A Podcast with Rev. Bob Bekkerus and Colleagues

Director, Dr. Trisha Wheelock

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Rev. Bob Bekkerus served as the November exemplar. Bekkerus, Senior Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church in West Des Moines, Iowa, discussed the idea of Outreach and Church Plus. Using Tim Shapiro’s work, Divergent Church and Grand View faculty member Mark Mattes’ response, “Divergent Church: A Lutheran/Rural Response” as guides, pastors explored what it means to do outreach in a post Christendom era, what constitutes church, and what elements must be included. Bekkerus offered practical examples of hospitality from his own ministry and simple but effective programming ideas for rural churches.

 

Check out his podcast where Bekkerus leads a discussion on the essentials for reaching rural communities with three colleagues:

-Rev. Erika Uthe, Director of Evangelical Mission for the Southeast Iowa Synod

-Garrett Freier, Vice President of Experiential Learning at Trinity Bible College, Ellendale, ND

-Rev. Andrew Bell, Pastor of St. John Lutheran, Belville, TX

 

In this conversation, they talk about the essentials of relationships, some of the struggles of evangelism in a new context, and the slow work of ministry.

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