emergent-us

Looking Back...and Ahead

by Tony Jones

On the eve of the third Emergent Convention, I thought we could take a little walk back through time.  Some of you will read this with winsome memories, and for others it will fill in gaps and hopefully help you understand how willy-nilly this whole Emergent thing is.

In 1997, Doug Pagitt left the employ of Wooddale Church in Minnesota and went to work for Leadership Network, a Texas-based foundation that brings together church leaders who mainly talk about building bigger churches (yes, that's a charicature).  Doug's job was to build networks of youth pastors and young adult pastors, but being the radical subversive that he is, Doug quickly attracted some revolutionaries who thought that the whole way church is done in the U.S. needed to be overthrown.

The "Young Leaders' Network" was born.  A national conference was held in Glorieta, NM (earlier incarnations, called "GenX 1.0" and GenX 2.0" came before what is now simply referred to in Emergent lore as "Glorieta").  The national gathering was followed by several regional conferences, and the word was spreading -- by this time, many of the individuals who are currently on the "Coordinating Group" were involved, as well as several others who have since chosen to distance themselves from Emergent.

Big changes were taking place at Leadership Network as Doug and Shelley left to plant Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis.  Regardless of the work of new personnel and those of us who were volunteering, what had then become known as "Terra Nova" was doomed.  Ultimately, we wanted to talk about changes in theology, and Leadership Network avoided theological conversations in an attempt to maintain a "big tent."

After a bit of treading water, including a significant meeting in Chigago to try and salvage the Leadership Network realtionship, we had a conference call and formally decided to go it on our own, under the name "Emergent."

It was only a week after and with no knowledge of that call that Mark Oestreicher of Youth Specialties flew to Minneapolis and met with Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, and me to talk about books and conventions.  What Marko offered was basically a platform, the very thing that had been lost when the relationship with Leadership Network dried up.  Marko came as a friend of the nascent Emergent -- that is, he has theological and cultural symathies with what we're up to -- and also as a businessman.  Marrying those two aspects of himself, he said this would give Emergent a chance to get the message out through books and conferences, and we said yes.

(As with any history, this is incomplete, ignoring several important aspects, including 1) the people at Jossey-Bass taking a risk and publishing Brian's A New Kind of Christian after several others passed, 2) the relationships formed with other emergers around the globe, 3) the advent of blogging, etc.)

Now at least the conference aspect of that partnership with YS is ending.  But in so many ways, Emergent is no longer in need of a platform.  Brian is now among the "25 most influential Evangelical leaders in the U.S." and is selling truckloads of books. Others are getting lots of requests for book deals and conference speaking, and lots of organizations are waiting in the queue to help Emergent with events and publishing.

But we hope you've noticed something in the past week, since YS announced that it was bowing out of the convention after this year: that is our deliberate push for "contributers" and "affiliates."  Emergent has always been a friendship, and that's not just a platitude.  We want as many people and organizations involved in this thing as possible.  The "Coordinating Group" is just that, a small and rotating group of individuals who are attempting to coordinate the contributions of dozens of individuals and organizations.  (Regardless of what you read on blogs, the Coordinating Group is not an elite group of emergers, but simply a collection of volunteers who are attempting to keep this thing rolling down the tracks.)

So, the big question for you is, How are you and/or your organization going to be involved?

annual theological conversation

by Tony Jones

FYI: I have asked Miroslav Volf to be our theological dialogue partner in Winter, 2006 and the Yale Center for Faith and Culture to co-host the event.  Watch this space for details as they develop...

Hurray for the Older People

I'm pleased to be able to communicate with all of you through the Emergent blog. I've been a part of Emergent for over 5 years and can't tell you how it has been a breath of spiritual life for me. You all are the people who keep me sane.  Thank you!

But I wanted to dispel the sense that Emergent is only for the young. While I'm not ancient by any means -- I am old enough to be the mother of some of you. But for those of you who read this and find yourself getting closer and closer to the Social Security (maybe!) check -- take heart-- Emergent is for you, too. I want you to feel that you have something to contribute and that Emergent wants you, too.  One of the marks of true spiritual community is the presence of several generations. We learn so much from each other. Spiritual formation takes place when we rub up against people who are different from us in culture, ethnicity, and age.  I would never want Emergent only to be made up of people in their 20's and 30's. We're for all of you. Emergent is a spirit. Emergent is a developing world view. It's not a generational thing.

