8/20 Overall Impressions
The Fellowship of Presbyterians has now become "The Fellowship Community." There has been a friendly separation from the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO). We still share the same theology and share in many mission ventures together. Mission Accountability Groups and Pastor Accountability Groups are intertwined still between Fellowship affiliated churches and ECO churches (we can still learn from each other, still hold each other's feet to the fire for doing the Lord's work). There was some administrative confusion. Also, this will allow for more variety in meetings. We could have a Fellowship meeting without ECO, for example.
Having been to both the PCUSA General Assembly (five times) and this Fellowship National Gathering, I would say I am so much more encouraged at the Fellowship gathering, and felt we had some great and practical teaching, good fellowship, some movement toward real accountability, and a sense the church was moving forward- instead of I have to go back and apologize for some debate. There was very little debate, but lots of thought and a sense of pulling together to reach people for Christ, and do justice. There were many more mission affinity groups at this gathering than at the PCUSA General Assembly.
Philippians 2:1-2 says, "If you have any encouragement from being united in Christ, if any comfort in his love, if any fellowship from the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by BEING LIKE-MINDED, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." I felt I was with folk who shared the same beliefs and the same goals as our church. There was a sense of moving forward in glorifying Christ.
We had General Assembly folk there. The PCUSA 1001 Worshiping Communities folk were there. Went to a seminar by Vera White. Linda Valentine, the CEO for our PCUSA Presbyterian Mission Agency spoke to the Fellowship group. She mentioned that she (the PMA) wanted to be there for us if we had questions or help doing missions.
I am especially grateful for the leadership of Paul Detterman, Jim Singleton, and Bill Teng who have helped pilot our ship into these waters.
In short, it was one of the best, most encouraging conferences I have been to. There was little angst over what was going on in the PCUSA, but a lot of focus on doing the Lord's work.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
8/19/14 National Convention thoughts
Today heard Alan Hirsch speak of our natural desire for fellowship or communitas. It comes out of our wilderness time (liminality). So when 9-11 happened the cold New Yorkers opened up shop doors. Two years later they opened up their houses to strangers stranded in the power outage. When we go through hard times we become a band of brothers- and pull together for a common cause. Our mission and purpose come from our hard times together. Hirsch pointed out that 80% of our youth quit believing their first year of college because we have sheltered them and they have not had to test their faith. It is like putting a fish in the aquarium into the ocean and expecting them to survive. We need to allow learning by trials in order to help our young to get tough.
Kevin Graham Ford, nephew of Billy Graham and son of Leighton Ford, spoke. He talked of how he had asked for a tree house for Christmas. On Christmas day his dad took him out to the drive where he saw hammer, nails, saw and wood on the ground for them to build it together. We need to know responsibility in order to do missions. We tend to be consumers- who will never know community. It is in serving that we learn to love and become a community. We are in a consumer culture- what will I get out of this? is our question not what can I give.
Kent Carlson and MIke Leuken- co pastors of Oak Hill church in Folsom CA spoke. They had brought the church plant from 100 to 1,000 in just a few months. But were constantly trying to entertain with lights, music, seeker service. They were not making disciples. Quit being so seeker friendly and changed to try to help people be spiritually formed and lost 1,500 members in 2 years. Church is not about entertaining but serving.
Vera White spoke in a seminar on 1001 worshiping communities. There are 259 now. They are to be self governing, self propogating, and self sustaining. It is a reaction to what they were seeing happening all over- a movement of the spirit- reaching out to others- campers, neighborhoods, inter-racial communities.
Overall great day Much to think about.
Kevin Graham Ford, nephew of Billy Graham and son of Leighton Ford, spoke. He talked of how he had asked for a tree house for Christmas. On Christmas day his dad took him out to the drive where he saw hammer, nails, saw and wood on the ground for them to build it together. We need to know responsibility in order to do missions. We tend to be consumers- who will never know community. It is in serving that we learn to love and become a community. We are in a consumer culture- what will I get out of this? is our question not what can I give.
Kent Carlson and MIke Leuken- co pastors of Oak Hill church in Folsom CA spoke. They had brought the church plant from 100 to 1,000 in just a few months. But were constantly trying to entertain with lights, music, seeker service. They were not making disciples. Quit being so seeker friendly and changed to try to help people be spiritually formed and lost 1,500 members in 2 years. Church is not about entertaining but serving.
