conversations

Lauralee Farrer on Art Making as Vocation

2013-05-16T15:16:47+00:00

"When I was growing up in the church, there were no role models for me, specifically no female role models, certainly no artist role models. Later in my life when I realized that it was up to me to chart a path, that really defined the way that I work as a filmmaker." - Lauralee Farrer

Remembering Dallas Willard

2013-05-15T22:50:22+00:00

This reflection by Dallas Willard captures many key dimensions of being what we call "empowered, wise preachers." Let this be an invitation to continue to grow deeper in that life. Having heard Dallas speak several times on the joy of our dying, this essay explains the living that made such joy real to him.

Matthew Aughtry

2013-04-25T16:49:56+00:00

"I think that’s where Christian filmmakers often stumble - they’re making movies that are more akin to the story of Noah’s Ark that we tell our five-year-olds instead of the version that’s actually in Genesis." - Matthew Aughtry

Jacob Roebuck

2013-04-11T19:32:23+00:00

"I finally made the jump [to filmmaking] when I realized I was more afraid of being at the end of my life and regretting not trying to make a film than trying to make a film and failing." - Jacob Cook

An Interview With David Moore

2013-04-04T18:02:08+00:00

"I believe that every good joke has a kernel of truth to it. I don't know who said that, but it wasn't me." - David Moore

Dan Long

2013-03-28T15:17:46+00:00

"As I spend more time in filmmaking, the distinction between my craft and my faith is less evident. Being a filmmaker with Christian faith has become less like preaching and more like a fish swimming." - Dan Long

Michaela O’Donnell Long

2013-03-14T14:55:20+00:00

"I am drawn to film because of its ability to hold people. To hold is to love. To love is to move faithfully in the world." - Michaela O'Donnell Long

Matthew Webb

2013-03-07T15:39:15+00:00

"We built this decision making paradigm called the Kinema Commonwealth Manifesto, which puts respect on the film as art, on the filmmakers as individuals, and on the film-making community that expands beyond the set. By making sure that there's an even balance with respect to those three areas, we hoped and dreamed that wonderful communities of filmmakers would start to develop." - Matt Webb

Kevin Marks

2013-02-28T16:55:26+00:00

"God is a great narrative architect, and I tend to believe that the only way human beings actually learn and change is through story." - Kevin Marks

Ryan Pettey

2013-02-14T15:24:58+00:00

"Faith gives us permission to be comfortable with complexity. It gives us confidence to seek a greater understanding of God and to approach each 'big question' with humility." - Ryan Pettey

Eugene Suen

2013-02-07T16:42:42+00:00

An interview with producer Eugene Suen.

“The Medium is the Message”

2012-12-31T18:05:35+00:00

[Marshall Mcluhan asserted] that all technology is an extension of one or more human senses. We are now witnessing an extension of not just our senses but our agency to kill...

“Captain Richard Lumpkin Emerges”

2012-12-31T17:00:07+00:00

The Brehm lectures suggested that the media, more than the content they carry, have a profound shaping influence on us as humans. But ultimately we bring our own meaning to it as well...

Christmas is not your birthday

2012-12-19T23:00:24+00:00

Slaughter wondered why he and other Christians “Knew so much more about the sedans than the Sudans of the world.”

The Fruit of Persistent Consistency

2012-12-19T22:12:05+00:00

Slaughter’s effectiveness in turning his congregation inside out rests in large part on the persistent consistency of his message over more than three decades. Three key texts have been his constant refrain: The Great Requirement (Micah 6:8), the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30); and the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20).

Videos From the 2012 Brehm Lectures: Worship in a Digital Age

2012-12-07T18:22:39+00:00

Videos from the 2012 Brehm Lectures: Worship in a Digital Age

Velveteen Rabbits and New Realities

2012-12-07T17:18:35+00:00

Facebook hasn’t created a different way of communicating, it has actually changed what it means to communicate and to be a social network. In short, we are different humans worshiping a different God because of Facebook...

