Pivot

#119: Church Planting Apprenticeship: Ancient Wisdom with Christian Selvaratnam

Rev. Dr. Christian Selvaratnam shares insights on church planting, leading from the middle, and fostering a 'mixed ecology' of new and legacy churches.

In this episode of the Pivot Podcast, the Rev. Dr. Christian Selvaratnam shares how he caught the church planting vision and has spent 25 years developing innovative models for training church planters and traditional pastors alike.

As Dean of Church Planting at St. Hild Theological College in England, Christian explains the power of the medieval apprenticeship approach to leadership development. Learn how “leading from the middle” can activate more people in ministry and create a “mixed ecology” of both new and revitalized churches. Whether you’re contemplating starting something new or breathing fresh life into an established congregation, this conversation offers practical wisdom for the journey.

Resources Mentioned:

Shift Ministry Models
Faithful InnovationFaith & Contemporary IssuesMinistry LeadershipMission & Evangelism

Featuring

Headshot of Rev. Dr. Christian Selvaratnam

Rev. Dr. Christian Selvaratnam

Christian Selvaratnam is the Dean of Church Planting at St Hild Theological College where he is the founder of the Church Planting Track, the Centre for Church Planting and the Seedbed training programme. Before this, he worked for fifteen years at Alpha UK in various roles, including National Director, and concurrently for fourteen years as the Ordained Leader of G2, an Anglican church plant in York. Over the last twenty-five years, Christian has directly planted two churches and sent out and supported several others. More widely, he is involved in training leaders and advising on church planting, innovation, mission and church growth and vocations, particularly in the North of England.

Christian is the author of several teaching modules, training courses and books, including Why Plant Churches? Theological and Practical Reasons for Starting New Christian Communities (Grove 2023), The Craft of Church Planting: Exploring the Lost Wisdom of Apprenticeship (SCM Press 2022) and Alpha as a Church Planting Tool (Alpha International 2017).

Meet Your Hosts

  • Terri Elton

    Terri Martinson Elton began teaching at Luther Seminary as an adjunct instructor in 2004 before becoming the director of the Center for Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2008. In addition to her continued work with the Center, Elton accepted the position of associate professor of Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2010 and associate professor of Leadership in 2014.

    Prior to her call to Luther Seminary, Elton served as an associate to the bishop in the Saint Paul Area Synod where her responsibilities included working with congregations, leadership development, First Call theological education and youth and family ministry.

    Before her work in the synod, she served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minn. for 16 years. While at Prince of Peace she worked in various roles within children, youth and family ministries, as well as served as the director of Changing Church Forum, an outreach ministry of Prince of Peace. She also authored To Know, To Live, To Grow, a confirmation curriculum, and co-authored What Really Matters, a book for congregational leaders, with the Rev. Mike Foss.

    Elton holds a B.A. degree in communications from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. (1986). She earned both her M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2007) degrees in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.

    Elton’s research and teaching interests include: congregational leadership, leading in the midst of change and conflict, helping ministry leaders craft a missional ecclesiology with an eye toward the First Third of Life, awakening a vibrant theology of baptism and vocation and reimagining faith and mission practices for children, youth, young adults and their families.

    Elton is a member of the Academy of Religious Leadership, the Association of Youth Ministry Educators, the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and the American Society of Missiology and is on the board for Real Resources. Elton spends much of her time working with congregations and congregational leaders and seeks out opportunities for enhancing ministry with those in the First Third of Life within the ELCA.

  • Dr. Dwight Zscheile

    Dr. Dwight Zscheile is vice president of innovation and professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest book is Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press, 2023).

The School for Lay Ministry begins May 17th!

  

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