Jeff Strong: The Ongoing Tug-of-War Between Tradition and Change
The results of the Faith Matters audience survey
Today, we’re welcoming back our good friend Jeff Strong. Last year, Jeff and his team sent out a survey to the Faith Matters audience as part of a larger research project on faith and church participation. Over 1,600 of you responded, and the results were fascinating! We’re excited to share them with you today. What emerged was a picture of a significant and often unheard cross-section of the Church—a community of people who are deeply devoted but also wrestling, holding both conviction and complexity, faith and struggle, all at once.
In this conversation, Jeff walks us through some of the most powerful insights from the survey, with a special focus on culture and aspects of our faith experience that are shaping our sense of belonging, meaning, and connection. He explores what people love most about being part of this tradition, where they encounter real challenges.
One of the clearest themes in the survey is the tension between tradition and change—a familiar story in faith traditions across the world. Jeff explores what it means to hold that complexity well, in our families, community, and our own hearts. He addresses the power of finding others who are walking a similar path, and why recognizing we’re not alone in this wrestle can be so meaningful.
To everyone who participated in the survey, thank you. It has been such a gift to see that none of us is alone here. We’re so grateful to be in it with you—asking hard questions, holding onto what we love, and finding our way forward together.
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Why Church?
Why do we have a Church? What does it mean that Jesus Christ "restored" the Church? How can I think about and relate to covenants and ordinances like baptism?
Building the Kingdom of Heaven
What does it mean to "sustain"? How can I discern my role to play in the Kingdom? How does meekness help us build Zion? Is the project of the Restoration about becoming worthy for future exaltation, or building Zion in the here and now? How can covenants bring us joy?
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Coming Up at The Compass:
Please join us for a continuation of The Big Questions, a new Faith Matters series of conversations that seek to expand and deepen our understanding of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Next month, Terryl Givens will be joined by Matthew Bowman to explore questions about prophets such as:
What is the difference between the office and the calling?
How many kinds of prophets does the Bible describe?
Does the prophet prophecy?
Do prophets err?
Why are keys necessary in the church and in our salvation?
In-person attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of these remarkable scholars. It’s an opportunity you won’t want to miss!
Friends of Faith Matters and paid Substack subscribers get complimentary access to livestreams and recordings of Faith Matters Compass events—a link will be emailed to you 24 hours before the event. Thank you for your support!
Where Peace Begins, a new video series from Faith Matters, addresses the inevitable conflict we feel as we navigate a world of difference. It also offers space for moral imagination to emerge when the path ahead feels unclear and peacemaking tools that offer hope.
Join us on March 22nd for an exclusive advanced viewing and discussion of Where Peace Begins, with producers Patrick Mason and Chad Ford, director Tay Steele, and video guests LaShawn Williams and Pastor Jamie White. A reception will follow with light refreshments and an opportunity to meet others who are committed to peacemaking. We hope you will join us.
Our Compass events are subsidized and made possible by private rentals of the space for wedding receptions, business retreats, birthday parties, and more. If you or someone you know has an event coming up, consider supporting Faith Matters by recommending The Compass!
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Peacemakers Needed
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