Join the Pilot
Be one of the first to sit at the Table
Before Church in Conversation opens more broadly, a small group of early testers is helping us see it clearly — what works, what doesn't, and where it still falls short. We're looking for four kinds of readers, and we'd like at least one of each.
The first round is small on purpose. If it's full by the time you reach out, your interest carries straight over to the next one — nothing is lost by expressing interest now.
What this actually is
This is an early build, not a finished product. Scholarly review of the historical reconstructions is still ongoing — it hasn't yet been checked by outside historians and theologians the way it eventually will be. You'd be testing something real and cared-for, but still a serious first draft. If something feels off, thin, or wrong, that's exactly the kind of thing we need to hear.
The commitment is small: one sitting (45–60 minutes) at your own pace, followed by a short 15–20 minute conversation afterward about what you noticed. That's it.
The four seats we're looking to fill
Which one sounds like you?
Seat 1
Regular visitor
Real Christian background, no academic or pastoral training. Tests whether this is genuinely readable and clear for someone without specialized vocabulary.
Seat 2
Pastor or teacher
Someone who naturally reaches for sermon-prep or teaching angles. Tests whether the encounter offers something substantive to someone who already teaches others.
Seat 3
Academic or scholar
Real training in history, theology, or a related field. Tests whether the sourcing and precision hold up to someone who knows how to press on a claim.
Seat 4
Reevaluation
Someone actively wrestling with faith questions — reconsidering, questioning, or reconstructing what they believe. This is exactly who "a doorway, not a home" is written for.
Express interest
Tell us a little about yourself
Think of this as a first conversation. Fill this out, and Mark will personally follow up before anything is set up.
Know someone who'd fit?
If you've read this and thought of someone else — a pastor, a skeptic friend, a professor, anyone who came to mind — forward this page to them. Filling all four seats with the right people matters more than filling them quickly.