185 – Shannon Kiser & Verlon Fosner Talk About Revitalizing a 90 Year Old Church, A Bilingual Church, and Fresh Expressions

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Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.

Beginning in 2004 as an initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church, the movement has resulted in the birth of thousands of new communities in the UK alone and brought renewal to scores of established churches. The movement has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism, a unity around the mission of God the Father through the resurrected Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.


This Week on Seminary Dropout…

Shannon Kiser serves as Director of Training for Fresh Expressions US. She also is the director of the coaching network for the New Worshiping Community movement in the Presbyterian Church USA, and one of the pastors of  Riverside Presbyterian Church, a northern Virginia church with multiple Fresh Expressions. She is a graduate of Texas Christian University and holds a Masters of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Shannon has served churches in Texas and Virginia, as well as the Church Growth Office of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Shannon and her husband Patrick live in Springfield, VA and have two high school daughters.

Verlon Fosner has led an innovative congregation in Seattle Washington since 1999. In 2008 the congregation transitioned from a traditional proclamation church into a multi-site Dinner Church called Community Dinners. In 2016, Verlon joined the Fresh Expression US leadership team and began coaching declining churches, leading “Dinner Church Encounters” across the country, and hosting “Seattle Immersions” at their home, which enables a few leaders at a time to observe Dinner Churches in action followed by training conversations around a fireplace. Verlon holds a Doctorate of Ministry from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and has written several books. He and his wife Melodee have three adult children, five grandchildren, a collection of grand-foster-kids, and two grand-dogs.

 


If you liked this episode then you might also like…

183 – Iosmar Alvarez, Planting, Disciplining, and Fresh Expressions of the Hispanic Church

182 – Travis Collins, What is a Fresh Expression of Church Anyway?

Fresh Expressions 101 (And What To Do Next)”


Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

184 – Michael Beck, Talking about Church in a Tattoo Parlor, Yoga Studio, and Dog Park

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org

Our Sponsor:

Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.

Beginning in 2004 as an initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church, the movement has resulted in the birth of thousands of new communities in the UK alone and brought renewal to scores of established churches. The movement has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism, a unity around the mission of God the Father through the resurrected Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.


This Week on Seminary Dropout…

Michael Beck is the North Central District Cultivator of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is also Senior Pastor of Wildwood and Oxford United Methodist Churches, where he directs addiction recovery programs, a jail ministry, a food pantry, and a network of fresh expressions that meet in places like tattoo parlors and burrito joints. He currently lives in Wildwood with his wife, Jill, and their blended family of 8 children.


If you liked this episode then you might also like…

183 – Iosmar Alvarez, Planting, Disciplining, and Fresh Expressions of the Hispanic Church

182 – Travis Collins, What is a Fresh Expression of Church Anyway?

Fresh Expressions 101 (And What To Do Next)”


Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

183 – Iosmar Alvarez, Planting, Disciplining, and Fresh Expressions of the Hispanic Church

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org

Our Sponsor:

Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.

Beginning in 2004 as an initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church, the movement has resulted in the birth of thousands of new communities in the UK alone and brought renewal to scores of established churches. The movement has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism, a unity around the mission of God the Father through the resurrected Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.


Be sure register to attend the Rethinking Hell Conference, March 9-10. I’d love to see you there.

RethinkingHellConference.com


This Week on Seminary Dropout…

Iosmar Alvarez is originally from Cuba and has been in the US since 2001. God began to work in his life as Local Pastor in United Methodist Church Kentucky Conference in 2002. He has planted 3 Hispanic Churches in Kentucky in the past 10 years. He has his Masters in Divinity from United Theological Seminary (Dayton, Ohio) and another Masters degree in Christian Leadership from Lindsey Wilson College. Dr. Alvarez is a prolific author on leadership development and church growth, having 4 books written in those subjects. Additionally, Dr. Alvarez is a certified coach for SLI & Path1, the national UMC recognized agencies for church planting, development and transformation. At the same time, pastor Alvarez graduated with his Doctorate of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary on May 20, 2017. Currently Dr. Alvarez serves as Senior Pastor for Fuente De Avivamiento/Spring of Revival with 400+ members and 100 home churches. Dr. Alvarez has the honor to train leaders nationwide on how to plant churches and develop church culture and processes to make disciples. Dr. Alvarez pastors along with his wife Zulayne Alvarez, who supports and helps him in carrying the vision to the future generations.

 

 


If you liked this episode then you might also like…

 

182 – Travis Collins, What is a Fresh Expression of Church Anyway?

Fresh Expressions 101 (And What To Do Next)”

Loud Pipes Save Lives: A Biker Church Story


Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

182 – Travis Collins, What is a Fresh Expression of Church Anyway?

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org

Our Sponsor:

Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.

Beginning in 2004 as an initiative of the Church of England and the British Methodist Church, the movement has resulted in the birth of thousands of new communities in the UK alone and brought renewal to scores of established churches. The movement has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Germany. In 2010, the movement began taking shape in the US through the vision and generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and a growing number of partners committed to a new era of missional ecumenism, a unity around the mission of God the Father through the resurrected Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.


Be sure register to attend the Rethinking Hell Conference, March 9-10. I’d love to see you there.

