Harbor, Pepperdine Bible Lectures

Transfigurational Leadership: Christian Leadership in the 21st Century

Teacher: Gregg Marutzky

What was the leadership style of Jesus when he was on earth? Many describe Jesus as a Servant Leader or an Upside Down Leader. Jesus has also been described as a Transformational Leader, Inclusive Leader, or Collaborative Leader. Arguments can be made for all these labels. Unfortunately, when we use organizational terms to describe the leadership of Christ, the descriptions fail to capture the leader of leaders fully. Becoming a Jesus leader or Christian leader means transfiguration by the Holy Spirit to become an imitation of Jesus. Jesus' leadership embodies the Cross and becomes the servant of all. Leadership is not exercising authority over others but rather joining with others. Leadership is at the intersection of leaders and followers. Without followers, there are no leaders. Leadership in the 21st century has significant challenges and requires leaders in the church to understand transfiguration. Let's explore together going beyond transactional leadership and transformative leadership to transfigurational leadership.

Leveling Leadership in an Elder Board Model

Teacher: Tiffany Dahlman

Class 1: Preachers, have you been frustrated with your elders over matters of theology or mission? Elders, have you felt anxiety or confusion over your pulpit minister's theology? Very often Churches of Christ hire pulpit ministers with advanced degrees in Bible and ministry while the elders do not have any such formal training. Elders may be rich in faith and love for the flock, but the formal training distance between them and the preacher can wreak havoc on a congregation. Some have called this an "upside-down polity" where those without formal training in Bible and ministry are the authority over the ministers who do have such training. As a result, conflict ensues, misunderstandings abound, and church growth stymies. This class will offer several ways for churches to overcome the dark side of the upside down polity system so that ministers and elders can work together and the formal training gap can dissolve without compromising a plurality of leadership or the greater gifts.

Sustained Flourishing in Ministry for the Long Haul

Teacher: Dee Dee Mayer

Pastor burnout is real. Vocational ministry is challenging, particularly in our current cultural climate. The Barna Group released research that communicates that 42% of pastors have considered leaving ministry in the past year. Some factors impacting this rise in pastors questioning their call to ministry are stress, loneliness, and politics. Please join Dee Dee Mayer as she shares strategies for sustaining wellness and flourishing across a lifespan of ministry. In this class you will leave with tools that will help you assess both your own wellness as well as the wellness of those you lead and serve.

How our Church Became a Resilience Hub for the Community

Teachers: Judy and Woody Square

We have had an exciting journey these past two years partnering with the City of San Leandro and our immediate neighbors to develop our church into a Resilience Hub for the community. A resilience hub is a neighborhood center that integrates disaster preparedness, community care and belonging, and sustainability to be "ready for anything." We have a steering committee made up of 4 church members and 8 Lewis Avenue neighbors. We meet about every six weeks to plan block parties, work on an emergency communication system, prepare the church building to serve as an evacuation center, and address the neighborhood’s top concerns (crime, traffic calming, etc.) The immediate neighborhood sees us as a valuable resource and asset, and we are building many new connections throughout the city.

More and more cities will be starting Resilience Hub initiatives, and they will be reaching out to communities of faith to serve in this capacity. Come and learn how your church can bless your surrounding community in this way.

Standing Up for Jesus

Teachers: Jacob Parnell, Bryan Schackmann

Bryan and Jacob are Church of Christ preachers who also do stand-up comedy on the side. (Think of it as a mid-life crisis people are forced to watch!) In this session, they will share stories about their time in the bars and comedy clubs of Los Angeles and the California Bay Area trying to share the light and hope of Jesus in a pretty dark world. They’ll also each perform some of their original stand-up material! (So laugh good.)

1 Corinthians 13: The Chapter of the Holy Spirit

Teacher: Jack Williamson

This famous chapter, where the Apostle Paul describes love in so many facets and virtues, is a staple of Christian ceremonies. It is used over and over at gatherings, from weddings to memorial services and everything in between. There is nothing wrong with this, but so many of the references to this great treatise miss the context and meaning that it seems Paul intended to convey. This chapter on Love is actually Paul’s conclusion to a section of teaching on the gifting of the Holy Spirit. This class will explore that idea.

DnD and Jesus

Teacher: Kyle Sapp

With the rise of popular hits like Stranger Things on Netflix and the amazing success of podcasts such as Critical Role and the Adventure Zone, Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) has carved a hard to ignore chunk in the cultural zeitgeist. However, the Church has not had such a friendly history with this game, at worst calling it a gateway to Satanism and at best looking at it’s players with confusion and disdain. In our session, we will talk about why millions of people play Dungeons and Dragons, discuss the ways it helps improve social, emotional and spiritual health, and even brainstorm ideas for how the church can be more inclusive to DnD’s fanbase. You won’t have to roll a character to join but it couldn’t hurt.

God’s Abundant Love

Teachers: Alex and Eleni Melirrytos

"... preparing a feast of rich food..."
Theme verse: (Isaiah 25:6) "... the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines." Please feel free to "arrange" as you see fit.

Does God Love Other Religions?

Teacher: Dyron Daugherty

Your neighborhood probably has Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. Your kids and grandkids probably go to school with Jews, Sikhs, and Taoists. You may have members of other religions working in the office down the hall from you. Let's get real: the world's religions are all around us. So now what? What should you do, as a Christian, about that fact? In this class, we explore Christian responses to the world's religions. And you probably already know the answer to the class question!

