Why We're Too Hard On the Local Church, Why People Are Leaving, and The Relationship of the Church to the Academy
A Podcast with Aaron Gabriel Ross at Everyday Theology
New pod is out with Aaron Ross over at Everyday Theology. This time he had me on as a guest to have a casual conversation about what I think about the local church, what the hope there is for shrinking congregations, and how I have beef with people who gripe that the local church isn’t doing enough.
Give it a listen, share it around, and let me know what you think.
Thanks for embracing the nuances in your conversation.
I was particularly struck by the question of whether community is a felt need in 2024. I heard commonalities from your observations of and experiences with immigrant communities in Iowa City to what I know of and about rural communities near you. I also appreciate the tone of your response; it still comes down to churches investing in relational discipleship (or as Robert Putnam would call it, both bonding AND bridging social capital). Being part of a congregation can feel like a series of sacrifices; those rootings are the return for that work.
There's a future "theology of place" paper for seminary somewhere in these thoughts...