What holds a church community together when faced with divisive issues? In this six-episode podcast series, Baptist pastor and researcher Ken Keyte interviews a variety of pastors and Christian leaders who have worked on church unity during testing times. In light of these interviews, Ken explores what he calls – cross-shaped community – the kind of unity when people are conformed to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. These podcasts examine what distinguishes a cross-shaped community and how this helps us point to Jesus and his coming kingdom as we engage with the world. Episodes in this series will be released weekly for six weeks from 1 July 2022.
In the final episode of this season Ken Keyte returns to his working definition of cross-shaped community that he began with, to develop a more comprehensive explanation in light of what’s been learnt during the interviews in the previous episodes. He concludes with some spiritual practices for helping us become cross-shaped people in cross-shaped community: brightening our witness in the world.
Learn how a multi-congregational, multi-cultural church responded to the COVID-19 vaccination passes, by reframing this divisive issue around the gospel of Christ. In this episode Ken Keyte interviews pastor Neil Baker from the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle.
Interview with co-pastors Gareth & Andie Davies. Find out how Kumeu Baptist Church decided to meet for church in a completely different way as they worked through the challenge of keeping unity during the divisive COVID-19 vaccination mandates. Discover how their church principles of inclusion and meeting in person shaped what they did.
Hear how Mt Albert Baptist Church in Auckland endeavoured to keep church unity during the divisive COVID-19 vaccination mandates. As Ken Keyte talks with pastor Steve Worsley, see how the cross-shaped patterns of faithfulness, self-giving love, power through weakness and transformative hope were modelled in their church.
Deepen your understanding of cross-shaped community as Ken Keyte chats with Dr Greg Liston about how imagination, practice, and presence transform us towards the kingdom come.
Gain an understanding of cross-shaped community, as Ken Keyte chats with Dr Greg Liston about ideas from his upcoming book Kingdom Come on how we learn to relate in community now in preparation for the kingdom come.