New Ways of Being Church

Conversations on renewal and transformation in mainline congregations

March 15-18, 2009

Yes, there are signs of hope for the Church in the post-modern and post-Christian era! In 2009, Louisville Seminary welcomes a celebrated trio of church leaders/scholars who are spreading the news that the Church of the 21st Century can and does re-think, re-tradition, and re-invent itself.

• Diana Butler Bass, historian and author of the popular book Christianity for the Rest of Us, brings with her inspirational presentation solid research showing that mainline congregations are thriving as communities that practice ancient Christian traditions.
• Marcus Borg, a prominent New Testament scholar, speaks for many who seek a fresh, credible, and progressive understanding of Jesus Christ for this age. His forthcoming book is simply titled Jesus.
• Brian McLaren is a pastor and author who best represents the “Emerging Church” from an evangelical perspective, but his presentations and books, including A Generous Orthodoxy and Everything Must Change, elude simple labels.
• With closing worship led by LPTS Alum Preacher Mike Pentecost (MDiv ‘98), pastor of Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, Tenn.

For more information about this event, contact David Sawyer, Director of Lifelong Learning and Advanced Degrees, dsawyer@lpts.edu, or Leah Bradley, Director of Alum & Church Relations, lbradley@lpts.edu, 1-800/264-1839.

Anyhow, if you need more info, directions, or want to help advertise, here’s a brochure.  Hope to see some fellow presbymergents there!

After we get done celebrating, though, we have to ask ourselves: what does this mean for Presbymergent? In what ways will this impact the conversations we’ve been having here and will be having here?

What do you think?

If you know of anyone going to General Assembly who needs to know more about presbymergent, let them know they should stop by the booth and come to the events.  If you would like one of our limited supply, 100% recycled plastic, mini flyers – let them know they should pick one up for you before they’re all tossed out.

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Exhibit Hall Booth (#409), Friday – Wednesday

Along with the mini flyers, the cheerful booth staff will be handing out a beautiful brochure (“an invitation to presbymergent conversations” designed and color printed by Carol Howard Merritt), and small invites to the two presbymergent events happening at GA.  We hope to make new friends and have good conversations about Emergent, being loyal radicals, …

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Friday Night Event, 7:00-9:00 pm

a presbymergent event with Emergent Village voices

donations accepted (suggestion $10)   Facebook event page

The Church Basement Roadshow
In a high-energy, meaningful and light-hearted show three friends from varied backgrounds (Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette) join forces as a team of revivalists in the tradition of the late 19th and early 20th century. Drawing on material from their most recent books, they will use skits, group sing-alongs, spoken word poetry, video and old-timey style preaching to invite audiences into a serious encounter with the exciting possibilities of lived Christian faith in our day.

First Presbyterian Church of San Jose
49 North 4th Street, San Jose
(a ten minute walk from the convention center)

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Tuesday Night Event, 8:00-10:00 pm

a presbymergent evening of friendship, film, food and conversations

free appetizers will be provided by our co-host, the Office of Theology and Worship, and beverages will be available for purchase

Most of the evening will be informal conversations.
From 8:30-9:00 there will be a 15 minute preview screening of  “A Church Emerging,” followed by a Q&A with the producer and director.  This documentary follows the story of a traditional Presbyterian Church in the San Jose presbytery that joins with an emerging church, interspersed with interviews exploring Emergent’s impact on a national scale.

Tied House Brewing Company
65 North San Pedro Street, San Jose
(a ten minute walk from the convention center)

Please pray for how the Holy Spirit will work through our presence at GA, and that we not get too tired before the week is over!

THE CHURCH BASEMENT ROADSHOW

I am excited that they are doing this. I see this as a huge step for them and the Presbytery in addressing the changing needs of the communities they serve and minister to.

So SATURDAY JUNE 14 @ First Presbyterian Church Granada Hills The ball drops at 6:30pm Location 10400 Zelzah Ave Northridge, Ca 91326. Local musical guest: Zack Zmed of The Janks

I am so excited. I just can’t hide it. I am gonna lose control and I think I like it…

I hope to meet many of you at the conference.

Look at the Workshops Offered

• Facing Our Differences Together: Toward a Next Generation Church, John Franke, Hatfield, PA
• Becoming a Multicultural Community, Jin S. Kim, Minneapolis, MN
• Worship Unbound: Hearing the Voice of Christ Amidst the Noise of an Uninhibited Generation, Melva W. Costen, Atlanta, GA
• Our Post-Modern Age: An Introduction, W. Stacy Johnson, Princeton, NJ
• Activating and Energizing Youth in Ministry in a Multicultural Setting, Marissa Galván-Valle, Louisville, KY
• Reconnecting Our Connectionalism, Jack Haberer, Richmond, VA
• Christian Worship and Preaching in a Post-Modern World, Rhashell Hunter, Louisville, KY
• Presbyterian Global Fellowship, Scott Weimer, Atlanta, GA
• Leading the Church Into the Future, Linda Bryant Valentine, Louisville KY
• The Emerging Mainline: Church from Scratch, Nanette Sawyer, Chicago, IL
• Post-Modern Biblical Interpretation, Eugene Eung-Chun Park, San Francisco, CA
• Why Adapting Purpose-Driven is a Great Way to Fulfill the Great Ends! Michael Carey, Satellite Beach, FL
• The Tribal Church, Carol Howard Merritt, Washington, DC
• Presbyterians and Emergent, Karen E. Sloan, San Antonio, TX and Troy Bronsink, Atlanta, GA
• Resurrecting Church, Shane Claiborne, Philadelphia, PA
• Future Church, Anti-Racist Church, Lisa Larges, San Francisco, CA
• 12 Dynamic Shifts to a Missional Church, E. Stanley Ott, Vienna, VA
• Framing an Ecclesiology for the Congregation, John W. Stewart, Princeton, NJ
• Another Resurrection Story, Maggie Lauterer, Burnsville, NC
• First Order Thinking: Transforming Congregational Life from the Inside Out, Bill Golderer, Philadelphia, PA
• Ready, Steady, Go: Young Adults Prepare to Lead! Bridgett A. Green, Louisville, KY

I stated before going to this event is parallel to Woodstock. If you are seeking to converse about/on the changing paradigm of ministry, church, and world then be here. Be here. Be here!

I wanted to inform y’all that there are 10 to 12 spots open as of right now with Covenant Community Church in Louisville for the Church Unbound conference at Montreat this July!

The cost is $156.25 for room and board. You register for the conference separately.

If you are interested in this red hott deal email me at thefetteredheart@gmail.com and I will pass you along to the powers that be at Covenant Community Church.

First Place - Submission #14 by Jena Ashton (178 votes)
Second Place - Submission #7 by Margot Starbuck (144 votes)
Third Place - Submission #13 by Dannah Walter (42 votes)
Fourth Place - Submission #15 by Ryan Pappan (32 votes)
Fifth Place - Submission #2 by Stephanie Nelson (17 votes)

Each of these winners will get to choose one of the five prize packages. Congratulations to the winners who were picked by the presbymergent community. If you are one of the winners, please email presbymergent here about how to claim your prize package.