What this post is about is the upcoming Missional Learning Commons Non Conference – at least my take on it. We’re gathering for a day of twelve conversations at the Lindner Center at Northern Seminary. We start at 9 a.m.. Each of the practicioners talks for twelve minutes, basically summarizes their thoughts/experience in a rant (what more can you do in 12 minutes?). Then we have a discussion about it – flesh it out, take comments and questions. It’s wide open. The goal? To encourage each other in hearing and engaging with what others are doing on the ground in missional communities. The topics are about typical challenges and questions we’re all facing on the ground in leading/shaping missional communities.The topics and speakers are
1. Cyd Holsclaw: Discipleship in Disguise – Doing discipleship “missionally” as part of everyday life (i.e. not as a program).
2. Michael Novelli: The intersection of Biblical Narrative, Dialogue and Spiritual Formation – story telling as part a discipling community.
3. Mark Van Steenwyk: Missional Discipleship in the Shadow of Empire – how sharing the gospel is a form of resistance to unjust social structures.
4. Helen Lee: The Kingdom Belongs to Such as These: Missional Living In and Through Our Children
5. Jason Lantz: If anyone doesn’t know how to manage his own family how can he take care of God’s church?
6. Ben Sternke: Sorry, We Can’t Come Because We Have Little League That Night
7. David Fitch: The Hazards of Being Paid to Pastor: Overcoming the Bad Dynamics of Money
8. David Fitch: Leadership is Submission: The Counter-Cultural Way of the Cross in Leadership
9. Amy Rozko: Global Perspectives on Missional Leadership: Reflections and Observations from Cape Town 2010
This is all free except for 10 bucks to help with child care. There’s a Friday night casual meeting discussing James Smith’s book Desiring the Kingdom. We’re all just hanging out together that night. There will also be alot of time to meet, eat and hang out with fellow missionaries during the day on Saturday. Find out more about the speakers and check out details here. Let people know via the facebook page. Think about joining us? eh?
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. _____________.
2. Seek to make your own voice heard.
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.
3. Share your story.
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.