Seminary Dropout

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Our sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp This Week on Seminary Dropout… Efrem Smith’s personal and professional story paints a compelling picture of an urban church leader of deep faith who has managed leaders and budgets, transforming people and ministry wherever he has served. His track record in leading Christian Community Development efforts, serving as a Pastor, Church Planter and leader of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, have prepared him for this moment. Throughout his career, Efrem has had a passion for the urban poor, theological education, and training indigenous leaders for service in the Kingdom. As a preacher, motivational speaker, and author, Efrem Smith is internationally recognized for his passion to see lasting life transformations, communities revitalized to reach the marginalized, and further Kingdom advancement within our churches. Serving as founding pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church, a multi-ethnic church in Minneapolis, MN, Efrem also co-founded and was President for The Sanctuary Community Development Corporation.  In his previous role, Efrem was the Superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, providing leadership to 160 churches within California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Utah. As an itinerant speaker and preacher with Kingdom Building Ministries and the Evangelical Covenant Church, he has been a keynote speaker for such events as Athletes in Action, Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth Specialties, Compassion International, Thrive and CHIC. He is the author of Raising Up Young other Heroes, The Hip Hop Church, and Jump. Efrem’s latest book, The Post-Black and Post-White Church, was released in August of 2012. Efrem is a graduate of Saint John’s University and Luther Theological Seminary.  He is currently seeking his doctorate in Church Leadership from Bethel Seminary in Minneapolis, MN.  He and his wife Donecia, along with their two children, Jeada and Mireya, live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Efrem has received many awards such as the Role Model Award from the Hennepin County Community Coalition and the Community Service Award from Saint John’s University. The Christian life is actually a kind of death. We die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Dying in Christ, however, is an opportunity—to experience the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit as we spread the Good News of a God who loves us enough to save us and remake us in his image. Efrem Smith helps us see that Christian discipleship is a counterintuitive life. In a world turned upside down by sin, God carefully and lovingly strips us of worldly values and turns us right-side up as good citizens and ambassadors of his Kingdom. -From the Publisher If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 41: Bruxy Cavey 147: N.T. Wright Talks about The Day the Revolution Began Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Our sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp David P. Leong (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is associate professor of missiology at Seattle Pacific University and Seminary, where he also serves as the director of the Global and Urban Ministry minor. He previously served in churches in urban Seattle through ministries focused on community groups and neighborhood involvement. As a scholar and practitioner, Leong examines the theological meaning of the city in an increasingly globalized and urbanized world. At the intersection of intercultural and missiological discourse, he sees the city as a rich context for theological reflection about topics ranging from hip hop and the built environment to multiculturalism and missional ecclesiology. He is the author of Street Signs: Toward a Missional Theology of Urban Cultural Engagement, and he lives in Seattle’s Rainier Valley with his wife and two sons. We long for diverse, thriving neighborhoods and churches, yet racial injustices persist. Why? Because geographic structures and systems create barriers to reconciliation and prevent the flourishing of our communities. Race and Place pharmacy reveals the profound ways in which these geographic forces and structures sustain the divisions among us. Urban missiologist David Leong, who resides in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, unpacks the systemic challenges that are rarely addressed in the conversation about racial justice. The evening news may deliver story after story that causes us to despair. But Leong envisions a future of belonging and hope in our streets, towns, cities, and churches. A discussion about race needs to go hand in hand with a discussion about place. This book is a welcome addition to a conversation that needs to include both. -From the Publisher If you liked this episode then you might also like… 121: Shawn Duncan, on Truly Helping those in Poverty, Gentrification, and the Role of the Church 137: Chris Marlow, Author of ” Doing Good is Simple: Make a Difference Right Where You Are” Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Our sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp Tish Harrison Warren & Jonathan Warren talking about women in ministry and ordination. William Witt’s articles on women and holy orders: http://willgwitt.org/category/theology/womens-ordination William Webb, Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals Ben Witherington, Women in the Earliest Christian Churches NT Wright’s essay on women in holy orders: http://ntwrightpage.com/2016/07/12/womens-service-in-the-church-the-biblical-basis/ Kevin Madigan, Ordained Women in the Early Church Gary Macy’s Hidden History of Women’s Ordination Gordon Hugenberger’s ‘Women in Church Office’ essay. If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 99: Jackie Roese on Reshaping Our View of Women in the Church Seminary Dropout 89: Carolyn Custis James, Author of Malestrom: Manhood Swept Into the Currents of a Changing World Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Our sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp In this very special episode, Sam Hoover from Compassion International sits down with me to discuss our recent trip to Sri Lanka.                                                                               Compassion International on Social Media Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Snapchat LinkedIn Google+ If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 137: Chris Marlow, Author of ” Doing Good is Simple: Make a Difference Right Where You Are” Seminary Dropout 35: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor & Yourself – Brian Fikkert Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Our sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp Esther Emery used to direct stage plays in Southern California. But that was a long time ago. Now she lives with her husband and three children off the grid in a yurt, tending to three acres in the foothills of Idaho’s Rocky Mountains. She writes about faith and trying to live a fearless, free life at www.estheremery.com. Website: http://www.estheremery.com Esther Emery was a successful playwright and theater director, wife and mother, and loving it all – until, suddenly, she wasn’t. When a personal and professional crisis of spectacular extent leaves her reeling, Esther is left empty, alone in her marriage, and grasping for identity that does not define itself by busyness and a breakneck pace of life. Something had to be done. What Falls from the Sky is Esther’s fiercely honest, piercingly poetic account of a year without Internet – 365 days away from the good, the bad, and the ugly of our digital lives – in one woman’s desperate attempt at a reset. Esther faces her addiction to electronica, her illusion of self-importance, and her longing to return to simpler days, but then the unexpected happens. Her experiment in analog is hijacked by a spiritual awakening, and Esther finds herself suddenly, inexplicably drawn to the faith she had rejected for so long. Ultimately, Esther’s unplugged pilgrimage brings her to a place where she finally finds the peace – and the God who created it – she has been searching for all along. What Falls from the Sky offers a path for you to do the same. For all the ways the Internet makes you feel enriched and depleted, genuinely connected and wildly insufficient, What Falls from the Sky reveals a new way to look up from your screens and live with palms wide open in a world brimming with the good gifts of God. -From the Publisher If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 011: Richard Foster 143: Mike McHargue aka “Science Mike”, Author of “Finding God In The Waves” Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

