I am happy that I was able to present to the class this week “Shared Parishes” the book written by Brett Hoover.  The challenges the parishioners had to deal with from sharing a church facility or the integration of people from different backgrounds is something everyone in America has gone through. With the promise of the “American Dream” how can we blame others for wanting what is best for themselves but also for their family? With President Trump bringing up a great deal of hate in the country the fear that has been burden upon people is unimaginable. In my opinion and as seen through my case presentation the faster we adapt to change and are willing to be open minded to the ways of other cultural background the happier our country will be, and the more likely we will all grow as individuals.

Listening to the presentations I came upon one reoccurring theme; religion has such a positive influence on follower’s no matter what faith members practice. Perhaps my favorite presentation this week was the one done on the Paradigm churches. After the presentation was done I understood why they are so popular, the fact that there not a hierarchy, that they use all the senses to portray their message and how they focus in on smaller focus groups reminds of me so much of school at U of R. All of these elements make for the ideal learning environment. The genius behind this way of preaching is that by creating a place where people feel empowered and motivated to learn is the best way to get a message across.