Lecture Series

Past Lectures

"Urban Form Dictating the Framework of Church Planting and Evangelism"

Abstract: Understanding our cities' urban form is critical in our approach to evangelism and church planting. Gaining insight into a city's transportation modes reveals how the city was formed and developed. This highlights some of the underlying factors behind why the city has its present characteristics in it's built environment. Transportation and urban form then becomes a determining factor behind population distribution across cities because of the pervasive value system inherent in each locale. Understanding these values systems, who lives where, and the influence of the city's built environment then provides the framework how then we go about evangelism and church planting.

"The Walkable Church"

Description: In the 20th century with the rise of the automobile it brought about a restructuring and reorientation in North American cities. Cities transitioned from being pedestrian-scale to the focus on drivability as the growth edge of cities hurtled outward. Along with this seismic shift arose the notion of the commuter church where it is not uncommon for people to drive great lengths to be part of a local church. However, where is the investment in the local neighborhood? The Walkable Church is about recapturing the grassroots neighborhood emphasis of the local church. What if a church was truly rooted in a neighborhood? What is more people walked or biked to local gatherings? What would that change?

About the Metrospiritual Lecture Series

Metrospiritual is about living out faith in the city. The Metrospiritual Lecture Series explores various aspects, elements, ideas, methodologies, and theology of what an urban-centric faith looks like expressed in the city. A metrospirituality can have a shaping effect on the way the church lives in, loves, serves, embraces, and engages the city with the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Topics for the Event

Theology of Place - The foundation of a walkable neighbourhood-focused church is rooted in a theological understanding of place. A theology of place gets it's beginning in the Old Testament where place mattered in God's plan and for God's people. Somewhere along the way we've lost touch with place and the church has become mobile. What would happen if we become rooted in place? In a highly mobile society the church, rooted in a neighbourhood, can become a stabilizing agent of community transformation.

Pedestrian-Oriented Church Planting - What if we started churches with the pedestrian in mind? Church planting lore is sprinkled with the success of commuter churches, but what if we reduced the scale to those who live within a walkable proximity of where you're church meets and carries out body life? This lecture focuses on issues ranging from transportation, walkability, New Urbanism, and other related topics.