Welcome to our new sponsor: Compassion International Check out the new(ish) podcast OnRamp Jamin Goggin serves as a pastor at Mission Hills Church. He has been in pastoral ministry for eleven years, including several years as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Saddleback Church. Jamin speaks and writes in the areas of spiritual formation, ministry and theology. He holds two Masters degrees and is currently earning a PhD in systematic theology. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Kristin, and their three children. Kyle Strobel is a professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University and is an emerging voice among evangelicals on spiritual formation, discipleship, and theology. Kyle speaks regularly and has written for Pastors.com, Relevant magazine (and Relevant Magazine.com), ChurchLeader.com, and DeeperStory.com. Kyle lives in Southern California with his wife, Kelli, and their two children.   The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It Why do so many rock-star pastors implode under the spotlight? Why do modern-day churches become so entangled in growing their brand that they lose sight of their true purpose? Because, according to Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel, Christians have succumbed to the temptations of power and forgotten Jesus’ seemingly contradictory path to power—first giving it up. In The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, Goggin and Strobel paint a richly biblical vision of power through weakness. They invite readers to join them on an adventure around the world, seeking out great sages of the faith with uncommon wisdom to offer those traveling the path of Christian life. As readers eavesdrop on the authors’ conversations with people such as J. I. Packer, Dallas Willard, Marva Dawn, John Perkins, Jean Vanier, James Houston, and Eugene Peterson, they begin to piece together the new-old reality of following Jesus today. In the end, The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb offers a compelling vision of the way of Jesus that will challenge both individual believers and the church as a whole. -From the Publisher If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 100: Jo Saxton on Post-Christendom, Discipleship, and Being a Woman of Color in Church Leadership Seminary Dropout 71: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson on Jesus, Leadership, and Race Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

