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The New Wine, New Wineskins Program offers a refreshingly open forum for dialogue regarding some of the challenging issues of our time. Refusing to fit neatly into stereotypical “liberal” or “conservative” perspectives, Dr. Paul Metzger successfully fosters thoughtful, interdisciplinary conversations on the root causes of poverty, disease, intolerance, and solutions to these social challenges. I applaud New Wine, New Wineskins Seminars for bringing together persons of diverse viewpoints in order to explore new responses to the most serious social issues of our time.

We’re proud to have New Wine, New Wineskins as an integral part of Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Its thought-provoking topics stimulate our thinking and challenge us to put our theology into action so that we can be the transforming light of Christ in our communities.

New Wine, New Wineskins is doing what the church should be leading in, but sadly isn’t. New Wine is reaching out to individuals and communities outside the church, as Jesus did, and is inviting them into a conversation. It’s earning the right to be heard by engaging those who have been for far too long on the periphery. As New Wine does this, it educates and challenges us–the church. It teaches us not to retreat in fear but to advance in love. As someone who grew up in the U.S. half Palestinian, half Costa Rican, and all American, I found myself easily crossing these three cultures and building bridges of respect and understanding–the tools that pave the way for deeper relating and the joy of shared living. As a professional in my field, I do basically the same thing. I cross multiple cultures for the purpose of greater communication. This is also what New Wine does. It crosses the great divisions facing humankind such as race, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc., and proclaims–not approval, but acceptance–and a desire to engage. New Wine does it because it is what Jesus did and still wants to do through us–the church.

Jesus used metaphors of salt and light to describe how his followers are to live in society. New Wine, New Wineskins is leading the charge in a compassionate revolution to live as salt and light in our churches and communities, and is equipping a new wave of leaders to engage our culture redemptively in view of Jesus’ explosive power, compassion, and character. Thank you, Dr. Metzger—my friend and fellow pilgrim—for equipping an army of biblically sound and theologically grounded followers of Jesus who are community-sensitive and culturally connected in order to penetrate our world and society with the transforming truth of the Gospel. For the Christian who longs to make a difference in today’s contemporary culture, I highly recommend attending their cutting edge conferences and subscribing to their journal, Cultural Encounters. Thank you, New Wine, New Wineskins. I stand by your side in this battle, believing we can and will influence our culture for Jesus’ sake.

If the Gospel of Jesus is a bridge, New Wine, New Wineskins is scouting the far shore. The importance of this ministry cannot be overstated. Attend one of the conferences and see for yourself.