Emergent Central Valley Cohort

Emergent Central Valley Cohort

1. April Emergent Central Valley Cohort Gathering
   Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 PM
   Mark and Brenda Royce's home (1726 El Paso Ave, Clovis 93611) map
   
   Please contact Tom Cotter for questions - t(dot)cotter(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
2. March Emergent Cohort Meeting
   The Central Valley Emergent Cohort will meet Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. We are trying a new venue out this time - New Stars Vegetarian Restaurant at Champlain & Perrin (1134 East Champlain Drive, Suite 108, Fresno CA 93720 | map). I have reserved the back party room. I need you to please RSVP to me so that I can let them know how many to prepare for.
   You don't need to buy food but it would be nice if you did :). Christi, Allison and I eat there
   and the food is reasonably priced and very good.
   
   March Cohort Meeting Plan
   
   -Visit & Order Food/Drinks
   
   -Practice: Lectio Divina
   Scripture Reading & Silent Contemplation
   
   -Discussion Questions to Prepare For: (work in progress)
   1) If you had 1,000 pounds of tofu popsicles what would you do with them?
   (Oops, that ice breaker always pops up. Forget this question.)
   2) What are the core beliefs (non-negotiables) that you hold?
   3) How have your experiences shaped these?
   4) In what ways can we be gracious and learn from those who have a different
   set of non-negotiables?
   5) Is #4 important? If so, why?
   6) What about those tofu popsicles?
   
   Please feel free to suggest changes and new questions.
   I'd really like some feedback here.
   
   If you know of anyone that may be interested in this group please send me
   their email and I will add them to our list.
   
   Hope you can join us this month!
   
   Tom Cotter
   t(dot)cotter(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
   www.cotterhome.com
3. Cohart Starting Up in 2008
   Hi Cohort Friends!
   
   The Central Valley Emergent Cohort will meet on Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. Once again we have the back room at Sequoia Brewing Company, 777 E. Olive in the Tower.
   
   Some of our time will be just catching up and meeting any new people, but here's a proposed topic for conversation beyond that:
   
   If you were going to be a part of starting up a new missional/emergent church community in the Central Valley, what would be the most important considerations? Is a focus on a particular sociological or theological niche important, and if so, what niches might interest you? What would you emphasize or de-emphasize? How might you make decisions about things like meeting space, worship style(s), missional aims, structure, etc.? What would the leadership look like or how would it be structured? What are the pros & cons of some sort of denominational or mother-church connection? What would evangelism in a non-attactional, incarnational community look like?
   
   Some of us have already (or are now) involved in starting new communities -- what have you learned from this experience? What would you try to do in a similar way another time? What would you do (or hope would happen differently?
   
   If you know of anyone that may be interested in this group please forward me their email and I will add them to our list. If for any reason you would like to be removed from our email list please let me know.
   
   Hope you can join us on Feb. 27
   
   Shalom,
   Tom Cotter & Bet Hannon
4. Febraury Gathering
   

   Thursday, February 15th, 7:00 PM at Tower Mosaic Church. (google map link)

   Thanks to Tower Mosaic for hosting us!

   At the request of those present last month, we will continue our conversation on chapter 2 of The Shaping of Things to Come. (book link)

   Hope to see you there,
   Tom Cotter

5. Cohort Gathering This Thursday, January 18, 7:00 PM.
   Friends,
   
   Our first gathering of 2007 is here - Thursday, January 18, 7:00 PM.
   We will be meeting at 311 W. Chennault, Clovis, 93611 (Bill & Pat Smethers home). Pat will have drinks and a dessert for us to enjoy together.
   Map

   Also, please come prepared to discuss chapter two of our book, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation & Mission for the 21st Century by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. You can pick up a copy for $12.89 at Overstock if you don't have a copy yet.
   

   Hope to see you all Thursday,
   Tom Cotter