Jeff Childers, “Reclaiming Hope Through Practices of Patience”

During anxious times, we long for change, and we gravitate toward any solution offering quick results. But in the midst of troubles, Paul encourages Christians to claim their hope through the practice of patience – a key virtue for early Christians who had no illusions of controlling the chaos of their world. But it was an active patience that involved imitating God, transcending victimhood, and embodying Jesus in their neighborhoods and cities. In this session, we will encounter early church leaders who invite us to live together more deeply, to redefine success, and to bring Jesus’s powerful testimony to a world (or a church) in trouble.