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Many Christians struggle to understand how their individual circumstances relate to God’s redemptive mission in the world. From its very beginning, Regent College has been committed to helping lay believers see that all facets of their lives––their work, their home, their relationships––are critical to that mission.

Regent Exchange: Churches for the Common Good is a fresh expression of this longstanding conviction. In this new project, formerly known as the Calling Initiative, Regent will partner with a number of churches throughout Cascadia to explore the ways God has called his people to serve the common good. Those partnerships will produce new resources and lifelong learning opportunities for lay believers in partner churches and beyond.

Dr. Rhonda McEwen, Director of Regent Exchange, commented: “Regent Exchange is a wonderful expression of Regent's long commitment to integrative theology that embraces all of life. Its new name conveys our deepest hopes for the project: that it will involve a fruitful exchange of ideas between Regent and the churches involved in the project, and that it will serve those churches well as they explore what it means to serve the common good.

“Local churches are uniquely positioned to teach, equip, and send Christians to participate both individually and collectively in God’s mission in the neighbourhoods, marketplaces, and community spaces that we share. I'm excited about this opportunity to help churches understand how Regent's integrative approach to theology can equip their congregations to serve the common good in their particular contexts.”

The core Regent Exchange team includes Dr. McEwen, Research Associate Elsie Lo, and Research Assistant Kelly Maurice, in collaboration with others internal to Regent College and within the wider Christian community. In the early stages of the project, Dr. McEwen and her team are gathering resources on questions of Christian calling, identifying partner churches with a deep interest in these questions, and laying the groundwork for a learning community that will explore these questions together. 

A more extensive research phase will follow. Regent Exchange will work with partner churches to develop resources and strategies to empower their congregations to serve the common good in each of their particular contexts. This process will be funded by a series of grants generously supported by the Lilly Endowment Inc. 

Throughout the project, the Regent Exchange team will cultivate a learning community marked by mutually encouraging relationships with and among partner churches. Regent College will participate as a member of this community, gleaning from the experiences of partner churches, engaging students in the research process, and building on the College’s existing scholarship and expertise in integrative theology.

Check back for more information about Regent Exchange in the coming weeks or write to [email protected] for additional details.