On November 9, we hosted our seventh annual Elders Q&A. Per usual, we spent about an hour answering questions you submitted ahead of the event and then took a handful from the floor. Topics ranged from what heaven is like to whether AI will make work obsolete. For more on our aims and process leading up to this event, read our invitation post.
Here’s a list of the questions we asked with the timestamps for the audio. We encourage you to listen to the entire Q&A for context and the spirit of the evening.
Opening Comments and Introductions (0:00)
- What have we been studying together as an elder team? (11:02)
Turning Fifty at Hudson and Old Spartanburg Roads (15:57)
- We just had a constitution update. What is the history of constitution updates over the past fifty years? (17:21)
- Now about our recent constitution update. How are you encouraged? What should we expect going forward? (23:06)
- We can’t talk about turning fifty without talking about the Next Fifty, our building project. How are you encouraged? What’s next? What’s needed right now? (24:04)
Questions for Pilgrims on the Road to a Heavenly Country (30:40)
- When you think about heaven, what do you personally think about? What do you think it will feel like? What do you see? What do you hear? (30:55)
- Do you think there are practical differences between walking with God’s Holy Spirit and what many have touted as preaching the gospel to ourselves? (38:50)
- When is it the duty of a member of the church to bring unrepentant sin in their marriage to others, starting the church discipline process versus living with your spouse in an understanding way? (46:03)
- What are your recommendations for leading a Bible study that is outside of what the church already has? (58:39)
- I’ve been watching some podcast interviews of AI industry leaders. Some speak about the prospect of super abundance and that we won’t need to work. Some suggest humans won’t even be around in a few years. Is this another Y2K or are these dreamers and doomsayers correct? Also, are we in a simulation? (1:00:35)
Open Mic (1:05:15)
- So what were the jalapeños? (1:06:14)
- You mentioned that you don’t normally talk about current topics in your preaching. You had some reasons why, and I wondered if you could explain that. (1:07:28)
- Isaiah 65 describes the new heavens and the new earth. It’s a really interesting passage that says we will build houses, inhabit them, and that God’s chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands. So, I’m curious about the idea of vocation and its connection on the other side. (1:12:00)
- We were really encouraged by the panel of those who came and spoke of Heritage planting churches. I was wondering if there is still a need in this local area for church planting and what is the future for church planting for Heritage? (1:14:33)
- Closing prayer of thanksgiving and petition for the church. (1:19:09)
As promised, if you submitted a question and we didn’t answer it at the Q&A, we’ll be in touch in the coming weeks to initiate a reply either over email or in person. Of course, as questions come to mind across the year, you can ask an elder in person or just email us at elders@heritagegvl.com. This event is not the only venue for engaging our elders with a question. Rather, it is an especially public forum that we hope to set the tone and invite your engagement in more personal ways across the year.
For more Q&A engagement of this sort, review our recaps from previous years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