Hey Seminary Dropout listeners this is a very special episode in which I’m previewing to you the very first episode of a brand new podcast called OnRamp. OnRamp is hosted by myself and my friend Kerri Fisher. It’s an episode about issues surrounding race through the lens of Christian spirituality. This is has been in the works for awhile and I’m very proud of it. It’s by no mean comprehensive in it’s scope and it’s not perfect in it’s execution. I by no means have these issues figured out. It’s just a conversation, and a conversation meant for those who want to understand these issues better, but don’t have a good place to start. This is meant to be a jumping on point or, and “on-ramp”. If you like Seminary Dropout then I think you’ll love OnRamp. You can help the show launch by 1. Subscribing in iTunes, and 2. Sharing this on social media. Thanks for listening and I hope that Christ meets you as you listen.

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org David E. Fitch (PhD, Northwestern University) is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He is the author of The Great Giveaway and The End of Evangelicalism? and is the coauthor of Prodigal Christianity. Fitch coaches a network of church plants in the Christian and Missionary Alliance and he writes, speaks, and lectures on issues the local church must face in mission including cultural engagement, leadership and theology. He has also written numerous articles in periodicals such as Christianity Today, The Other Journal, Missiology as well as various academic journals. To enter to win a copy of Faithful Presense sign up for my email list at ShaneBlackshear.com (right hand side).     Thank you all for a great 2016! This is the last episode of Seminary Dropout for the year. Stay tuned to hear more about the “secret project” coming in December. If you liked this episode then you might also like… Seminary Dropout 126: Nijay Gupta on Bridging the Gap Between Seminary and the Church Pew Seminary Dropout 115: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson “When We Measure the Church by American Standards… …We Strangle the Beauty of the Cross.” Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org Paul Pavao is a teacher at Rose Creek village, a Christian community. He is married and has six children. Paul is a Mensa member and has studied early CHristian history for over 20 years. Our Sponsor:   Intervarsity Press has an exclusive for Seminary Dropout listeners. Go to ivpress.com/dropout to get 30% off The hair loss Road Back to You. If you liked this episode then you might also like… 134: Jessica Kelley, Author of “Lord Willing?: Wrestling with God’s Role in My Child’s Death” 140: Frank James, Logos Video Course: “Introducing Church History” Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

Greg Boyd is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has been featured on the front page of The New York Times, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, National Public Radio, the BBC and numerous other television and radio venues. Greg received his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary (summa cum laude 1988), his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School (cum laude 1982), and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota (1979). He was a professor of theology for 16 years at Bethel University (St. Paul, MN) where he received the Teaching Excellence Award and Campus Leadership Award. Greg is the co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota where he serves as Senior Pastor, speaking to thousands each week. Greg has authored or co-authored 20 books and numerous academic articles, including his best-selling and award-winning Letters From a Skeptic and his recent books Repenting of Religion and The Myth of a Christian Nation. His apologetic writings and public debates on the historical Jesus and the problem of evil have helped many skeptics embrace faith, and his writings and seminars on spiritual transformation have had a revolutionary, freeing impact on thousands of believers. Check out Greg’s website here. For several blog post recommendations check out the links below: Greg on Politics Doing the Kingdom, Not Voting It In Greg Boyd and Jim Wallis Discuss Politics & Faith Defending the Poor Living With a Kingdom Consciousness When we return to the simplicity and difficulty of the kingdom of God, the question that defines us is no longer, What are the Christian policies and candidates? No, when love is placed above all kingdom-of-the-world concerns (Col. 3:14; 1 Peter 4:8), the kingdom-of-the-world options placed before us dwindle in significance. -Greg Boyd Our Sponsor:   Intervarsity Press has an exclusive for Seminary Dropout listeners. Go to ivpress.com/dropout to get 30% off The Road Back to You. If you liked this episode then you might also like… 145: Voting, Part 1 with Greg Boyd 147: N.T. Wright Talks about The Day the Revolution Began Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes