This past September, we hosted Church & Post-Christian Culture: Christian Witness in the Way of Jesus. This was the first in a series of events & projects that we’re convening under the banner, “Once & Future Mission.”
The Once & Future Mission Series is dedicated to recognizing the gifts of our various traditions up to today and re-imagining those gifts for the future of mission. We seek to do this by bringing these gifts into conversation with other parts of the Body of Christ so that a “fusion of horizons” can begin to take shape – one that we believe will be necessary for the future of mission in North America. [MORE]
This event brought three historically Anabaptist denominations (Mennonite Church USA, Church of the Brethren, and Brethren in Christ Canada) and three significant churches (Woodland Hills Church, Carlisle Brethren in Christ Church, and The Meeting House) together to help bring a focus on the unique characteristics and gifts of the Anabaptist tradition for the wider Body of Christ in our day. It also featured space for several friends from other theological streams to speak – reflecting back on what they had heard as well as offering points of critique meant to illuminate ways in which the Body of Christ is strengthened by remaining in fellowship and dialogue with those of different tribes.
In weeks to come we will have some additional video footage to share with you, but for now, here’s Greg Boyd giving the opening address.
You can pick up audio downloads of the various – and super inexpensive! – sessions and workshops from this event, including the talks from the non-Anabaptist speakers, here.
Huge thanks goes to Stephen Konsor and ReKnew for their help in producing this (and forthcoming) video!
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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We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
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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.