Forefront Podcast

Building a Radically Inclusive and Diverse Church

Building a radically inclusive and diverse Church requires understanding the difference between our written and our lived theology. In this sermon Guest Preacher Mark Charles challenges us to explore where we believe we are included into the Gospel story. And the answer might not be where we think. Systemic racism, white Christian Nationalism and implicit racial bias are continuing to dominate the national news and headlines. And unfortunately, the Church is not a place of refuge from the issues. This sermon challenges the church to be better.

This Far By Faith, Forefront As A Stable Grounding Force

Mak Gomez takes to the stage and speak about the disciples and community. In the midst of loss, change or fear, where do we turn for stability, for reassurance? In this sermon, Mak reminds us of the love that surrounds us all as being part of a community. We aren't meant to go it alone.

Forefront Conversations with Mark Charles

Yá’ át’ ééh. Mark Charles yinishyé. Tsin bikee dine’é nishłí. Dóó tó’aheedlíinii bá shíshchíín. Tsin bikee’ dine’é dashicheii. Dóó tódích’ íi’ nii dashinálí. In the Navajo culture, that is how Mark Charles - pastor, author, 2020 Presidential candidate - would introduce himself to you. Mark grew up believing the same narrative that we all believed: that America and the Church stood for justice and equality. But after moving his family from Denver, CO to a Navajo reservation and learning more about the history of his people and his culture, he began to break down the myth of a just America and an affirming Church when the two have been so intertwined throughout the centuries of genocide committed against indigenous peoples. In this episode, Mark discusses the journey that led him to co-author "Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery" and what it truly means for a country and a religion to lament and work towards racial conciliation. ABOUT MARK Mark is a dual citizen of the United States and the Navajo Nation who currently resides in Washington DC with his family to help build a nation where "we the people" truly means all people. He began writing on his blog, Wireless Hogan, and has given a TED Talk explaining his plan for the Truth & Conciliation Commission and ran for President as an Independent candidate in 2020. He livestreams the sunrise every week and invites people to join in an effort to sit with Creator. For more information, visit: https://www.markcharles2020.com/ To purchase "Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery," visit InterVarsity press: https://www.ivpress.com/unsettling-truths

This Far By Faith, Love and Dignify Your Neighbor

Love and dignify your neighbor. Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins inspires us to consider how we can embrace others, regardless of differences, and how scripture speaks to this through the passage of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Happy National Coming Out Day!

This Far By Faith, Finding Contentment and Freedom

Our discontent with the challenges of life can be channeled into productive actions which can help us find contentment and freedom. Watch Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins in this third sermon in our "This Far, By Faith" series.

This Far By Faith, A New Dawn Rising

Guest Preacher, Emmy Brett talks about change, about a new dawn rising. Emmy takes the recent changes at Forefront as inspiration for the continued journey to usher in the next 500 years of Christianity. We remain the change, and forge ahead. Though the church may not always have welcomed change, Jesus was a catalyst for change. How do we respond to his example and how do we adapt to the changes we see in our church and in our lives? In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, an entire globe has found itself faced with unprecedented change. Socially, new changes are making us re-consider how we define Christianity and whether or not America is the true center of expanding Christian practice.

Forefront Conversations with David Swanson

“There is no such thing as a woke white person. That is a specimen of human that doesn’t exist. We will always be waking up.” These might be hard words for white allies to hear, but as the white pastor of a multiracial congregation on the South Side of Chicago, David Swanson knows a thing or two about it. In this episode, David talks about his history in the problematic worlds of mission work and church planting and how that informed his approach of servitude and equity when he was asked to be the lead pastor of New Community Covenant Church. We dig deep into his book, "Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Discipleship," and discuss the tangible approaches that white churches and white churchgoers can take to truly integrate diversity, equity, and multicultural respect into churches in ways that go way beyond just the simple aesthetics of a congregational makeup. ABOUT DAVID David is the founding pastor of New Community Covenant Church, a multiracial congregation on the South Side of Chicago. He helps lead New Community Outreach, a nonprofit that collaborates with the community to reduce sources of trauma, and speaks around the country on the topics of racial justice and reconciliation. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons. His book, "Redisciplng the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Discipleship" can be purchased from InterVarsity Press here: https://www.ivpress.com/rediscipling-the-white-church

This Far By Faith, Is Church Still Relevant?

Why do you attend church? In our new series, "This Far, By Faith", we explore the underpinnings of faith. Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins starts us off with the basic question, "why church?" The church can be a beacon of hope promoting equity and working to end all forms of oppression. We've been through quite some change at Forefront these past months, but some things never change, especially when it comes to the Spirit.

WHAT IN THE...?? Spiritual Refugees

This past Sunday Guest Preacher, Pastor Josh Lee (he/him/his), shined his bright light on the Forefront congregation! Thank you, Josh! In this sermon, Josh Lee speaks about community. Many of us feel like spiritual refugees, fleeing, or being chased out of our communities of faith because we weren’t in a safe place anymore, or left because of oppressive doctrine. Our community at Forefront is made up of spiritual refugees and we can be an example of a community that doesn’t require uniformity to have unity. Josh is the Teaching Pastor at Imago Dei Church in Peoria, Illinois, and has a rich theological background.

What in the?!, Using Our Privilege for Justice

We're excited to welcome Forefront's Deacon Jim Rohner to deliver the message. Jim explores the story of Job. It's not a story that can be broken down into simplistic, easily conveyed morals. Instead, it's a complicated and nuanced look at a culture trying to find meaning amongst uncertainty, which in turn gives us permission to question the easy lessons that have been told we should believe. In fact, the story of Job has great relevance to what we're facing today with so many crises at our doorstep. With an ongoing COVID pandemic, climate change, an economic roller coaster, and social unrest, accepting uncertainty about the future has never been so difficult, especially when powerful forces seek to advance a narrative of certainty that keeps them in power.