I hope to meet many of you next week in San Diego and later in the Spring in Nashville. And look forward to continue to chat with you about the things on my heart through this blog.

Blessings!

Ivy Beckwith

Emergent Convention is in the hands of Emergent for 06 and Beyond

From Doug Pagitt

Youth Specialties announced today that they will no longer be co-hosting the Emergent Convention (nor the National Pastors Convention).
From their Press Release: “The emergentYS Convention began only two years ago as a partnership between Youth Specialties, Emergent, and Zondervan ChurchSource. This event was warmly received by people doing church ministry in new ways to meet the changing needs of our culture in a postmodern society. After much thought and prayer, Youth Specialties has decided stop producing these events. “It became clear that we needed to regain focus on what we exist for—and that is youth workers,” said president of YS, Mark Oestreicher. “This decision was not financially driven, and certainly not a matter of distancing ourselves from our fantastic partner organizations – this was purely driven by a recommitment to our organizational identity.”

The following is a note I wrote for the official announcement: Full announcement

“Over the last four years Emergent has benefited from the friendship and partnership with Youth Specialties in co-hosting The Emergent/YS conventions.
It is with a measure of sadness, but understanding, that we acknowledge and support Youth Specialties decision to no longer administrate and organize the convention.
While we have benefited from their expertise and hard work of making the events happen and will have much to do to replace their extraordinary contribution, we do plan to continue with a national gathering and are grateful that YS is willing to work with us in making that event a success.”

 After talking with a number of people significantly involved in Emergent we really feel this is ideal timing in light of the “new Emergent” structure and are very excited about the future. (If you are not familiar with the Contributors structure take a look here)

We are planning a meeting on Friday night of the convention to get people involved in the 2006 national event – it will probably not be a “convention” (with all the costs involved) but will be a national event with Emergent sensibilities. We are really excited about the possibilities. I will announce on this blog the location of the room when the decision is made. Please consider joining in and invite others for this meeting.

This meeting will actually do double duty providing a time for people to get caught up on the new Emergent structure as well as give input on the event.
We hope the word of this new structure spreads as well as the invitation for others to contribute to the event.




Here is the text of the Contributors structure:


We desire for Emergent to be “our” community. By “our” we mean all of us. Emergent is not intended to be the fulfillment of the dreams of an inner circle, but the lived expression of all involved. Our hope is that emergent is ever changing as new people become part of it. So there really is no one Emergent, Emergent is a growing relational connection of people and organizations. It is not possible to point to the definitive expression of Emergent, and that is a good thing. It might remind us of the kingdom of God in that sense – The kingdom of God what should I compare it to?

Our hope is that the structure of Emergent will allow for the greatest level of participation and creativity. We have tried many versions and are hopeful that this one will serve us for the next season of Emergent. We are using language of Contributor for those involved in emergent because we hope that we see our participation as a means of contributing even more than receiving.

Contributors and Affiliates occupy a central role in the emergent community. They join the Organizing Group in pursuing the mission and goals of emergent and in serving the larger community, and they create new channels for connection, involvement, and belonging.

Contributors are members of the emergent community who agree to fulfill a self-specified function or responsibility in service to the emergent community. They contribute their skills, expertise, time, scholarship, or other resources of their choosing.

Affiliates represent organizations with goals similar to those of emergent. Up to three people from these organizations may be identified as affiliates. Affiliate organizations may be seminaries, mission agencies, Para church groups, publishers, foundations, bands, groups of artists, churches, denominations, networks, websites, etc.

Contributors and Affiliates also seek to exemplify and practice the emergent rule and specifically, they
1) Contribute as they committed,
2) agree to stay informed about emergent plans and needs and share them with others,
3) respond promptly when asked for input or advice,
4) notify the Coordinating Group when they can no longer serve in this capacity,
5) seek to collaborate with other affiliates and contributors,
6) seek to bring others into service as affiliates and contributors too, and
7) attend an annual “reunion” whenever possible

We invite you to consider being a contributor to the life of Emergent. If you would like to be a contributor please send an email to Ivy Beckwith at IvyB637460@aol.com and indicate the ways you see yourself contributing.

