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Adam Copeland
Fargo, ND
Adam Copeland, Adam, an INTJ, coffee shop-loving, book-reading, NPR-listening, question-asking college religion faculty member and PhD student living in Fargo, ND.
Interests: pastor stuff, communication, culture, emergent church, worship, good coffee, social media, running, cross-country skiing, NPR
Recent Activity
Protesting corportations while wearing JCrew & speaking on an iPhone
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a Gathering Voices post by Adam J. Copeland One of my more conservative friends posted this picture on his Facebook page recently, shared under the headline, “It’s funny, because it’s true.” I get it. Ironic, right? Maybe so. Yes, the captions make a point, but it’s not one I find... Continue reading
Posted Oct 12, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Young adults are amoral heathens, but what's new?
A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland This week’s Theology Pub, a gathering of 20/30-somethings The Project FM hosts at a local bar to talk about God and life, tackled the topic “Is my truth better than yours?” Though it came out a few days too late, David Brooks’ NY... Continue reading
Posted Sep 14, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Sing a new/old/tricky psalm to God
A Gathering Vocies post by Adam Copeland This post comes to you live from Louisville, Kentucky where I’m attending a meeting of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song (PCOCS). For several years now, PCOCS has met to select the contents, format, etc. of the next collection of Presbyterian songs and... Continue reading
Posted Aug 31, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Never Kill A Question
The young adult emergent ministry I lead takes a different sort of approach to event planning than the approach of most congregations. From our inception, the bias of our leadership was not to jump to planning activities and events because, well, there’s plenty of churches in Fargo-Moorhead that lack young... Continue reading
Posted Aug 17, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Thanks for that comment. I totally agree. In my experience, though, it's not as much YAs who have given up on intergenerational experiences--not at all--but folks in the Church who say "we love YAs" and then expect them to be like older generations. I do like to think about tackling that broader point, though: who needs to give what so we can connect both as peers and across generations?
Toggle Commented Aug 4, 2011 on Young Adult Ministry Reconsidered at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
Young Adult Ministry Reconsidered
A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland I just got in from a lovely block party celebrating National Night Out Block Party Night. At the party several friendly folks asked, “So, what do you do?” I always hesitate a bit when I get that question these days. It’s complicated. I... Continue reading
Posted Aug 3, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Eugene Peterson: Pastor, Author of 30 Books, and RUNNER
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland Upon a good friend’s recommendation, I recently picked up Eugene Peterson’s memoir creatively titled The Pastor: A Memoir. OK, no points for creativity, but Peterson makes it all up with the prose. If your familiar with the venerable pastor Peterson’s other work (books... Continue reading
Posted Jul 20, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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In PC(USA), "Minister" no more. Now: "Teaching Elder."
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland I’ve struggled with living into a pastoral identity ever since I started seminary. I blog on it from time to time (e.g. here, here, and here). When I served as a parish pastor, some people called me “Pastor Adam,” and that was fine... Continue reading
Posted Jul 13, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Explaining the Emergent Church in 500 Words
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland Churchy stuff carries with it a lot of insider language. What the heck is a “narthex?” What does “ELCA” stand for and how is the “E” for “Evangelical” different from what some call -- using a more blanket term -- “evangelicals?” And, when... Continue reading
Posted Jul 6, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Review: "What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?"
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I work with 20-30 somethings who are not connected to a faith community. Many books published by denominational publishing houses are, well, nice for me to read but not particularly applicable to my work as a mission developer. Martin Thielen’s new book, however, is spot-on for those interested in the... Continue reading
Posted Jun 29, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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New youth study on tattoos
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland To tattoo or not to? That is the question. At least it is for many folks these days. Some estimate that approaching 40% of people under 40 have tattoos. While I don’t have one, many of my friends do -- of crosses, words... Continue reading
Posted Jun 22, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Searching for the signal
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a Gathering Voices post by Adam J. Copeland Recently I’ve been working a lot with a conference theme, “Searching for the Signal.” By, “a lot” I mean — preaching on it for two weeks, reflecting on a small group manual all about it, enjoying recreation based upon it, and listening... Continue reading
Posted Jun 15, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Conference sermons
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This post comes to you from Montreat, North Carolina where I’m preaching for two weeks of the Montreat Youth Conference. This post was supposed to be written before now, but life being as it is, I’m writing live from my stay at the conference center. So it will be short... Continue reading
Posted Jun 8, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Down with the women's group...and the men's!
