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DAN FOSTER

The Backyard Church Newsletter - April 2022

Published almost 2 years ago • 5 min read

Hey Reader

Forgive me if I go off script in my newsletter this month! I am super pumped about a joint project I've been working on with some of my favourite Christians bloggers. And I want to invite you to be part of it. Please, indulge me for a moment and I'll tell you the story behind the idea.

When I first started writing online I wrote angry poems that were (thankfully) only ever read by a handful of people. But everything changed for me the day wrote what would be my first-ever proper blog post. It was entitled, “Why People Walk Away From the Church.”

It became the first article that I wrote that went viral.

Why?

For some reason, it resonated with lots of people. There were lots of people out there just like me. I wanted to believe. I wanted to have faith. But I struggled with the church.

People began to share their stories with me. Some of those stories were tragic. There were situations of spiritual abuse — of mistreatment by the church. There were others who had never felt safe enough to articulate their doubts and fears or ask their questions.

And so, I started blogging almost exclusively about religion, spirituality, and Christianity. Some people hated it. Some people loved it, and, over time, people began to follow what I was writing.

I count it an absolute privilege to be able to write things that have an impact on people’s lives or help them in some way. There is only one problem with blogging, though. It involves an author, who creates content, and a reader who consumes content. It is transactional by nature.

These days I’m longing for more than content creation and consumption. I want community. I want to create a forum where we can have two-way conversations. I want to create a safe place for people who have faith but who struggle to be part of the church institution...

So... here's the big idea

I teamed up with a bunch of other writers to create Backyard Church Online.

Backyard Church Online is a safe place for people who still have faith but can’t, don’t, or simply don’t want to go to church in the traditional sense. Maybe you’ve lost faith in the system. Perhaps you’ve been hurt by the church or other Christians. Maybe you find the church is not an emotionally safe place to ask your questions or share your doubts. Maybe you’ve even arrived at a place where you want to grow in your faith, but the church is taking you around in circles.

That is why Backyard Church Online was created.

Backyard Church Online is a dynamic online ecosystem that allows you to interact with content, chat with other members (including me), participate in online forums, post your thoughts, insights, and questions, and even share photos and videos. It has all the functionality of a social media site like Facebook (but without the ads), only it is a closed community, so it really is as safe a space as we can make it. Instead of just reading my articles, I want you to come and join a community with me.

Seriously, I can't encourage you enough. Come and check it out and try it. I'm so confident that you will be impressed by what you find in Backyard Church Online. Let me tell you what you can expect:

  • You’ll find a safe place for your faith to fall apart without being judged.
  • You’ll find people who will walk with you while you try to piece it all back together as well.
  • You’ll find a safe place to ask your big questions, share your doubts, talk about your pain, and unpack your religious trauma.
  • You’ll have access to thought-provoking and challenging content to help you move forward.
  • You’ll be able to connect with like-minded people from all over the world who are on a similar journey.
  • You’ll be able to chat with other church members and leaders openly and honestly.
  • You’ll be able to participate in online forums and discussions about matters of faith.
  • You’ll be able to connect with other writers and bloggers who write about religion, spirituality, and Christianity.

While this all sounds amazing, there is a cost to provide the space for Backyard Church Online. It’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than running a church building and paying for pastors. But we do charge a small subscription fee - less than five bucks - to help us pay for it. I want to be totally upfront about that. But, you can try it for free, though, and if it’s not for you, then bow out! No sweat!

No church is perfect. This one won’t be either. But, my hope is that we can at least be honest, real, and open in this church community. Everyone’s story is welcome here without judgment. No need to perform. No need to try to impress. If you’re longing for a church community like that, welcome home!

Whoever you are, you belong. I pray that Backyard Church Online brings you life, faith, and hope.


