emblematic of the decline? Author and church-planter Rohadi Nagassar joins the pod to talk about why common answers to church decline are Christendom-centric, the problem with seeking answers from "exceptional" churches, and why he believes churches need to find allies from within God's kingdom, not simply the same denomination. Rohadi also talks about how to protect yourself as a leader when risk-takers are often "left outside to freeze."

Rohadi writes and speaks on the topics of decolonizing, liberation, and deconstructing western Christianity. Listen to his podcast: Faith in a Fresh Vibe. He has planted two churches including an inner-city multi-ethnic expression called Cypher Church. He has also written extensively in the areas of missions and church leadership including his book, Thrive. Ideas to lead the church in post-Christendom. Rohadi’s latest book, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins, from Herald Press. He lives in Canada, on Treaty 7 Lands, otherwise known as Calgary, and holds a Business Certificate from Mount Royal College, a BA in Economics from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Divinity from Canadian Theological Seminary.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

 

Dawn Weaks on Breaking through to big change in your church

"Where does it hurt? And how can we help?" These are the words that led a small, dying church in Texas to Breakthrough! In this conversation with Pastor Dawn Weaks, we talk about being the leaders the church needs, how to guide a church through moving locations, and knowing what stuff to hang on to and what to leave behind. Dawn also talks about how the crisis of the pandemic and the flurry of the move gave momentum for change and new life. A must-listen for small-church pastors trying to lead growth and revitalization in church.

Rev. Dawn Weaks is the author of Breakthrough:Trusting God for Big Change In Your Church and Travel Guide to Christian Faith along with many other published articles and sermons. Her B.A. is from Baylor University, her M.Div. from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, and her D.Min from St. Paul School of Theology. She was ordained in the Southern Baptist church before becoming a Disciples of Christ minister. She has pastored FCC Miami, Texas, FCC Rowlett, Texas, Raytown Christian Church of Missouri, and currently is co-pastor at Connection Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) along with her husband, Joe. Connection is the third century-old congregation she has led to discover bold, new purpose in ministry. 

Facebook:@dweaks Instagram:@ddweaks Twitter:@dawndw

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.

The Pressure to Perform as a Pastor - with Paul Romig-Leavitt and Brian Davis

Pastors and church leaders often face the pressure to "perform," whether that means always appearing as spiritually confident, emotionally intact, or even just always showing up as the idealized version of themselves. In our age of authenticity, how can pastors and church leaders balance the need to "perform" in some capacity while also being true to themselves? In this conversation with Paul Romig-Leavitt and Brian Davis, two veteran worship leaders who know what it's like to "put on a show" for thousands of people at a time, we talk about handling the pressures and how to lead in a healthy and sustainable manner.

 

Brian has been leading worship in the Denver-metro area for the last 25 years and has built relationships with dozens of churches all over the city. Authenticity and empathy have been hallmarks of Brian’s leadership, and his intention is to use these attributes to coach other worship leaders and inspire greater creativity and deeper spiritual practice in the local church. Brian has three daughters, and he and his wife, Jess, live in Lakewood, CO. He also serves part-time as the Worship Arts Director at New Denver Church.

Paul has been a worship leader and pastor in the greater Denver area since 2001 working in full-time positions in churches such as Crossroads Community Church in Parker, The Refuge in Broomfield, and Restoration Church in Denver. Along with working as a guest worship leader in many other churches in Colorado, Paul also works with the Aspen Institute in Aspen CO as the Production Manager for the Aspen Ideas Festival as well as a director with the Denver video production company Colorado Arts Productions. Paul is the Co-author of “Cue-Lines,” a collection of plays and sketches he co-wrote with Greg Stier for the Dare 2 Share conferences. He lives in Broomfield CO with his wife and two daughters.

The Future Christian Podcast is a production of Torn Curtain Arts and Resonate Media.