Thanks to everyone joining us in Ft Wayne at the Missional Learning Commons. It looks like we’ll be having a good turnout and I know I’m looking forward to seeing everybody – both new and old friends.
Again, this is a non-conference. Although there are four sessions on Saturday, the speakers will be short. We want to hear from each other. Come expecting to participate, tell us what you’re learning, ask questions, learn from other practicioners. We need coffee. We’re hoping to keep a steady brew of coffee going. So we’re asking people to come with some free trade coffee to share during the day. If you can afford it – and like to drink it – please bring some ground coffee to share – For all other munchies including lunch – we’re on our own.
Friday night – two professors from Northern Seminary ( me and Sam Hamstra) are leading a discussion on Soong Chan Rah’s book The Next Evangelicalism. We’re hoping to pull in other folk into a lively conversation. Here’s my take on Prof. Rah’s book here. If you’re coming Friday night, please come having read the book. We hope to have a serious engagement with the issues of race and diversity in missional church.
This non-conference is free. It is organic. It’s planned by seven people who met in a restaurant in Michigan City last summer. It has cost nothing to put on. It is meant to bring people together, encourage and enflame imagination for mission. For more information see the web page here, or the facebook page here.
Blessings and we’ll see you this weekend.
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
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One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.