In this episode, Kurt is joined by Brian McLaren, a well-known Christian thinker, author and activist, as well as being on the board of Convergence. Brian is also a former pastor and the author of over a dozen books, the most recent being The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to be Christian. Tune in as Kurt and Brian discuss the four biggest threats facing our generation today, and how church leaders can respond to and overcome these challenges.

Key Takeaways:

[1:25] Kurt introduces his guest for today — Brian McLaren.

[1:58] Kurt has observed that pastors and other congregational leaders are trying to navigate in an extremely polarized world, while remaining true to their calling. What does Brian think of this trend?

[2:53] What is the quadruple threat that Brian talks about in his book?

[3:55] The first challenge that we are facing is the crisis of the planet.

[4:25] The second challenge is the crisis of poverty.

[5:20] The third challenge is the crisis of peace.

[6:02] The fourth and deepest challenge is the crisis of religion, and this is relevant to every pastor who is listening.

[6:43] Kurt points out an observation he has made — it's shocking how few religious leaders make any acknowledgement of what's going on in the world.

[7:30] In previous generations, they often only had to deal with one or two of these challenges, but with the current generation, all four of these challenges are present. How can we respond to and overcome all of these challenges bombarding us all at once?

[10:11] How does a pastor navigate the few people in his or her congregation who disagree with the church becoming "too political," when discussing issues in the world today?

[14:40] Kurt shares his experiences worshiping at his church. The idea of differences of opinion becomes far less important when people of the congregation are out in the community helping others.

[17:25] How does a pastor know if they should stick it out and work through the conflicts in their congregation, or try to find a new congregation or position where they can be authentic to themselves?

[20:54] Another useful tool is to have a network of clergy, to not only hold each other accountable, but also offer support through difficult times.

[22:14] Brian shares about the organization Convergence, and how it can help church leaders who want to make a positive impact.

[23:25] Is there room in Convergence for people who are not affiliated with a denomination, but may want to start some other type of community?

[24:42] Check out Brian's latest book, website, and the resources at Convergence!

Mentioned in This Episode:

God’s Business

God’s Business on Facebook

God's Business: Making Church Leaders Less Stressed and More Effective by Leveraging the Experience of Others, by Kurt M. Glacy

Brian McLaren

The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to be Christian, by Brian McLaren

Convergence

Center for Progressive Renewal