Church & Family Life with David Tarkington - Podcast

Jordan O'Brien is our worship leader at Island Church. As a son of a black father and white mother, he has a unique perspective on life and recent occurrences in our culture. His stories and experiences are uniquely his, but hopefully helpful for others as well. Oh, and Jordan O'Brien is also my son-in-law. I'm proud of him and thankful we were able to record this episode.

Kevin Cloud is the author of the book "God and Hamilton" that looks at the blockbuster musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and how the life stories of Alexander Hamilton and his wife show clear biblical teachings such as forgiveness, love, redemption, and repentance. This discussion with Kevin goes into areas related to creative expression, the arts, and the church. The impact of story is key. Be sure to check out Kevin's website - godandhamilton.com and get a copy of "God and Hamilton" wherever you purchase books.

Earlier this week I was invited to join a group of pastors from my state, along with our Florida Baptist Convention leaders for a conversation related to racial unity in the church. This was scheduled weeks prior to the George Floyd incident in Minnesota, but proving to be very timely now. This podcast was filmed by the Florida Baptist Convention and is part of their Ministry Coaching series (available at flbaptist.org in video format.) I was given permission to share the audio on my podcast. Featured in this episode are Dr. Tommy Green - Executive Director/Treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, Patrick Coats - Black/Multicultural Church Catalyst of the Florida Baptist Convention, Micah Ferguson - Strategic Initiatives Director of the Florida Baptist Convention, Pastor Erik Cummings of New Life Church of Carol City in Miami Gardens, Florida and current President of the Florida Baptist State Convention, Pastor Theo Johnson of Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Florida, Pastor Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida and me.

In 2017 I reached out to Jonathan Bates, owner of Altered Egos, a local comic shop. I did not know Jonathan, but asked if I could host a Bible study in his shop because I found some clear allusions in pop culture and comic heroes to biblical theology. Jonathan told me up front he was not a Christian, so a Bible study would not be happening, but he was intrigued by the concept of conversing on this subject. Three years later, we now look back at what has become a monthly meeting called CHAT (Costumed Heroes and Theology.) It has become a monthly highlight for me to engage in these conversations. Perhaps our conversation here about the launch and growth of CHAT can be helpful for others as well. I mention the Altered Egos podcast as well. You can listen to Jonathan's weekly updates as well. Here are some links: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/altered-egos-comics-podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/altered-egos-comics-podcast/id924694685

Dr. David Tarkington joins The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Albert Mohler for this time of prayer for SBTS, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Dr. Mohler shares and update on the impact on the seminary and Boyce College. Praying as Dr. Mohler and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to SBTS.

Dr. David Tarkington is joined by Trinity Life Church - Toronto Pastor Dr. Michael Seaman and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Daniel Akin for this time of prayer for SEBTS, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Praying as Dr. Akin and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to SEBTS.

Dr. David Tarkington is joined by City Church - Tallahassee Pastor Dean Inserra and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Jason Allen for this time of prayer for MBTS, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Praying as Dr. Allen and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to MBTS.

Dr. David Tarkington is joined by Mayhill Baptist Church, NM Pastor Matt Henslee and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Adam Greenway for this time of prayer for SWBTS, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Praying as Dr. Greenway and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to SWBTS.

Dr. David Tarkington is joined by Crosspointe Church West - Vancouver, WA Pastor Grant Welch and Gateway Seminary President Dr. Jeff Iorg for this time of prayer for Gateway, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Praying as Dr. Iorg and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to Gateway.

Dr. David Tarkington is joined by Bradfordville First Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Ronny Raines and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Dr. Jamie Dew for this time of prayer for NOBTS, the faculty and staff, students, and all impacted by COVID-19. Praying as Dr. Dew and his team make needed decisions for the future as it relates to NOBTS.

This is a portion from a message by a man who grew up in our church, attended youth ministry events, and was as active as any other student at the time. Yet, he surrendered to God's call to missions and now serves with the International Mission Board with his wife and children in a nation that is less than one percent Christian. This short clip is a reminder to all who serve in the church that God uses you in ways you cannot foresee. Thank you for serving. Stay faithful and remember, your act of service can help change the world.

Comic books and modern mythology are big business. After an era where the magazines were losing money, the creation of the DC and Marvel Cinematic Universes has propelled super-heroes to the forefront of the entertainment industry. Many of these stories have religious undertones, so why aren't Christians strategically engaging those who love these stories with the ultimate story of the Gospel? Listen as Pastor David Tarkington shares how he is seeking to engage in intelligent conversations with friends of other and no specified religious faith over the subject of comic books and theology.

It's easy to poke holes in the false "prosperity gospel" that permeates our church culture with "name it and claim it" promises, while taking advantage of the generosity of undiscerning parishioners and television viewers. Yet, there is another false gospel that is often ignored, and even welcomed into many of our evangelical churches. In fact, it may be more dangerous than the easily identified "gospel-lite" offered by many. This is called the therapeutic gospel and it's deadly.

