Emerging and Missional in the Suburbs
Hey all….sorry it has been so long for me in that I haven’t posted anything in such a very long time. But I thought with our Annual Conference coming up and our meeting on the 14th I thought I would put a question out there that I am wrestling with currently.
It seems like in discussions around the Emerging Church as well as the Missional Church (sometimes these two expression go hand in hand, and sometimes they don’t….we at Veritas try to describe ourselves as an emerging missional community of faith) everything is about the urban setting. It’s almost like “if you want to be emerging and missional you must live in an urban context.” Have any of you run into the same thing?
My question is, is this right or can a community of faith be emerging and missional in the suburbs? And if so, what does that look like? This is a very personal issue with me as Kim and I look at what God is calling us to do and be in the very near future (I will share about it at AC). Do we stay where we are (in the suburbs) or move into Lancaster city? If we stay what does it look like to be emerging and missional in the burbs. If we go to the city what does it look like to be emerging and missional in the city.Â
Any thoughts, comments, etc.. would be greatly appreciated.Â
17 Jun 2008 RyanBraught
Hi Ryan–
Thanks for putting this question out there. . .we are in a similar situation in Peoria, Arizona– surrounded in the ‘burbs by affluence and short attention spans! I figure that people here need Jesus just as much as the ones in the inner city– loneliness, greed, busy-ness, selfishness play out here every day. There’s definitely ministry need all around us.
I’ll be praying for your discernment. . .and I’ll be hoping you’ll share more of what you find on this blog.
Thanks!
Angie Yoder