At Pulpit Rock Church we’ve been looking for ways to better communicate with our congregation. One avenue that we hope will encourage this is a brand new podcast called Welcome To The Table.
Why are you starting a podcast?
Because there is a difference between a tweet and a table.
It’s an important distinction, especially in a culture like ours where communication feels increasingly one-directional. Our words become limited to 280 character captures. We retweet, we react, but how can we find places to listen, to really hear one another?
Even churches can fall into this trap. Sermons that have been well-crafted, deeply prayed over, and finely studied, can still seem one-directional. How do we find ways to have questions answered, concepts clarified, or just to have more space for understanding?
So what’s the difference between a tweet and a table? A table is face to face. Where a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or bread broken together allows ideas to breathe and hearts to be unfolded. A table may not be as well-crafted as a tweet or a sermon, but it gives you a chance to make mistakes, to explain, to wonder aloud, to interact.
What is the podcast about?
Welcome To The Table is a chance for us to talk about things that are important and interesting with people that are also important and interesting – the people of Pulpit Rock Church. It’s a place for us to share stories and ask questions and let ideas sit with us for a while.
We’ve just launched our podcast with two seasons. The first season is devoted to a conversation about the Bible and its role in our lives.
In the second season we open up a discussion on the challenges of parenting kids through the difficult times. For this season, we bring in guests who are members Pulpit Rock Church and have a unique or helpful perspective on issues regarding parenting.
How frequently will you release content?
We have the first two seasons done and we’re hoping to release a season every month or so. In future seasons we want to share more of the stories of people at PRC who are living as sent people for Christ outside the walls of the church, as well as get into conversations about marriage and theology.
If you’d like to be notified when new content is available, you can subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Play.
Who are the hosts?
I (Thomas Thompson) am excited to serve as the host of this podcast and each season I’ll be bringing on different cohosts. For the first season on the Bible, I asked my good friend and scholar J-M DeFoggi to join me. J-M teaches a class in our church and I love his well-researched thinking about the Bible. For season two, my co-host is Suzy Bates, our Generations Pastor, and we are joined by guests from our Pulpit Rock family who have a unique or helpful perspective on issues regarding parenting.
I have an idea for a topic I think you should cover. How can I send it to you?
We’d love to hear from you! Send any comments, questions, or ideas to thetable@pulpitrock.com.
We hope as you sit at the table with us during these conversations that you feel a part of something much bigger than your own spiritual journey. We also hope that you reach out with ideas or questions to keep the conversation going after the podcast episode is over.
Check out Welcome To The Table. May it inspire you to continue to have important conversations around tables with your friends as well.