What does it mean to be a ‘progressive’ Christian?

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

For the longest time it seemed Christians throughout the western world were lumped into two categories: conservatives and liberals. Both were valuable and held each other in tension. The conservatives kept tradition alive and valued our shared history while the liberals kept pushing for growth and change, towards inclusivity and diversity, and social justice for all. Needless to say, I identified as ‘liberal’.

That identification did not stop me from spending wonderful, faith filled time with conservatives. We worked together. One of my favourite people in seminary was a very conservative man who did not agree with women as priests and ministers, and yet he fully supported my call to ministry. I never did get around to asking him how he reconciled those two positions.

Beyond all, there was respect. Not always mutual, not always shown, but respect nonetheless.

It is so much different today. The line between those who identify as conservatives and those as liberals has thickened and become nasty in some places. And for my part, I have stopped feeling like I fit into either of those categories. I have never been conservative, but ‘liberal’ is feeling too tight and restrictive now as well.

I was happy to come across the word ‘progressive’ associated with Christianity a few years ago, giving me a new adjective to explain to people – in shorthand – what I believed. After all, that is why we categorize people.

Progressive felt right because it is an action word. To be progressive means you are constantly moving forward. Where ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ are stationary camps of thought and belief, ‘progressive’ is the wanderer.

Jesus would have been considered ‘progressive’. Not only did he physically wander throughout his ministry, he helped others wander as well. And in that wandering they had to trust God. In that wandering, they encountered people and situations they had never experienced before, and were told to go on and make neighbours of all, and then treat them well.

Progressive is the only way inclusion can happen. It is a good Christian word. It makes sense, and it speaks to our journey onwards.

Sunday Reflection – Sunday, October 19, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Giving thanks

Luke 18 Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up:

2 In a town there was once a judge who didn’t fear God or care about people. 3 In that same town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.”

4 For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don’t help her, she will wear me out.”

6 The Lord said:

Think about what that crooked judge said. 7  Won’t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won’t he be concerned for them? 8 He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?

Kids Korner: Not giving up (October 19th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Luke 18:1-8 with your family.

Isn’t this interesting that Jesus says this is a parable about prayer, but then he tells the story of getting justice by continuing to push against injustice.

We often hear “ask God what you want and you will get it” without adults realizing that that is also what we are told about magic and gifts from Santa. So it can sometimes be confusing about what it means when God gives us what we ask for.

Here’s the thing, God wants to work together with us, so when we see something that we want to pray about, God listens and then helps us find our own strength and ideas to make a difference, or find someone else who can help too.

In our story the woman prayed for justice, but she also pushed the judge until he finally gave in.

It is not enough to just pray for something to become better, we have to do something too. Talk to some adults until one is found who will listen and help.

Give me justice word searchDownload

Give me justice colouring pageDownload

Want to read the Bible? Start with Luke.

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

We’ve all seen them, even those who are not interested in reading the Bible… those “Read the Bible in a Year” web lists and apps. I tried following one list once, and I could not get through it. And this was after I had one Master degree in Christianity (my Master of Divinity) under my belt and had experience in ministry.

The reason most people, me included, struggle and fail in this attempt is usually Numbers. Genesis is fine, lots of adventure, interesting characters. Exodus, story of this guy Moses, also a lot happening. Leviticus is judgy, lots of rules, and people certainly talk about it.

And then Numbers…. the most boring books in the Bible.

The thing is, the Bible is not a book in itself, it is a library. We have it in one collection with a different number of books depending on if you pick up a Protestant Bible, a Catholic Bible or an Orthodox Bible (I’ll explore those differences another time). But, the Bible is not something designed for you to read from cover to cover. Eventually it would be great if you get to reading it all, and certainly don’t do it without a guide of some kind, but reading it like a book will make you miss the entire point.

The Bible is a group of books written over hundreds of years, gathered and approved by different groups of people, and put in one place – known as a Codex – for ease of use, not because they tell a story front to back like a novel.

So why start with Luke? Of all the books in the Bible, Luke is the easiest to understand.

Luke is the social justice Gospel, the one that has instructions and stories of what to do to follow God’s desire that we help each other. Luke does not get spiritual or confusing like John, or overly poetic like Matthew. And it has more to it than Mark. It doesn’t have a secondary agenda like Revelation, nor is it answering questions like the letters of Paul – and we never got those questions to start. It’s not repeating the history and culture of a people so they won’t forget who they are, like the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament if that is how you were taught to identify it). Luke is simply plain old Social Gospel, and the book that reminds us that Jesus did things for others, so we should too.

Some of it will be confusing without the help of interpreters, after all it was written 2000 years ago and we have lost a lot of the cultural understanding from those days. But it is still the most plain language book in the Bible.