Heads Up

Steve Bush alerts us to a new web journal, The Other Journal: An Intersection of Theology and Culture.  Check it out.

MLK

Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed five days after I was born, and most of us in the emerging church have lived our entire lives in an American church that was shaped in part by him.  He was, in my estimation, one of the great churchmen -- to use an old and sexist term, but it seems fitting -- right up there with Augustine, Bonhoeffer, Luther, Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards.  His concern for the church is not brought to the fore as much as it should be, for on many occasions he made it clear that the church was his first concern.

One of the places where that is shown is in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail in which he defends his presence in Birmingham.  Eight clergymen had published an open letter in Birmingham, noting their disapproval of racism, but exhorting Negoes to obey the racist laws until new laws could be duly passed.

King wrote a forceful and eloquent letter on the margins of newspaper and the remnants of a legal pad.  Two of the most forceful paragraphs sound a clarion call to the church:

I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I. compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham.  Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea.  Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

We've done a lot of cogitating, and now it's time for us in the emerging church to do a bit more agitating.  In the face of incredible danger, King was an exemplar of Christian courage, and we would all -- emerging and non -- do well to heed his example and pray that a little of his courage rubs off on us.

By Tony Jones

Weather Report

I’m watching the weather today…

I’m writing from the Outer Banks of NC, a soul place for me. These long barrier islands are typically about 3/4 mile wide bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the East and one of NC’s large sounds on the West.

To truly love the Outer Banks, you have to love high wind and rapidly changing weather. This morning, I’m watching that big line of storms and cold weather, that has created havoc across the U.S. this week, literally race across the Currituck Sound toward me. In the last hour — the sun has disappeared, the temperature has dropped twenty degrees, the wind has changed direction from due South to due North and has picked to gusts of about 40mph, and the rain is now pelting down. Just an hour ago, it was sunny and 60 degrees…

When I’m out here, I often meditate on change. The weather certainly makes the thought inevitable. This week particularly — I’m out here writing about transition in the church in our culture, reading emails from friends describing changes in their vision and hopes, and experiencing fundamental shifts in my own vocation at home. My Myers-Briggs temperament tells me I’m change-averse. But I can hardly quantify how enthusiastic I am about the many changes I’m experiencing and observing.

On a larger scope, I opened my email this morning to a couple letters from church leaders who are comprehensively rethinking their community expression of the Christian way. There are so many negatives that can be said of the church in our culture. But I’m hopeful. It is exciting to watch communities and leaders challenge the notions of church as program or isolated community and the gospel as commodity or a security blanket. As Jason Clark wrote recently on planetemergent.org, “emergent is not the emerging church.” So true. But it has been a real privilege to be part of one of the catalysts for these changes.

I’m also hopeful and excited about the many transitions of Emergent these last few months. The transition from a coordinating team to growing community of contributors and friends expresses our heart. We so desire this to be an open friendship and an open conversation shaped and bounded by a rule of community rather than organizational boundaries. If you desire to join in and contribute, please do so. There’s room for you.

I’m also enthusiastic to watch local learning communities and cohorts begin to take off around the country. We’ve long desired for local expressions of emergent to grow. Geoff Holsclaw is leading a strong team of folks (Rick Bennett, Andrea Summers, Mike King, Laci Scott) to continue to develop these expressions. Over the last few months, we’ve seen new conversations develop in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Miami, Nashville, and several other locations.

I also want to add my thanks to Will Samson for his tireless efforts in starting this blog and his work on the emergent website. These projects certainly fit the category of positive transitions.

Well — the rain out here has just “gone horizontal.” I can barely see the house next door. You gotta just love Outer Banks weather. But according to the weather channel, it will moderate in just a few hours.

Tim Conder

Planet Emergent

From Doug Pagitt:

Daniel Farrell created a blog planet for Emergent-esque people. It is rather cool. People who subscribe to it, and Daniel set-up the first batch, have there current blog posts also posted on this blog: planetemergent.org

Thanks Daniel.

Explanation of Structure

Post By Doug Pagitt;
Part of the change that is going on in the structure of Emergent is designed to make it more open and accessible. One of the ways we have tried to do this is to change the language and function of the Leadership Team and Coordinating Group. We are using language of people being contributors to the effort and Organizers of the over-all effort.
We are working hard to have titles match function and not status.

