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."
The Backyard Church Newsletter - July 2023
Hey Reader
Thanks for being a subscriber to my newsletter!
This month, one theme kept coming up in my writing: Women in the church. Time and time again, I kept coming across comments from older, white male pastors seeking to put women in their place. These are the men that believe that women should be silent in church. One keyboard warrior pastor Tweeted that women, in his opinion, were too fragile for ministry. Give me a break!
So, I had to write about that. Then for the good guys, former Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren is waging his own war on his denomination over the issue of women in leaders. I can't believe this debate is still happening in 2023.
Also, in this month's edition, you'll find an eye-opening article on how prayer works even if you don't believe in God; the Christian obsession with banning books in school, and how it's now backfiring. Plus, I look at the art of Christian scapegoating and why it is toxic.
Whoever you are, wherever you are, I hope you are entertained, challenged, and inspired.
For full access to all my articles (and lots of other thought-provoking content), sign up to Medium today.
The Backyard Church is not just a blog or a newsletter. It’s a vibrant, real online community for people who have faith but can’t, don’t, or won’t go to church. Join today.
Maybe you've lost faith in the system. Maybe 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. Here's what you'll find at Backyard Church Online
- A safe place for your faith to fall apart without being judged for it.
- People who will walk with you while to try to piece it all back together as well
- A safe place to ask your big questions, share your doubts, talk about your pain, and unpack your religious trauma
- Access to thought-provoking and challenging content that will help you move forward
- Connection with like-minded people from all over the world who are on a similar journey
- Online forums and discussions about matters of faith
Whoever you are, you belong. I pray that Backyard Church Online brings you life, faith, and hope.
Truth
In order to be truthful
We must do more than speak the truth.
We must also hear the truth.
We must also receive the truth.
We must also act upon truth.
The difficult truth.
Within us and around us.
We must devote ourselves to truth.
Otherwise we are dishonest
And our lives are mistaken.
God grant us the strength and courage
To be truthful.
AMEN.
by Leunig
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 by joining Backyard Church Online, make a donation, buy a book, forward this to someone you think might be interested!
Until next time,
God bless!
I am passionate about helping other bloggers, 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."
Dear Reader There are moments in a person's life when everything suddenly pivots on a point, and you know immediately that life will never be the same again. This month, I had one of those moments. In fact, I had more than one of those moments. It all started when my wife went to the doctor with some abdominal pain. That was on the 1st of September. Fast forward one month to where we are today, the 1st of October, and we now know that my wife has stage 4 bowel cancer. I write for many...
Hey Reader Thank you for being a part of the Backyard Church community and subscribing to my monthly newsletter! I am pleased to announce that you can now subscribe to more regular updates from me if you want to receive my "Article of the Week" directly to your inbox. My dream is to do this work full-time, so I really and sincerely appreciate your support. Here is the link if you would like to subscribe. This month, you can read about the outcome of Hillsong Founder Brian Houston's court...
Hey Reader Thank you for being a part of the Backyard Church community and for subscribing to my newsletter! This month, Hillsong Church has been on my mind, and I couldn't help but write about the massive inner dilemma I faced when deciding whether to listen to Hillsong's newest album. It stirred a whole bunch of mixed emotions, given the recent revelations about the church's struggles and controversies. While we are on the topic of Hillsong, this month, I watched another devastating...