Thanks for joining us online. As we launch the Flourish San Diego blog, I’d like to share with you why we are doing one and what you can expect to see here.
Here at Flourish San Diego, we have become increasingly aware that we have a particular lens on culture, the church, and the opportunities for the church in this generation. We seem to have developed a way (or one way) of articulating how apprentices of Jesus can walk in the fullness of life — both for their own sake as well as for the sake of the world. That’s what you will read here: snippets of how we are thinking about what it looks like for followers of Jesus to live redemptively in today’s complicated world.
You will also hear from our many friends across the country. Folks that are really smart, wise, and care about the things that we think are important to care about. These themes include things like a focus on vocation and calling. Others talk about the integration of faith and work. Yet others add a focus on economics. We are deeply shaped by the work of friends that talk about culture creation or culture care.
Spiritual formation is particularly important in our approach to city transformation. You will hear us talk about the gospel, counterfeit gods, and the false religious spirit. We have identified and developed a working understanding of tools like the Enneagram and the ICCS for helping us learn about ourselves.
We are committed to the whole church, embodying the whole gospel, for the sake of the whole city. In San Diego, we are developing a network of intentionally diverse congregations who are oriented around a common vision of seeking the common good.
All this to say, we pay attention to many themes that we consider critical for churches and Christians to understand and embody today. There is a temptation for people to think we are introducing new things. Actually, we are drawing historic truths back into the practical vocabulary of the church today. We are not doing this for the sake of novelty, but because they have become novel.
So, we’ll be writing and curating. We’ll be thinking, showing, and pointing to things that will help you and your people (if you are a congregational leader) become all that God intends. We invite you to read along and to interact with us in the comments. We can figure this out together.
Geoff Hsu
Executive Director Flourish San Diego
A special thank-you to partners who have graciously shared their content (with more on the way!):
- Denver Institute for Faith & Work
- Made to Flourish
- Silence & Beauty
- Paul Sohn
- Surge Network
- Theology of Work Project
- Vocational Stewardship
- The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture
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- The Table Showcase - August 16, 2022
- Clergy Burnout – Report and Recommendations - June 23, 2022