Why Good Theology Isn't Enough For Good Children's Ministry
... and how the stories we tell shape who we think we are. This week on the podcasts.
Jesus Is The Synthesiser - The Shock Absorber Podcast
Should we celebrate Australian history, or mourn it?
Give three cheers, or don a black armband?
This is one of the questions that Joel McMaster and I wrestle with on this week’s episode of the Shock Absorber, sparked by my recent reading of Tony Abbott’s new book, Australia - A History: How An Ancient Land Became a Great Democracy.
While I’m less interested in taking sides, I am curious about how either a celebratory or a critical retelling of history shapes our sense of identity and value formation, and why it is difficult to acknowledge the contributions of both sides of the argument.
Along the way, we discuss Christian Smith’s account of ‘critical realist personalism’ and Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s ‘antilibrary’ as ways to foster curiosity and intentionally complexify issues. Perhaps a pathway through the history wars is the Christian celebration of Easter—holding both the grief of Good Friday and the joy of Resurrection Sunday together in a way that refuses to minimise either.
Later in the episode, we discuss the worst and best practices of welcoming newcomers to church, sparked by two articles by Michael Jensen.
Check out the full conversation in the links below or on your favourite podcasting app.
Theology + Strategy + Practice - Cross Formed Kidmin
Back in the Kidmin world, Ryan Coatney and I tackle an idea that is close to my heart: thinking theologically, strategically and practically about Children’s Ministry.
Most of us desire to have a Children’s Ministry that is theological sound and Bible based, and we would want good practice to flow from our theological foundations. However, what is less frequently acknowledged and discussed is the power of strategy.
Sharing from our own church traditions, Ryan and I show how making key decisions at each of these three steps can help or hinder the Children’s Ministry outcomes that you are working towards in your local church.
Check out the full conversation or your podcast app of choice.
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.