In spite of the beauty that is Christ and Christianity, many Christians are weary of what they see in the church right now. You may have already heard of the excellent new podcast from Christianity Today called “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” While mostly focusing on the story of one church, sadly, the themes the podcast uncovers can sound all-too-familiar across different Christian contexts. It documents one particularly painful instance of a broader experience that to some feels like a flattened, narrowed, obscured vision of the Christian faith and life.
We hear these questions often:
Is this really all there is to Christianity?
Isn’t there something more to my life with God in the world?
Can I keep on believing in Jesus when the church doesn’t look like him?
From those deep questions, those places of longing and grief, we created “Essential Christianity”– a 9-week online journey through the beautifully expansive story of God’s love and coming Kingdom taught by our Executive Director, Rev. Bill Haley. We are thrilled to launch this class publicly on Thursday, September 23rd, and we would love for you to be a part of it!
Last spring, we ran a group of 30 men and women from across the country through a pilot of this course, and here is what a few of them had to say:
“Each session is like a breath of fresh air, and I am so grateful for the perspective this course is giving me.”
“In my experience as a Christian, this is the first time I have been in a group where these vital questions about the Church are discussed so lovingly and openly without any apparent human ‘agenda’ other than to glorify the Trinity.”
“I found it to be so rich and encouraging to examine the truths and essential story of our faith… I feel invited by God to go deeper into the reality of His love, his calling, his vision for my life and for this world.”
This is our first offering of this kind, and we believe it will be a tremendous blessing to many who are feeling disconnected, dissatisfied, or disappointed with their present understanding, expression, or observation of Christianity. No matter where you are or how you would describe your faith journey right now, if you are searching for a chance to immerse yourself in the Christian story and its very good news for all of us, we really hope you will consider joining us this fall for “Essential Christianity”! You might also invite someone who has yet to believe in Jesus so they can get a full and thrilling view of what Christianity is all about.