In this solo episode, Dennis shares two videos from his Weekly Check-in video series: one recorded in November after the midterms and the other in mid-January.  In both Dennis looks at what it means to be political and also claim that Jesus is Lord in our politically polarized culture.Follow Church and Main:FacebookInstagramTwitterWeekly Check-in VideosChurch and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thank you for reading Church and Main. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 128: Who Would Jesus Vote For?

Can Christians in the United States break out of the left-right binary?In the late summer of 2022, a young Christian public theologian penned a document where he asked the question: Am I Progressive?  That young man was theologian Amar Peterman who wrote this essay where he shared why he didn’t consider himself a progressive Christian. “The conservative-progressive spectrum, I believe, is a false binary used to categorize and make assumptions about those around us,” he wrote in that essay. “Both “conservative” and “progressive” are handcuffs that align us with an in-group and ultimately distract us from thinking and acting with charity, nuance, and love. When we take on these identities as our own, we allow them to form our imagination of faith, our world, and the ideological “other.” We also place ourselves within the social commitments that these labels hold which limit our ability to speak truth in love.”In this episode, Amar shares what it means to be a Christian in such a politically polarized era and how the Christian faith must break out of the false binary.  Lest you think he is advocating a mushy middle, Amar is aiming for a faith that is not captured by the political definitions of our day while speaking prophetically to the challenges our society faces today.Show Notes:Am I Progressive? by Amar PetermanHow My Conservative Christian College Made Me A Leftist by Josiah Daniels (the article Amar is responding to in his essay)Why I Changed My Mind About Law and Marriage Again by David FrenchMake a One-Time Donation to Church and MainFollow Church and Main:FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubeChurch and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 127: Am I A Progressive? with Amar Peterman

Or how to share your faith without being an ass.Mention the word, "evangelism" and people get nervous. People might have images of an angry preacher yelling at people. I understand and in this solo episode, I share  an experience with a gentleman who was not sharing the good news of Jesus Christ even if he thought he was. Even though people like this man give evangelism a bad name it is still important to share our faith with others by looking to Jesus himself.‘An undercurrent of growth’ Making a church of disciples in a secular age-Anglican JournalVideo Version:Follow Church and Main:Follow Church and Main:FacebookInstagramTwitterChurch and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thank you for reading Church and Main. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 126: How NOT to do Evangelism

The Evangelical Covenant Church is a denomination with roots in the pietist movement with Lutheran roots with about 200,000 members in the United States and Canada.  While it was founded by Swedish immigrants, it is a very diverse denomination.  At the 2019 Annual Meeting in Omaha, the church did something that had never been in done before: it expelled one of the oldest churches in the church, First Covenant Church in Minneapolis for its affirming stance on LGBTQ issues.  History might repeat itself later this year when two other churches could be expelled, one in the Twin Cities and another in Seattle. I chatted with historian Chris Gehrz on this important issue.  Gehrz is a professor of history at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Chris has written three books on pietism including the Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity, which he co-wrote with Mark Pattie.  We talk about the history of the Evangelical Covenant Church, the 2019 decision to expel First Covenant in Minneapolis, why the LGBTQ issue is so intractable and what might happen in 2023.Show Notes:Freedom in Christ- An Article written by Gehrz on the LGBTQ issueWhat is Pietism- Previous Episode with GehrzAmy Grant conquered Christian music. That was just her first act.Follow Church and Main:FacebookInstagramTwitterChurch and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 125: LGBTQ Issues in the Evangelical Covenant Church with Chris Gehrz

In this solo episode, Dennis shares another video from October of this year where he asks what it means to be a "progressive" or "conservative" congregation and what should really matter to followers of Jesus. Stick around to listen to Dennis add some additional comments and also ask the audience for help in finding a future guest.Thoughtful. Independent. Moderate? by Chris GehrzAm I A Progressive? by Amar PetermanVideo VersionChurch and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 124: What Is A "Progressive Christian?"

We might not want to admit it, but faith lies at the heart of so many of the issues facing our modern world.  That’s why Church and Main exists, to talk about the main ways faith and modern life intersect and how the two inform the other.  Join me in the journey to be people of faith in a very modern world.Church and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Trailer: This is Church and Main.

