This all started with two friends who met in seminary and bonded over their love for ice cream. It became a mission to find the best ice cream place (within a drivable distance at least). These weekly ice cream outings led to great conversation about things we were learning, questions we were having, and dreams we were dreaming. One day after failing at 3 different ice cream parlors, we laughed at each other and said, “gosh, we should write a book about this!” It only took a moment for us to look further at each other and say, “no really, we should write a book about this and all the ways we’ve learned about God through ice cream and conversation.”

So that’s the heart of this study: let’s have some conversation about God over ice cream. Of course, it does not mean that everyone has to love ice cream or even that they agree with every flavor. The idea is connecting and seeing God in everyday things. As much fun as it is to read ancient theologians and attempt to decipher their context and meaning, we found that we learned the most in seminary, about ourselves and about God, over ice cream with our best friend. We pray that your conversations are fruitful and your ice cream is delicious!

You do not have to be a white-haired man holed up in a dark room far away from people (at least, this was Kelly’s understanding of theologians at first) to be a theologian. We all contribute to the study of God – just by being our fullest selves and asking questions about the world and where the Divine might be. This work matters because the greatest growth in our faith comes when we do the hard work ourselves. Where do you see God? How do you understand salvation? What can we do to bring about justice and mercy in this world? Your answers, coming from your background and your experiences with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, shape who you are and who you believe God to be.

A bonus feature of this work as it’s done in groups is that someone else’s understanding might enlighten your own. We do the work of ministry together. Kelly and Zach pray that they would always rest in that truth. We are not meant to do it alone. So, we designed this study so that you might build relationships on your love of ice cream, of course, but also your curiosity about faithful living. 

The end result is not a one-size-fits-all, complete and infallible theology that works for everyone in every time. Our hope is that the end result is tools – tools to see the world differently, tools to engage with Scripture honestly and respectfully, tools to have meaningful conversation, and tools to realize your own contributions to the world of theology. Even if you come up with no answers at all and all you leave with is a few extra scoops of ice cream, that’s okay with us, too. We believe God to be loving, present, creative, and faithful. So no matter the outcome, begin with this end in mind: you are loved and you are enough.