Moving Forward: Hopes for the Future of Emergent Village

I will volunteer…
Pray about what I can do for you.

Admittedly, had I been more involved thus far this would not have convinced me that the org has much sense as to the direction(s) it intends to go in the future. Very vague.

Glad to see Emergent Village is still alive and well and I want to be involved with it in whatever way I can be. I truly believe God is moving on the green.

I like the idea of a village green. It made me wonder how emergentvillage could become so interactive that it might become for many of us one of those sites we simply had to visit daily. Perhaps more like a social networking site? individual and group or cohort profiles and pages? blogs? picutres? videos? podcasts? focused discussion groups? just some thoughts. Sorry, I can’t make this happen, I’m only computer literate enough to participate. But, I’m not bad on vision! Much love!

Village Green is a great analogy. It reminds me of our Provincial Synod Ministry Committee for the Anglican Church in British Columbia and Yukon (Canada, of course. We’ve been having an on-going productive conversation about things ‘emergent’ for some time now, are suggesting ministry resources to people and are reviewing and suggesting new models of ministry to suit a wide diversity of local situations. This conversation, in turn, mirrors one happening at the national level of our Canadian Anglican church. All very exciting.

The village green sounds a lot like the church picnic we’re doing this weekend…just more ambiguous.

Please read Sara Mile’s Take This Bread. She shows how to get it done!!!

I am looking forward to the conversation. I just recently discovered EV, but I have been engaged in rethinking my Christian faith for several years now. I am a pastor and I have been leading my small congregation to do the same. Out of that has come a book recently published by Smyth and Helwys titled: The Good News According to Jesus: A New Kind of Christianity for a New Kind of Christian (March, 2009) I found out about the event with Jurgen Moltmann too late; his book “The Way of Jesus Christ” was one of the first books I read, together with Hans Kung, “On Being a Christian,” and Marcus Borge, “Meeting Jesus Again,” when I began this process. I look forward to perhaps attending some events in the future and being involved in the dialogue.

Thanks for stepping up to the plate. It’s actually good to have new leadership…and more voices. This is such an important conversation!

I wholeheartedly support what you are doing. As a member of an emergent group I am thankful EV is there to continue to inspire.

As Chris Epting said, this IS an important conversation, especially as more people grow tired of mainline “Churchianity.” Those who know the value of an emergent faith need to work together to get the word out. Count me in!!

OK so what are you doing? What is the purpose of EV? Didn’t Tony suggest that maybe it is time to “move on”? While Emergent theology is important I think we all agree it is not about just hanging out but if y’all don’t have a vision for us then is there really a point to doing all this?

Thank you everyone for going to the time, effort and energy to put together this plan and these communications. I am looking forward to being active in EV now that it has emerged from hibernation and I am grateful for those who stewarded it through to renewed life during this past season.

Thank you very much to all of you for your good thoughts and vibes.

Linda- thanks for recommending Sara’s book. Many of us have read her book and consider her a personal friend. You are right she is embodying the way of Jesus.

this short message sounds really evangelical not really emergent at all. just an observation.

I love the idea of a village green; just, where is it? Is it online at emergentvillage.com? Is it at conferences around the country? We tried to start a cohort here in St. Louis, but it didn’t really go anywhere. Any interest in trying again?

Thanks so much for sticking with it! I’m excited about what is to come. I’m an associate pastor in a denomination that is just beginning to admit that the world is changing. Boy, we really need some help!

praise god

I have been reading some McLaren books-don’t know much . .. I trust that you are seeking God- but I felt frustrated by the vagueness of the videos presented . . .do you have a group of people living communally and pooling resources to give financially and practically to things like the anti slavery movement (maybe “IJM” International Justice Mission?/or “Sojourners”, Marin project??)) or something similar? Or are you believers who are just talking?
THANKS!

I’m not very familiar with the Emergent Church other than hearing some about how it’s members believe that mainstream Christianity is going the wrong direction? I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment but am concerned about the fact that I have seen little mention of the New Testament and the words of Christ here yet. I am wondering why so many people are reading and talking about books OTHER than the New Testament and speakers OTHER than Jesus Christ? Is this not how Christianity lost it’s way in the first place?
I feel that I understand Christ and His message quite well from the NT and can’t understand how any Christian can claim to even be a Christian without prioritizing the words of Christ as found in the New Testament above ALL else.
There is nothing wrong with the Christian religion if it’s understood as the message of Christ is meant to be understood and Christians stop being so lazy that they won’t seek long enough to find and knock loud enough to be heard.
The lack of true knowledge regarding Christ and His message is what makes people so gullible and easily deceived. Nor is there anything wrong with the words of Christ until somebody else thinks they need to interpret them for others. THAT’S where and when ALL the trouble starts. People NEED to read the words of Christ for THEMSELVES and come to understand His words for themselves also. They need to get to know Christ on a personal basis and NOBODY can do that for them but themselves. Anything else is nothing more than “name dropping”. It would be like me saying that because I know my neighbor, I know all of his ancestors… or because I read the title of the book I know everything about what’s IN the book.
Though I haven’t read any of the other books mentioned previously by members, and I have no desire to offend or insult anyone, I simply don’t feel that anyone should need to read the interpretations of somebody else. All people need to do is put some real effort into reading the New Testament words of Jesus Christ as many times as it takes until the proverbial lightbulb comes on…, or the bushel basket falls away from their candle allowing their light to guide them on the straight and narrow path and reveal the hidden dangers inherent in traveling such a difficult path. Only then can they help anyone else, because if they don’t know of or are aware of the dangers themselves, how can they possibly warn anyone else about them?