Church and Main

Death, Dying and Caregiving with Andrew Donaldson | Episode 169

The sight of former President Jimmy Carter at his wife's funeral gave a lesson in what it means to be actively dying, even if the lesson was lost on those commenting on social media.  In this episode, frequent guest Andrew Donaldson joins the show as he and Dennis talk about death and dying as well as being caregivers to their parents following health emergencies recently.Show notes:We Should Talk More About Dying, Cause You Will by Andrew DonaldsonLectionary Q PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

January 6 in Three Acts with Andrew Donaldson and Dennis Sanders | Episode 168

This episode originally aired January 5, 2022.On the three-year anniversary of January 6, 2021, and at the start of a momentous presidential election year, Dennis reflects on the day and the American future in three acts with fellow podcaster and writer Andrew Donaldson.Heard Tell with Andrew DonaldsonLectionary Q PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHgljChapters0:00:34 Introduction to Church in Maine podcast0:06:10 Introduction: Setting the Stage for January 6th0:08:10 Act 3: Concluding Thoughts on January 6th0:10:04 Praying in Light of Today's Events0:12:03 Failing to Uphold the Ideals of Unity0:12:37 Seeking God's Help in Uncertain Times0:14:36 Reflecting on the January 6th Insurrection Investigation0:15:53 Setting the Context for the January 6th Committee0:18:00 Doubts on Obtaining Truth from the Committee0:24:21 Recognizing the Disease: Lack of Respect in Government0:27:59 Relitigating January 6th: Counterproductive and Damaging0:30:48 Waking Up to a Nightmare: 1983 and its Significance0:33:37 Abel Archer and the Close Call of Nuclear War0:35:36 Generation X and the Fear of Nuclear War0:38:50 Palpable fear and uncertainty in America0:41:22 January 6th: Epiphany and the Story of King Herod0:43:47 Bethlehem's Horror & January 6th Parallels0:45:49 Living, Helping, and Trusting Amidst Turmoil0:46:50 The Ultimate Defeat of Evil0:48:25 Praying for Strength and Trust in Hard Times

Why Do Church Buildings Matter in Today’s World? with Loren Richmond Jr. | Episode 167

It's quite common for people to say that the church isn't a building, but a people - and this is true.  But that doesn't mean that church buildings are without any meaning.  Loren Richmond Jr. returns to the podcast to talk about his summer project taking pictures and learning the history of church buildings in his hometown of Denver and how this pastime impacted his faith and how it can impact your faith as well.Show Notes:Future Christian Podcast (Loren's Podcast)The Contradiction in Church Architecture by Loren Richmond Jr.Prayers Rising Past the Immanent Frame by Katherine Willis PersheyLectionary Q PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

The Most Memorable Episodes of 2023 | Episode 166

In this episode, I look back at the 10 most memorable episodes of 2023.  This isn’t a countdown to number one, but a look back at some of the most meaningful episodes of the year. I will also look forward to what I hope to be doing in 2024.At the end of the year, I want to say thanks to everyone who has downloaded an episode, shared an episode with others or donated financially.  You helped an odd pastor in Minnesota live out a desire to start this here podcast.  Thank you for your support!The 10 Most Memorable Episodes of 2023:Episode 132: Telling the Truth on Church Decline with Ben CrosbyEpisode 136: A Church Grows Again in Odessa with Dawn Darwin WeaksEpisode 158: A Tale of Congregational Hope and Renewal with Grayhame BowcottEpisode 153: Lay-Led Church Planting with Laura CottingtonEpisode 164: Mainline Church Growth with Paul MooreEpisode 140: Beyond Colorblindness and Antiracism with George YanceyEpisode 143: Giving Up the Stigma of Mental Illness with Seth PerryEpisode 142: Church and the Crisis of Decline with Andrew RootEpisode 157: Rage and Hope After the Hamas Massacre with Rabbi Brad HirschfieldEpisode 159: Mainline Churches and Israel-Palestine with Todd StavrakosLectionary Q PodcastMake a Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchandmainpod/Website: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

The Theology of Black Lives Matter with Drew McIntyre | Episode 165

Note: This podcast originally aired on December 8, 2021.Black Lives Matter. Those three words have launched a million arguments over the last 8 years or so. What began as a hashtag in the wake of the killing of young black men by the police has become a phrase that has gone global and all the while it has been controversial. Some think it is exclusive and even racist because they think it only focuses on black people. Others like the phrase and take it on without asking questions.Methodist Pastor Drew McIntrye wanted to look at black lives matter from a theological standpoint. What does it mean for followers of Jesus to say this phrase? Can followers of Jesus say this phrase? The answer is an emphatic yes. We will talk about what blacks live matters means theologically and what it means for African Americans to hear the church say black lives matter.Show Notes:The Scandal of Particularity, Black Lives, and Jesus by Drew McIntyreDrew’s WebsiteThe God & Whiskey Podcast- Drew and Evan Rohrs-DodgeDrew on TwitterLectionary Q PodcastMake a Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchandmainpod/Website: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHgljGet full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

