Midwest Emergent Gathering Blog

Midwest Emergent Gathering Recap

2007-07-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

Some of the most transformative experiences for me have come through conferences - whether through the speaking, or the networking and relationship building, or just the sort of "greenhouse" experience of deliberately placing oneself in an environment designed for short intense bursts of spiritual growth. It probably has to do with having grown up in the Christian camping world. I mean, let's face it, ministry conferences are basically camp for adults. That's part of why I've been so energetic and excited about helping to create the Midwest Emergent Gathering that we just put on this past weekend. I just love being able to create for others the kinds of experiences that have been so meaningful to me in the past.

This journey began with a conversation in a hotel bar in Seattle last November with myself, Sarah Notton, Randy Buist, and Spencer Burke as we wondered why there were no good ministry conferences in the Midwest, and then started asking ourselves why we didn't go ahead and do one. And rather than let the idea just stay there in that hotel bar, we actually kept dreaming about it, and talking about it, and talking to other people who might be interested in helping us make it happen. Fast forward eight months and here we are, having just successfully pulled off the first ever Midwest Emergent Gathering.

And it was great, at least from my perspective as one of the conference planners. I confess that going into the conference I had this fear that it would be totally chaotic, unprofessional, and a complete waste of time for our attendees - and yet the complete opposite actually happened. Thanks in large part to our amazing crew of fellow planners and volunteers, the whole thing just ran incredibly smoothly. As the onstage host/MC I was able to just sit back and let it unfold, trusting our team to make sure that all the details would fall into place. Because they did I was able to focus on my part of it, which was casting the vision and then making sure all the onstage pieces fit together with that vision.

In my opinion, it all fit together beautifully. We created this conference with the idea of "Creating Missional Communities" in mind and invited a wide diversity of speakers to come and paint pictures for us of what that looks like in practice. We started on Friday morning with Tony Jones describing what it means to be emergent and what it means to be missional, and why those two go together. He exhorted us to move beyond the polarities of liberal and conservative and not let our be defined by such binary ways of looking at the world.

Doug Pagitt continued the conversation with encouragement to have a wholistic gospel that includes teaching both about Jesus and about the kingdom of God (cf. Acts 28:31). He also reminded us that the kingdom is bigger than the church and that God is at work everywhere, whether urban, or suburban or rural or wherever.

In the afternoon Denise Van Eck told us the story of how she went about trying to create authentic missional community at the 10,000 person monstrosity that is Mars Hill Bible Church and learned that community isn't something that can be created, it can only be discovered.

That evening Nanette Sawyer told us about a very different kind of church, Wicker Park Grace, a urban and artsy faith community in downtown Chicago. She described the creativity and hospitality of their gatherings, and talked about how they are welcoming individuals that have felt rejected by so many other churches (gays and lesbians for example).

The next morning we heard a phenomenal presentation from Alise Barrymore and James King, whose church Scot McKnight described to me as the only African American emerging church he was aware of. Their story blew me away and from the conference evaluation forms we received I know that many others were blown away as well. Their faith journey was so resonant with the kind of journey most of us in the emerging church have been on ourselves, and yet it was so intriguing to see the unique issues they dealt with along that journey in their African American context. Anyhow, I hope Alise and James are voices that we begin to hear a lot more of in the emerging church conversation.

We wrapped up the conference with a fiery and prophetic set of exhortations from Spencer Burke, who encouraged us not to get bogged down with creating ecclesial empires or big structures, but to begin reimagining a whole new way of being the light of the world in our postmodern cultural context. I was especially touched by his closing comments about coming back to the heart of God and just remembering the love that our Father has for all of us as he holds us close to his breast (like a parent holds a newborn infant). It was the perfect note to end the conference on.