"What happened to all the youth pastors?" I was asked that question a while back and one answer given was "They're all church planters now." I'm being facetious, but in this podcast I address the historical growth of student/youth ministry and the current trend and movement of church planting in light of pastoral leadership and biblical authority. I reference a few things in this podcast you may want to check out. First, the book REINVENTING YOUTH MINISTRY AGAIN by Wayne Rice -https://smile.amazon.com/Reinventing-Youth-Ministry-Again-Whistles/dp/0830833137/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484839614&sr=1-1&keywords=reinventing+youth+ministry+again My post on "Maybe You're Not Called to Ministry" - http://getreal.typepad.com/get_real_with_david_tarki/2017/01/maybe-youre-not-called-to-ministry.html Ron Edmondson's article on Leadership - "7 Signs of Weak Leader" - http://churchplants.com/articles/11941-signs-weak-leader-ron-edmondson.html

It seems that everyone was posting that 2016 was the year to survive as we neared December 31. The seemingly high number of celebrity deaths played into this sentiment. Why is it so many Gen Xers and older adults were lamenting the loss of these pop culture icons? Grieving the loss of a person known is one thing. Grieving the loss of a celebrity of famous person is viable as well, but was the grief more for the loss of "characters" than the people? Perhaps it is the realization of the loss of one's childhood becoming clear that led to this?

The four connections are our church's prescription for healthy Christians. However, this seems to be shocking to many who have never broken out of the traditional expectations and schedules of local church life.

It's the day after the election. Welcome to Bizarro World! What does this mean for the the church, race relations, the future, and American Christians?

The Cubs won the World Series last night in amazing fashion. Why is it so many of us love the underdog (BTW - it's hard to call a 100+ win team an underdog, but the Cubs have held that title for decades). Maybe it's how we're wired? Maybe it's because we relate? Maybe it has something to do with the nature of man?

As a pastor of a church in a growing and changing suburban culture, there are numerous things we seek to do to engage the community. As we discussed these things, in addition to all the traditional ministry events and minutia of day-t0-day church life, I was growing frustrated. I found that we were asking the members of our church for much. My question was "Are we asking for too much?" This episode of the podcasts addresses this issue and while specific to our church I believe many other churches, of all sizes, find the squeeze of paying bills, offering benevolence, and serving the Lord by serving and loving others that we do.

The film "The Insanity of God" recently had it's one-night-only showing at our local theater, as well as others around the nation. The documentary is based on the book of the same title by missionary Nik Ripken. While this podcast is somewhat of a review of the film, I am focusing more on the message of the book and film and the implications for the western church. There's more than could ever be covered in one podcast and we hope to have Nik and Ruth here in the future to share.

Jesus clearly said "Come and see..." when questioned by potential disciples. However, the end of the gospel account says "Go and make..." Far too many churches park on the "come and see" model and never get to the "go and make" portion of the command. In this episode, Pastor David Tarkington speaks about the command to go and how it is truly not up for debate for the follower of Christ. Referenced in this episode is Zach Bradley's writing "The Sending Church: Defined" by The Upstream Collective. Check out the work of Upstream at theupstreamcollective.org.

I share details related to church renewal and revitalization needed in our churches. Churches are dying. Some need to, but many just need refocusing. What would God have us do? Working harder is not the answer. Doing nothing is not an option.

Back in 1989, Stuart Cummings-Bond wrote in Youthworker Journal of the "One-Eared Mickey Mouse" that often develops within a church regarding student ministry. What is the One-Eared Mickey Mouse? The premise is that left unchecked, the program model of youth ministry leads to an isolated entity with the thinnest of connections to church as a whole. This become a ministry silo. A healthier approach would find more overlap of the circles with intentional interaction and sharing of spiritual practices like worship.

Every church has a scorecard. It's inevitable. The problem is when things are deemed as valuable and healthy, but actually aren't. In this episode I talk about the fact that keeping score in ways that doesn't matter is like answering questions wrongly, but answering the wrong questions. The redemption of the Four "B"s is vital for a healthy church or church plant.

This week I interview my friend Al Fernandez. Al serves as Regional Catalyst for the Southeastern part of Florida with the Florida Baptist Convention. His insight into the cultural diversity of Miami and surrounding areas is vital. In this episode we talk about church planting in Miami and the cultural challenges that exist. We discuss the focus on second and third generations in the church, where Spanish and English collide. I also talk with Al, a second generation Cuban-American, about the recent trip by President Obama and how the Cuban people in Miami are responding.

Last weekend I had the privilege of leading a group of pastors, church planters, and spouses in a course titled "Missional Theology." Since this term "missional" has been around for a few years now, the tendency has been for it to be relegated as just another "church growth strategy" or buzzword for doing missions. In this podcast, I seek to begin a discussion that I will touch on in future weeks as well, regarding this concept of living and leading missionally.

