What's the difference between someone who turns up to church and someone who is genuinely committed to it? And how do you build a community where the deeply committed set the culture without making everyone else feel like they're on the outside?
Joel and Tim dig into the commitments culture that has shaped Soul Revival for over 35 years. The Sydney FC Cove, the Spirit of Shankly, Real Madrid's member-owned election, the Manchester United social psychology experiment, and why Soul Revival chose Saturday night because it was harder, not because it was easier.
Plus the three dangers of a commitments culture, why holding loose to practice while holding firm to theology is the key, and what it means to be a custodian of culture; the person who knows why the church does what it does and can pass that on to whoever walks in the door.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back — the long-lost episode and the Commitments culture
02:00 The Shock Absorber model and why commitments matter
04:00 Sydney FC and the different levels of fandom — novices, fans, season ticket holders, the Cove
06:00 Custodians of culture — who holds the stories of a community
08:00 The open door and the definable boundary — wrestling with what a commitment is
11:00 The three levels — irregular, regular, committed
13:00 The shadows — three dangers of a commitments culture
19:00 The Manchester United social psychology experiment
23:00 Keeping Jesus the main thing — not the local expression
25:00 Saturday night was harder, not easier — the counter-cultural choice
29:00 Spirit of Shankly, Real Madrid elections and member-owned clubs
33:00 Cultural memory — why the Kop doesn't wear the kit
37:00 What commitments meetings look like now — and what they don't
42:00 Listening to those unlike yourself
46:00 The one who thought Week Away was mandatory
49:00 Why charcoal Charlie's catering would be a category error
53:00 Holding loose to practice, holding firm to theology
57:00 When to lovingly say — that's not what we do here
Discussed on this episode
Spirit of ShanklyManchester United / Liverpool social psychology experiment
Cultural memory and custodians of culture