Faithful and Flexible: Flourishing Congregations in Times of Transition

During this time of change and upheaval, our Summer Seminar webinar tackled challenging questions facing our churches today. What does it mean to be church? How do your form and mature disciples when the church is scattered? How do we navigate the increasing tensions in the relationship of faith and politics? What does it mean to be a minister in this time? How do we manage conflict in our congregations?

This webinar took place on July 30, 2020.

“Right when we needed it, the Siburt Institute delivered the Summer Seminar to a global audience managing the novel demands of the pandemic. Summer Seminar gave us a handle to grasp this most unusual year.”

— Chris Benjamin, preaching minister, West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Summer Seminar 2020 Sessions

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CHURCHES: A DATA-DRIVEN CONVERSATION (Suzie Macaluso and Renee Paul)

This interview emerges from recent research on churches in the midst of the pandemic. Suzie Macaluso presents her findings from a quantitative survey of over 1,500 church members across various denominations, dialing in on anxiety and engagement. Renee Paul reports on the results from a qualitative survey and six focus groups of over 90 ministers, elders, and past Summer Seminar attendees, spotlighting the challenges faced in their church contexts.

WHAT IS CHURCH ANYWAY? A CALL AND RESPONSE (Randy Harris)

We have all experienced disruption in the way we “do church.” But before we go too far down the road toward re-aligning our practices based on these new realities, we might ask ourselves, “What do we mean by ‘church,’ and how did the earliest followers of Jesus understand this identity?” The church is not merely those people who are called by God but those who have said “yes” to God’s invitation.

BURNING OUR GOLDEN CALVES: IDOLATRY AS THE PRIMARY IMPEDIMENT TOWARD A SOCIETY RIGHT WITH GOD (Lawrence W. Rodgers)

Whether it is a conversation about intergenerational relations, race, gender, class, or even historical symbols, the same theological problem continues to derail momentum. This session defines idolatry from a theological perspective and describes why it is one of the most significant impediments toward a society that is right with God. Finally, the session concludes with a case for why all humans must do the deep work of burning their golden calves.

REIMAGINING MINISTRY: PASTORAL IDENTITY IN A PANDEMIC (Andrew Root)

Ministers, pastors, and other church leaders work hard to be productive and useful in their ministry. But what happens to ministry when you can’t do the things you usually do? This interview offers insight into the dilemmas that our present context highlights for ministers – and the possible upsides to reimagining what it means to be a minister.

STUDIO PANEL AND Q&A (Suzie Macaluso, Royce Money, Jarrod Robinson)

In this conversation, panelists respond to questions submitted by Summer Seminar participants.

CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION: SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW (Lori Anne Shaw)

Many of us have experienced church conflict that resulted in disconnection, pain, and loneliness. As a result, we move away from conflict or, at the very least, enter conflict with the goal of restoring the status quo in order to protect relationships. This fear of conflict often hijacks churches from addressing the issues that matter most. But what if conflict could deepen connection, enable collaboration, and open up creative possibilities? What if conflict could transform us into something better than the status quo? This session shifts our focus from avoiding conflict to allowing conflict to transform us and our churches.

WHEN POLITICS COME TO CHURCH: THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON FAITH IN PUBLIC LIFE (Vic McCracken)

Political disagreement among Christians is increasingly common in our world. Followers of Jesus agree that Jesus is Lord, but often we disagree about how this truth is best embodied within political community. In this session, we explore a variety of theological perspectives that inform our political disagreements, and we discuss strategies for negotiating these differences in ways that bear witness to our common faith.

THRIVING AS A SCATTERED CHURCH: LIVING INTO THE WHOLE MISSION OF JESUS (Dave Clayton)

Servant leaders all across the country are experiencing the many pressures associated with trying to faithfully lead God's people through a season of such great uncertainty. In the midst of a shaking world, church leaders are faced with the crucial question of how to empower a scattered church to thrive with Jesus. This session explores three non-negotiable realities every leader must embrace in order to help equip the American church toward thriving in the days ahead.