In this solo episode, I talk about how the church doesn't protect us from the evils of the world.In the audio version of a video Dennis did back in October for his congregation, he talks about how the world can invade the church.  Events like the mass shooting in churches in Texas and South Carolina show the church can’t be walled off from the evils of the world.   However, Christians go out from our churches and  bring God's reality into the world.The original video:Church and Main is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 123: Church Isn't Safe.

A frequent guest returns to talk about the ordination of women in the Southern Baptist Convention and more.This is the last interview for 2022 and I’m ending it with one of my favorite people to interview: Andrew Donaldson.  Donaldson hosts the Heard Tell Podcast and is also a prolific writer for Young Voices and Ordinary Times.  I usually have Andrew on to talk about evangelicalism and the Southern Baptists and that’s what we did in this episode.  He provides an update on the investigation of the SBC following an explosive report on sexual abuse, and the move to punish congregations that ordain women among other things.  We didn’t get to talk as long as I would have liked due to our busy schedules, which just means I will have him back on in the new year.  Heard Tell PodcastAndrew’s Bio on YoungVoicesAndrew on Ordinary TimesAndrew on TwitterChurch and Main TwitterChurch and Main FacebookChurch and Main InstagramThanks for reading Church and Main! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 122: Andrew Donaldson on Ordaining Women in the SBC

A Minneapolis Pastor sees the world around his church differently when he got on his bike.My guest today is someone that is also interested in transportation, but he’s taken his interest one step further making it an issue of discipleship.Travis Norvell is the pastor of Judson Baptist Church in Minneapolis and a decade ago he decided to put his money where his mouth is by giving up his car and getting around Minneapolis via bike, public transportation or on foot.  When he did this he started to see the world around his congregation in a very different way.  Travis has become an advocate in helping Christians get out of their cars once in a while and move around their world in a different mode of transportation to see what they might be missing. Tarvis is the author of A Church on the Move: A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community where he talks about his story and how you can become more familiar with the neighborhood around your church.Judson Baptist Church-MinneapolisChurch and Main’s Second websiteThanks for reading Church and Main! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 121: Being Church on a Bike with Travis Norvell

There's a difference between patriotism and nationalism.As I said in a prior episode, I’ve been doing these videos of about 5-7 minutes called the Weekly Check-in.  I have no idea if people are really interested in them, but I like doing them and I wanted to share a few for the podcast.  This is one I did in early October about Christian NationalismTalk about Christian Nationalism has risen considerably after the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.  There are a number of laypersons, pastors, theologians, and others that have arisen to talk about what they see as the goodness of Christian Nationalism.  I did a video responding to one prominent nationalist whose tweet seemed to drift into xenophobia.  I talk about how nationalism is different from patriotism, a difference that is sometimes lost in the debate.  What Christian About Christian Nationalism VideoChristian Nationalism Episode with Jack JenkinsEvangelicalism and Trump Episode with Napp NazworthThanks for reading Church and Main! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 120: What's Christian About Christian Nationalism?

So, I’ve been doing these videos of about 5-7 minutes called the Weekly Check-in.  I have no idea if people are really interested in them, but I like doing them and I wanted to share a few for the podcast.  I want to set up this episode which is called Church in the time of TikTok.As you know I’ve been the pastor of a small church and one of the things that has been hard over the last year or so is how hard it has been to be church in the aftermath of COVID.  People have left the church and I can remember one person telling me he thought the church didn’t have much of a future so he was going to move on.  There’s always this feeling that being a pastor means that it’s all on you and it feels so much that to be a successful church is to be a “special” church.  I think especially in mainline Protestant churches, you feel that you have to be this big social justice church or basically the Democrats in prayer.  And sometimes what I want is a church where we gather for prayer and worship and reading of scripture.  I want to be a normie church.  That’s the setup for what you are going to hear.  Let let me know what you think of these short talks.  I will also put the link to the video in the show notes and there will be other episodes like this in the future.Church in the Time of TikTok VideoFirst Christian Church of St. Paul Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 119: Church in the Time of TikTok

