Friday, April 24, 2015
Growing Church?
Chelsen Vicari conducts an interesting interview:
I see value in this, but is this ministry?
discussion ministry value
Chelsen Vicari: Tell us, simply, what is pub theology?Now I have no objections to the moderate ingestion of alcohol, save for its calorific nature. But that said, is this a good idea? Is simple intellectual engagement sufficient for evangelism? Can genuine relationships be built on such a bonding ritual? Will this produce anything past intellectual ascent to the precepts of Christianity? Is this just a gimmick?
Bryan Berghoef: Yeah, so I’ve been leading pub theology discussion for about six years now. For the last year and a half in D.C. and before that in Michigan. I first heard about this in London. A group was getting together in a bar and talking about God or theology. Something about the way they articulated it really resonated with me. And that was that it was open conversation, a welcoming space for people of all perspectives. There was no bar of beliefs or orthodoxy that you had to pass to sit at the table. You could belong to a different religion or be atheist or agnostic and be welcome.
So we started a gathering in Traverse City, Michigan and started connecting with people. It’s pretty simple format. It’s open conversation with people over a beer. There’s no lecture, no speaker, and really no leader. I kind of help facilitate, but really just there to help guide the discussion and ask questions and allow people to connect in that setting.
I see value in this, but is this ministry?
discussion ministry value
