The Lakelands Institute
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15/04/2024
Marking 30 years since the Rwandan Genocide.
10/04/2024
My latest episode of "The Altar and the Eagle" is now available through the Patreon page. Please consider subscribing.
The N***s, the Pastors, and Christian Nationalism | The Altar and the Eagle Get more from The Altar and the Eagle on Patreon
04/03/2024
"But what happens when those boundaries are not just those of a club or an organization but are adopted by a nation-state? What happens when a sacrament that at its core is a universal declaration of God's infinite love is understood as something that controls temporal boundaries?"
My latest episode is complete and posted today on Patreon, tomorrow on all the podcast streams.
The Sacrament of Baptism: In N**i Germany, a Tool of Love and Hatred | The Altar and the Eagle Get more from The Altar and the Eagle on Patreon
29/02/2024
I'm excited to add discussion guides to my podcast, "The Altar and the Eagle." Visit my website to check out this new resource for small groups & Sunday school classes:
The Altar and the Eagle – If you want to understand 2024, learn what happened in 1933 Subscribe to the Podcast Join now If you want to understand 2024, learn about what happened in 1933. Become a Patron and Help Me Tell This Important Story Episodes BONUS: The Bible is Not Written for Me February 26, 2024 As a bit of bonus material, I ran across this sermon by Brian Zahnd, a pastor i...
The latest episode of "The Altar and the Eagle" just dropped on my Patreon page, all the streaming services tomorrow.
12/10/2023
With Hamas's threat to post violent videos to social media, you need to be prepared. Join our webinar on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. https://lakelandsinstitute.com/online-safety/
20/04/2023
This is fantastic! Did Natalie get permission from her bishop or DS to speak with the most powerful voices in United Methodism? Did she wait for her SPRC to approve it? No! She seized the moment and made it happen and became an EVEN MORE positive, powerful voice in the connection.
Be like Natalie. Oh, and check out this amazing content!
Start your week off with a positive conversation! Join us every Monday for a positive conversation about the United Methodist Church!  If you have not checked out the latest interviews, please click the link below for our playlist. Thank you to all these wonderful individuals below who took the time to have these conversations.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwM6XYTQStLt1QOAjh6Ekdjyb9phMrnTw
Cláudio Carvalhaes, a brilliant earth thinker, theologian, liturgist, performer and artist, joins Neal Christie for a conversation about his latest book, "How Do We Become Green People and Earth Communities?"
Buy Claudio's book here: https://tinyurl.com/5ffxp4np
Claudio's website is here: https://www.claudiocarvalhaes.com/
Don't miss this enlightening conversation between two great minds (Claudio and Neal, I mean!) about the church, the future, and the way worship can bring us into harmony with creation.
10/03/2022
Lakelands in the news:
More struggling churches close their doors as we enter a post-pandemic reality The sign outside St. James Lutheran Church still advertises the final celebration service here as February 27th at 10 a. m. Before she was a pastor, the Reverend Julie Kelly worked as a chaplain helping transition those who have suffered a loss of death in their family. Now she's helping those membe...
11/02/2022
If you missed it, you should pop your earbuds on and take in this conversation. https://bit.ly/3oJ5Isp
Thursday Live: Mercy and Justice with Rev. Neal Christie Mark's guest this week is Rev. Neal Christie, the Executive Minister of Connected Engagement for the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist ...
09/02/2022
Quitting online church is abandoning the one for the 99 (RNS) — With online church, disabled people — including me and my family — were welcomed to church in more ways and more often than ever before. Let’s keep that up.
28/01/2022
Lakelands Institute's Rick Reinhard challenges churches to think strategically about their property: https://bit.ly/3o8cZ4v
Thinking of Redeveloping Your Church Property? Know First Where You Stand - Lewis Center for Church Leadership Before entering the real estate market, churches should learn the value of their property, key players in the community, and denominational rules.
Are you a gifted creative? Want to earn extra money while making a huge impact? We're in need of freelancers with a passion for faith and church life. Let's get in touch!
26/12/2021
An amazing Spirit has left us but his integrity, love, and fortitude will live on for generations to come. Rest in power Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
I met Archbishop Tutu twice. Once when I was a theology student visiting Cape Town, two weeks before Nelson Mandela was released from prison. The second time we met in a buffet line in a hole on the wall restaurant in Sau Paulo, Brazil during a WCC Assembly. He loved the fried fish! Desmond Tutu listened as I shared my frustration at the U.S Empire’s mad rush to war with Iraq.
