Hey – thanks to all the students for a fun time and for being so nice. One person said it was the best lecture EVER! Thanks. I will put that on my business card . . . if I ever get one.
Heres a link to some of the emerging church stuff i was talking about – and it has quite a number of links to other people I mentioned that have tried their best to summarize the emerging church. Some doing a much better job than me because I am quite subjective and get bored easily and always want to move on to the next thing. Sorry. What was I saying? Ron and I are debriefing right now at the Devonshire Arms and we just read an old blog post of mine that weaves the Princess Bride movie with a defense of postmodernism. Thanks for turning up and asking good questions. Love to keep in touch with you and hear what you get up to in your efforts to serve what God is doing in the emerging culture. Blessings.
One thing from the talks – The emerging church movement is a sustainable church movement and as the country enters recession, as budgets tighten, and as creativity is ignited, the emerging churches have already learned to start off without a budget, without buildings, without paid professionals and can offer the wider church the gift of their experience – which means that the mission of Christ can still go forward and even thrive, despite the economic woes around us.
I would have paid good money to see you there! I was involved with the course team for the emrging week in Sept…. and why the Devonshire- what’s wrong with the Bridge?
Andrew,
what you write about sustainability is more relevant than ever. The Baptist Union in Sweden, who are kind and generous enough to support me and my wife in our work, recently had to make massive cuts on the denominational level. All because of the financial unrest that has been going on the last months. A third of the staff have to go, and they still need to save an absurd amount of money to meet the budget goals! And I think we’re just starting to see the effects of all this…
So low maintenance, flexibility and sustainability is the way forward, and I’m personally thankful for what the emerging church conversation has taught me and changed my way of thinking about church, mission and ministry! It makes me hopeful.
/Mattias
Hey thanks for the lectures etc, it was good. God’s been sending me messages about the Emerging Church & monasticism in particular for a couple of years, so what you were talking about was pretty relevent for my life & general future. So thanks 🙂 glad you enjoyed your stay etc. Hope to see you soon mate 🙂
You probably addressed this in the lecture but my observation is that not all groups have learnt to kick off without a budget or a paid professional. So I would ask what you would say to a group whose giving is going to support a full time worker. Especially as we now begin to feel the squeeze.