Archive

September 2017

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Join us for a conversation with Jennifer Difrancesco and Jason Chesnut of the Slate Project, a hybrid online/in-person community located in Baltimore, Maryland (and around the globe.) Hear them share about the rhythms of their community, the challenges of creating a unified identity across online and geographically-located spaces, and what it means to create a “clean slate” when it comes to being the church.

I’m discovering that the work of genuine encounter and authentic dialogue is really exhausting.

If you’re actively engaged with that work, either on social media or in-person, please make sure you’re being kind to yourself. (I’ve added a few things I do below and would love to hear what you do as well.)

And, if you’re not actively engaged with that work, and have a little extra energy, would you please share the load with us?

Here are a few things I do:

1) Pray. I’m pretty sure I’d be twice the asshole I am currently without the Spirit’s help.

2) Get off social media, at least for a few hours, at regular intervals.
3) Intentionally enjoy being a dad. (It’s easy when you have a son like mine.)

4) Un-selfconsciously embrace stupid things. I have a 3DS that I play constantly, delicious epic fantasy books I can sink hours into, an increasingly fanatic attachment to basketball (I literally listen to more basketball podcasts than any other form of audio media), and a large liquor cabinet.

Join us to hear stories of some of the most hilarious ministry fails our guests and friends of the podcast have experienced. Hear about sad paper tents from Christian Coon, hungry dogs from Christy Dirren, “UMW time” from Breanna Illene, the dangers of people “inviting all their friends” from Ben Yosua-Davis, and a special guest musical performance by Brutal Bear!

You can find all our episodes by subscribing to us with your favorite podcast delivery service or by finding us by searching “Reports from the Spiritual Frontier” on Facebook!

Join us for our unedited conversation with Andy Oliver, pastor of visitation at First United Methodist Church PDX, as he tells us the story of planting a new faith community called the Crossing with the The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church from its beginning to its end.

Hear about the spiritual pressures of starting a new faith community, how he knew that the church’s ministry was finished, the spiritual trauma in the aftermath of its closing, and what has come back together (and not come back together) for him in the days afterward

Join us for a conversation with Andy Oliver, pastor of visitation at First UMC in Portland, OR, as he tells us the story of planting a new faith community called the Crossing from its beginning to its end. Hear about the spiritual pressures of starting a new faith community, how he knew that the church’s ministry was finished, the spiritual trauma in the aftermath of its closing, and what has come back together (and not come back together) for him in the days after.

You can hear a longer version of this interview by subscribing to us wherever your podcasts are delivered and clicking on the episode marked [Unedited].

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