Conversational Evangelism Conference Updates

Luke Geraty from Emerging Rural is posting updates from this weekend’s “Conversational Evangelism Conference” in Minneapolis, featuring Todd Hunter, Dan Kimball, Rick Richardson, Becky Pippert, Mark Mittelberg, Jim Henderson, and others.

"Church Basement Roadshow" Gears Up

The official press release of the launch of the “Church Basement Roadshow” has now been … released:

“A biodiesel-fueled RV loaded with three of the most outspoken emergent church leaders and authors will crisscross the country this summer in ‘The Church Basement Roadshow: A Rollin’ Gospel Revival.’ The tour featuring Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette will hit thirty-two cities across the U.S., with a message that combines old time revival flair with a 21st century gospel. They’ll preach, sing and sell healing balm in church basements from San Diego to New York.”

Read the full press release

I participated in a conference call last week with Tony, Doug, and Mark. Here are a few of the interesting things to report:

• They’re serious about selling “healing balm” on this tour. You’ll just have to come to the Roadshow to find out what that’s about.
• Tony, Doug, and Mark will be growing beards to get into their characters as early 1900s tent revival preachers (a la Billy Sunday).
• The first 100 people to come through the door at each tour stop will receive a free copy of The Books of the Bible, courtesy of the International Bible Society.
• Beliefnet has gotten behind the Roadshow and will be launching a new website for the tour soon, which is going to be where Tony, Doug, and Mark will post regular updates from the road.
• Another tour sponsor is Compassion International. Doug and Mark have been in El Salvador this week on a “familiarization” trip, shooting a short video (with my pal Wes Halula no less!) that will be shown on the Roadshow.
• Bid for Green will be fueling the biodiesel-run RV that these guys are taking around the country.
• Tony and Mark’s books have been out now for a while, but Doug’s new book A Christianity Worth Believing is just hitting stores now, so check it out.

Can't Touch This

You know the emerging church movement has arrived (jumped the shark?) when it’s being equated with the prosperity gospel and liberalism and condemned in the middle of an M.C. Hammer parody:

Stop…listen up

Deconstruction Break it down

(HT: @toddrho)

Emerging in Scotland

Andrew Jones posted news today that the Church of Scotland has committed £1.5 million to launch an “Emerging Ministries Funds” that will start in 2009. Andrew writes, “Emerging church entrepreneurs will be encouraged to raise matching funds from other sources.”

Help for Dieter

By Tony Jones:

That’s a picture of Dieter Zander jogging on April 19, 2008, an amazing image when you consider that Dieter suffered a massive stroke in February.

I first met Dieter when I was a seminary student at Fuller, and I went to visit NewSong Church. NewSong was a groundbreaking church of young adults in Southern California in the early 90s, and Dieter was the pastor. From there he went to Willow Creek and pioneered the Axis gathering. Then it was on to ReIMAGINE in San Francisco, and finally to Bay Marin Community Church.

All along, Dieter has been heavily involved in the emergent conversation, and, most importantly, he’s been a great friend to many of us. And we were incredibly grieved to learn of his stroke.

Thanks be to God, Dieter’s life was spared, but he lost his ability to speak — at least for now — and the use of his right hand. His church community in Bay Marin is endeavoring to cover the Zanders for the next two years (Dieter, Val, and their three sons), and Emergent Village is honored to support their efforts.

I ask that you please consider helping out. To learn more about what the church is doing, and to contribute to the cause, visit dieterzander.wordpress.com.

Finally, for those of you in the Bay Area (or close enough you’re willing to drive/fly here), the church invites you to the Zander Initiative arts event to be held on Sunday, June 8 from 7-9 p.m. at Dominican University’s Angelico Hall.

UPDATE: Listen to a powerful interview with Val Zander conducted by David Cobia, lead pastor at Bay Marin Community Church.

There's a Post-Charismatic Movement?

I kicked off what has turned out to be an interesting (and informative, for non-charismatic folks like myself) conversation about the charismatic movement, the post-charismatic movement, and Emergent. See my somewhat tongue-in-cheek post on “The New Charismatics?”

I called out John O’Hara from AGMergent, and he responded promptly with “Is AGMergent Toking the Jesus Bong?”

Andrew Jones was also quick to chime in, and he followed up today with an excellent wrap-up post of sorts. Andrew points out that Rob McAlpine (Robby Mac) has now published his book, aptly titled Post-Charismatic?

My friend Cyndi Clack has an in-depth post that discusses charismania, spiritual abuse, and Derren Brown’s “Instant Conversion Experiment,” which I’ve seen mentioned around the blogosphere in recent months.

A quick search in my RSS reader pulls up:

• an earlier post by Cyndi on “post-charismatic” that I think is also helpful.
• Jonathan Stegall describes himself as “post-charismatic” in his personal story on the AGMergent site.
• Jonny Baker may get credit for coining the term “post-charismatic” in the intro to Alternative Worship.
• Kester Brewin was blogging about being “post-charismatic” as far back as November 2005.

Rise Rally Today in Austin, Texas

Bob Carlton passed along some news about a rally today in Austin, Texas, being called “Rise … a rally for hope.” Jim Wallis from Sojourners is the main speaker, but members of the local Austin faith community will be speaking as well. Bob posted more details on his blog this morning.

The Austin Statesman newspaper picked up on this with a story over the weekend: “Faith leaders seek to bridge divisions, work for social justice.” Here’s an excerpt:

Some of the people who will speak at the rally represent widely different ideologies, but they all see the importance of addressing this question: “How are we called to end extreme poverty, to care for creation, to embody mercy?”

One of the speakers, Neil Blumofe, cantor and spiritual leader at Congregation Agudas Achim, said people of faith should embrace that challenge, even if — especially if — it means crossing ideological barriers.

“When was the last time we could really break down rhetoric?” he said. “When was the last time we could really break down fear?”

Not in a long time, Wallis says. But he believes it’s happening now that young Christians are becoming social justice activists and social justice activists are becoming Christians. And young people especially, be they liberal or conservative, Southern Baptists or Emergent, are willing to work together on issues such as the environment, hunger, health care and genocide.

"Pay-Per-View" Event with Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and Mark Scandrette

No, this is not a cage match. It’s actually being dubbed a “Leadership Forum.”

John O’Hara over at the Emerging Pentecostal blog alerts us to an upcoming event that will be webcast live via Ustream.tv, which you can access for a small fee:

Cultivating Faith Communities in Emerging Cultures

Some view our rapidly changing world with great dismay. Others view it with great hope. Join authors and innovators Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette in a hopeful conversation about “Cultivating Faith Communities in Emerging Culture Cultures.” You’ll have the opportunity to get a closer look at what’s happening on the cutting edge of the church in a postmodern world emerging cultures as Tony, Doug and Mark draw from real-life experience to lead three separate conversations on theology, church planting, and discipleship.

Date: Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. PST

Location: Sequoyah Community Church, 4292 Keller Ave. Oakland, CA 94605

Cost: On-Site = $20 (includes lunch); Off-Site = $15 (no lunch)

Questions: Contact John at jfohara@gmail.com

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON REMOTE VIEWING: This is a pay-per-view event. To reserve your seat at the live stream, a payment of $15 can be made by clicking the “TIP JAR” on the ustream.tv page on or before Friday, June 19, 2008. This stream will be password-protected on Saturday, June 20!