MEGA CHURCH PASTOR UNDER FIRE FOR ENDORSING TEEN SON'S EXPLICIT MUSIC: Poor Stephen Furtick is under fire again - this time for refusing to speak out against his son's attempt at a music video that happens to contain a few naughty words. Christians were quick to condemn Furtick... as usual.


EVANGELICAL PASTOR NAMES AND SHAMES WOMEN FOR LEAVING CHILD-ABUSING HUSBAND: When it comes to church abuse, this story with have you shaking your head. John Macarthur is a polarizing preacher at the best of times, but when he called out a woman from the pulpit for leaving her abusive husband, what happened next was appalling.


HILLSONG FOUNDER IN MORE HOT WATER: Brian Houston has been in the news this month for all the wrong reasons. When the board of Hillsong Church alerted its members that Houston had breached its code of conduct after two women had allegations against him, there were accusations of a cover-up.


THE MOST SINFUL STATE IN AMERICA: Believe it or not, every year, a personal finance website called WalletHub releases a list ranking all 50 states of the USA from most sinful to least sinful. How do you measure sinfulness? It's more complicated than you might think!

For full access to all my articles (and lots of other thought-provoking content), sign up to Medium today


ROUNDABOUTS

Caught between two roundabouts
Along life’s narrow road
Back and forth and round and round
My progress thus is slowed

Beyond the roundabout in front
Are riches to be found
The road looks uninviting though
And so, I turn around

The road behind displays my past
The things of yesteryear
The things that brought me happiness
The things that I held dear

But happiness proves temporary
And the joy it fades away
Like sand falls through the hourglass
Like dusk descends to grey

So I never venture that far back
For something which I yearn
Causes me to indicate
And make another turn

And back the other way I go
Hoping this time round
The courage needed to press on
From somewhere can be found

And such is life, the way of things
Often gives me doubts
But as long as I keep moving on
I’m there, or ‘round abouts’

by Dan Foster


If you've got an idea for an article that you think I should write, then get in touch with me! Yes, I'm happy to have a go at answering any of your questions because hey... faith deconstruction can be a lonely road. Let's walk it together! Email thebackyardchurch@gmail.com


Stay tuned for more thought-provoking articles coming your way next month. This newsletter was free, but not cheap. Show your support forwarding this to someone you think might be interested, join Backyard Church Online, or make a donation.

Until next time,

God bless!

Dan Foster

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I am passionate about helping other bloggers. If you would like to sign up for my monthly newsletter on blogging, writing, and content creation click here. If you want to go one step further, click here to find out about one-on-one coaching.

Also, if you'd like to know more about how you can contribute to the Backyard Church Blog on Medium, please get in touch.

DAN FOSTER

Writer / Poet / Blogger

I write about the complex intersection between life, faith, culture, religion, politics, and spirituality. Here for community and conversation. ABOUT ME: Once upon a time, Dan Foster was a prolific poet and writer. Then he grew up, got a job, had a family, and got busy spending many years as an educator, pastor, school teacher, and youth worker, writing took a back seat while he set about striving to attain a utopian existence that belies the reality of life. Fortunately, Life knew this and thrust him into the classroom of misfortune and pain, where he experienced burnout and mental health challenges. Here, he learned a whole lot of valuable lessons. Life then compelled him to pick up his pen again and give voice to the reality of broken dreams, sadness, grief, loss, and depression so that others might find comfort, hope, and solidarity in the shared human experience of suffering. Dan writes especially for Church alumni and religious refugees, and those who have experienced the reality of spiritual abuse, disappointment with the church, and doubts about their faith. Dan has Bachelor's Degrees in both Education and Theology and a Diploma in Business. He is the CEO of the Centre for Men & Families, Australia, a charity that supports men and their families through times of crisis and change. Dan is also the facilitator of The Backyard Church Online, a community for people who have faith but struggle to be a part of traditional churches, and he is the author of "Leaving Church, Finding God: Discovering Faith Beyond Organized Religion" and "Limbo Land: Poems from the In-Between."

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