and

A very interesting, and I think very important conversation is about to take place around "the Gospel, politics & the future."

Here is an excerpt from an email my friend Keelan Downton sent this morning.  "This June 8-10, scholars, artists, activists, and pastors will converge on Princeton to envision a course for Christian political engagement over the next decade. We hope you'll be one of them. Over 60 leaders will guide a strategic conversation and deep meditation to discern what it means to be a prophetic Christian in America today."

For more details visit: www.ev08.org

Peace, dwight

What is the future or possible futures of evangelicalism?

The movement of evangelicalism seems to be at a crossroads. The baton of leadership of the modern evangelical movement is being passed along. The political landscape is changing. The philosophical and cultural context in the America is changing. Ecclesiologies and understandings of leadership are morphing. Evangelical schools are wrestling with these deep shifts.

Who are next leaders picking up the mantel of leadership and what do kinds of evangelicalism might we anticipate in this transition? What are the greatest challenges for evangelicalism in this season? What practices and what theologies will be maintained, what requires reformation, what past theologies and practices do we as a movement need to repent of, and how might we envision this movement's future.

These are some of the kinds of questions that a small group writers and thinkers are engaging in a new writing project. I am beginning to work on my essays for the collection and I'm looking for suggested reading and ideas to consider.

peace, dwight

I find myself looking for conversation partners.  I’m looking for new paradigm churches (emerging, neo-monastic, simple, avant-churches, etc.), who are intentionally partnering with more established congregations in mission and mutual transformation.  And the reverse as well, for established congregations who have pursued partnership with new paradigm churches. 

I find myself wondering about how both groups are formed and transformed through their ongoing engagement.  I wonder about those things that both have been invited into from the other: new expressions of life, greater sense of rooted-ness into larger ecclesial narrative, and of course the invitation to surrender in the context of relationship. 

Churches are more missiologically informed today than almost anytime in the last 1,500 years of church history, and I’m wondering what impact the growing quest for contextual resonance may be having on the kinds of partnerships that establishes churches missionally form. 

So if you, or someone you know of, is intentionally pursuing a relationship that invites an established and new paradigm church to dance together, please email me or simply reply to this post; I’d sure appreciate it. 

Peace, dwight

One of the advantages of being connected with Mars Hill Graduate School is the various events and opportunities that come along. One such opportunity is Brian McLaren’s Deep Shift tour in connection with his latest book, Everything Must Change.  Brian and friends will be stopping in a number of cities about the U.S. and will be in Seattle on April 11-12, 2008.

The organizers of this conferences are clearly tuned in to the emerging conversation as evidenced by their fantastic line-up of speakers and breakout leaders, including:

• Brian McLaren
• Mark Yaconelli
• Shane Claiborne
• Kara Powell
• Dan Kimball
• Scot McKnight

You can find out more by going to the main conference website or click here to register.

I will be representing emergent village at the National Workshop on Christian Unity in Chicago later this Spring. I’ll have the privilege to present a workshop on emergent village and ecumenism.

BTW, Emergent may have some opportunities to include some other people at the ecumenical table as official delegates to a number of ecumenical gatherings, provided you have the funding to cover your expenses. If you're interested please contact me, or Tony Jones.

Peace, dwight

My friend Jim Henderson together with the collaborative team at Off-the-Map are gearing up for a national conversation happening in Seattle, in early November. This year’s theme is Hear·Listen·Connect.Presenters include Diana Butler Bass, Brian McLaren, Richard Twiss, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, and Todd Hunter and many others, I’ll even get to facilitate a workshop.

My working title for my workshop is:

Orthoparadoxy: embracing the gifts of sin, heresy, and ‘the other’

or

At-One-Ment:  re-imagining ‘a good Christian’

I offered a brief outline of what I mean by “orthoparadoxy” in the new book, Emergent Manifesto of Hope. But I want this workshop to be a practical exploration of how embracing “otherness” is in fact what faithfully walking in the way of Christ is like. We will look at a bit of the theology that undergirds this gracious, Christ-like way of being but mostly we will stretch our connective imaginations for embodying an Orthoparadox way of being.

For those of you who have been redirected to my personal site from Hear·Listen·Connect I thought I’d offer a bit of biographical info:

I teach practical theology at Mars Hill Graduate School and for more than 11 pastored an emerging simple church on Seattle’s eastside. I am active in interfaith and ecumenical conversation; currently serving on the “Faith & Order Commission” of the National Council of Churches. I am active locally, nationally and internationally with missional and emerging church movements. My wife Lynette and our son Pascal live in Bellevue, Washington.

I hope to see you at this conversation.

Peace, dwight

Allelon (Mark Priddy & Alan Roxborogh) is holding a gathering for creation of a Missional Order Andrew Jones and others will be there.

Missional Order Gathering
Pacific Northwest
Oct 15-18 2007

An Emergent Mainline Dialogue
Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington
November 9 & 10

peace, dwight

Off-the-Map (Jim Henderson & crew) are hosting Hear·Listen·Connect in Seattle Nov. 1-3, 2007.  Among others the conversation partners include: Diana Butler Bass, Brian McLaren, Richard Twiss, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, and Todd Hunter. 

What would happen if we practiced dialog instead of debate?

What if we defended relational space as passionately as we protect our beliefs?

At Hear·Listen·Connect it's OK to be honest, share your own questions/concerns and have genuine relationship with people who are different than you.

Here are some questions we will explore together at Hear·Listen·Connect:

Where's the line between acceptance and endorsement and does that even matter?

Is it possible to have an agenda-free relationship and if so, is that OK?

How do you have conversations with people whose viewpoints disturb you?

What do you do when "they" move into your cultural space or you enter theirs?

Peace, dwight 

Had a great family vacation in and around Winnipeg. Connected with a number of church leaders in the avant-church world and connected with lots of family.

One night we got together with Mark Humphries and the simple church he does life with. Mark has been one of the truly innovative leaders in the avant-church world. I first met him in the mid-late '90s at GenX 2.0 where he led a workshop integrating the church and arts. He was so far ahead of his time.

I also got to share breakfast with Brother Maynard. He's a really good missional thinker and has an amazing grasp of the Winnipeg scene.

Next time I hope to also connect with Jamie Arpin-Ricci.

But mostly we spent time with our family. The Friesen family had a big reunion (my dad is one of 12 kids), I hadn't seen some of my cousins in at least 20 years. It was so good to be together, and sense our roots, and hear life stories.

We stayed with Lynette's brother's family. A great time . . . I wish we lived closer together. Here are a couple of photos.

Peace, dwight