How the Christian Reformed Church is handling LGBTQ inclusion.Over the last 20 years or so most of the mainline Protestant denominations have ended their controversies on the role of LGBTQ people in the life of the church.  The arguments usually ended with the denominations voting in favor of gay clergy and allowing for gay marriages and conservatives in each denomination leaving to form their own denominations.  The two latest are the Reformed Church in America where conservative churches left to create the Alliance of Reformed Churches and the United Methodist Church where conservatives are creating the Global Methodist Church.  It’s easy to think that more conservative and evangelical churches aren’t dealing with LGBTQ issues, but that is not true. The Christian Reformed Church has also been dealing with LGBTQ issues and last summer’s Synod shows it is still not resolved.  Today, I talk with Paul VanderKlay about what’s going on the denomination and what it says really about the larger culture and how the church deals with such fraught issues.Paul’s Twitter PagePaul’s SubstackPaul’s YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 118: Paul VanderKlay on LGBTQ Issues in the Christian Reformed Church

Church Camp can mean more to their life of faith than just a "camp high."There is evidence out there that kids feel the impact of church camps long after the campfires go out.  According to the Effective Camp Research Project, a survey of 1000 campers and 300 parents showed that while there is a temporary “camp high” there are positive long-term effects as well including the relevance of faith in everyday life and increased interest in spiritual practices like Bible Study and church attendance.Today, I’m talking with Jared Rendell.  Jared is the Director of Communication and Innovation at Sacred Playgrounds a kind of “think-tank” and research and development organization geared towards camp ministry.  Jared is a communications and web consultant, a musician and also the host of the Sacred Playgrounds podcast.Thanks for reading Church and Main! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Sacred Playgrounds websiteSacred Playgrounds podcastThe Lasting Impact of Christian Church CampThe Boundless Power of Camps (Dakota and Minnesota Conferences UMC)Jared Rendell’s website Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 117: Camp Ministry with Jared Rendell

I first met our guest today out of the blue on Facebook about four years ago.  I was looking for some leadership coaching for the congregation I serve and he offered to help and help he surely did.  Alex Ruth has been a congregational leader for years.  In 2021 he was called to become the Associate Regional Minister for Transformation in the Illinois-Wisconsin Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) after years of serving in parish ministry, the most recent in Missouri.  Alex is also the Associate Director for Disciples Men and teaches with the Center for Ministry and Lay Training at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.In our time together we talk about his call to help clergy and congregations respond to a changing culture.  Surprisingly we also spend some time talking about neurodiversity and the church.  Neurodiversity is a topic that is near and dear to my heart since I am on the autism spectrum and I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD.  Thanks for reading Church and Main! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

The Church Transforming with Alex Ruth

Today, we will talk about what’s going on United Methodist Church, how it got to this point that's it's splitting in two and what is the future of the church.  I’m talking with not one, but two guests.  Drew McIntryre is a frequent guest on Church and Main and is the pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Ben Gosden is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist in Savannah, GA and this is his second time on the podcast.  We had a great discussion that is actually broken up into two parts.  The main part is about the United Methodists in General and a smaller part talks about the former Bishop and writer Will Willimon, his role in the UMC and what it means to be an institutionalist.  One quick note; Ben had some technical issues, which I tried to fix, but if there are still glitches that’s what it is.I hope you enjoyed the episode.  Just a reminder that it takes a lot to make great content like this available to you.  Consider making donation by going to Church and Main’s website at churchandmain.org.  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 115: The Once and Future United Methodist Church with Drew McIntyre and Ben Gosden

In the wake of the 2020 COVID pandemic, churches were forced into the digital frontier whether they liked it or not.  But now what?  In this episode, I talk to Rev. Jim Keat the Digital Minister at Riverside Church in New York City about the importance of reaching out to those people living across town and across the country who might want to worship with your congregationI hope you enjoyed the episode.  Just a reminder that it takes a lot to make great content like this available to you.  Consider making donation by going to Church and Main’s website at churchandmain.org. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 114: The Digital Church with Jim Keat

