Amen! Sent from my iPhone
> On Jul 14, 2016, at 11:20, BILROJ via Centroids: The Center of the Radical > Centrist Community <[email protected]> wrote: > > Re: Christian Post article > > Here is an idea that offers considerable promise. Maybe not for everyone, > but certainly for some people. Essentially it is what I was looking for during > my "dark night of the soul" in the months between February and May. > Indeed, it still seems like a good idea, something that could be very helpful. > It is refreshing to realize that at least one individual Christian > understands > what this is all about. > > I remember my experience, in my own way "reaching out," and the net result > was a big fat zero, nothing at all. Sink or swim. > > Well, OK, I got the message. And about such things, since I rather think > that there are many others who go through similar experiences from > time to time, we all get the message: Believe in the Evangelical "take" > on the Gospel or forget about it, we're not interested unless > you buy into our version of Christian faith which, of course, > is doubt free, based on views that do not allow discussion > that matters in any way since the only acceptable conclusion > must be more-of-the-same. > > But here is a pastor in Colorado who just may get the point. > "More of the same" falls on more and more deaf ears. > It is unconvincing and the young are voting with their feet > and going elsewhere. A portion of the no-longer-young > are doing likewise. > > I mean, if faith is real to you, you need to "engage," tackle the really > hard cases, the people and problems that you simply "can't deal with." > But that's the point, as I see it anyway, otherwise all you get is > preaching to the choir. Or preaching to an echo chamber. > > Maybe I'm being unfair. However, I cannot judge based on Christians > I do not know who may be living in South Dakota or Louisiana. > All that is possible is to reflect upon those that I do know. > Yes, among them are "saints," no question about that at all, > but a major -very large- part of things simply flies over their > heads. No choice but to accept this for what it is > and move on, is there? > > > Billy > > > ============================================== > > > Denver Pastor Starts 'Doubters Club' to Engage Skeptics With the Gospel > > > > www.christianpost.com > > By Brandon Showalter , CP Contributor > July 13, 2016 > > > > When Preston Ulmer set out for Colorado with missions on his heart, one of > his first stops was at a coffee shop in Denver's Highlands neighborhood. > > Quite randomly he asked the guy behind the counter, Trax, who happened to be > the owner: "What kind of church would you want to go to?" > > The owner laughed and said "Oh, I'm not religious" — he identifies as an > atheist — but then said he would consider attending a church where people > were not pushed away for asking questions and for believing different things, > a place where they could actively engage their minds with pastors. > > He added, "I think you should start such a church in this neighborhood." > > Before Ulmer knew it, a deep friendship and pre-evangelistic space called > "The Doubters Club" in a nearby coffee house was born. > > Ulmer, 29, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, received his master of > divinity degree from Southwestern Assemblies of God University and says in an > interview with The Christian Post that he feels a particular burden to reach > skeptics and atheists with the Gospel because he used to be one. > > Now married to his wife, Lisa, and raising two daughters who are toddlers, > Ulmer said he was raised in a Christian home but left the faith in 2007 > because he had too many questions he could not reconcile. Through the > personal mentorship of a few pastors who knew of his deep intellectual > struggles, he ultimately returned to Christ after an arduous nine-month > process of searching for answers. > > "I don't care where you land as long as you are honest," he recounts one of > his mentors saying. > > Such honest searching for truth underpins everything in The Doubter's Club, a > group that Ulmer started with Trax where the two model friendship and pursue > the truth together in highly intelligent discussions. Each week they explore > theological and philosophical questions in a group setting with participants > who hail from diverse backgrounds, both Christian and non-Christian. They > started with 10 people in September of last year but now engage close to 60 > in two separate locations; and their vision is to expand to several other > coffee shops across the city. > > At the conclusion of every discussion group they take a vote on what to > discuss the following week. The most important core belief they hold is to > value the truth over being right. > > "It's a democracy where votes actually count," Ulmer says with a laugh. > > Next up for discussion this Sunday: "Did Your Parents Brainwash You?" > > > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. 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