Featured Preacher: Ken Fong

2012-12-03T16:38:03+00:00

Ken Fong has been Senior Pastor at Evergreen Baptist Church in Rosemead, CA since 1996. Ken earned his D.Min. in Asian American church growth in 1990. Ken has led EvergreenLA to be a unique and exemplary multi-Asian, and multigenerational church. This month Ken and Evergreen share their advent series.

Neville Kiser

2012-12-01T03:42:01+00:00

An interview with alumni screenwriter Neville Kiser.

Matthew Schuler

2012-10-11T20:56:42+00:00

"Faith in a better way, a better life, in overwhelming goodness, it changes the tone of the projects that I'm working on. It helps me accept my own limitations and flaws, which are legion, and be humbled by them." - Matthew Schuler

David Moore

2012-10-02T17:00:29+00:00

"Everything that I write comes from my theological training - even if it's something like Home Alone 5." - David Moore

God’s Descent: The Pulpit Goes Pop

2012-09-25T18:00:10+00:00

While eloquent in religious language, Jesus’ ministry spoke fluently of the day-to-day desires, struggles, and indulgences of his people. The church must be aware of the temptation toward a distinctly un-Christlike high-brow cultural isolationism...

Rob Bethke

2012-09-25T17:00:23+00:00

"I hope that the films I create will unite people by sharing stories from around the world that demonstrate our similarities and celebrate our differences while exposing injustices when necessary. These are all values that I believe Jesus embodied and taught." - Rob Bethke

God’s Descant

2012-09-20T19:22:41+00:00

A descant is complementary to the main melody, enhancing its beauty and its effectiveness. I believe that Fuller Seminary, the Brehm Center, and Reel Spirituality provide God’s descant in harmony with the finer melodies of the mainstream movie, television, and music industries...

Featured Preacher: Mike McClenahan

2012-09-03T15:00:15+00:00

"A variety of perspectives on the six verses of Psalm 23."

Featured Preacher: Inside-Out Church — Preaching, Leadership and Community for the Sake of the World

2012-07-03T14:11:11+00:00

What happens to our knowledge of God and of God's purposes in the world if we re-conceive preaching, leadership, and community on a Kingdom trajectory? What if the goal was not to get "them" to come "here," but for "us" to be "there" as the light and salt Jesus says we are to be?

Mission in Place

2012-06-08T14:00:38+00:00

“My theology of restorative justice is simple: I’m a sinner; you’re a sinner. Jesus died for the whole world. That means the person who grew up in church, stayed in church, never did anything bad--Jesus died for him. But Jesus also died for the person who grew up in a dysfunctional family who ended up becoming a murderer or sex offender. I believe that Christ can change anyone.” - Pastor David Valentine

Restorative Justice—Onesimus Style

2012-06-07T18:15:33+00:00

Newgate Fellowship United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas celebrated its seven-year anniversary in April. The church’s heritage, though, goes back hundreds of years to the powerful work and witness of the first Methodists. Though Newgate is small, with 95 members, it pursues a mighty ministry in what Pastor Marvin Hood calls restorative justice. Its approach to this mission draws its inspiration from the apostle Paul in his epistle to Philemon.

Featured Preacher: Rev. Dr. Carolyn Gordon

2012-06-04T18:04:42+00:00

Dr. Gordon is a regular lecturer at church-related conventions and conferences, and has served on the executive boards of the Center for Urban Church Renewal, United Inner Cities Services, and Baptist Women in Ministry.

Featured Preacher: Lloyd John Ogilvie

2012-05-07T22:25:21+00:00

This month, we will feature some of Dr. Ogilvie's sermons from his time at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, CA. A complete video archive of Dr. Ogilvie's sermons is now available under the Resources tab.

Featured Preacher: Justin Fung

2012-04-02T20:35:49+00:00

Justin serves as associate pastor of The District Church in the heart of our nation’s capital. Prior to joining the church, he worked as the Policy and Outreach Assistant at Sojourners in Washington, DC.

Ears to Hear

2012-02-27T20:18:50+00:00

When I was a youth pastor in my early 20s, a student approached me after I had just finished a sermon. With an amused smile on her face, she triumphantly informed me, “You said the word ‘like’ 47 times in that sermon!” And on her notes she had the tally marks to prove it. I was so embarrassed by this eighth grader’s keen attentiveness to my verbal tics that I successfully eliminated the word ‘like’ from my preaching thereafter.