Vera White spoke in a seminar on 1001 worshiping communities. There are 259 now. They are to be self governing, self propogating, and self sustaining. It is a reaction to what they were seeing happening all over- a movement of the spirit- reaching out to others- campers, neighborhoods, inter-racial communities.
Overall great day Much to think about.
National Gathering Dallas Day 1 8/18
8/18/14- National Gathering report.
The National Gathering in Dallas is simply amazing, encouraging and inspiring.
LAUNCHING OF FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY- ECO and The Fellowship are now two separate deals. The Fellowship Community is for PCUSA folk called to stay in the PCUSA and minister. That would be LMPC. Heard Linda Valentine- executive director of the PCUSA Presbyt3erian Mission Agency (in effect the chief executive officer of the PCUSA) speak to us about partnering together to make the church better. She challenged us to do more for international missions and 1001 worshiping communities. We were encouraged to not be shy about working with other churches in and outside of our denomination- including ECO. Dana Allen thanked the fellowship for helping them and said we want to continue to do the Lord's mission work together. We were encouraged to do Mission Affinity Groups and Pastor Accountability Groups to help us sharpen each other's mission for Christ. Mark Brewer is the new president of The Fellowship Community. This is different from PFR. Fellowship Community is not an exit ramp or waiting room for ECO but for those who wish to do purposefully do mission in PCUSA. Paul Detterman said that several presbytery and synod execs approached him to help them with their churches once they felt that Paul and the Fellowship folk were not trying to lead people out. Paul has been contacted by United Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians and UCC folk who all wanted to partner together with Presbyterians who were staying in the mainline.
This is out of sequence but this was a Pre-Gathering event I went to- Normally this conference has avoided this topic- and it is not the main or even a single issue here.
This is what I heard. Debra Hirsch (Alan Hirsh's wife- who helped write "Untamed" and is writing a new book "Unleashing Sexuality" was amazing. Debra is from Australia. She was in a bad place- had been abused sexually as a young girl and had gone into the drug scene and was living with another woman as a lesbian and saw nothing wrong. She has been a Christian and married to Alan (a great theologian and church consultant) for 22 years now. Many of her friends became Christians through the ministry of her former drug addict who reached out to them all after his own conversion.
Here are a couple of nuggets: "If you are not offended by something in the gospel- you are not reading it clearly" (Tim Keller). Some people have disgust for different sins- a visceral response. But in order to reach people who are caught in sexual confusion and brokenness we need to treat them not with condemnation but with love as Jesus did in John 8. Surveys by young non-church urban folk indicate that they judge us by saying we are "anti-gay" when we really need to be reaching out to all people with the love of Christ. If we are not reaching out then we are failing to be the church. G.K. Chesteron said that a man knocking on the door of a brothel is in fact looking for Jesus. Debra said that women often condemn men for pornography but then hide behind the soft porn of celebrity worship and gossip which arouse some crazy things. It was an interesting take on some of these things. I agreed with so much and was inspired to do more- especially in AIDS ministry.
MONDAY NI\GHT WORSHIP-
Highland Park Presbyterian brought in their 100 person choir and led us in singing about five hymns and then they sang about three anthems- with the organ and the piano. It was just amazing music! Just amazing classical anthems and hymns. I got into that. Not as much contemporary worship songs here at this point- that is okay with me for my tastes, though I can appreciate a little of that too.
But the talk this night was simply earth-shaking- you could almost feel the Spirit vibrating the room. It was by Carol Kaminski (prof. of Hebrew at Gordon Conwell- also from Australia). Her main theme was Genesis 12:1-3. This is, the key mission text, the beginning of mission (besides be fruitful and multiply). It was given in a context of barrenness. God often uses bad/sad circumstances to bring about real missions- Sara was barren (Gen 18:11; 11:30). It was in the midst of this that God showed Abraham the stars and said, "Look at the stars you will be more numerous." It was in the slavery of Egypt that the numbers of the Israelites grew to fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply. It was in Gideon (least person of the smallest tribes) who was told he had too many- to show that it was God who did it. Jehoshaphat marched out against a vast host calling on God to show Himself- He did. Naomi went to Ruth because there was a famine in the land. God takes the most difficult circumstances- our brokenness and brings mission out of that. So encouraging in our situation in the PCUSA.
