MacRae Centre

We want to hear from pastors and church leaders about what your seminary should be doing to better prepare students for the realities of ministry today.

Join the conversation with Dr. Anna Robbins, President of Acadia Divinity College, on her 2024 Future Focus Tour from September 12-29 across Atlantic Canada & online.

Find the date & location nearest you, and register for free at acadiadiv.ca/future-focus

Sept 12 - Acadia Divinity College, NS & online
Sept 12 - Middleton Baptist Church, NS
Sept 14 - RiverCross Church, NB
Sept 14 - Brunswick Street Baptist Church, NB
Sept 15 - Woodstock Baptist Church, NB
Sept 18 - ADC (students only)
Spet 19 - Bridgewater Baptist Church, NS
Sept 19 - Beechville Baptist Church, NS
Sept 21 - Groundswell NS
Sept 21 - Cornerstone Baptist Church, PEI
Sept 22 - The Journey Church, NB
Sept 29 - The Crossing Church - NL

How does this shift from Christianity no longer being the dominant worldview influence the way churches live out their mission in this Canadian context?

Have you considered the shifting culture and how that impacts the church? Take this 1-minute quiz and see where you find yourself in the mindset of thinking when it comes to culture and the church.

https://www.opinionstage.com/page/3aa4d91f-025f-4938-a975-3aa709a0c8e0

"Who have you been learning from?"

https://futuringhub.ca/2024/07/30/expand-the-crate/

2024 Future Focus Tour - Acadia Divinity College Join the discussion and add your voice to the conversation as we look ahead to the future strategic priority of Acadia Divinity College.

"As church attendance dwindles and support for conservative moral stances weakens, coupled with a growing disinterest among youth, evangelism endeavours falter and congregations shrink."

https://macraecentre.ca/knowledge/796/

How are you embracing the idea of flattening ecclesiology with our church community?

Join Joel as he introduces that final driver of change, Cultural and Social Paradigms!

https://youtu.be/MzWNAJNXULk

How do you view technology and the church? Take this 1-minute quiz to see where you might land!

Technology & Church Whether you are excited, nervous, or indifferent to the future that is fine. All perspectives are necessary as we discern and prayerfully consider what the future church may look like. It is important when thinking about the future to personally reflect and understand our perspective. Take this shor...

Have you thought about fostering belonging in virtual spaces?

Take a look at Joel's reflections on Amy Webbs' insights on Technology!

Technology Trend Resource: Insights from Futurist Amy Webb – MacRae Centre – 2023 We all struggle to understand how to apply new technology – that is if we can even understand how it functions! However, as Christian leaders, understanding new technologies and their potential impact on the church and its members is essential. 

The 8th and final episode of Raising the Conversation Season 2 is available now! www.macraecentre.ca/podcast

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee in conversation with Acadia Divinity College President Emeritus, Rev. Dr. Harry Gardner.

How can church leaders address misinformation within their local congregations, particularly about theological topics?

Join the conversation at https://futuringhub.ca/insight-portal/

Episode 7 is available now! www.macraecentre.ca/podcast

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee in conversation with Canadian novelist and poet, Margaret Atwood.

Join Oliver as he explains the Both/And Principle and how this could shape the way we see technology and the church!

Both/And Principle: Technology & the Church – MacRae Futuring Hub Is Online Church going to replace in-person gatherings? A trend in our society is that more and more things are moving online. Some people look at that trend and conclude the future of the church will be online gatherings, using fully immersive VR headsets or hologram projection. It’s possible thi...

Check out this Barna Study on AI and the Church!

Source: https://www.barna.com/research/christians-ai-church/

Episode 6 of Raising the Conversation Season 2 is available now! https://macraecentre.ca/podcast/

Listen to Measha Brueggergosman-Lee in conversation with Canadian actor and singer, and former Chancellor for Trent University, Tom Jackson, and his wife Alison.

Season 2 of Raising the Conversation is called Common Ground: Conversations about God. This season is hosted by Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, award-winning Canadian musician and Acadia Divinity College student. Measha invites guests from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds with the aim to explore the essence of spirituality and its varied meanings. Her questions delve into the heart of personal beliefs and create a platform for open and respectful dialogue.

In case you missed it! The Raising the Conversation podcast is back with another season!

Season 2 is called Common Ground: Conversations about God. This season is hosted by none other than Measha Brueggergosman-Lee , award-winning Canadian opera singer, and current Acadia Divinity College student.

Measha invites guests from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds with the aim to explore the essence of spirituality and its varied meanings. Featured guests include Bruce Cockburn, Margaret Atwood, George Elliot Clarke, and more.

Episode 6 (!!) drops tomorrow on Apple Podcasts & Soundcloud, and the MacRae Centre website.

https://macraecentre.ca/initiatives/podcast/

Check this blog post from Luke Steeves as he reflects on Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III's lecture series.

Simpson Lecture Response – MacRae Futuring Hub The 2024 Simpson lectures took place on June 11-13, as part of ADC’s annual East Coast Theology Summer School. For those of you who weren’t able to join us, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III gave several inspiring, challenging, and compelling lectures which you can find here: https://acadiadiv.ca/event/sim...

Join Joel as he introduces this month's driver of change: Technology & a Digital Age!

Technology & a Digital Age Join Joel as he introduces this month's driver of Change: Technology & a Digital Age!Floating Garden - Tech Music by: bensound.comLicense code: NMTITGN7A9DBG8RV

How ready are you to engage with change? Take this 1 minute quiz to find out!

How ready are you to engage with change? Whether you are excited, nervous, or indifferent to the future that is fine. All perspectives are necessary as we discern and prayerfully consider what the future church may look like. It is important when thinking about the future to personally reflection and understand our perspective. Take this s...

Check out this resource to see how past church buildings are being used today!

Navigating the Post-Christian Landscape: After Church Atlas – MacRae Futuring Hub Sadly, we are seeing more and more church closures across Canada. Church congregations are more than their church buildings, however, the loss of the physical space (church building), which is embedded with memory, meaning, and Holy Spirit moments, represents a significant loss and can be a highly e...

How does the increase of immigration impact current church gatherings? How might the current church make newcomers feel welcome?

Submit your insights here: https://futuringhub.ca/insight-portal/

Let's as the 'so what' together and anticipate the future with a new lens.

Join the conversation today at https://futuringhub.ca/insight-portal/

Check out the newest blog post by Oliver Locke on Demographic Shifts!

Demographic Shifts – MacRae Futuring Hub A little while ago, I was driving up Commercial Street in my small rural town in Nova Scotia, and as I passed Foodland, I saw two women of African descent carrying their groceries home–balanced on their heads! I did a double-take—am I in my town right now? Is this rural Atlantic Canada or rural ...

Jump into Demographic Shifts with us! Reflect on how this driver of change impacts the church in your local context.

Get a glimpse into this month's driver of change with Joel Murphy.

Introduction to Demographic Shifts Get a glimpse into the driver of change, Demographic Shifts. Music: BensoundLicense code: QGSNM4ZEZV1BEBBN

Futuring Compass Approach

To help us think about the future of the church, we have identified three primary drivers of change (Demographic Shifts, Cultural and Social Paradigm, and Technology and Digital Age). While not exhaustive, these three drivers represent broad forces composed of relevant trends shaping the church today and signals of change (weak signals) which could impact the future church.