Desmond Tutu was and is a model for truth telling, the imperative to repair and make just relationships, and the belief that dignity for all is a spiritual mandate.
-Rev. Neal Christie
My guest is Rev. Allison Mark, senior pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Torrence, CA. Allison details her experiences in leadership, her struggles, and candidly shares her thoughts about the future of the denomination.
15/11/2021
What do you think?
A conservative resurgence in U.S. Catholicism? Many readers of this column will know that in my religious practice I am by now something of a hybrid, attending both Catholic and Baptist churches every week when possible. This is time-consuming, for sure, but it does offer me access to developments in both these traditions. I want to tell you abo
13/11/2021
Fascinating. What can we learn from this perspective? https://churchanew.org/blog/posts/adam-white-why-campus-ministries-arent-streaming-worship
Why Campus Ministries Aren’t Streaming Worship — Church Anew Indeed, for many college students, worship has become the place to put away their tech.
In his recent Religion News Service article, Jacob Lupfer writes about the divisions in the United Methodist Church, "In any ecclesial conflict there are non-combatants who don’t really understand what all the fighting is about. But in this case particularly, the muddling Methodist middle that has historically tempered the impulses of extremists is indifferent to the impending schism. Most laity and many clergy are not nearly so invested in moving the Methodist divorce along as those at the extremes."
Jacob and I talk about his article and the distinct possibility that the impending split in the UMC may not unfold as many predict.
09/11/2021
What if the UMC gave a schism and nobody came? Thought provoking piece by Jacob Lupfer.
United Methodist leaders on both sides need to rally the troops for schism (RNS) — Most laity and many clergy are not nearly so invested in moving the Methodist divorce along as those at the extremes.
Social media can do you wrong. Read about my experience as a cautionary tale.
How I Landed in Facebook Jail – The Lakelands Institute A cautionary tale for churches that rely on social media too muchFor months now I’ve been preaching to church leaders about the importance of building email lists rather than relying on social media platforms to engage people. My own advice has come home to roost, and today I’m sharing about my ...
This week Curtis Ramsey-Lucas published a provocative article in The Christian Citizen asking important questions about Facebook's outreach to faith leaders. He begins:
This summer, Elizabeth Dias, who covers faith and politics for the New York Times, wrote an article titled “Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience.” Published July 25, it chronicled Facebook’s efforts to partner with a wide range of faith communities from individual congregations to large denominations.
I don't know about you, but I have a relationship with Facebook that I call, "problematic." What will it mean if Facebook becomes directly involved in the lives of faith communities?
In this podcast, I interview Curtis and get the background on this article, his questions surrounding the issue, and a pointed discussion on the future of social media.
20/10/2021
Have you subscribed to "Mainline," our somewhat-weekly podcast? I hope you will.
Mainline | a podcast by ommastermind The mainline protestant church is full of strength and hope. I am full of optimism about the mainline church‘s future, despite the premature obituaries currently being written. I‘m your host, Rev. Steven D. Martin, a pastor, communicator, filmmaker, an...
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying, "...For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Interestingly, the Gospel of Luke tells the same story but omits this "ransom" business, indicating that from the very earliest days, what's known as the "ransom theory" of atonement was controversial. It turns out that this idea, touted as "biblical" by its modern-day adherents, has a troubled history and an even more troublesome set of implications for the Church today.
I don't usually post sermons here (but hey, why not?), but I felt this one was too important to not shout from the rooftops. Rev. Mark Flynn, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in my hometown of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, preaches a sermon that's part exegesis, part church history lecture, and 100% courage and conviction. If you haven't thought much about ideas that give form to history, I urge you to listen to this remarkable sermon to the very end.
Curtis Ramsey-Lucas is asking profound questions in this article. At a time when we are dependent upon - and repulsed by - Facebook, a more critical examination of the relationship between church and social media is warranted.
Is it time to separate church and social media like we have separated church and state? – The Lakelands Institute Originally published in The Christian Citizen. Reprinted with permission.This summer, Elizabeth Dias, who covers faith and politics for the New York Times, wrote an article titled “Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience.” Published July 25, it chronicled Facebook’s efforts to par...
06/10/2021
‘COVID has been harder on us': Some Black churches remain hesitant to reopen (RNS) — Black churches reflect a cautious approach on the part of ministers, reopening task forces and the average people currently not in the pews.
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