Conference is over in Sheffield. It went really well and was organized well. Great time of networking with the usual suspects and some new faces. Some of the emerging church folk felt it could have been more participatory and perhaps ending with a statement or document. But it was very worthwhile being here.
Jonny Baker did some worship this morning {loved that 40 days video – anyone know where to download it???] and the Lindisfarne crew were here the whole time with their semi-celtic-folksy worship. Graham Cray was in excellent form and managed to stimulate much discussion. Martin Robinson had Ngwiza (DAWN International) say a few words.
Best line was from Jim of Urban Expressions (Shadwell, East London) describing what happened when someone visited his church:"He came to our church which was a meal on the kitchen table in a house. He brought with him a brown paper bag with a bottle of vodka in it."
Best criticism was on the final overhead: "Where are the young, female, working class church leaders? The gathering is very male, middle aged and middle class."
40 images are at
http://www.maybe.org.uk/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=mb&item_id=40bySiSmith
or you can buy a CD ROM of it as a movie etc from http://www.proost.co.uk
good seeing you
thanks jonny for the link to those images. you did really well this morning.
“Where are the young, female, working class church leaders? The gathering is very male, middle aged and middle class.”
What are your thoughts on this Andrew?
hey andrew,
it was nice meeting you at the conference. i felt that the asian and african churches were under-represented at the conference. i loved jonny baker’s worship leading and hope to go to his church when in london on sunday.
blessings,
sn
Good meeting you again – cheers
I’m getting tired of hearing that same old male, white, middle aged, middle class jabber jabber complain
that erupts after every confrence somehow linked with emergent or the emerging church
as if confrences are the be all and end all of the kingdom of God anyway.
but sometimes instead of complaining at the lack of (insert your own minority) leaders at said confrence, notice the lack of (again instert own minority) in the church as a whole
then instead of moaning maybe one or two people should go looking to make disciples of (said minority) baptising them in the name of the father son and holy spirit
you never know it might help church confrences ina few years time help reach there quota’s on speakers.
Thnx for the report 🙂
And would be itneresting to hear w few thoughts on the criticism part…
like marymag and – they are way ahead of us – oot in the LAND … oot in creation, oot into the beating depths of oor cities (where Christ is: where things are NOW being created) completely disinterested in congregations
even emerging ones
I’m young female and from a working class background and I work for St Thomas’ in Sheffield…
ok- a belated comment… but i agree with your sentiments. being 1. female 2. asian 3. from a catholic background… i appreciate you calling out out what is missing…
ps did you ever find the download to the 40 days thing?