All of this was just inspiring.
The National Gathering in Dallas is simply amazing, encouraging and inspiring.
LAUNCHING OF FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY- ECO and The Fellowship are now two separate deals. The Fellowship Community is for PCUSA folk called to stay in the PCUSA and minister. That would be LMPC. Heard Linda Valentine- executive director of the PCUSA Presbyt3erian Mission Agency (in effect the chief executive officer of the PCUSA) speak to us about partnering together to make the church better. She challenged us to do more for international missions and 1001 worshiping communities. We were encouraged to not be shy about working with other churches in and outside of our denomination- including ECO. Dana Allen thanked the fellowship for helping them and said we want to continue to do the Lord's mission work together. We were encouraged to do Mission Affinity Groups and Pastor Accountability Groups to help us sharpen each other's mission for Christ. Mark Brewer is the new president of The Fellowship Community. This is different from PFR. Fellowship Community is not an exit ramp or waiting room for ECO but for those who wish to do purposefully do mission in PCUSA. Paul Detterman said that several presbytery and synod execs approached him to help them with their churches once they felt that Paul and the Fellowship folk were not trying to lead people out. Paul has been contacted by United Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians and UCC folk who all wanted to partner together with Presbyterians who were staying in the mainline.
This is out of sequence but this was a Pre-Gathering event I went to- Normally this conference has avoided this topic- and it is not the main or even a single issue here.
This is what I heard. Debra Hirsch (Alan Hirsh's wife- who helped write "Untamed" and is writing a new book "Unleashing Sexuality" was amazing. Debra is from Australia. She was in a bad place- had been abused sexually as a young girl and had gone into the drug scene and was living with another woman as a lesbian and saw nothing wrong. She has been a Christian and married to Alan (a great theologian and church consultant) for 22 years now. Many of her friends became Christians through the ministry of her former drug addict who reached out to them all after his own conversion.
Here are a couple of nuggets: "If you are not offended by something in the gospel- you are not reading it clearly" (Tim Keller). Some people have disgust for different sins- a visceral response. But in order to reach people who are caught in sexual confusion and brokenness we need to treat them not with condemnation but with love as Jesus did in John 8. Surveys by young non-church urban folk indicate that they judge us by saying we are "anti-gay" when we really need to be reaching out to all people with the love of Christ. If we are not reaching out then we are failing to be the church. G.K. Chesteron said that a man knocking on the door of a brothel is in fact looking for Jesus. Debra said that women often condemn men for pornography but then hide behind the soft porn of celebrity worship and gossip which arouse some crazy things. It was an interesting take on some of these things. I agreed with so much and was inspired to do more- especially in AIDS ministry.
MONDAY NI\GHT WORSHIP-
Highland Park Presbyterian brought in their 100 person choir and led us in singing about five hymns and then they sang about three anthems- with the organ and the piano. It was just amazing music! Just amazing classical anthems and hymns. I got into that. Not as much contemporary worship songs here at this point- that is okay with me for my tastes, though I can appreciate a little of that too.
But the talk this night was simply earth-shaking- you could almost feel the Spirit vibrating the room. It was by Carol Kaminski (prof. of Hebrew at Gordon Conwell- also from Australia). Her main theme was Genesis 12:1-3. This is, the key mission text, the beginning of mission (besides be fruitful and multiply). It was given in a context of barrenness. God often uses bad/sad circumstances to bring about real missions- Sara was barren (Gen 18:11; 11:30). It was in the midst of this that God showed Abraham the stars and said, "Look at the stars you will be more numerous." It was in the slavery of Egypt that the numbers of the Israelites grew to fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply. It was in Gideon (least person of the smallest tribes) who was told he had too many- to show that it was God who did it. Jehoshaphat marched out against a vast host calling on God to show Himself- He did. Naomi went to Ruth because there was a famine in the land. God takes the most difficult circumstances- our brokenness and brings mission out of that. So encouraging in our situation in the PCUSA.
All of this was just inspiring.
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