Apr 202008
Having pondered the excellent suggestions for discussion topics, I’ve decided to follow CB’s advice and go for something that interests me and I have strong opinions about. Sadly, that means theology 😉
So, here’s my short list of possible topics. I think they all offer something regardless of training or experience (or lack thereof) and should allow the possibility of wide-ranging discussion. There are also a couple of other suggestions added in that I am also interested in.
- Seeker-sensitive or meaty teaching? Is is possible for a church to be/do both and how?
- Simple or simplistic? Do we dumb-down the Gospel when we try to teach it?
- Theology-lite! Are we losing the vocabulary necessary to speak properly of God?
- The ‘S’ word. How can we call a person a sinner and not scare them away?
- Cyber-church. What is the proper place for online church activity in the life of a congregation?
- Growing disciples. Is mentoring a useful model for discipleship growth?
So, there you have it: the list of possible topics from my brief brain-storming session. I could probably talk for hours on any one of them but which one would be most suitable for an assessment conference?
An interesting array of theological conundrums. Bearing in mind that this is a short discussion which, hopefully, colleagues will also have some knowledge about…..3 & 6 look promising. 2 might generate a good argument (which I know you enjoy!!) Not too sure how the other topics might translate into a short discussion. This is just an instant response and I’m sure others will give plenty of alternative advice. Good thinking.
I’ve decided to go for #3 with some of the others as ‘supporting acts’ – they can be examples or consequences of ‘dumbing-down’ theological understanding. One slight change – ‘properly’ will read ‘meaningfully’. Adds a little extra controversy into the pot.
OOh – good topics! Number 4 would press my buttons and you’d get a rant rather than a discussion! I would be sensible (ha!) and polite about 3; 1 and 5 would bore me, but I’d try not to show it -honest! I like 6.