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 - March 2023
Hey Reader
I'm in shock!
I've just learned that Saddleback Church - one of the biggest mega churches in the USA, founded by none other than the great Rick Warren - has been excommunicated by the Baptist Convention. I'm even more shocked at the reason why. You can read about that story below.
Also, this month I sat down and had a conversation with an artificial intelligence program about Christianity. I asked it about the mega-themes of Jesus' life and teaching. I asked it to summarise what Jesus said about heaven and hell. I even asked it what I must do to be saved? I was impressed by the answers and I have a sneaking suspicion that our lives and yes... our religion, is about to change forever!
Also in this month's edition: I unload on the pastor who is doing gun giveaways to try to get men to come along to his church, I take a look at the wannabe street preacher who has gone viral on TikTok, and, just for fun, I announce my list of songs they will definitely sing in Hell.
Whoever you are, wherever you are, I hope you are entertained and challenged by this month's top articles!
ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE IS COMING FOR RELIGION: In this article I take a look at how the rise of artificial intelligence might impact the future of religion and the church. I asked ChatGPT some basic questions about Christianity and I'm amazed by the answers it gives!
SADDLEBACK CHURCH GIVEN ITS MARCHING ORDERS: The Southern Baptist Convention just excommunicated one of the largest churches in the USA, and you won't believe why Rick Warren's congregation has been declared "no longer in friendly cooperation" with the SBC
TIK TOK EVANGELIST'S HORRIBLE MALL PREACHING FAIL GOES VIRAL: Reuben Rinaldi just became TikTok famous. And all he did was set up his phone in the food court of a local shopping mall, and then start shouting about Jesus at the top of his lungs — while people were trying to enjoy their lunch.
THE SONGS THEY SING IN HELL: Imagine if in the corner of Hell there was a jukebox that only played horrible music as a way of torturing people for all eternity. I take a look at the songs that would definitely make Hell's playlist. Feel free to add to my list!
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BEING A CHRISTIAN MAKES YOU LESS LIKE CHRIST: When researching for his book "unChristian," David Kinnaman discovered something incredible. 84% of non-Christians say they know a Christian personally, yet only 15% say the lifestyles of those believers are noticeably different in a good way.
PASTOR ANNOUNCES GUN GIVEAWAY FOR UPCOMING CHURCH EVENT: Here's a sure-fire way to encourage people to come to church: give out free guns! That's what Jesus would do, right? You won't believe the story of a pastor in the USA who is using firearms to get people through the doors of his chapel.
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.
When somebody falls apart
don’t try to put them back
together in your image
In fact, don’t try and
to reassemble them at all
That’s not your job
Instead - lay on the ground with them
and scoop as many of their broken
pieces into your hands as you can
And every now and then whisper to
those pieces “This is not forever.”
That’s your job
by John Roedel
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, or 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...