God in the Dark: a Winter Solstice Reflection (Carolyn Meers)
What might it mean to meet God in the darkness, as well as the light? Carolyn Meers guides us through a contemplative and poetic reflection coinciding with the winter solstice. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
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24:05
The Future Church is Anti-Racist (Radhika Sukumar-White | FC Conference Keynote)
About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode: Radhika Sukumar-White explores what it means for the church to actively work against racism and create genuinely diverse communities.About the Speaker: Radhika Sukumar-White is a Minister of the Word at Leichardt Uniting Church, and a friend of the Spiritual Misfits pod! Go back and listen to this earlier episode with her to hear more of Radhika's story and reflections: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1925719/episodes/13938060Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
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55:05
The Future Church is Disability Inclusive (Shane Clifton | FC Conference Keynote)
About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode: Shane Clifton shares his story and reflections on whether the Church has a future, and what kind it could beAbout the Speaker: Shane Clifton is Associate Professor of Practice in the School of health sciences at the University of Sydney, on the leadership team at the Centre for Disability Research and Policy. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
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44:48
The Future Church Remembers the Poor (Gershon Nimbalker | FC Conference Keynote)
About This Series Over six weeks, we're sharing keynote talks and discussions from the second Future Church Conference, held at the Tram Sheds in Glebe. This gathering brought together church leaders, pastors, and Jesus-followers passionate about creating safer, more inclusive faith communities.Whether you're leading church, leaving church, unsure about the whole thing, or just curious about what the future might hold, these conversations explore what it means to reimagine church for everyone.Conference Posture Future Church Conference invited participants to adopt three key postures:Lean in - Sit with discomfort and ask why certain ideas trigger usListen - Hear vulnerable ideas from speakers and connect with each otherLook forward - Focus on future possibilities rather than past woundsWhat You'll Hear in This Episode:Opening welcome from Joel Hollier, on behalf of the Future Church teamAcknowledgement of Country from Mikenzie Ling (Wiradjuri woman, Uniting Church First Nations Strategy and Engagement Consultant)Keynote from Gershon Nimbalker exploring the church's historical DNA of caring for the poorAbout the Speaker: Gershon Nimbalker is National Director of Common Grace, a movement of Christians passionate about justice. He traces how caring for the poor was central to church identity throughout history and challenges both conservative and progressive Christians to reclaim this calling.Learn more about Common Grace: https://www.commongrace.org.au/Learn more about Future Church Conference: https://futurechurchcon.com/Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
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1:03:15
Should We Use the Word Mission? And How Mysticism Saved My Faith (Karina Kreminski)
In this episode of Spiritual Misfits, Will Small continues his "Reclaiming the Language" series with Karina Kreminski, exploring whether the word "mission" is still helpful for progressive Christians or too entangled with colonising mindsets. Karina shares her journey of integrating missiology and mysticism. Together they explore how mystical practices might offer a more humble, attentive approach to engaging with the world that transforms both traditional understandings of mission and ourselves.In This EpisodeThe tensions and problematic history associated with the word "mission"Why Karina chooses to "qualify rather than abandon" mission languageThe concept of "mission in reverse" and mutual transformationHow mysticism provides a framework for encountering "that which is beyond" in everyday lifePractical approaches to ordinary mysticism through paying attention and slowing downThe challenges of maintaining spiritual practices in our distraction-filled digital ageHow small, courageous acts might be our path to meaningful change"The one thing that's been consistent is I've always believed in that which is beyond." - Karina Kreminski About Karina KreminskiKarina Kreminski works for Uniting Mission and Education and is the co-founder (along with her husband Armen Gakavian) of At the Edges Publishing, a community dedicated to nurturing emerging Australian writers. She is passionate about Fresh Expressions of church and finding the sacred in everyday life. Karina is currently working on a new book about ordinary mysticism, following her previous work "Urban Spirituality: Embodying God's Mission in the Neighbourhood."Resources Mentioned"How to Do Nothing" - Jenny Odell"Stolen Focus" by Johann HariThe Light Phone - A minimalist phone designed to reduce digital distractionCentring Prayer practice as taught by Thomas KeatingAt the Edges Publishing - https://www.attheedges.com.au/Fresh Expressions - https://www.nswact.uca.org.au/resources/fresh-expressions/Connect with KarinaInstagram: @karinakreminskiSubstack: https://substack.com/@karinakreminskiWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
If you’ve ever felt on the fringes of Christian faith this is a safe space for you. Your questions, doubts and hopes are all welcome here. We’re creating conversations, affirmations, meditations and other resources to support you on your spiritual journey and let you know that even if you feel like a misfit, you don’t have to feel alone.
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