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland It’s a common joke for pastors transitioning to a new call, but it’s also deadly serious: change what you dare in a new congregation, but whatever you do, mess with the women’s group at your peril. The same can be said for men’s... Continue reading
Posted Jun 1, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Squirrels dying in your yard and people dying in Africa
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland My partner Megan and I have had shared some eery moments recently when we both independently had what we thought were unique thoughts only to find we were thinking the same thing. For example, we both had planned to bring the same risotto... Continue reading
Posted May 25, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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A Lutheran, a Presbyterian, and a Zombie walk into a bar...
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland The question was on the tip of my tongue last weekend when Rev. Mark Hanson, the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, spoke at a town hall forum in Moorhead, Minn. But I didn’t ask it. I feared my question wouldn’t be taken seriously.... Continue reading
Posted May 18, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Smartphones in the sanctuary
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a Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland I’m in a teaching and technology mode at the moment -- taught a sunday school class via Skype last weekend on faith and technology, planning a workshop on postmodern worship for this weekend, and beginning to map out a presbytery event on stewardship... Continue reading
Posted May 11, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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A letter to my new representatives
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a Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland To my new congressional representatives: Sen. Al Franken, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Rep. Collin Peterson, I have recently moved into your district and I thought I would take the time to introduce myself. Though I've moved plenty in the past few years, I've... Continue reading
Posted May 4, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Beyond boxes: imagining how to move well
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland Oh, moving. Cardboard boxes. Back strains. Getting the furniture arranged just right. In a few short weeks, I’ll be doing it again. In the past five years I’ve lived in four different places (Decatur, Ga; Ayr, Scotland; Grand Forks, N.D., and now Moorhead,... Continue reading
Posted Apr 27, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Taxing the uninformed
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland The Obamas and Bidens released their tax returns this week. If you were wondering, President Obama made $1.7 million, well down from last year (I guess e-book sales really are hurting authors these days). The Bidens’ income was $379,000, though their charitable giving... Continue reading
Posted Apr 20, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Slow coffee, slow Internet, slow everything
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam J. Copeland A recent story on NPR’s All Things Considered explored a curious new craze: the slow internet movement. In hipster enclaves like the coffeehouse Drip in Washington, D.C., counter-cultural types are claiming a more calming and intentional way of enjoying the Internet by... Continue reading
Posted Apr 13, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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What makes Christian community?
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam Copeland Back on my first day as a parish pastor, I came into the church office and the secretary causally mentioned, “a few people might come by for coffee later.” Well, a few people turned out to be half the church! We moved to... Continue reading
Posted Apr 6, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Book review: David Beckman's "Exodus from Hunger"
A Gathering Voices post by Adam J. Copeland It seems to be in the headlines every week in Minnesota -- “Homelessness Numbers Rise,” “Food Pantries Struggle to Keep up With Demand,” “Income Gap Widens” -- our world, and our nation, is hungry. I know this. But, at the same time,... Continue reading
Posted Mar 30, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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I heard this piece and read the TIME article on Schultz last week. Funny thing, though, is that I'm not sure Starbuck's core principles as I would describe them (or the baristas I know) have anything to do with breakfast rolls or flavored instant coffee. So, yes, I totally love your point, and I guess I'd say, "no, we probably can't agree on them." Starbucks has the advantage of Schultz and the board saying, "These are our core principles, go make them happen." But the PCUSA doesn't work that way. We're having lots of issues in Northern Plains Presbytery at the moment about these exact things. If we can agree on a core, it's a pretty superficial one because it's boiled-down so much. Um, so, yeah... good luck! :)
Toggle Commented Mar 28, 2011 on Starbucks CEO: "We needed to get back to our Core Principles" #mgbcomm at Tod Bolsinger
Jell-O Confessions
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A Gathering Voices post by Adam J. Copeland Pastoral ministry is a funny thing. A few years ago, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined myself pastor of a rural congregation 20 miles from Canada (I grew up in Florida!). But then we moved up here, I got... Continue reading
Posted Mar 23, 2011 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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