1. A concentrated, intense focus on clergy and their preaching: It really is about our preaching, because the churches understand (and hear) Scripture primarily through the proclaimed word in weekly worship
2. Start with the babies, start with the babies, start with the babies: the book of faith can be focused on equipping families to read Scripture together
3. We need to develop lots of Spanish language resources: inter-cultural resources
4. Taking the bible as Book of Faith where people live (social networks, homes, newspapers, magazines, video games, schools, streets, workplace, etc.): meet people where they are
5. Greater clarity about a Lutheran hermeneutic (and intentional deep theological and philosophical inquiry into the same)
6. Greater inclusion of the theological voices from the whole Christian tradition and not just the Reformation-era
7. A snazzy marketing slogan
8. Resources for engaging the bible with limited literacy, and resources for exploring the scriptures in a trans-media culture
9. Funding and structures: lots of what we want to do can help best if we have money for it
I'd like to comment on your #2 but i like all your thoughts. There needs to be a lot more intentionality with youth and family stuff & book of faith. There needs to be a re-release of great confirmation materials such as "free to be" by forde. That's a great book but needs new packaging. Kids aren't going to touch it. The Here We Stand stuff is interesting, but not very eye-catching and if it's part of the BOF initiative, it really should have had more thought than just taking the weird lutheran handbook and repackaging it. I just don't think teens get the snarky humor. There are youth ministers like myself who have written a lot of good material. How do we get in the "cool club" to contribute it to the initiative? For example, my student leaders in jr. high have 2x a month "Gospel Experiences" that i wrote which are highly interactive experiences with scripture, not just bible study. The convo needs to be more inclusive and reach out to those in frontline ministry. I'd love to be a part of it. follow me back on twitter - KtHathSpoken. Thanks
ReplyDeleteKatie, I'd like to suggest that you post documents on the Facebook group of some of the stuff you've done in order to share it. Also, I don't think it would be fair to say that the convo wasn't inclusive. There was a ton of frontline representation at it, from all over the country, representing all our ethnic and other groups. I do agree there could and should be more youth and youth and family integration and synergy.
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