where presbymergents are going during Winter & Spring 2008

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February to May in eleven cities, Friday night to Saturday afternoon
The Everything Must Change Tour (see below for specific dates and cities)
deepshift.org/site/
Registration: $109

These are Emergent-related events, hosted by Brian McLaren and friends. Each event will have four sessions to hear and respond in dialogue to new material from Brian McLaren (there will also be a book-signing and book-release party for Brian’s newest book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope, available at a special introductory price.) Throughout the event “Nude Truths: An Odyssey in Poetry, Painting and Prose,” an art exhibit in digital and book form, will serve as a catalyst for reflection on one’s own journey and where one’s unique gifts can intersect with the needs of the world, promoting change. The event will also include new music, liturgical experiences, and other resources that you can take home and use in your faith community, created with Tracy Howe. There will be networking and conversation groups about faith, art, justice, mission, spiritual formation, worship, and community; along with stories of deep personal life change and the resulting community and global impact.

Visit the deepshift.org site to join in conversation leading up to the tour and connect with others coming to your city.

(click on the location for registration to the event in that city)

February 1-2 (Charlotte, NC)

February 8-9 (Boise, ID)
**Note: If you want to connect with other presbymergents at this particular event, send an email to Nate Bettger. More about their church’s plans can be found here.**

February 22-23 (Dallas, TX)
**Note: Neal Locke will be at this event and is interested in getting together with any other presbymergents also attending, email Neal to make plans.**

February 29-March 1 (St. Petersburg, FL)

March 7-8 (Washington, DC)
**Note: Brian Wallace is planning a Presbymergent@DeepShift in Washington on March 8th. Email Brian for more details.**

March 28-29 (San Diego, CA)

April 4-5 (Chicago, IL)

April 11-12 (Seattle, WA)

April 25-26 (Kansas City, MO)

May 2-3 (New York City, NY)

May 9-10 (Goshen, IN)

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February 2, Saturday, to February 3, Sunday
A Sustainable Faith: A Simpler Way to Do Faith, Spirituality, and Life (St. Petersburg, FL)
www.asustainablefaith.com/home/
Registration: $25

This is an Emergent Village event, organized by Emergent cohorts in Florida. The weekend-long conversation will unite the minds of those who are interested in nurturing a simpler, more sustainable faith within their own faith communities. Speakers include Shane Claiborne (The Simple Way & author of The Irresistible Revolution), Frank Viola (Pagan Christianity), Tim Keel (Jacob’s Well & author of Intuitive Leadership), and others, as they lead a holistic discussion on how to practice faith, spirituality, and church in general without the programs and productions that we find stifling the ability for us to simply love one another. Presbymergent Troy Bronsink will be a part of Saturday night’s panel discussion and leading a breakout session on Sunday afternoon.

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April 8, Tuesday, to April 10, Thursday
Emerging Church for the Existing Church (Denver, CO)
leadershipnexus.net/DenverBrochure.pdf
leadershipnexus.net/
Registration: $310, scholarships available by request

This event is cosponsored by Emergent Village, Clergy Uniting for Growth and Ministry, Iliff School of Theology, and the United Methodist Publishing House in cooperation with Denver Seminary. It will be a conversation on ideals, identity, practice and hope for the church. The focus of the event is to provide opportunities for dialogue between leaders of Emergent conversations and leaders of mainline churches. This event will explain more about the Emerging Church movement, what its ideas and ideals are, and how the existing church can work together with this growing movement within the church. Speakers include: Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Tony Jones, Bob Whitesel, Janet Forbes, Katherine Turpin, Lilly Lewin, Karen Sloan, Don Payne.

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looking ahead to Summer 2008

June 20, Friday, to June 28, Saturday
218th General Assembly (San Jose, CA)
www.pcusa.org/ga218/

Thanks to friends in the GAC Evangelism & Church Growth office the paperwork for a presbymergent booth has been submitted. Karen Sloan and Bob Pearson are planning on staffing the booth, yet the specifics for what the booth will contain or who might also be able to volunteer for staffing it are still being worked out. There are also hopes for some low-key presbymergent parties during GA. If you would like to be a part of organizing presbymergent’s presence at GA, please email Jim Bonewald or contribute to the facebook discussion.

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July 1, Tuesday, to July 5, Friday
Church Unbound (Montreat, NC)
www.montreat.org/current/2008-church-unbound
Registration: $200

This is a PC(USA)-related event, sponsored by The Presbyterian Outlook, Cross Cultural Alliance of Ministries, and Montreat Conference Center. This event will be exploring how the PC(USA) can become a church for the next generation, and what it will take to bridge the boundaries of age, culture, gender, race, and theological differences. It will be an exciting conversation aimed at fashioning a new vision for a new day, of a church unbound. Emergent friend Shane Claiborne is a keynote speakers, and a number of the workshops are being led by presbymergents: John Franke, Jack Haberer, Carol Howard Merritt, Nanette Sawyer, Karen Sloan.

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If you’re planning a presbymergent-related event, or are even considering the possibility of an event, feel free to email about getting connected with other presbymergents.