The Spirit of Stewardship and the Entrepreneurial Economy

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140104_185513_586Every once in a while you realize that blogging is an imperfect process for academics. Tonight was a great example. Normally, at the end of a conference, the brain is saturated by information overload and you are ready to “coast” to the end. Unfortunately Greg Forster’s final presentation was more like sitting in front of a fire hydrant with a tin cup, trying to find just the right information hang onto.

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Posted in Clergy, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Practical Theology, Vocation | Leave a comment

Pastoral Pathways

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140103_170717_372Day two of the Oikonomia Network retreat. Today’s focus revolves around the pastoral pathways that seek to express the emphasis on faith, work, IMG_20140104_082157_106economics. Kern acknowledges that the dissemination of this vision requires a collaboration between seminaries and local congregational ministry so established a model of “pathways” that reflect  different pastoral practices. The organization provides a rationale in their Economic Wisdom Project

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Posted in Clergy, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Mission, Practical Theology, Vocation | 1 Comment

Gospel Entrepreneurship

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140103_164812_681This evening’s series of presentations revolved around the theme of entrepreneurship. IMG_20140103_185550_522Greg Forster opened the presentation using Gallup Chairman and CEO Jim Clifton’s argument that the greatest challenge facing the country is job creation.

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What is the purpose of business from God’s perspective?

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140103_103553_497Jeff Van Duzer, provost at Seattle Pacific University, turned the discussion this morning to the nature of business, it purpose, its limits and the obstacles within it. He began with a key question:  What is the purpose of business from God’s perspective? Van Duzer notes that there are often easier answers for other professions like justice (for law) or healing and wholeness (for nursing).

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Posted in Clergy, Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Practical Theology, Theology, Vocation | Leave a comment

What is the Gospel?

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140103_074030_808Day two of discussions around faith, work, and economics with the Oikonomia Network connecting work, mission, and our definition of the Gospel through presentations by Greg Forster and Gary Breshears. Greg Forster started the group echoing last night’s IMG_20140103_080915_113challenge to expand congregants’ horizons of the role of work and economics as part of their missional endeavor.

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Posted in Clergy, Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Mission, Practical Theology, Theology, Vocation | Leave a comment

The Ministry of Economics: Rethinking Wealth

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_20140102_171432_054I arrived in Phoenix today for the annual Kern Oikonomia retreat.  It is hard to take time out of a busy schedule to spend IMG_20140102_173442_850three days in the tepid 70’s in Phoenix (particularly with the arctic air in Kansas City) but I somehow found the time. Rode the light rail down to the hotel in time to catch the opening session with Greg Forster  director of the IMG_20140102_190918_382Oikonomia Network. The network includes approximately twenty seminaries around the country dedicated The Oikonomia Network Websiteto exploring the multiple themes of faith, work, and economics. Greg opened the IMG_20140102_191129_417session by reminding us that our primary focus will be economics (something Kern is dedicated to providing resources around) but also in conversation with pastors who have already begun to implement this vision of engaging economics and faith in the congregational context.

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Posted in Continuing Education, Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Leadership, Practical Theology, Vocation | 1 Comment

Tom Nelson’s Confession and Challenge: Work Matters

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Dean G. Blevins

IMG_0193Sometimes confession is good for the soul. At least that is how Tom Nelson opened his address to NTS students last week. Nelson, (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) has served as senior pastor of Christ Community Church in Leawood, Kansas, for more than twenty years. He is also author of the popular book, Work Matters:  Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work. He was on campus as part of the Kern Family Foundation, Oikonomia grant. Kern has long supported research and teaching around tIMG_0189he themes of faith, work, and economics. Nelson came to encourage students but also to challenge them through his confession and his Biblical teaching.

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Posted in Clergy, Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Practical Theology, Theology, Vocation | 1 Comment