I am off on Monday to Edinburgh and then Germany. I am taking my son Samuel on this trip. One of the highlights for me will be teaching a seminar at Freakstock Festival in Germany on the emerging church. I will be teaching it from a German perspective and will base my history on what God has been doing through the Germans over the past few decades, as well as the influential thinkers behind this current reformation including Bonhoeffer, Hartenstein, Barth in the 30’s. And if we get time, Gustav Warneck, one of missiology’s founders a century ago.
Jesus Freaks International are one of the many movements of God inside the European emerging culture. Started by teenagers in the early nineties, the Freaks quickly grew to 100 churches in Germany filled with mohawks, piercings and VERY LOUD MUSIC. Today, they exist in a number of countries and their festival attracts 8000 participants. This is where the Global Roundtable will happen.
The roundtable is called Die Gefaehten, a word that I cant spell without looking it up but it means “The Fellowship”. 50 leaders have been invited from around the world. All of them are part of what God is doing in the alternative underground sub-cultures. Leaders are coming from, if i remember . . Peru, Macedonia, Russia, Norway, USA, and many more countries. And, of course, Germany.
Technorati Tags: emergent, emerging church
Trevor McPherson is pulling a lot of the weight. For the past decade he has led the Underground Ministries roundtable at Cornerstone Festival. I invited him to Freakstock a few years ago [even though i couldnt make it] and he is back for more.
Should be a really encouraging time. Appreciate prayers for these leaders – they are spending a lot of money to fly over to Germany and I am praying that God will really impact them, uplift them, show them the way forward. Will you pray this week for the Roundtable?
Pray for me also, as I teach on the emerging church. The Germans have such incredible potential for God but are often held back by low self-esteem and their past. But God is doing something new in Europe and the German youth has a vital part to play.
Thanks!
Related:
WillowFreak – their leadership training
My first visit to Freakstock 2002
Being truley bristish xenophobia is fairly ingrained from birth
but i have to say seeing reports on the rebuilding of german national pride in a new generation through the world cup
i did kinda feel like maybe as a nation they had paid their debt and a previous generation died off and that they deserved a chance to build a new national identity and felt happy and hopeful for them
May this summer the spirit of shame and debt be broken from the the generation of germans emerging
and may God be at the heart of a new idenity and national standing
May the Jesus freaks and others lead the way of jesus and see Gods kingdom at the root of their nations new character
and may they in turn be a blessing to the whole of europe