How Do You Rebuild A Denomination?

The Birth Of A Podcast - Written By Lloyd Hemstreet

One of the secrets of the Abide Project's success over the last three years, has been the opportunities it provides to speak with and learn from one another. While these conversations take place through numerous mediums, one of the primary areas for such conversations has been on Abide's various working teams. Late fall of 2022, as the media team was having a brainstorming session in one of their meetings, they recognized that one of the challenges that the CRC is facing today is our reduced confessional literacy.

Once upon a time, our confessions were central to the life of our denomination. They were read around the family table during the week. They were taught in mid-week classes to elementary through high-school aged children. They were regularly preached from, in the well attended evening services. Of course, there were examples of this being done poorly just as there are of it being done well. There were lifeless Catechism classes that conveyed little beyond rote memorization. But there were also hope filled conversations around dinner tables, where children saw that they could understand satisfying answers for real questions of faith. In these ways and more, our confessions were one of the strengths of our denomination.They taught a theological worldview that the believer could grasp, and continue to build upon throughout their lives.

Sadly, over numerous decades, in the midst of the technological revolution that has inundated everyone with so much competing information, our catechetical training has suffered great decline. While it is appealing to say, “well, let's just go back,” the reality is, that isn't exactly possible. In fact, there has been so much lost, that many in our denomination likely would not even know where or how to start reintroducing the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Belgic Confession, let alone the Canons of Dort¹, around their kitchen table with their families! Even at seminary, while those that attended Calvin Theological Seminary at least had a few discussions on Catechism Preaching, many students have seen precious few examples of it before. Where does one even start? How do we rebuild what we have lost?

What If We Leverage Technology To Recapture Confessional Literacy?

Having recognized the way that our confessional literacy has slipped, the Media team started trying to think of ways that we could leverage today's technology, to begin to restore our confessional ballast in the CRC? After a few ideas were suggested, the concept of a podcast came to the forefront. It is a simple and cost effective medium, used by millions, and great for series like walking through our confessions!

As Rev. Tyler Wagenmaker and myself accidentally became the Abide “reporters” for Synod 2022, and had developed some “on-air” rapport that many appreciated, we were quickly recruited for the new project. How do you create a new podcast? It took a couple of months before we started to figure that out. A pair of USB mics off of Amazon. Downloading a couple of computer programs to mix and record the sound on my laptop. Selecting and recording some bumper music. And then, the big challenge, name and branding... After bouncing ideas around, we proposed the name of the “3-2-1 Abide Podcast, Exploring our Three Forms of Unity, with your Two hosts, to the One aim of Glorifying God.” January into February of 2023, Rev. Michael Bentley, who has created so many of Abide's graphic designs, prepared a logo for us. We also sat down, and recorded the first 3 or 4 podcasts at that time, and we were preparing to pull everything together and launch!

Questions of Focus and Longevity?

As the show was birthed out of an Abide Project working team, I assumed it would just remain under that umbrella. But as all of the details were coming together early 2023, the proposal went to the Abide Steering Committee for final approval, and was rejected. Not because anyone on the steering team was anti confessions, or thought it was a bad idea. Rather, the question was on the scope of what the podcast would cover, and how long this project would last.
The Abide Project was formed to support the 2020 Human Sexuality Report (or HSR), and see God's good design for sexuality upheld and lived out in our denomination. As the HSR and Synod 2022 confirmed, this reality of living out sexuality is guided by the Heidelberg Catechism's summary of the biblical teaching in Q & A 108. So, the Abide Project's mission directly connects to the Catechism there! However, there are a hundred twenty some other Q & A's in the Heidelberg, as well as much of the Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort, that do not directly connect to the Abide Project's focus and mission.

Secondly, beyond the issue of the scope of the project greatly expanding, there was also a question of timing. The Abide Project was formed for a specific season in the life of the CRCNA. Lord willing, once that mission is completed, the Steering Team will then have discussions around what, if any, ongoing role there is for Abide. However, just addressing all three Confessions, in a weekly 30 minute podcast as we are aiming for, this will be at least a 24 month long journey! So, the Steering Committee questioned if a podcast should be launched, that could outlive the rest of the project? For these two primary reasons, the 3-2-1 Abide Podcast was declined.

The Ongoing Mission Of The Church

While that “no” could have been the end of the story, several people were still encouraging us, and we still had shows recorded and waiting to be released. The need was still there, and the concept remained promising. So, Tyler and I came up with a plan “B.” We pitched the idea to our respective Councils, Beaverdam Christian Reformed Church and Coopersville CRC, who both signed off on the idea. Teaching the whole scope of our confessions pretty directly lines up with the enduring mission of CRC churches! Of course, a new name and branding would be needed.

After kicking a few ideas around, the “Three Forms Podcast” was finally settled upon, as mid summer 2023, the Abide project switched to being based on Substack, which was a platform that I was largely unfamiliar with. But, soon it became apparent that it would also provide a simple platform to launch the new podcast from. Our friend, Rev. Michael Bentley was still happy to help out with the mission, and worked up our new graphics and logo. Finally, I recruited, or twisted the arm of, my talented wife Kristina, who taught herself how to clip together a podcast. Yes, “Episode 0” has some dead air at the end of it, but it has been a learning experience for all of us involved. Slowly, I think we are improving the production quality, and figuring out what we are doing!

The Goals Of A Podcast?

After launching in December of 2023, distributed from our Substack to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and many other players, as well as on YouTube, it took just over two months to hit 1,000 downloads/views. Going forward, we hope word of this resource continues to spread throughout our denomination, and around the world. I get that the style and format won't be for everyone. Tyler and I share many years of friendship, and engage in a little teasing or “jovial banter” as some have described it. These shows aren't academic Catechism Classes. These shows aren't Catechism sermons. Our goal is for them to be a joyful conversation, where we explore and discuss our Confessions together, and wonder at our Lord's gracious work of salvation!

Continuing on, we pray that this podcast is helpful for young people that are learning the foundational doctrines of our faith. We pray that it is an encouragement to parents, who feel better equipped to open the Catechism around their dining room tables again. We pray that it serves as a reminder to deacons and elders of all that they have vowed to teach and uphold. We pray that it serves to prime the pumps of young pastors considering a series preaching through the confessions for the first time. We pray that it serves as a devotional reminder of the truths of God's Word to saints well advanced in the faith, years, or both. We pray that God is glorified, and the Church of Jesus Christ, even the little part of that broader body that is the CRCNA, is built up and encouraged. Can one podcast rebuild a denomination? Certainly not! But, we pray that the Lord uses it to build His kingdom, as He draws all of us nearer to Him.

Walking the good and trusted old paths together.

1. These three confessions, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort, are commonly referred to as “The Reformed Three Forms of Unity,” thus the basis of the Podcasts final name.