Well, I'm up at Linwood House, but The Path doesn't get going until after dinner and it's raining cats & dogs (and the game doesn't start for another hour and a half or so...) so I have a minute to post.
A couple of days ago I alluded to The Conversation. As Wes and I have talked over the past few months we've discovered that we share similar dreams and similar concerns. (And since Wes and Judy are floating in a boat on the other side of the world right now I'm going to borrow liberally from an email Wes sent to some friends to try and explain what we're talking about.)
To reiterate, I think Jen's comments on Emergent, along with Doug's thoughts, demonstrate exactly the need we see in this emerging culture. Don't get me wrong - I love Emergent. I've been to San Diego both this year and last, and I'll continue to go as long as they'll let me.
Doug said it well:
I am struck by how many people had expectations that could not be fulfilled at a convention, primarily because of the convention nature of conventions - I have understood conventions as a particular animal. They tend to be more of a trade show than a worship event. I recognize that these conventions are not churches where we gather for worship. Conventions are pastor learning/training/ introduction events. Conventions are more of a "welcome to the conversation event" than a place to develop deep friendships.
Notice his use of the term "the conversation"? : )
Here's where we're coming from, and as Wes has put it so eloquently these are the gentle, fluid and ever-moving boundaries of what we are hoping to be about. From our perspective, one of the most unaddressed issues in the emerging church , the ancient/future church, the once & future church, the New Kind of Christian church, the whatever-you-want-to-call-it church, is the crucial issue of leadership development and mentoring.
There are so many important conversations that need to take place, and all will have certain perspectives of intersection - none will stand completely alone. That being said, this is the one we want to start. The conventions do their part, the gurus and their books do their part, but there's this other, vital, critical, missing piece. We want to start talking about it.
I know it doesn't sound like much, and who knows where it will lead and what it will look like. Still, my heart beats a little faster when I think about it.
Posted by mike at May 27, 2004 02:33 PM | TrackBackSounds interesting Mike. As long as you call it "A Conversation" instead of "The Conversation" since there are so many good ones around and they are all part of the big picture...do you remember the 90's when everybody was calling everything "The Edge." I always wondered why there was only one edge to things...ahh the 90's. Makes me giggle just thinking about it...
K.
Posted by: Karen on May 27, 2004 04:31 PMWell, how's the Path?
Posted by: Lisa on May 28, 2004 08:50 AMYou've certainly pinpointed a critical issue. And I believe there is another which might need to precede it - discipleship. Once we become passionate and effective at reproducing disciples rather than converts, we'll be well on our way toward reproducing healthy leaders.
Thanks for being transparent about what's needed -- it's probably encouraging more people than you realize.
Posted by: Chris (DesertPastor) on May 31, 2004 05:03 PMMan, Chris... I'm with you. (I think we both sat through 8 hours with Dallas Willard in San Diego). Rest assured this concept is a given.
And if anyone doesn't know what we're talking about, just chew on this: The church has been "good" at making believers, but terrible at making disciples. And no, they're not the same thing.
(As you can see from my mission statement, I prefer the term "Apprentice" - with a capital "A" - to "disciple".)
Thanks for the reminder.
Posted by: Mike on May 31, 2004 05:14 PM