We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Stone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I run a discussion group for “fringies.” I started using the word “fringie” after someone jokingly used it in conversation with me and I liked it. A fringie is someone on the edge or outside of Christian faith. So, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, people who have been disillusioned or wounded by the church… those kind of folks. Several years ago I was talking with a friend who had grown up Christian and had walked away from his faith, but really missed the deep discussion and community of the church, so I came up with an idea for a group I now host once a month, called “Conversations.”
Conversations is open to people of any worldview who enjoy talking about big ideas and meaningful questions. I make a home-cooked meal, they bring the whiskey and wine, and we spend a couple hours discussing that evening’s topic. We’ve tackled subjects like morality, feminism, worth and dignity, legacy, aliens and ghosts, evolution, string theory, gender ideology, forgiveness, and so much more. It’s a rare space where we can all disagree about opinions and worldviews, and still enjoy each other, learn from each other, and form lasting friendships.
It feels like it’s getting more and more difficult in our current cultural moment, to have winsome, respectful conversation about important areas of disagreement and still walk away friends, but that’s exactly what this group does. It’s also increasingly unheard of to be able to openly share my convictions as a Christian, in a group of nonbelievers, where they truly want to know what I think and encourage me to speak freely about my beliefs. Getting to talk abut the things that matter most in this world with thoughtful people is so fulfilling.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Sure! I’m a single mom, a flaming extrovert, and a theology nerd who loves good food, good drink, and good conversation. I’ve always been drawn to engaging people with different, and often skeptical, views around religion. I got my Masters in Counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago and worked for a bit as a therapist. But life brought me to Texas and then through a series of painful events over the years, including divorce/learning how to be a single mom, the death of my younger brother, and more. So, I’m acquainted with suffering and can empathize with those who have been hurt by the church or hurt by other Christians. I think that uniquely qualifies me to be able to have deep and often heartbreaking conversations with people struggling with ideas like, “how could a good God allow such terrible things to happen in this world?” But it also allows me to be able to share how my faith has carried me through truly dark times with an other-worldly peace.
It’s in that spirit that I co-founded “Theology on Tap” seven years ago. At “ToT,” as we often call it, you’ll find craft beer, good food, trivia, 100+ other young adults from all over Houston, and a feisty group of pastors and professors talking through and answering questions about all kinds of fascinating theological, philosophical, socio-political, and cultural topics. Every other month since 2015, I’ve hosted and emceed this event for young adults and millennials in Houston.
The idea for Theology on Tap came out of brainstorming with another local pastor about how we could get a critical mass of young adults together for community building, networking, dating, and all the while thinking through relevant, and sometimes controversial, topics of the day.
Theology on Tap’s leadership team sounds like the beginning of a bad joke – “a Methodist, a Lutheran, and Baptist walk into a bar…” But it’s true! We have 7 Christian denominations represented and we love showing Houstonians how people with differing perspectives can charitably disagree about certain ideas, but walk away as friends, sharing a beer together, and agreeing on the fundamental truths. Most events consist of a short talk by one or two guest speakers on a relevant topic, and then a large format group discussion where people text in questions to our panel, all while sipping craft beer. All sorts of folks come to our events – from those who have grown up in the Bible belt to staunch atheists, and everyone in-between.
I’m so proud of this endeavor. We haven’t shied away from tough questions, and I think we’re showing Houston how people can charitably disagree about these topics even amid a zeitgeist that so quickly cancels those who aren’t on “our side.” Plus, did I mention the delicious beer?
If you’re in the Houston area, we’d love to have you come check us out! All our events can be found on our website: www.HoustonToT.com
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
In a world where everyone has “their own truth,” I’m desperately trying to search for THE truth, and help others in that endeavor. That classic quote, that the truth will set you free, is straight from the mouth of Jesus. He was telling his followers that if they know him, they’ll know truth. And that truth will set them free! That’s such a counter-cultural idea today, that a person could be “the” truth. But I believe Jesus really was who he claimed to be – God. And if you know Him, your life will be different. You’ll have hope and joy and peace. I want people to experience that, not just in the life to come, but right now!
So whether it’s beer and Q&A or conversations about socio-political ideas with mixed world views, I’m constantly trying to be a winsome ambassador for the truth of the gospel, and invite people to consider Jesus.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
My favorite parts of my job are when I’m teaching or having meaningful conversation with someone about the really important stuff of life, and they have one of those “aha” or “I can take a deep breath” moments. Maybe it’s explaining something from the Bible that was really confusing, or empathizing with someone about how the hypocrisy in the church pushes people away from trusting anyone, or just listening as someone tells their own story…engaging with people on the stuff that really matters, gives me purpose.
I’ve been lucky enough to curate my job around my passions and gifting, so I get paid to do all the things I love most – community building events (game nights, dancing, dinner parties, etc.), discussion events, Bible study, one-on-one conversations, and more. Being able to quickly move past the surface topics we waste so much time talking about, and get to the ideas that really shape our lives and give us meaning, is the most rewarding thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HoustonToT.com
- Instagram: houstontot
- Facebook: facebook.com/theologyontaphouston
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChQ_ea2P2HY3ZqVgh1-v9Tw
Image Credits
Christina Evans, Tyler De Lane and Charlotte Stone