An Overview of the Kairos Gathering

(While not an official Emergent event, Kairos was promoted by Emergent and attended by a number of people in the emerging church conversation.)

For the last several days a group of church planters and pastors were meeting at a camp in Western Maryland to talk about God's kingdom and how we can be a part of God's work here on this earth. To try and capture the essence of a physical gathering in words would be sorely insufficient. However, by giving you an overview of what occurred, this will hopefully provide some pointers to what is happening in the emerging church.

The primary focus of the conversations was discipleship - how to enable people to follow God in the Way of Jesus. Easy question to ask, more complex to answer. The session began by addressing the tension that can exist between people and programs. This was an interesting place to start because the gathering was attended by individuals from diverse theological and practical backgrounds. This could have been a source of great tension. Instead, a tone was set early on of love and respect for differences as we all seek to follow God in the Way of Jesus and bring others along for the journey.

Good thing that tone was set, because the conversation that followed was on the question of atonement. While this sounds like an academic question and not a question related to disciple making, many of us fear that a false understanding of the meaning of the Cross may be standing in the way of more people following God. The discussion culminated with a beautiful picture of how we might express the idea of the Kingdom of God today.

The second day focused on the role that the emerging church is playing in bringing more people to be disciples of Jesus. There was both a negative critique and a sense of what is working. Some of the important questions that were asked were:

1. Is the emerging church new disciples or are we therapy for burned out evangelicals? Is spiritual formation happening?
2. Is the emerging church overwhelmingly white and male?
3. Is the emerging church self-impressed and self-indulgent?
4. Is there a sense within the US emerging conversation of a global conversation? Are we interested in missiology and the Third World?

The evening of the second day involved looking at the positive side of those questions - i.e., what is really working for people? How is faith being lived out in our congregations, whether they consider themselves emerging or not? Within all the churches represented - evangelical, mainline, emerging - there were some beautiful, real-world answers to these questions:

1. How do we make disciples and form people spiritually? This should include continuing reproduction, social justice & compassion, and should be particularly focused on bringing new Christians to faith.
2. How do we deal with the problem of whiteness, maleness, and global concerns in our churches?
3. How do we bring people back into conversation with the text of scripture?
4. How do we sustain what we are doing?

The third day we had a drama based on the call to follow Jesus and done by the folks from Hot Metal  in Pittsburgh. Most at the gathering were deeply affected, reflecting the personal sacrifice that many have made.

The whole time ended with a focus on the world. A representative from South Africa spoke about reconciliation and the role that is playing in the Church, as well as pointing out the need for American Christians to seek to gather our news from additional sources than just the American media. For Africa, four that he suggested were:

• allAfrica.com
• Africa Online
• IOL
• News24

Folks from the Del Camino Network  also spoke, providing a wonderful view of the work of God in Latin America.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the three days was to think that this group -  men and women who are planting or pastoring churches across the theological spectrum - came together at a camp in Western Maryland to talk about how to advance God's kingdom. Not to argue fine points of theology, not to talk about transactional methods, but instead to consider how to be the hands of feet of Jesus and in so doing to call the people of the earth back to God. Referring back to the drama, that was perhaps why so many of us resonated with its content. While being a part of these conversations may have come at some personal sacrifice, in the end there seemed to be this overwhelming wonder at the work to which we have been called. Not a bad way to spend your life.

Comments

[Anthony]

I am very encouraged by the conversation here. This further increases my resolve to be a part of this conversation. I am looking forward to the future as we give witness to God's coming kingdom.

Ant

[Wes Allen]

I missed it this year; but I hope I make the next one!

[Donna]

The gracious tone of the gathering was so encouraging. I was refreshed instead of drained. To voice questions and discuss openly things I had wrestled with for so long in such an enviroment gave me hope that the church is on the verge of something great. Thank God for this open conversation.

[idiotsareyouall]

Wow, you didn't get together to discuss theology just to advance the kingdom. That's fabtastic! By the way what is the kingdom you are advancing? How do you know how to advance it? Can I go about spitting on people and advance it that way? Or would that be inconistent with the character of God? Does the advancement include the Gospel - doctrines of God, Christ, the cross, the resurrection, grace, faith, the Bible, etc.? Or are you hoping that God will enter into someone's life through Osmosis? Once again, a brilliant comment from someone who I'm sure everyone will accept like he was Mr. Rogers because hey he probably will say this mindless pseudo-piety like he is Mr. Rogers, and that will make it all alright. Chalk another "thoughtful" comment up for Emergent. Next time why don't you all just get together and contemplate your navels. It would have the same impact upon the kingdom as your theological-less meeting.

[Jake T]

I'd be curious what answers you generally came up with some of those questions. ARE people being really discipled? IS there real spiritual formation taking place? IS the emergent church most white and male? Seriously...I'm curious.