Recently we sat down with our senior pastor, Tom Nelson to hear his heart about Dr. Curt Thompson’s upcoming visit to Christ Community.  

Who is Dr. Curt Thompson?   

As a committed follower of Jesus and a practicing psychiatrist in the Washington D.C. area, Curt uniquely sits in the illuminating intersection of biblical theology, spiritual formation, neuroscience, and psychology. Curt is the author of two really important and outstanding books, The Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame.

Tell us about your growing friendship with Curt Thompson?

I first encountered Curt through his writings. I was immediately drawn to his well-informed, integrated mind and tender heart. A couple of years ago, I reached out to him for an extended conversation and he was gracious to warmly respond. More recently my wife Liz and I spent an evening with Curt. He is not only wonderfully insightful, but also really fun to be around. Liz and I have also sat under Curt’s teaching at a conference, and are so excited to spend more time with him when he comes to speak to the Christ Community family on April 23.

Why are you so excited about Curt’s upcoming visit to Christ Community?  

Curt Thompson is a growing national voice bringing needed insight to the church, related to spiritual formation, interpersonal intimacy, and fostering healthy spiritual community. As a practicing psychiatrist, he is immersed daily in the broken human condition. It is out of this very down to earth, practical context that Curt calls for greater integration of our Christian faith, weaving together the transformative spiritual disciplines along with fresh insight from interpersonal neurobiology.

What is Curt Thompson going to speak about?

He will be speaking on the topic of shame bringing insights from his book, The Soul of Shame. His talk will raise our awareness regarding shame and point us to practical applications in our relationships and daily life. Curt is a very engaging communicator, and I think our church family will really enjoy listening and learning from him. We have also planned an interactive response time following Curt’s talk.

Why is this matter of shame so important?

It is hugely important. Shame plays a major role in the biblical narrative. Shame is involved in humankind’s tragic and devastating fall into sin and death. It is like kryptonite of the soul. Shame impairs our relationship with God and others. Shame destroys community. Shame robs our joy and hinders our creativity and vocational productivity. There simply is no part of our lives where shame does not surface and wreak havoc. Curt will help us not only see the devastating impact of shame, but also point us to gospel hope and increasingly integrated lives where shame has a decreasing influence over us, within us, and between us.    

Do you have any final words for us?

As a church family we are incredibly blessed to have someone of Curt Thompson’s stature with us. He has never been to Kansas City before and although I hope we can get him back again someday, this may well be the only time we will have with him. I guess I simply want to say, do not miss this great opportunity to learn, grow, and experience greater joy as an apprentice of Jesus. REGISTER HERE >