In Methodist, Episcopal and Lutheran traditions the deacon is a specific ministry in the church.  Their ministry is different than pastors, focused more on acts of service whereas pastors are focused more on preaching and the sacraments. The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos which means “service.” This understanding of the role of a deacon which adheres more to the original understanding found in the book of Acts and in the early church is not always easily understood by people in the pew who might wonder when deacons are going to be pastors. I talk to Deacon Nina Joygaard about the importance of deacons in the local church, what led her to her call as a deacon, the struggles deacons face and the future of the diaconate in the church. Nina the Deacon for Adult Ministry at Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, MN. Show Notes:DOTAC -(Diakonia of the Americas & Caribbean)  https://dotac.diakonia-world.org/Deaconess Community of the ELCA - https://deaconesscommunity.org/Lutheran Diaconal Association - https://thelda.org/Diakonia World Federation - https://diakonia-world.org/churchandmain.org  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 113: The Rise of Deacons with Nina Joygaard

So the church where I serve is starting an experiment.  For the next year, we will be taking sabbath. We won’t be doing some the regular things we used to do and we are focusing on our spiritual walk and then on walk together as a congregation and finally in the spring we focus on the world outside the church.  The point of this is to stop, slow down and think about who we are as a congregation moving forward.Today, I chat with Kara Root, the pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.  She’s  been pastor of the congregation for nearly 15 years.  We talk about how a year into her call the church did something different.  They decided to not worship every Sunday and take a sabbath on the Sundays they didn’t meet for worship.  The story is a bit more complicated than that, but it’s a story about how a congregation redefined and renewed itself not through a new program, or a new mission, but by taking time off and not doing things.  I had a great time talking with Kara about this concept of sabbath and I hope it will be as exciting for you as well.Besides being the pastor of Lake Nokomis she is also a certified Spiritual Director and Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  She’s written for Christianity Today, Christian Century, Working Preacher and many other publications.  She is also the author of The Deepest Belonging: A Story of Discovering How God Meets Us and blogs at In the Here and Now.Root Creative: Kara's webs ite that she shares with her husband theologian Andy Root.God and Whiskey Podcast churchandmain.org  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 112: Sabbath-Keeping for Congregations with Kara Root

Mainline Protestant churches and denominational bodies don’t know how to handle part-time clergy.  The standard has been clergy working full time.  But has that always been the standard? (The short answer is no.) What happens when churches can’t afford a full-time clergy? Does that mean the church is no longer viable?   Mainline denominations assume that all calls to ministry should be full time and if a pastor is working part-time, this is because the congregation is on the downward slope towards closure.The thing is, the reality is far different and these denominations aren’t ready for the change.  Today, I talk to G. Jeffrey MacDonald the author of Part Time is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy.  Jeff is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and a freelance journalist whose writing credits include the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Religion News Service and others.  He’s an interim minister of a UCC congregation and lives in New England. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 111: Part Time Clergy Is Plenty with Jeffrey MacDonald

We all know what happened in March of 2020.  COVID began to shut society down.  We canceled the event and in fact we didn’t meet in person for 14 months.  When we started worshipping in person again, things were different.  People who were part of the community, moved on.  Others watched mostly online.  There were still things we couldn’t do. Even some of what we used to do became different. COVID changed the church where I served and nothing will ever be the same.  But this wasn’t just the case in my case, Churches large and small have all had to deal with a changed world. Theologian Andy Crouch wrote that COVID was more like a blizzard or a mini ice age, meaning that it was an event that would shatter cultural assumptions within American congregations. What is mission and ministry like after COVID?  How should the church rise to meet this challenge?  Where are we failing?I spoke to Sean Chow about this.  Chow is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA and is an associate in that denomination’s 1001 New Worshipping Communities movement. Sean resources and consults with regional denomination bodies, churches, and church plants as they launch new creative expressions of church. His aim is to prepare, equip, and sustain leaders to do the work to which God calls them. He works with many congregations as they seek to redefine their mission and ministry and if you are like me and trying to figure out what to do post COVID, then you will want to hear this interview.Visit the website at churchandmain.org.  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

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