Generosity and Justice

2012-02-22T23:11:56+00:00

Williamson County, TN is one of America’s richest 25 counties. It’s also the home of Fellowship Bible Church, an evangelical congregation of 2000+ members, which began with four key core values: worship, community, growth, and service. Not surprisingly given its context and unique assets, it has added generosity to that list. This has led to a dramatic increase in congregational giving, which has made possible hundreds of thousands of dollars in Kingdom investments with partner ministries in the developing world. Today many of Fellowship’s members are characterized by the radical generosity of time and money that Tim Keller argues is “one of the marks of living justly.”

The Power of Weakness

2012-02-13T20:47:45+00:00

Few things are more inspiring than listening to a preacher who can share from a vulnerable place.

Featured Preacher: San Clemente Presbyterian Church

2012-02-06T19:00:49+00:00

In February, we will be featuring a team of preachers from San Clemente Presbyterian Church, including Rev. Charlie Campbell, Designated Associate Pastor of Worship; Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger, Senior Pastor; and Renee Coffman-Chavez, Director of Sunday Children's Ministry.

Featured Preacher: Jeff Smith

2012-01-09T20:46:06+00:00

Rev. Jeff Smith is the senior pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Houston. He feels strongly called to use the gifts God has given him in preaching and teaching to encourage the church to take discipleship more seriously so that we can be empowered to embody the missional life Jesus calls us to live.

Including the Excluded

2011-12-09T17:01:45+00:00

In the gospels of Mark and Luke, and briefly in Matthew, we are told the miraculous story of Christ healing a paralytic man. Not far into his earthly ministry, Jesus’ words and works had already caught the attention of critical religious leaders and eager residents of the area. Luke tells us that the Pharisees and teachers had come “from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem” to hear Jesus speak. It’s no surprise, then, that a group of men carrying their paralytic friend on a bed couldn’t quite reach Jesus through the pressing crowd. Urgently desiring to get to the Messiah, they took the tiles off the roof of the house where Jesus was. And, in what must have been something to see, they lowered their friend directly to Jesus’ feet. It’s easy to imagine Jesus in this situation gazing down lovingly at the paralytic—being filled with compassion and healing him. Pastor Tom Nicholas of Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPC) in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, thinks something else may also have been going on.

Home Court Advantage

2011-12-09T01:17:26+00:00

On Friday night, a couple goes to a movie. Afterwards they analyze it—he liked its subtle character development; she thought the plot moved too slowly. The next day the same couple attends a college basketball game at their alma mater. They scream themselves silly for two hours, willing their team to a narrow victory. On Sunday morning, they go to church. During the sermon, how should they engage? As consumers/critics of a movie, or as active participants desperately trying to influence the outcome of a basketball game? As the Body of Christ, we recognize that the power of God’s word preached depends not just on the one who preaches. When we pray before and during the sermon, God uses our intercession to free up, call out, and bring to birth the event of the Word.

Sonbeams Ministry

2011-12-09T01:03:38+00:00

Six years ago, on one of John Kwasny’s first days as director of Christian Education and Children’s Ministries at Pear Orchard Presbyterian in Ridgeland, Mississippi, a couple walked through his doors. They brought a question that in many ways would not only shape his ministry, but that of the entire church. “Are you,” they asked, “really interested in ministering to all of our children here, or just most of them?”

Through the Roof Ministries

2011-12-09T00:06:10+00:00

We often complain about not “fitting in” in certain situations or with certain groups of people. Imagine literally not being able to “fit into” a church of which you long to be a part. You are wheelchair bound. You can’t get through the door, much less reach the water fountains or comfortably use the restroom. Or imagine you are deaf. You can’t hear the songs in worship or understand what the pastor is saying in his sermon. Now imagine that this happens over and over to you, at every church you visit. These are the heartbreaking stories that Margaret Matasic, a doctor of physical therapy, heard repeatedly from her patients. Reaching out to these people became a passion of Margaret’s, and eventually she went to the senior pastor of her church (The Chapel, a nondenominational fellowship in Akron, OH) with the intent to start a ministry. Margaret’s enthusiasm was contagious, and it wasn’t long before the entire church was behind her and “Through the Roof” was born.