Missional Preaching

Teacher: Dusty Rush

Exploring some subtle shifts in the ways we measure good preaching.

Love, Justice, and Hope: Theological Perspectives

Teacher: Stanley Talbert

This class explores theological perspectives on love, justice, and hope. If "God Loves Forever," what are the implications of human love for God, the neighbor, and the self in the 21st century?

The Prodigal Pastor/Preacher

Teacher: Thomas Fitzpatrick

Just Keep Swimming

Teachers: Liz Perez, Robert Perez

What is your Individual Ministry Plan (IMP)? How do you happily navigate in ministry in adversity (God's way), especially when you are a woman? Come see how godly women in the Bible and women of today are using their God given talens and calling in today's world. God has an IMP for everyone, which includes both men and women. I Peter 1: 13-16

Streaming with the Spirit

Teacher: Phil Brookman

The average American watches a staggering 4.5 hours of TV per day. Other than sleep and work, we will spend more time watching TV over the course of our lives than any other activity, making it one of the most powerful forces in our formation as people. This class will offer a perspective as to how we might approach the shows we watch as disciples of Jesus. What metrics of evaluation might we employ in our discernment? How do we know the differences between helpful and harmful?

Husband of One Wife: ”Nothing Else Needs to Be Said” (Part 1)

Teacher: John Mark Hicks

As congregations process pastoral leadership and the inclusion of women, one of the most frequent barriers is three Greek words traditionally translated "husband of one wife." These two classes explore the interpretation and practice of this "qualification" in the history of the church (with emphasis on the Restoration Movement) and offer an understanding of this Greek idiom that does not exclude women in the context of 1 Timothy 3.

Tombstones to Cornerstones: Hope and Help for Churches in Stress and Decline

Teachers: Jessica Knapp, Rick Krug

Many churches face hard times for many reason, and while struggling to make the right decision for each unique congregation, many church leaders are finding the future is far less certain than ever before. The search for congregational identity, what to do with the church properties that when first developed were worth a fraction of what they are now, and how to serve a rapidly changing social and economic demographic have many  congregations wondering if they should even exist at all. To help bring the hope of God back to the people, Rick Krug and Jessica Knapp bring insights and admonitions designed to help churches and their leaders navigate the unknown future.

The Bitterness of God’s Love: Hearing Obadiah and Jonah

Teacher: Cliff Barbarick

God has revealed to his people over the generations that he is a generous and merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. When God extends his loving forgiveness to those who have hurt us deeply, however, it can be a bitter experience. The prophetic works of Obadiah and Jonah, which appear in sequence in the Book of the Twelve, offer God's people a way to process this better experience. For this session, Cliff Barbarick will perform Obadiah and Jonah from memory and lead a discussion about how these books help us wrestle with our relationship with our enemies.

#QuietQuitting in Church

Teacher: Brock Paulk

The combination of social division, political partisanship, and an ongoing global pandemic have made community - including church community - uniquely difficult. Many of our churches have experienced significant attrition among members and even leaders as we wrestle with pressures and problems that seem to have caught us flat-footed. Together we'll explore principles and practices to address anxiety and burnout so that we can help one another stay the course.

”None of These Diseases” Revisited & Expanded

Teacher: Allen Wai Jang

The popular 1963 book by Dr. S.I. McMillen, MD revealing health "secrets" from the Bible, has gone through several revisions and, after his passing in 1990, was expanded by Dr. David E. Stern, MD. Adding insights from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), we can unlock further insights that illustrate the universality and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures!

Passing the Testimony

Teachers: Doug Crum, Lance Havens

"I used to go to the wildest, craziest, most awesome parties ever - but now I go to church instead." A testimony can tell an amazing story of how Jesus is transforming our lives: it can also glamorize sin, glorify the sinner, and present God/Christianity as a boring afterthought. How can we use such a powerful tool to help our members tell His story? Come share your ideas and mull over a few of ours. If you only attend one class . . . then this will be the best on you go to.

Post-Traumatic Pastor: Healing Among Those Who Hurt You

Teacher: David Ayres

Religious trauma is an occupational hazard for ministers. But how do you heal from wounds inflicted by the church when you work for one? Join us as we explore a framework for finding renewal and resilience on the other side of church-induced trauma in ministry.

Trueish: Church Leadership Principles That Sound Right, but Aren’t Anymore. Mostly. (Part 1)

Teacher: Tim Spivey

Even prior to the pandemic, the church was changing in dramatic ways. This class discusses, humorously, the expiration of several popular leadership principles, and offers a look at the prevailing church of the rest of the 21st century.

What the Old Testament Tells Us About God’s Love

Teacher: Rick Marrs

There is a 500 Pound Rock in my Garage

Teacher: Rick Gibson

Being honest about things that may not belong in our lives or in our churches.

Embracing the Wilderness Way

Teacher: Drew Dixon

"I am making a way in the wilderness." (Isaiah 43:19)
The church in America is in a wilderness season. Congregations are declining and fewer people profess Christian faith every year. But what if instead of looking back to "the golden years," the way forward is a divine invitation deeper into the wilderness? By looking at Jesus' wilderness season as well as the example of the ancient desert mothers and fathers, we can discover wisdom and hope in embracing the wilderness way.