Enhanced Christianity - The Shock Absorber

What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas, right? Well… when it comes to the recent Enhanced Games, I certainly hope this is the case.

, , and I kick off our discussion this week wondering about doping and the pursuit of enhanced human performance. What counts as cheating? And what does enhancement—from performance drugs to transhumanism—say about our definition of greatness?

From there, Stu kicks off a multi-week series on the themes of his PhD. He discusses the methodology around writing an “autoethnography” and how his curiosity around social movement theory and third-place sociology helped him to experiment with Soul Revival as a youth community in the early 90’s.

Six themes are emerging from his research on what was happening in Soul Revival and what led to its success.

Counter-Cultural Relational Community
Christian Identity Formation Through Conversion and Biblical Discipleship
Ecclesiology of Friendship and Intergenerational Family
Alternative Christian Shared Spaces That Embed Belonging
Relational Evangelism Through Gospel Proclamation and Public Witness
Adaptive Innovation, Institutional Tension and Church Renewal

We’ll be digging into these themes over the next few weeks. This episode, we discuss whether youth ministry works better as event or community, why relationships are the front door to the Shock Absorber approach to ministry, and why an “enhanced Christianity” may be cheating your faith formation.

Catch the full conversation in the links below or on your favourite podcast app.

Equipping Families for Summer Discipleship - Cross Formed Kidmin

While Sydneysiders pull out their beanies and puffer jackets, over in the US, Hunter Williams and Ryan Coatney are getting geared up for their summer break. With little concern for my chattering teeth and frostbitten fingers, this week we discuss how churches can equip families for the northern hemisphere’s long summer holidays.

There are two key principles to keep in mind.

God doesn’t go on holidays, and neither does our faith.
A break from school and workday routines does not mean that our discipling relationship with King Jesus takes a back seat.

AND
Don’t confuse discipleship with programming.
Faithful children’s ministry does not require you to wear yourself out for the sake of your church programs and family resourcing.

We discuss some creative ways to incorporate ongoing faithful discipleship in our churches and homes, while families play with summer routines, travel and enjoying the seasonal rhythms of the year.

Catch the full conversation in the links below or on your favourite podcast app.

If you’ve got a question or topic about Children’s Ministry that you’d like us to cover on the Cross Formed Kidmin podcasts, send me a DM or leave a comment below.

The Child in God’s Church Substack

"Enhanced Christianity" and Summer…