Emergent Brethren

I’ve been thinking lots about life lately and what I have acheived and what I want to acheive in the time I have left. It seems that so much of my life has been lived in response to what has happened to me (defense). And I am finding that I’d like to think seriously about what it might look like to live life on offense! What would it look like to lead on offense? What would it mean for my life if I spent more time anticipating or imagining rather than reacting to what’s happening. Or more time imagining/ anticipating a preferred future rather than getting sucked into the daily grind and bouncing around like a beach ball on the ocean. What if I knew where God was calling me and I charted a course in that direction? What if I took risks and dared to achieve things that I can’t do on my own, but need God to show up to help out or to make possible. How would my life be different? Would I find more satisfaction and fulfilment?

Living on offense shouldn’t be hard… after all we have the promise of God to “Be with us always, even to the end of the age.”

I’ll probably post more on this soon.

Been reading ”

It’s a very helpful book about discipleship and the connection of that to all that we do. I highly recommend it to you. The Big Idea is that we work in teams to plan the preaching, teaching, and events of the congregation around a BIG IDEA each week. The teams work 9 weeks out… so that there is lots of time to be creative and tweak the service. Coupled with the worship gathering, the BIG IDEA Team can develop the small group resources and children’s and youth minsitry resources to coincide with the week’s big idea. That way the entire church could be focussed in the same direction. This creates stimulated conversation between parents and children, other small group members, and participants in the life of the congregation. What a neat concept!

We already use a Worship Design Team approach to creatively designing and leading worship at Community of Joy. It’s a great help and lots of fun too! We have been able to add a freshness to our worship experience by utilizing the gifts, ideas, and input of several folks on a team. No longer is it just me that plans and designs the worship gathering. I highly recommend that to you also. I would be happy to share further if you have questions.

I’ve really enjoyed this blogging experience.  I have wanted to do one for a while now, but never thought I could keep up the discipline… then Jeff Glass asked if I would contribute to this one and I said yes.  Obviously, you can see that I enjoy this and can keep the discipline up.  I stumbled upon a book The Blogging Church and discovered LOTS of helpful hints about how to do this and encouragement to do it as a way to connect with my community.  So that this blog doesn’t become solely mine…!  I started a blog of my own today.  Check it out at www.martinhutchison.blogspot.com . 

 Here’s an interesting blog on the topic of why pastors should be blogging…. http://www.ifjesushadawebsite.net/index.cfm/module/story/story/01102007-Why-Your-Pastor-Needs-To-Blog

This past week, I attended the National Pastor’s Convention (its only 7 miles away). I miss the emergent convention, but there are still some great opportunities at the pastor’s convention, too. I have some notes that I’d like to share with you in coming weeks from the sessions I attended.

At the convention, I’m always impressed by the young adults who are there and their passion for ministry. While I rejoice and enjoy the fellowship with these 20 somethings, I mourn the loss of this age group in the Church of the Brethren. How many do you have participating in your congregation? How many do you have contacts with? Have you done anything which has drawn-in new young adults?

Today, at the Christianity Today website, I read the following article,

Leader’s Insight: What Disillusioned 20-Somethings Want.

I really enjoyed the article! If you’d like to take a peek, here’s the link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2007/cln70212.html

Also, if you are ever interested in attending the convention (there’s about 2000 clergy there each year from all denominations), please let me know. I can help you find free housing through the San Diego congregation or lower priced motels within walking distance.

Blessings to you!

Jeff

The other night I was reading the book “Emerging Churches” by Ryan Bolger and Eddie Gibbs. I don’t have the book in front of me but from what I remember they were writing about context. That to pastor missionally we need to know the context in which we find ourselves in, the changes that are taking place in our culture (postmodernism, etc..), but also to know the inside context of the church that we are in. I agree with them 100% but my question to them is…how…How do we begin to understand the culture and context where we are? So my question to you all is…. what things have you done to know your local context, the culture that we find ourselves in, and the inside the church context?

Something else that I am struggling with is this….how do you know if the context in which you are ministering is fitting with the content of your ministry? How do you know if the person you are called to be is fitting the context of where you have planted yourself. A member of Veritas (www.veritaspa.org) our emerging generations ministry said to me… you need to figure out your calling and is that calling to the context of where you have planted yourself. And then he went on to say, “you have a few options… develop a ministry where you are currently planted that takes into account the local context, or move into a context that would connect with the type of ministry you want to develop.”

would love any and all replies.

Thanks,

Ryan Braught