Sunday Reflection – Thanksgiving Sunday, October 12, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Giving thanks

Luke 17 11 On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance 13 and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14  Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”

On their way they were healed. 15 When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. 16 He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

17 Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine? 18 Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” 19 Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”

Kids Korner: Saying ‘Thank you’ (October 12th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Luke 17:11-19 with your family.

This is the story of ten people being made healthy, but only one of the ten returning to tell Jesus “thank you”.

Are we supposed to believe only one of them was grateful to Jesus for making them well? I do not think so. But I do think only one of them stopped for a minute and realized he forgot to do the gracious thing of giving thanks.

Every child has been reminded to say “thank you”. But no one reminds adults. Adults have to remember on their own. This man did.

Just because people did not say thank you does not mean they did not feel it, but it was still something Jesus wanted to hear.

Jesus told the man his faith had made him well. The faith of the other nine made them well also, but they never got to have the experience of Jesus telling them that was what happened, because they were too focused on something else.

Healing Ten with Leprosy Word SearchDownload

Cured man thanking Jesus colouring pageDownload

Publications (New)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Life is an adventure, isn’t it?

After five years of being strictly a worship and storytelling website with a monthly podcast, The Barefoot Evangelist is expanding to include Publications and Faith Coaching. We are moving from a one-person production, two when you include The Preacher and The Pagan podcast, to a team.

To start us off we are presenting a workbook for older elementary age kids on Thanksgiving in Canada.

Here is the 10 page free version:

Thanksgiving in Canada (free)Download

A 19 page version with more information, a Canadian who’s who, and further activity pages is available for purchase.

We are still working out details and technicalities… all those great things that come with starting something new. But given the date and that Thanksgiving is this weekend, we did not want to wait any longer.

For purchase of the full version at $5, please go to the Publications tab to make the order and then the Contact tab to give us your information including the email where we can send the full publication.

Once we have the technical issues worked out, we will send the full copy again.

Thank you for supporting The Barefoot Evangelist, and tell your friends.

And Happy Thanksgiving!!

Faith Coaching (New)

/ thebarefootevangelist / 1 Comment
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is faith-coaching-middle-age-blond-caucasian-woman-talking-to-person.png

Introducing My Faith Coaching Practice — Walking With You in Faith and Life

Over the years, I have had the privilege of walking with many people through seasons of doubt, transition, renewal, and spiritual growth. As a pastor, my deepest joy has always been that “A ha!” moment while helping others draw closer to God, find clarity in confusion, and cultivate a deeper, more resilient faith.

Now, I am stepping into a new chapter: offering Faith Coaching for individuals seeking guidance, spiritual encouragement, help for processing grief, and support in their faith journey.

What is Faith Coaching?

Faith coaching is not therapy. I want to be clear about that upfront.

I am not a licensed therapist, and coaching is not a substitute for mental health counseling. If you are navigating trauma, clinical depression, or mental illness, I encourage you to connect with a licensed mental health professional.

What I offer is something different — and deeply needed.

As a pastor with years of experience walking alongside people of faith (mostly Christian, though I welcome those from all backgrounds), I provide:

  • A safe and confidential space to explore your spiritual questions.
  • Practical guidance rooted in Scripture and wisdom.
  • Compassionate listening, prayer, and encouragement.
  • Help discerning next steps when life feels uncertain or overwhelming.
  • Hold you up while you process grief
  • Support in rebuilding or deepening your faith.

Whether you’re experiencing a shift in belief, going through a hard time, grieving loss, or just wanting to grow closer to God, I’m here to walk with you.

What It Costs

I aim to keep this service accessible while also honoring the time and preparation that goes into each session.

  • $40 (CAD) for a 30-minute session
  • $75 (CAD) for a 60-minute session
  • If your workplace offers EAP (Employee Assistance Program) benefits that cover coaching, I will bill at the market rate of $100–$150/hour (CAD), depending on the agreement with your provider.

Who This Is For

You don’t have to have everything figured out to begin. You may not even know exactly what you need — only that your soul is longing for something more.

This work is for anyone who:

  • Wants to grow in their faith (Christian or spiritual seekers)
  • Feels stuck, spiritually dry, or unsure how to pray
  • Needs a non-judgmental space to talk about God, life, death, and everything in between
  • Wants accountability in their spiritual walk
  • Has left church but not faith — and is wondering what’s next

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If this resonates with you, I invite you to reach out. Let’s schedule a time to talk and see if Faith Coaching might be the support you are looking for.

I am not here to fix you — but I am here to walk with you, listen deeply, and help you reconnect with the sacred in your life.

To contact me

Head over to the Contact page and send a message with a line or two about why you think you want to walk this path and what you hope you will find as you move forward.