We, the Church, are the promising community—“the salt of the earth,” “the light of the world.” Or so the Promising One, crucified and risen, once said and continues to say to the people he gathers around him. But who takes that seriously in this third decade of the 21st century? Our neighbors scoff at it. Our children run from it. We struggle to believe it ourselves as we assess the post-pandemic state of our aging congregations and dwindling institutions.
The goal of the 2023 seminar was to help us—once again—to hear the Promise clearly, to think about it deeply, and to let the Spirit refresh us in our calling as stewards of God’s breathtaking promises of forgiveness, love, and abundant life for all people, beginning with the neighborhoods we inhabit.
The 2023 Crossings Conference
The Promising Community: “Can I Get a Witness?”
January 22-25, 2023
Click the links below to view the videos.
Chris Repp, What Promise, What Community?
Session 1: Nathan Hall, The Under-Witnessed Promise
Session 2: Mary Hinkle-Shore, The Promising Witness of Scripture
Session 3: Matt Metevelis, The Witnessing Life: A Study of Matthew 5
Session 4: Kit Kleinhans, The Witness of the Promising Tradition
Session 5: Shore/Kleinhans, Equipping Today’s Church for a Promising Witness: A Conversation
Session 6: Robin Lütjohann, The Promising Congregation
Session 7: Lütjohann, Metevelis, Carol Braun, Chris Neumann, Witnessing to the Promise: Challenges and Opportunities
Session 8: Elizabeth Eaton, The Promising Shepherd
Session 9: Jerry Burce et al, Promising Preaching
Session 10: Shore, Eaton, Kleinhans, Lütjohann, Crossings and the Promising Community: How Can We Help? (Panel Discussion)
