Theology in the Raw

In this episode, I talk to Dan White about what it’s like burning out of ministry and how to cultivate healthier rhythms to prevent this from happening (again). Part of the problem is the internet and social media. Our prefrontal contexes never rest! We’re constantly bombarded with stuff to process. And COVID only exacerbated this problem. During COVID, many churches played into the consumeristic mindset of people by producing MORE content, more sermons, more stuff for people to consume. But now that the COVID dust has settled, many people aren’t coming back to church. Why is this? How can we “get people back?” Or--is that even the right question to ask?  Dan has planted and pastored in rural, suburban, and urban churches for the last 20+ years. Currently, Dan and Tonya are in the starting and building stage of opening The Kineo Renewal and Retreat Center in Puerto Rico. Dan White Jr is a church planting strategist with the V3 Movement, coaching cohorts through an 18-month missional training system. Dan has coached over 200 new innovative faith communities across the country. He co-founded the Praxis Gathering, a yearly conference that equips practitioners in the hands-on work of following Jesus deeper into our local places. Dan graduated with his B.A. in Counseling from Davis College and his M.A. in theology from Capital Seminary and is the author of Church as Movement and Love Over Fear. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A.J. was the lead pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, a few years after Rob Bell left, and talks about how he approached ministry in this unique church. We also talk about different theological traditions, political division, patriotism vs. nationalism, and A.J.’s transition to pastor an Anglican church. AJ Sherrill (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) has more than twenty years of experience as a pastor, including as lead pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is now lead pastor at St. Peter's Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. He is an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he teaches popular courses on transformational preaching and the Enneagram. Sherrill receives many speaking requests to lead Enneagram workshops across the country and is the author of The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation. Learn more about AJ on this website: https://www.ajsherrill.org Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Samuel Sey is a Ghanian-Canadian who lives in outside of Toronto. He’s written extensively on race, racial justice, abortion, critical race theory, and other issues related to faith and culture. He challenges us with a perspective on race that’s different from what you will hear on most mainstream media outlets. He believes that critical race theory is profoundly problematic, that unequal outcomes does not necessarily mean there’s injustice in the system, that systemic racism is largely untrue, and that we should think the best of other people before we judge their actions as racist.  You can read more about Samuel work at: https://slowtowrite.com and follow him on twitter: @SlowToWrite Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daisy is a YouTuber who used to identify as nonbinary, then transgender, and now reidentifies with her female biological sex. In this episode, we talk about her story, the nature gender dysphoria and social dysphoria, some of the gender ideology that she used to believe in but no longer does, the massive role that the internet played in her journey and transition, and what kind of advice she’d give to parents with trans identified kids.  Check out Daisy's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/OllieChadra/featured Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott is a fully transitioned 48 year old FtM transman with 3 teenage kids, and he’s pretty fired up about how the medical industry has failed our trans*-identified kids. Scott holds some pretty unpredictable views. Though he’s a transman, he believes that trans*-identified kids are in no position to transition, and that parents of trans* kids should not use their pronouns or do anything that would encourage their transition. In fact, Scott is very critical of several aspects of trans* ideologies and is passionate about the truth of human nature and the medical pros and cons about transitioning.  Scott is the founder and president of Trans Rational Educational Voices (https://www.trevoices.com), an organization aimed at helping to stop medical transitioning for trans* identified kids (among other things).  Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Street Hymns is an Christian, artist, musician, leader, and a member an elite Battle Rap team called The IV Horseman. In this episode, we discuss how Street’s been able to embody the gospel in Battle Rap, reaching a culture where the gospel is not traditionally known. Upper middle class suburban versions of the gospel have little hope of making an impact in the urban context where Street and his team minister.  Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My patreon supporters sent in a ton of questions for me to respond to, so I decided to respond to them publicly! Some really complex questions here.  If you want to join the Theology in the Raw community, head over to patreon.com/theologyintheraw Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Ed Uszynski currently serves as Senior Content Strategist for Family Life Ministry and as a Oneness and Diversity Consultant for Athletes in Action, with whom he has been training staff and ministering to college and professional athletes since 1992. He has an MA and M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He and his wife Amy have four children and live in Xenia, OH. Ed is also an expert in CRT and has some super nuanced and wise thoughts about race relations in America. This is a super raw and uncut convo, y’all. Bear with us. We’re all on a journey. Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg grew up as a gay atheist in DC area and converted to Christianity at UVA  in 1990. He has a PhD in historical theology and serves as the lead pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis. He’s also the author of the forthcoming book, Still Time to Care: What We Can Learn from the Church Failed Attempt to Cure Homosexuality (Zondervan, Sept 2021).  Greg is 49 years old and has never touched another human in a romantic way, and yet he has been brought up on charges for being unfit to be a pastor for issues related to sexualtiy by some people in his Presbyterian denomination. This conversation will be difficult to comprehend for some of you, but it’s important to understand how some fundamentalist Christians think. We also talk about the history of evangelical approaches to homosexuality and the role that the Ex-gay movement has played in this trajectory. Oh, and we also bring up C.S. Lewis’ struggle with Sadomasochism (think: 50 Shades of Grey). Anyway, lots of interesting stuff in this episode!  Support Preston Support Preston by going to patreon.com Venmo: @Preston-Sprinkle-1 Connect with Preston Twitter | @PrestonSprinkle Instagram | @preston.sprinkle Youtube | Preston Sprinkle Check out his website prestonsprinkle.com If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave a review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.