SPACE FOR GRACE & SPIRITUAL CAREGIVERS CONFERENCE

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baptist, chapel, christianity, church, Homebrewed Christianity, intergenerational, Jesus, Luther College, Space for Grace

I am honored to be invited to speak at the Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference 2024, April 9-11, 2024, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

The theme for this national event—“Engaging Intergenerational Faith, Listen. Learn. Live.” —speaks to the need in these times for transformational ministry in and beyond the local church and across generations. Its biblical foundation comes from 3 Colossians:

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”— Colossians 3:16 [CEV]

“Engaging Intergenerational Faith” will be a rare opportunity for faith leaders to exchange reflections on innovative approaches to nurturing lifelong faith formation and putting faith into action. This cross-generational gathering will enable a rich conversation about divergent interpretations and practices among Christians of all ages, challenges of institutional Christian life, and more effective ways to bring Christ into believers’ lives.

Below is a short interview I did for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies.

Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim: We must nourish intergenerational love in our churches

The theme of the 2024 Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference, “Engaging Intergenerational Faith,” is of vital importance for us today. I do not think the church is focusing enough on intergenerational faith. We know that young people are not engaging with the church, so it has dwindled to a “one-generation” institution. It is crucial that we engage in intergenerational dialogue that requires communication about faith journeys and listening, so I am delighted about this year’s theme. In my keynote speech, I will be talking about love: loving God and loving one another. And I will focus on intergenerational love that we need to nourish, nurture and highlight in our churches.

ABHMS is convening a conference packed with sessions worth attending. Many are of interest to me, but two in particular capture my attention. One of them looks at church across generations and the other focuses on trauma, family and faith transformation. My new book, Surviving God, addresses sexual abuse not only in our wider society but also specifically within the church. As a church, we do not know how to deal with it, and this is a grave shortcoming.