The Most Vital Strategy for Mainline Church Growth with Paul Moore | Episode 164

Mainline Protestant congregations have faced decline over several decades.  Can these churches grow again and also hold fast to their commitment to social justice?Paul Moore a pastor of a Presbyterian Church (USA) Congregation in the suburban Twin Cities, MN believes the answer is yes and is practicing what he believes.  In this episode, we talk about how Presbyterian and other mainline Protestant denominations can have thriving churches again if they learn to "grow young."Show notes:Preaching at my home church with sadness by Paul MooreGrowing Young in the PC(USA) by Paul MooreChain of Lakes Presbyterian Church websiteEpisode 83: Mainline Church Planting with Paul MooreLectionary Q PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

The Tiny Home Revolution: How a Church Made a Big Impact with Peter Christ | Episode 163

One solution to solving the affordable housing and homelessness crisis is for churches to have an active role in providing space for housing.  Another church that I am aware of in Minneapolis sold their property to another housing nonprofit that will build affordable housing and also create a worship space for the congregation.  I talked to a pastor at a Lutheran congregation in Roseville, Minnesota a Twin Cities suburb that was able to provide homes for people experiencing homelessness using tiny homes.  Peter Christ the pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church shares the story that led the congregation to create a small community that is giving people a place to call home.Show Notes:Prince of Peace Lutheran Church websiteSettled website (nonprofit building tiny homes)Make a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

The Death and Resurrection of Peace Lutheran Church with Dave Greenlund (REWIND) | Episode 162

This episode originally aired on December 2, 2021.Peace Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in the small town of Lauderdale which sits between Minneapolis and St. Paul. When Pastor Dave Greenlund was asked to pastor the congregation, the Synod office thought he might be a hospice pastor who would let the church die a good death. That was 2004. Peace is still alive and kicking having grown a little as well. In this episode, I chat with Rev. Greenlund about the story of Peace Lutheran and how it learned to connect with the community around it.Show Notes:Peace Lutheran WebsiteProfile of Peace Lutheran in Living LutheranRadix Magazine Podcast InterviewEpisode 158: A Tale of Congregational Hope and Renewal with Grayhame BowcottMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

A Pastor’s Side Hustle with Ruth Hetland | Episode 161

Over the last few years, I started to hear a new phrase one that might be new to you as well: side hustle.  A side hustle is a way to make money in addition to your full-time or part-time job.  It’s also a way to explore a new career.  Side hustles can be a way for folk in lower paying jobs, like, I dunno being a pastor in a congregation, to earn some money and also gain some new skills.  Today we talk to Ruth Hetland, a Lutheran pastor living in Minnesota who started a side hustle to support women in ministry.Show notes:One Pastor's Side Hustle: Subscription Boxes for Women in Ministry article from Church AnewConseCrate websiteCreative and Created PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj

The Legacy of J. Irwin Miller with Geoffrey Kabaservice (REWIND) | Episode 160

(Originally Broadcast in December 2021.)I’ve known Geoffrey Kabaservice since we were both writers for David Frum’s news site, Frum Forum. Today Geoffrey is the Vice President of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center and host of the Vital Center Podcast. He’s an author, especially in for our purposes of the book Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party. I brought him on the podcast today to talk about the intersection of two important streams of 20th century American culture, Moderate Republicanism and Mainline Protestantism. Both of these movements drove much of American society and now they are both weakened. We will look at what has been lost as both institutions decline. We’ll also focus on one person where these two streams meet: J. Irwin Miller, the CEO of Cummins Engine, a Rockefeller Republican, and a member of a mainline denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He was also a corporate titan who invested in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana, and allowed it to prosper when other Rust Belt towns withered. If you are someone who is interested in American political and social history, you will love this episode.Show Notes:Geoffrey Kabaservice’s Niskanen Center profileThe Rust Belt Didn’t Have to Happen by Aaron Renn (on J. Irwin Miller)The Vital Center PodcastMake a  Donation: https://donorbox.org/support-church-and-mainTwitter: https://twitter.com/churchandmainFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/churchandmainWebsite: https://churchandmain.org/YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CzMELfEV0oUYfbjdhdjqgrT3w8fHglj