Featured Preacher: Len Tang

2011-12-05T18:06:42+00:00

Rev. Len Tang is the founding pastor of Sherwood Presbyterian Church in Sherwood, Oregon.

Truth + Love

2011-11-30T19:52:15+00:00

Our life together is founded on the truth of gospel, that God loves his creation so much that he actually lived among us in order to restore it. The Scriptures teach us that when we let that truth settle in us, love will pervade our community. John's third letter gives us a glimpse of what this love looks like. . . .

Featured Preacher: Joseph King Barkley

2011-11-07T18:19:25+00:00

In 2005, Joseph Barkley and his wife helped plant a church in Hollywood in just five days. It was almost twice as crazy as it sounds. At the time, Joseph was working as a musician, touring with a band called Plumbline and writing music for television shows. He had never preached a word in his life.

Preachers and Shaking Knees

2011-10-06T21:14:16+00:00

Every preacher has had the sinking feeling in their gut that what they have to share is uninspiring. Sometimes preachers think they are not witty enough, or fresh enough, or intellectual enough. They may feel alone in their endeavor . . .

Featured Preacher: Rich Kannwischer

2011-10-03T16:50:11+00:00

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church's is committed to a mission of following Jesus Christ to lead lives that reveal God's goodness.

Preaching for Passivity?

2011-09-22T22:09:23+00:00

On September 19, Andy Crouch led a very stimulating webinar for the Ogilvie Institute's Micah Groups on issues of faith and culture. We had watched a number of videos Andy has done and then had this chance to talk with him. After the webinar, several Micah Group members said they were eager to talk more about an issue Andy raised: Does preaching (any preaching and our own preaching, in particular) breed a kind of congregational passivity? Is the form, or our way of using the form of preaching, forming a community of people who sit and listen, then think that at the end of the service they have done all they need to do? Is the content, style, and approach to preaching that we are using in our congregations forming a community of inaction, even though we may be trying to do the opposite? If we measure this not by intention but by actual evidence in the culture of our congregation, what do we see? If this needs to change, how might we go about it? Let's talk about these questions and other related ones that may have occurred to any of you who were part of the webinar. I will jump in from time to time and share in the conversation. Please also feel free to offer additional questions you may wish to discuss.

Coming Together

2011-09-21T20:56:38+00:00

Jesus’ gospel deals not only with personal salvation, but also with systemic issues of race and class. Saint Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” We see and hear in the Old and New Testament God’s great heart for those at the margins, especially the poor. For the sake of preaching the whole counsel of God, please pray that our churches would become increasingly more aware of these disparities. . . .

Featured Preacher: Felix Gilbert

2011-09-05T21:25:38+00:00

Restoration Christian Fellowship is a multiethnic non-denominational ministry whose mission is to restore people to their rightful position in Christ.

Living Zechariah 4

2011-08-24T21:06:38+00:00

On the 50th anniversary celebration of College Avenue Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN (now Oasis of Hope Baptist Church), senior pastor Frank Alexander preached a sermon that came to be seen as a prophetic reminder of God’s vision and mission for the congregation.

Faithfulness in the Public Schools

2011-06-15T19:06:51+00:00

Ten years ago, the Kansas City public school district became the first district in the nation to lose its accredited status, failing all of Missouri’s performance standards. In response, Pastor Adam Hamilton of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in KC stood before his flock and said bluntly, “This is a huge, big, hairy problem to wrap our arms around.”

Listening to City Leaders: The “Churches of Springfield” Initiative

2011-06-14T20:13:37+00:00

Many church leaders around the nation say that they want to make a positive difference in their community. Not so many, though, see their very first step in that process as one of listening. The leaders at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, MO are among the exceptions. They engaged in a nine month listening process before they moved forward.

