CR Radio  

It's Thanksgiving, and CR Radio spends some time reflecting on the holiday through the eyes and voice of Twila Glenn of the Alban Institute, who works with poverty issues. We'll also have some fun with a turkey shoot and book give away

October was mental health month, and CR Radio is pleased to present the past president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Indianapolis to discuss mental health issues and the clergy.

The U.S. State Department recently released its annual report on the state of religious freedom across the globe. (Read the report at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/index.htm) Dr. Chris Seiple will join us to discuss the report. Dr. Seiple is the president of the Institute for Global Engagement, a "think-tank with legs" that promotes sustainable environments for religious freedom worldwide. A graduate of Stanford, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Fletcher School for Law & Diplomacy, he is also the founder of The Review of Faith & International Affairs (www.rfiaonline.org), a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (Philadelphia), a member at the Council on Foreign Relations (New York), and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (London).

When we think about the things that qualify people for jobs--experienced, responsible, reliable--there's often an unspoken threat in the terms. No one need apply who is in-experienced, ir-responsible, or un-reliable. Blogger Wayne Floyd of the Alban Institute asked a bigger question recently: What would it be like if we could advertise religious job openings in our communities without the dis-qualifications looming so large, and instead could say just what it is that we really need the most? His post (http://albanroundtable.org/?p=928#comments) drew a slew of interesting comments. Wayne and some of those who commented join us today to talk about what it really takes to do the job of ministry.

A recent Pew Forum study on "converts" concludes that they tend to be more religious, more "faithful," if you will, then those who grow up in the church and stay with it. But there are many unanswered questions related to the study. How is "convert" defined? How is faithfulness measured? And what does any of it mean for clergy and laity? Scott Thumma of Hartford Seminary and Deborah Bruce of Presbyterian Church USA join us for a discussion of converts and their affect on the life of the church.

Nathan Bierma of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship talks about Twitter, Facebook, and the challenges and opportunities they present ministers. He also talks about how these technologies are affecting our spirituality and worship practices.