It seems as long as I can remember, there has been a competition between big churches and little churches. Well, to be honest, most larger churches never acknowledge any competition, but I have been in some smaller ones that just seem to be unable to get beyond the reality that there are larger churches in their community reaching people they never did. Earlier this week, Andy Stanley, Pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, raised some eyebrows and broke the Christian room on the internet when he made a statement about parents sending their children to smaller churches. He has since apologized for the statement. Check out this article on Christianity Today's site where he is interviewed on this very subject. Link here - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/march-web-only/megachurch-pastor-andy-stanley-explains-controversial-remar.html So, in today's podcast, I talk about the divide among larger and smaller churches and how we really need to get beyond this. In this podcast, I reference a blog post by Carey Nieuwhof. Here is the link to the post referenced - http://careynieuwhof.com/2016/03/8-lame-excuses-church-leaders-make/

This Super Tuesday follow up of the firstFAMILY Podcast addresses the issue of pastoral endorsements of political candidates. Is this a good idea? What are the ramifications? The question is a front page issue today with Trump and Clinton seemingly securing their parties' nominations for President of the United States.

When does a boy become a man? That's the question I have asked many at men's conferences, retreats and even one-on-one. I get a variety of answers, but the bottom line is that in our culture, there is no definitive rite of passage. The celebration of adolescence has created a wide, blurred line between childhood and adolescence. These boys are not quite children, but not adult either. The Bible gives no credence to a life stage between childhood and adulthood. That has basically developed within the past century. In an era of confusion regarding gender, adulthood, and life, children need rites of passage and parents are the first, best option for bestowing biblical manhood and womanhood. In today's podcast, I talk primarily about young boys and the journey into manhood.

There is a difference and perhaps this is what hampers our prayers, our service to the Lord, and possibly the restoration of relationships. These are just my thoughts and I would welcome comments and responses.

In today's podcast, I spend time time talking with Jason and Kimberley McGibbon of Hamilton, Ontario. Jason and Kimberley moved to Hamilton five years ago after having taken their son Liam to the children's hospital there for some vital treatment. As a pastor in Milton, he knew their fellowship would eventually send a planter out to launch a new work. He just didn't know the planter sent out would be himself. God has blessed Jason and Kimberley as they seek to engage the culture of Hamilton. We talk a little about the uniqueness of Hamilton and the church culture (or lack thereof) in the city. Jason is a gifted musician and painter. I discuss with him the subject of the arts and the church and how many opportunities are missed by local congregations when it comes to artistic engagement. Jason and Kimberley have four children - Daniel, Caroline, Liam and T.J. They range in ages from 21 to 10. T.J. has been given a unique opportunity and Jason and Kimberley see this as a Kingdom- focused outlet for God's glory. T.J. always desired to be an actress and God has opened doors for her to do voice work and star in some movies. Some are faith-based films, like the newly released "The Masked Saint." Others appeal to a broader audience, such as the soon to be released "X-Men: Apocalypse." We discuss how God has used this ten year old girl to open up conversations on television and movie sets about Christ and the challenges of parenting in this world. The Hamilton Fellowships - hamiltonfellowships.com

In today's podcast, I interview Brian Housman of 360 Family about his book and seminar titled Tech Savvy Parenting. Brian has spent more than twenty years speaking into the lives of students and parents. His experiences as a school administrator, camp director, and youth pastor have allowed him to see families in the culture from many different perspectives. As the founder of 360Family, Brian has spoken at more than 200 conferences, churches and schools including work with D6, K-Love, and FamilyLife Today. His work can be read monthly in Parenting Teens and Homeschooling Today magazines.

Let's say you’re in the ministry and a high school student and his or her family comes up to you to get your opinion regarding higher education. Graduation will come soon and decisions are being made. What would you recommend? There are numerous options. Today, I want to narrow it down to just a few. While I believe that trade school, going into the workforce immediately and even military service are all viable and honorable choices, for the sake of this discussion, I’m going to leave it to just a few options. This discussion presumes that the student is active in the church, claims to be a Christian and is seeking to do the right thing regarding next steps of ministry. So, the student has brought some options to you and they are these: - Private, Bible college - Private, Christian liberal arts college or university. - Private, secular liberal arts college or university. - Public, state college or university. What would you say?

In today's episode, I interview Cheryl Gonzales. Cheryl is the Director of the Clay County Center (Northeast Florida) of First Coast Women's Services. First Coast Women's Services offers crisis pregnancy counseling and helps for women in our community. Counseling services are also available for men struggling with the loss caused by abortion. For years, "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday" has been recognized by many churches and believers in our nation. With last year's Planned Parenthood videos going public, the issue of life and choice and all that falls under "abortion rights" has once again been pushed back to the forefront. Cheryl shares the value of offering counseling services such as provided by FCWS and practical ways the church can be involved.

Our first episode of the firstFAMILY Podcast features an interview with our Associate Pastor of Church Planting and Missional Strategist for the Jacksonville Baptist Association, Josh Dryer. Josh was instrumental in helping our church (firstFAMILY) launch a new city engagement event focused on reaching a sub-population of over 60,000. This population gathers on Sundays in the fall in downtown Jacksonville to watch our Jacksonville Jaguars play. Today we discuss the launch of GameDay Church and how God may use this in our community and others for His glory.