Faith in Context

Is This For You? -- Urban Studies program at a Christian University

Eastern University offers an MA in Urban Studies that is designed for Christians interested in community development, the arts in community, youth work or urban ministry. It is designed so that people in full-time employment and located anywhere can complete an accredited graduate degree in two years.

If you would like more information about this program there are live, online information sessions planned for Tuesday, May 25, and Tuesday, June 8, from 7 to 8 p.m. EST. To RSVP and get the dedicated web access for one of these sessions, Email urbanstudies@eastern.edu or phone (215) 769-3121.

Religious Landscape of the U.S. - Part 1

You may have heard about a major study on "The Landscape of Religion in the U.S." that was done this spring. It is being released by the Pew Research Center. Due to the inexpert news coverage in a number of places, I am posting the basic data below. I will comment on this later. It is interesting, in part, because it includes a break-out for the Adventist Church which many other surveys have not.

Download pew_landscape_data.pdf

4th Annual Innovation Conference

The Fourth Annual National Conference on Innovation will be held in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 5-7. I recommend you get your reservation in early because this is the strongest lineup of speakers I have seen at any professional event in years!

Robert Wuthnow is at the top of his field in the sociology of religion; chairman of the sociology department at Princeton University and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion. He's written 25 books and the latest is After the Baby Boomers: How 20- and 30-somethings are Shaping the Future of American Religion.

Leonard Sweet is a pastor and professor of evangelism at Drew University, one of the 50 most influential Christians in America and one of the most creative! His 30th book was published late last year, The Gospel According to Starbucks.

Julius Nam is professor of religion at Loma Linda University and a well-known fellow blogger. Click here to see his blog. He has been breaking ground in church history and congregational ministry.

Jame Tucker is chair for Excellence in Learning at the University of Tennessee and has been doing and tracking innovative work in leadership development. He is chairman of the board at the Foundation for Leadership and Learning.

Kelly Monroe Kullberg developed an innovative campus ministry while a student at Harvard University. She is the author of Finding God at Harvard and served from 1988 to 1997 as chaplain of the Harvard Graduate School Christian Fellowship, teaching courses in film and on C. S. Lewis. She is founder of the Veritas Forum.

Click here to get more information and register.

Community Organizer Training

I will be teaching the course on Community Organizing at the Tony Campolo Graduate School at Eastern University, September 23-28, from 1:30 to 4:30 each afternoon. If you know someone who is interested in acquiring these skills, they can ask to sit in on the intensive with registering for academic credit by phoning the Campolo School office at (215) 769-3100. Grad students also have do 1,200 pages of reading prior to the intensive and complete several projects and writing assignments within eight weeks following the intensive. I am glad to share a copy of the syllabus with anyone who requests it.

Speaking Appointment in Los Angeles

I will be speaking at the Hollywood Adventist Church on June 23. I will preach for worship at 11 a.m. and present a seminar on urban ministry in the afternoon. It will be the first public presentation of the research being published in my new book, Mission in Metropolis (which doesn't actually come off the press until late July). You are welcome to join us! Location is 1711 North Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles 90028. Click here for more information.

Next Week in Columbus

Are you joining us next week at the National Innovation Conference and the Re-Church gathering that follows immediately? The Innovation Conference begins on Sunday afternoon (Oct 1) and ends a noon on Tuesday (Oct 3). It includes people from churches, schools and faith-based health care and charitable organizations. The Re-Church gathering starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and continue to noon on Wednesday. It is particularly for people involved in church leadership, church plants and new kinds of ministries. If you would like to meet a number of innovators from around the country and overseas, dial (800) 272-4664. I will be reporting next week (and probably later on) about what happens there.

For more information on the Re-Church network, click here.

For more information on the National Innovation Conference click here.