This blog is actually an invitation to all of you--especially those of you in the Pittsburgh Area--to a new ministry opportunity.
A group of younger pastors, mainly out of Pittsburgh Seminary, have come together and created a new network called Emergent Pittsburgh. They have a passion for creative, incarnational ministry and converting the church back to the missional vision of God in Scripture. Check out their website at www.emergentpittsburgh.org.
On Monday, September 10, they are holding their monthly "Missional Cohort" at the Urban Fusion Cafe in East Liberty, from 11 am to 1 pm. It's a great opportunity to get together for lunch, pray, and engage in conversation about postmodern culture, ministry, and mission. At the September 10th meeting, I have the pleasure of leading the discussion on Celtic Christianity as an inspiration for creative ministry among postmoderns.
I know you all probably already have way too much on your plates, but I just wanted to put this out for anyone interested in meeting other younger pastors, enjoying some fellowship, and getting encouraged in our vocational calls. If you are at all interested, please e-mail me at jkahl@bakerstownumc.org, so I can get you directions to the meeting and also some information on the discussion topic.
Have a blessed week ministering in His Name!
9 comments:
Thanks for the heads-up Jeff.
PS - how "young" is young?
Well, I'm pushing 35, and I hope I'm still on the younger end of the spectrum! Seriously, we're talking anywhere from 30-50 years old.
Got it on my calendar!
I'm 35 as well and I put it on my calendar.
Will somebody please explain to me what the emergent church is? I read "Velvet Elvis" and all the emergent websites, but still I do not know what it really means to be "emergent." Give it a shot, Jeff.
Randy -
I don't even think the people who call themselves "Emergent" know what that means. Seriously. And I doubt I could do it justice in a simple blog. Personally, I avoid the term (if I used it in my blog somewhere, I repent).
The simple answer is: It's not so much a "church" or "organization," but rather a "movement." People who affiliate themselves with it basically believe that our culture is changing drastically from "modern" (which emphasized reason, organizations, individualism, and science) to "postmodern" (which favors experience, relationships, community, and the arts).
So the "Emergent" people are attempting to reformulate the Christian faith in terminology that a "postmodern" culture can receive.
Some of them are creatively using aspects of the ancient and medieval church to speak the language of postmoderns. However, many of them simply rant and complain about how bad the modern church is (i.e.: Mainline Protestant denominations), and they bring little that is constructive to the conversation. The big "gurus" of the movement today are folks like Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, Tony Jones, and those types. Rob Bell (who wrote Velvet Elvis) has tried hard to not identify himself too much with Emergent, at least from what I can see.
So there's the simple answer. Hope that helps a little.
Cheers.............
Thanks Jeff! That helps!
Incidentally, Jeff, I noticed that you, like I, enjoyed Stephen Lawhead's "Song of Albion" books; are you familiar with his Pendragon Cycle?
Keith -
No, the only other Lawhead book I have read is "Byzantium." But I have seen them on the racks at Borders and will get a chance (hopefully) one day to sit down and enjoy them.
Jeff
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