The Privilege of Prayer

2011-05-07T13:59:49+00:00

No single invitation from Jesus is more intimate or astounding than that we are meant to seek and ask God for what we need. This is remarkable. The notion that the God of the universe is willing, able, and ready to listen and respond to us may be so familiar to us that we might fail to absorb what a stunning thing that is. God, the One who brought the universe into being, listens to us, cares about us, and answers our prayers. We urge you to practice this privilege! To realize it is not presumptuous to come boldly to God in prayer, it is rather God’s invitation. Seek God for the ministry of preaching, that the preacher and the people alike, might hear God’s Word and live it out in the world. Prayer and preaching are integral to one another and neither can be what it is meant to be without the other.

Praying for Preaching

2011-01-24T08:22:02+00:00

What are we praying for when we pray for preaching? And why should we do so?

Doable Engagement

2010-12-09T15:12:46+00:00

Amy Sherman talks to Eugene Cho about One Day's Wages.

Interview with Archibishop Desmond Tutu

2010-10-30T03:47:20+00:00

In an intimate interview, Desmond Tutu speaks on the plight of children globally, reflecting on how Jesus would react to their deepest felt needs.

Christ Without the Church?

2010-10-05T10:58:33+00:00

Dr. Richard Mouw blogs about the multi-layered challenge brought by Anne Rice's announcement that she is "leaving Christianity."

Improving Preaching: Give Pastors New Tools

2010-10-05T08:17:56+00:00

Mark Labberton, director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching, Kate Bruce, chaplain and research fellow in preaching at Durham University, and Keith Drury who teaches ministry courses at Indiana Wesleyan, suggest the best ways to improve preaching.

A 21st Century Reformation: Recover the Supernatural

2010-10-05T03:49:27+00:00

Hwa Yung asserts, “A 21st-century reformation will demand reinserting the supernatural into the heart of Christianity."

Sagamore Institute for Policy Research

2010-10-03T09:42:24+00:00

Sagamore Institute for Policy Research is an Indianapolis-based nonpartisan research group ("think tank") that brings policymakers and practitioners together to turn ideas into action. It was founded in 2004 by Jay F. Hein. Sagamore’s portfolio encompasses national and international issues,...

The Langham Partnership

2010-10-03T09:13:37+00:00

The Langham Partnership desires to see Majority World churches being equipped for mission and growing to maturity through the ministry of Christian leaders and pastors who sincerely believe, diligently study, faithfully expound and relevantly apply the Word of God. Connect with The Langham...

Census Declares More Americans in Poverty than Ever Before

2010-10-02T04:57:45+00:00

It is the highest number America has ever seen: 43.6 million people are living in poverty in the United States, the wealthiest country in the world. According to new data released yesterday by the Census Bureau, the 2009 U.S. poverty rate was at 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008....

A Study on Colossians 1:9-23

2010-09-26T01:58:52+00:00

Mark Labberton recently spoke at First Presbyterian Church of Rome, and we were able to snag him to speak candidly about his recent series called "A Study on Good News."

Referencing Colossians 1:9-23 (NRSV), guest pastor Mark Labberton concludes our study on The Good News.

Mars Hill Audio

2010-09-25T00:04:32+00:00

Mars Hill Audio is committed to assisting Christians who desire to move from thoughtless consumption of contemporary culture to a vantage point of thoughtful engagement. Connect with Mars Hill Audio here

Renovaré

2010-09-25T00:04:03+00:00

Drawing from the example of Jesus Christ and the historical Church, Renovaré encourages people to develop renewed, sustainable, and enriched spiritual lives. Connect with Renovaré here.

Puritan Prayers for Preaching

2010-09-24T23:43:42+00:00

MY MASTER GOD, I am desired to preach today, but go weak and needy to my task; Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth, that an honest testimony might be borne for thee; Give me assistance in preaching and prayer, with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

An Interview with Pete Greig, Urban-Monastic

2010-09-22T21:57:24+00:00

An Interview with Pete Greig, founder of 24-7 Prayer.

Christians in the Visual Arts

2010-09-05T09:15:34+00:00

Christians in the Visual Arts exists to explore and nurture the relationship between the visual arts and the Christian faith. Connect with CIVA here