Developing a Ministry Framework
A "Live" Berea session on how to develop a theologically grounded strategy to ministry
Following up on our short series looking at the Theology, Strategy and Practice of local church training programs, Stu Crawshaw leads me and Joel McMaster through a live Berea tutorial, modelling what the Berea Intensive at Soul Revival Church would look like in practice.
We start with a deep dive into ministry frameworks, beginning with Berea’s spiral method of learning—where content is introduced in layers, revisited, and explored more deeply over time. The key question: What does it look like to develop a ministry framework? Rather than prescribing what to think, Stu emphasises how to think about ministry, recognising that every church—whether intentionally or not—operates within a particular framework.
Looking at Matthew 22:37-40 and the parable of the Good Samaritan, we get an insight into how the Soul Revival ministry began. Instead of running a culturally relevant program, Soul Revival shifted to a countercultural model—prioritising deep relationships that have been won for us by Christ. This led the early leadership team to an important realisation: rather than institutionalising programs and ideas, their ministry should institutionalise friendships. Drawing from Bonhoeffer’s vision of expanding friendships, we explore how discipleship flourishes when relationships are at the core of Christian community.
Looking at history, we discuss how discipleship and mission thrived in multi-generational settings and critique the Homogeneous Unit Principle, which often led to generational gaps and people leaving the church. Instead, Stu advocates for a ministry framework rooted in inclusivity, relational discipleship, and a mission that extends across all ages and life stages.
Also this week:
Saturday Night Live celebrates 50 years
What does the institutionalisation of comedy tell us about the relevance of cultural artefacts over time?
Listen along on your favourite podcast platform or watch the conversation on the YouTube link below.