THE BULLETIN OF IBTM 
with Douglas Jacoby


For the audiovisual version of the bulletin (YouTube, about 3 minutes, read by Chase Mackintosh), click here. 

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14 May 2025

Good morning from sunny England!

We’re back from the beautiful city of Geneva, after a great weekend of fellowship with friends, teaching, preaching, meals, and lots of discussion. We deeply appreciate the invitation and the fellowship of Daniel and Ania Bertholet and Thierry and Isabelle Fender.

Also, on Monday I spoke to a group of about 20 scientists and engineers (including several atheists and Muslims) at Transmutex, a company whose mission is "to produce scalable carbon-free energy by recycling existing nuclear waste.” The CEO is a close friend of Daniel's, and had invited me to speak on “Resilience, Grace & the Journey.” I was thrilled by how many attended—men and women from Switzerland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Mexico, the United States, Turkey, and Belgium. The message was well received and was followed by 40 minutes of robust discussion.

In this week’s bulletin you’ll find guest articles from Australia and India, a few new Q&As, and even a humorous (though challenging) piece from ChatGPT.

Is Evangelism Broken?
by Andrew Kitchen (Sydney)

There was this guy who appeared one day and started preaching a message he called good news.

A lot of people heard it at the time. A few became his followers. And then he got killed by the Romans.

His followers kept spreading the message throughout the Mediterranean world — despite serious opposition. Today, Christians still preach a message. But is it the same one that the first guy taught? Or has it become hopelessly syncretized with culture and politics? Or systematized and simplified (i.e., dumbed down) for efficient consumption and replication?

The real question: How is evangelism going in the twenty-first century — and does it need a rethink? KEEP READING

If ChatGPT Was the Pope

My friend Thierry Fender recently asked a question of ChatGPT (shortly before the recent election). “As the new pope, what reforms would you work to restore the church to the faith of the apostolic age?”

The responses of the all-knowing AI genius are instructive! Click on the image at the left for the YouTube video (5 minutes). It may be easier to listen while following the transcript.

Click here for the transcript, including a 10-part sermon series suggested by ChatGPT.
And click here for the French video version.

Questions & Answers

Q1694: There's a woman we have been sharing the gospel who wants to be baptized—but she's in the hospital and no tanks are on-site. (It's unlikely she'll ever leave the hospital.) Have you had any experience with this sort of issue? KEEP READING

Q1695: I listened to a great series about hearing God entitled "Can You Hear Me Now?” You have much to occupy your reading and listening time, but I think you would appreciate this. What do you think? KEEP READING

Q1696: Have you changed your mind about the miraculous gifts? I read an early version of your book The Spirit, or perhaps it was The Powerful Delusion, and I am wondering how your thinking may have developed.  KEEP READING

Participatory Preaching & Teaching
by Mukund Mishra (India)

Today, many church gatherings follow a structured, staff-led format often called “worship services.” While this method has its strengths, it raises an important question: does it reflect the practices of the early church as described in the Bible? In Scripture, we see a different approach — gatherings where believers actively participate and contribute.  KEEP READING

Until next week…

That’s all for today. Below is the (final, edited) talk Vicki and I had with British minster Malcolm Cox last week (of higher quality than the version shared in last week’s bulletin). Thank you for your prayers and support!
—Douglas

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