Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Stone.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
So… 150 Christians walk into a bar. It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually a big part of what I do. I grew up in a Christian home, and alcohol was something I wasn’t really exposed to much. My family still teases me for worrying about my parents just because they had bought wine coolers to celebrate their anniversary. Who would have guessed that *cough* years later, I would intentionally invite hundreds of people to drink with me while we engage in conversation around spiritual things? “Theology on Tap” was born out of a desire to curate a space where young adults from all over Houston and with varying worldviews could come together to drink craft beer and wrestle with topics of theology, philosophy, religion, Christianity, faith, and culture. In 2015, we launched with a few brews, a panel of local ministry leaders, and a passion to provide a forum for people to bring their questions, doubts, and assumptions about God and this world. We were pleasantly surprised at the response – Theology on Tap had tapped (I couldn’t help it) into something that Houstonians wanted – even needed – and it’s grown since then.
Every other month, we supply a few locally brewed beers for folks to drink while they mix and mingle, then feature at least one guest speaker, followed by a large format group discussion where audience members text questions to a larger panel for Q&A on the topic of the night. Not only does this allow people to think through big questions of life and faith, but it provides space for networking, building community, and even finding someone to date! Past event topics have included “Racial Reconciliation and the Gospel,” “Faith ‘vs’ Science,” “Transhumanism,” “What Does God Say About Homosexuality,” “What I Hate About the Church,” “Faith and Politics,” “Wrestling with Violence in the Bible,” “Heaven & Hell,” and so many more. In 2020, we launched our podcast, “Theology on Air,” with the intent of exploring these subjects more deeply, and we’ve been putting out weekly content since. Every week we interview guests with relevant voices, as well as invite differing viewpoints to debate ideas where we can showcase what it looks like to disagree charitably. The ultimate goal is to engage and encourage people in their discovery of what they believe and point to the truth of the gospel – that Jesus really was who he said he was, that he came to rescue us from this broken world and our own sin, and give us real hope. Theology on Air is available on all podcast platforms as well as the HD2 channel of KPFT.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, considering that the whole thing started with my failed dating life, it was bound to have some sticky wickets. After my divorce and being a new single mom on the dating scene, I found myself meeting lots of fun guys that, while they weren’t right for me romantically, were interesting and engaging. I emailed a group of my single girlfriends and some of these men and arranged a night of wine-tasting, improv comedy, and a little Texas 2-step, and thus was born, “Sarah’s Singles.” The group evolved over time to include single people from all walks of life and differing worldviews who all enjoyed spending time together, whether is was concerts, game nights, dinner parties, holiday gatherings, or even just getting together to talk and lament about the insane world of dating. At that time I was working at a local church, and one of the pastors heard about the group and asked if I’d consider doing something like that in and for the church, and the rest is history. Working with singles and young adults is a bizarre business.
Mostly because people in their 20’s and 30’s are often in a deconstruction & reconstruction phase with what they believe. Many have been hurt, misunderstood, and wounded by the church or other Christians. Others have realized that they swallowed whole the faith of their parents but are wanting to redefine what they believe is true on their own. Still others experience a life-changing event or witness the shifts in culture and are prompted to reevaluate their worldview. Regardless of the precipitating cause, young adults are often on a search for what is true. And unfortunately, this is happening against the backdrop of the rise of postmodern ideology that allows multiple “truths.” If you’re searching for truth in a world where your lived experience tells you “your truth,” it can get pretty confusing pretty quickly. So, a lot of what I do, and love doing, is engaging people on this journey, to be honest about the world, about themselves, about how and where we discover truth, and inviting them to consider Jesus.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and was a therapist in my early career life. But, through a series of life-not-going-how-I-thought-it-would moments, I’ve found myself in a role that couldn’t be more perfect for my skills and passions. I LOVE my job. I am the Outreach Director for Young Adults at a church on Houston’s west side, and I’m especially known for loving and engaging with “fringies.” The term “fringie” was used by someone as a joke and I sorta loved it, so I latched onto it as my own. Fringies are those people on the edges of faith…sometimes a really far edge. Atheists, agnostics, skeptics, those who are leery of all things religious, new believers, and those who have been in or around the church for a long time but who have never really adopted a Christian worldview for themselves.
I absolutely LOVE having conversations around evidence for God, why we could actually believe the Bible, what Christianity offers that you can’t get from any other worldview, and what the heck could ever truly bring joy, peace, or hope into a world as broken as ours. You could call it relational apologetics – offering a reason for the hope I have, in spaces where people can be honest about their struggles and where no amount of skepticism or rejection of my beliefs will offend me. To that end, I run a monthly discussion group for non-believers called “Conversations.” We share our different stories of how we each arrived at our worldview, we question and challenge each other, and we discuss all kinds of ideas around culture and philosophy. All over a home-cooked meal. I also host social events to help young adults build and enjoy community. Happy Hours, dancing, game nights, family-style meals, volleyball, soccer, dinner parties, etc. And lastly, I teach. I love telling the story of the Bible, whether it’s to a Bible study of mostly new believers or giving lectures at the church or Theology on Tap.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve definitely dreamed about turning Theology on Tap and Theology on Air into non-profit organizations and growing our reach even more. And while that may happen one day, right now I’m mostly interested in seeing the way we will rebuild and change coming out of the pandemic. We’re adding new voices to our leadership team and even trying out a new space for our events. Starting in April, you can find us at New Magnolia Brewing Co in the Heights. We also discovered the beauty of virtual Theology on Tap events, so we will continue offering “Ask Us Anything” Q&A events in our ‘off’ months going forward, and those are open to any age in any location, not just young adults in Houston.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarahmariestone@hotmail.com
- Website: HoustonToT.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houstontot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheologyonTapHouston
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChQ_ea2P2HY3ZqVgh1-v9Tw/videos
Image Credits
-MDPC Communications -Andrew King
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