The Christian Chronicle Podcast

The Christian Chronicle Podcast explores the news and stories shaping Church of Christ congregations and members around the world. 

  1. Episode 147: Church of Christ history for the next generation (Luke Dockery and Jared Pack)

    12/22/2025

    Episode 147: Church of Christ history for the next generation (Luke Dockery and Jared Pack)

    Kids and young adults growing up in congregations with "Church of Christ" signs on their buildings have honest questions: "Who are we? How did we become who we are? Why do we do what we do?" These are important questions for young Christians trying to decide whether to remain with the church of their upbringing or strike out in search of something different. And, if "restoration" truly is essential to Christians who identify with the Church of Christ, then it must be a fresh practice for each new generation. These are the reasons why Church of Christ youth ministry veterans Luke Dockery and Jared Pack wrote Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement.   The book, which uses comic book illustrations and fast-moving, punchy language, seeks to orient a new generation to Church of Christ history. In this episode, the authors discuss why church history beyond the New Testament is still crucial for present-day Christians to learn and study. They also make their case that restoring the New Testament church is always a present and future pursuit and never a past-tense accomplishment. Thus, restoration demands both an awareness of history and an orientation toward emerging generations. Link to Zack Martin's Christian Chronicle review of Origin Story Link to Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org

    36 min
  2. Episode 144: Should ministers be trained for the digital age? (Todd Brenneman and Tommie Lee Washington)

    11/25/2025

    Episode 144: Should ministers be trained for the digital age? (Todd Brenneman and Tommie Lee Washington)

    Once upon a time, a Church of Christ minister could be effective with some education in Bible and training in preaching. But is that enough in the "digital world" of the 21st century? Dr. Todd Brenneman and Tommie Lee Washington, professors at Faulkner University, make the case that it's past time for Church of Christ ministers to add excellence in media and technology to their ministry repertoire. In this episode, we talk about how the "digital citizens" of the 21st century expect to encounter and interact with ideas...including the gospel. Among the things that come up in this discussion: Designing church materials using tools like CanvaReaching more people through new media and streaming platformsUsing cutting edge animation software to produce teaching contentProducing lessons and sermons using AI The New Testament is full of examples of ancient Christian teachers using the innovations of their time to communicate the gospel. So is it so far-fetched to imagine that Christian teachers today will do the same? But is there any point at which using technological innovation to preach and teach the gospel is going too far? What are the dangers? Link to the Faulkner University Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a digital ministry track Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org

    36 min
  3. Episode 141: How do we know if it's really spiritual warfare? (Dr. Joe Beam)

    10/06/2025

    Episode 141: How do we know if it's really spiritual warfare? (Dr. Joe Beam)

    "Spiritual warfare" seems to be on the lips and minds of many Christ-claimers in the United States these days, including those in the Church of Christ. But what is "spiritual warfare" and how do we know that we're waging it? Dr. Joe Beam, who wrote the landmark book Seeing the Unseen: A Handbook for Spiritual Warfare in the early 1990s, joins the present-day milieu on how the spirit realm is affecting current events and vice versa. In this episode, Beam answers questions like: What might be contributing to what could be an increase in "spiritual warfare" talk in the United States these days?What is the difference between demon-possessed and demonized?Does demon-possession still happen today (and how do we know if someone is demon-possessed)?How do we know if we're being "attacked" by evil spiritual forces or if we're creating our own negative circumstances or situations?How do we know if God is communicating with us or if we're just having strong feelings that come from ourselves?How do we know if someone is "speaking for God"?For Church of Christ congregations that have to come to believe that the Holy Spirit is available to guide and support them, how do they learn to discern and follow the Holy Spirit?How do we "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1)? Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org

    1h 11m
4.7
out of 5
31 Ratings

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The Christian Chronicle Podcast explores the news and stories shaping Church of Christ congregations and members around the world. 

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