While at Annual Conference, Rev. Daniel Hawkins sat down with keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean to continue a conversation many churches are already having: what does church growth look like in a time when old assumptions no longer hold? Drawing on the image of shipwreck and the hope of finding a different boat, they reflect on the future of the church, congregational renewal, and the kind of ministry innovation that is beginning to take shape in local communities.
As the conversation unfolds, Kenda and Daniel explore faithful experimentation, young adult spirituality, faith formation, and the shift from a destination church to a more embedded way of being the church in everyday life. Rather than chasing one big strategy, this episode wonders whether the path forward may be found in smaller acts of courage, deeper attention to culture, and a renewed openness to where God is already at work.