RethinkingHellConference.com


This Week on Seminary Dropout…

Travis’s service as Director of Mission Advancement and Southeast Regional Coordinator brings together his calling and experience as missionary and pastor. He serves as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Alabama and was previously pastor of Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia.

His twenty-five plus years of ministry have included missionary service in Venezuela and Nigeria. He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and earned the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.He is the author of Directionally Challenged (2007), Tough Calls (2008), and From the Steeple to the Street (Seedbed 2016).Travis and his wife, Keri, have three adult children.

In the last decade, a giant cultural wave has swept the North American church into a brand new world—a pluralistic, complicated, high-tech/low-touch world. Faced with the challenge of engaging a jaded culture, a fresh expression of church has emerged alongside the traditional church. This short book gives an overview of the Fresh Expressions movement and its innovative approach to reaching those who would perhaps never come to our church buildings. -From the Publisher


If you liked this episode then you might also like…

Fresh Expressions 101 (And What To Do Next)”

Loud Pipes Save Lives: A Biker Church Story


Subscribe/Rate/Review Seminary Dropout in iTunes

181 – Curt Thompson, Author of “Anatomy of the Soul” on Christianity & Science, Why We Keep Sinning, and More

*Originally Posted at MissioAlliance.org

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Sponsor a Child — At Compassion we take a committed, long-term approach to fighting child poverty. Our Holistic Child Development Model is made up of four comprehensive programs investing in children from the beginning of their lives until they’ve reached adulthood, and covering everything from prenatal care to university-level education.


Thanks to all who gave to make Seminary Dropout in 2018 possible!


Be sure register to attend the Rethinking Hell Conference, March 9-10. I’d love to see you there.

RethinkingHellConference.com


This Week on Seminary Dropout…

Curt Thompson, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in Falls Church, Virginia and founder of Being Known, which develops teaching programs, seminars and resource materials to help people explore the connection between interpersonal neurobiology and Christian spirituality which lead to genuine change and transformation.

He and his wife, Phyllis, are the parents of two children and reside in Arlington, Virginia. He serves as an elder at Washington Community Fellowship in Washington, D.C. His duties there have included preaching, teaching, and participation in the fellowship’s healing prayer ministry. He and his wife (a licensed clinical social worker) frequently provide premarital counseling services for couples in their congregation.

Do you want to improve your relationships and experience lasting personal change? Join Curt Thompson, M.D., on an amazing journey to discover the surprising pathways for transformation hidden inside your own mind. Integrating new findings in neuroscience and attachment with Christian spirituality, Dr. Thompson reveals how it is possible to rewire your mind, altering your brain patterns and literally making you more like the person God intended you to be. Explaining discoveries about the brain in layman’s terms, he shows how you can be mentally transformed through spiritual practices, interaction with Scripture, and connections with other people. He also provides practical exercises to help you experience healing in areas where you’ve been struggling. Insightful and challenging, Anatomy of the Soul illustrates how learning about one of God’s most miraculous creations―your brain―can enrich your life, your relationships, and your impact on the world around you. -From the Publisher


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143: Mike McHargue aka “Science Mike”, Author of “Finding God In The Waves”

Seminary Dropout 52: James Bryan Smith, Author of The Apprentice Series


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The State of the Podcast

Here are the main points of this episode…

  • My original intention was to pick SD back up in January, which is now just a few days away. Some of you may remember I did the same thing last year but then wound up not publishing until April. So in the last few weeks I’ve come to a cross roads in deciding what to do about SD. If you benefit from the content of SD, (which I assume you do if you’re listening to this), then don’t worry, I’m not planning on ending the show. However, I do have to make some changes.
  • Seminary Dropout is time intensive.
  • Because Seminary Dropout is time intensive, it takes time away from either working my day job, or spending time with my family and friends.
  • As you may have guessed, I want to use Patreon to fund the next year of SD.
  • Here’s how it’s going to work. I’m setting a goal of raising the dollar per episode amount from $66 to $100 per episode, and when we reach that goal, I’ll resume SD for 2018.
  • So if you want to become a patron just go to supportseminarydropout.com and sign up. You can also go to that site if you want to see how close we are to the $100 goal. The amount raised will be show right on the front page.


So there it is. Thanks for taking the time and if you want to become a patron today and fund SD into 2018, then please go to SupportSeminaryDropout.com and pledge today.

A Seminary Dropout Preview of OnRamp Season 2

To hear the rest of the season, subscribe to OnRamp!

Hey Seminary Dropout listeners this is a very special episode in which I’m previewing the first episode of season 2 of OnRamp, my other podcast.

If you’re not familiar, OnRamp is hosted by myself and my friend Kerri Fisher. It’s a podcast about issues surrounding race through the lens of Christian spirituality. 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, an “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 or your podcatcher of choice, and 2. Sharing this on social media. Thanks for listening and I hope that Christ meets you as you listen.

 

OnRamp S2E10: Media

 

Hosted by Kerri Fisher & Shane Blackshear

 

Resources for or mentioned in this episode:

‘Get Out’ Sprang From An Effort To Master Fear, Says Director Jordan Peele


Subscribe/Rate/Review OnRamp in iTunes

*links to guest books or other products are affiliate links