So those who used to be referred to as Coordinators are now contributors. And many more people are being included in that grouping. The leadership team is now called the organizing group.
Hopefully this language change will play out in reality by more people contributing and not waiting for leaders to initiate. And for the organizing group to organize and not expected to coordinate everything.

A New Kind of Space

How about three cheers for Will Samson, our unpaid and faithful web developer. Great job, Will. Mirroring Doug's thoughts below, I hope this web platform expands the already existing conversation and expands the space we are seeking to create so that there is more room for more people.

In the last year I have been interacting witih more and more people from the environs that surround the Kansas City metropolitan area, mostly listening to people's stories and the desire that each of them have to join God in the work of his mission in the world, especially as our understanding of this mission expands.

One of the things I hear repeatedly, and one thing for which I am personally grateful, is that people appreciate the "space" that Emergent has been able to create that is safe for them to engage in deep and meaningful conversations. It seems like leaders often lask these kind of spaces in their own communities, or that there are just too few conversation partners with whom they can engage. I have also enjoyed noting the varied and diverse backgrounds that people are coming from.

In the last couple of months I have received e-mails from two different people from completely different backgrounds saying essentially the say thing. One is a former charismatic/fundamental pastor from Oklahoma. The other is from a female pastor in the United Methodist denomination who had lost vision for what she was doing. Their comment?

"I have just 'tuned in' to what you guys are saying. I feel like I have run into family I did not know I had."

That reality is really encouraging to me and to them I said, "Welcome." And to those of you feeling the same way, "Welcome" and "Dig in."

Tim Keel

the commodity of relationships

relationships.

some folks have suggested that in today's culture we are moving from an information economy to a relationship economy.  if that is true, then relationships to many might become merely a commodity, a utility, a practicality to *use* to get to where we need/want to go.  if so, relationships have gone from being essential to the development of our identity and to our survival to something that many of us use for our advantage.  media now vies for the creation of identity; consumption contributes to the identity.  relationships become something to consume.

sigh.  that perspective makes me incredibly sad.

there seems to me to be a tension in relationships today:

• people seem to want deep relationships but don't know how to cultivate them,
• people want stable relationships (including but not limited to committed relationships like marriage) but have few role models, and
• people confronted with the way we consume relationships (much like we consume things to create an identity, etc.) have a lack of imagination on how to live differenty.

i've been thinking allot of relationships this week.  in fact, i've been incredibly grieved: marriages that are long-lasting in years but do not seem to bring life to either parties, relationships hallmarked more by co-dependency rather than freedom, friendships eroding.  in fact, as my husband and i discussed various situations this morning, i found myself just crying, grieving for folks who are struggling with relationships.

my hope is that the part of the story of god in which i'm involved might spark the imagination to live differently, might confront the consumption that plagues relationships today, might inspire people to live differently.  in reality, that it may spark my imagination, confront my consumption of relationships, and inspire me to live differently.  that's my hope. 

not quite the happy "thanks-for-coming-to-the-emergent-blog"...but it is a snapshot of my brain this saturday...

peace to you all. 

trying to live in hope,

the holly 

Emergent Assting with Tsunami Relief?

I received the following from Kelly Bean. I thought it might be a good question to put up and invite a response:

Don't know if you are the two I am best to pass this by, or if there are other ideas in the works. But, as we greet the new year with anticipation flavored by somber tsumani realities I am wondering if there is a way Emergent might bring people together toward positive action.

There are opportunities for worthy giving abound and we have no need (or structure) to orchestrate or administer any response which is quite fine, but, it occurs to me that there may be value in Emergent acknowledging the dreadful situation and then perhaps asking Emergent friends and fellows to share how they or their communities are choosing to respond. Simply share those stories. I am supposing this could be done by posting a link on the Emergentvillage site to something like a quicktopic site where people could share possibilities and encouragement that may be generative.

I invite you all to  respond with your thoughts in comments.

Brian McLaren

The New Emergent Blog

It is an honor to be the first person to post  on the new Emergent-US blog.
My hope is that this area of the site will help all to communicate to with one another and provide a place for those who are new to the conversation to join in.

I will try to make a few posts this week.

Doug Pagitt