A World in Crisis
The world is in crisis, but it's a crisis and a worldview that many in the church don't understand, let alone recognize. Here's why: we're caught up in this crisis too. It's the very water we're swimming in.
Famed Canadian sociologist Charles Taylor calls this the Immanent Frame.
The world we live in is a world where faith is not assumed, where transcendence is optional, where the divine doesn't show up, and where religious claims must make sense within everyday experience.
Unless we (and unless our congregations) understand this shift, we risk speaking a language people no longer can hear, making the mission of the church - our embodiment and proclamation of the gospel - near impossible.
And so this year, the Conference's various speakers have been invited to share stories and engage us with practices that will help deepen our loving response to our neighbours in ways they might understand.