Of course, interspersed with all these presentations were other elements, times of worship as well as missional highlights (New Life for Haiti and Mission:USA), and our "Outsider Interviews". On Friday we had John Armstrong give us his advice for the emerging church from his perspective as a friendly observer of the movement. He commended us for advancing the idea of missionality in the church, and yet also cautioned us not to become arrogant and think that we are creating something entirely new under the sun - he reminded us to listen to the wisdom of the past, whether that of Augustine or Calvin, or more recently people like Barth and Newbigin.

Then on Saturday we had an interview with my friend Hemant Mehta, the Friendly Atheist. He gave us a perspective on us Christians from outside the faith entirely, encouraging us to do more to serve those in need outside the church and to partner more with non-Christians as we do so. From the comments I received I think there were many people who appreciated hearing both Hemant's and John's perspectives and were gratified that we included differing opinions in our conference. Personally I was gratified that both of these friends were willing to do something so potentially "risky".

In between the sessions we had lots of workshops, though unfortunately as the one "running the show" I didn't get much time to sit in on these. I heard they were all superb though. We also encouraged attendees to "create their own" workshop if they wanted to talk about a topic that wasn't on our list, and several people took us up on the offer. Besides the workshops we also tried to give plenty of time for conversations (long meal breaks, Q&A times w/the speakers after the sessions), because again, one of the most valuable parts of conferences like these is the relationships that are formed. I for one enjoyed not only the time to reconnect with some of the well-known "movers and shakers" in the emerging church world (i.e. most of our speakers & presenters), but even more I enjoyed meeting new friends from all over who came just to attend and learn and network at the conference. I look forward to deepening all of these friendships in the future.

Speaking of the future, I have high hopes for what some of the long term outcomes of this conference might be. Jeff Kursonis, the national cohorts coordinator for Emergent Village has said this was a historic event in that it was the first time that multiple cohorts had worked together in such a way. I'd love to see this set the trend for more regional cohort gatherings, whether full blown conferences, smaller get togethers, or missional collaborations. I also have hope that this event and others like it will lead to the formation of new cohorts. The emerging church needs to have a local face. If it is primarily a conversation, then that conversation happens best in small groups of passionate individuals who can see each other, know each other, and have a beer together as they plot how to advance God's kingdom of love and justice in the world. It's like Margaret Mead said "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Imagine what could happen if we can continue to multiply many small groups of thoughtful people all over the country (and world) who are committed to this kind of global transformation!

BTW, if you missed the conference but would like to listen to our mainstage presentations, you can download the audio of them on our conference website.

The following bloggers have also posted on the conference. I'll try to add new ones to this list as more people post about the conference.

Rich Vincent at TheoCenTriC MuSiNgS.

Conversation Outside the Bubble: Day 1 and Day 2.

RCA Church Planters: Part 1 & Part 2.

Helen at Conversation at the Edge.

David Jones & Betsy Whaley at Nexus Jesus.

Maurice Broaddus (the Sinister Minister): Part 1 and Part 2.

Julie's reflections at Emerging Women.

And John Armstrong's blog.

Also, Doug Pagitt has a number of pictures from the conference currently up on his blog, mostly of Will Samson sleeping.

Update: Oh, and you know you've "arrived" in the emerging church world when you're trashed by Ken Silva. I'm glad to see our event made it onto his EC-bashing radar. :)

Another Update: Tony Jones has blogged about it now too.

And another one from my new friend Rebecca.

Midwest Emergent Cohorts

2007-07-21T14:33:00.000-06:00

Cohorts are the localized and incarnational way that Emergent Village works. Around the U.S., friends of Emergent Village meet of their own accord, at their own time and place, and discuss what they choose. What binds the cohorts together is a common desire to be in robust and respectful conversation about things that matter.

State City/Area Group Title
Illinois, Chicago - up/rooted
Indiana, Indianapolis - Indianapolis Emergent Cohorts
Indiana, Lafayette - Hunters and Gatherers
Indiana, Northern - Oubache Cohort
Indiana, Muncie - Muncie Indie Allies
Iowa, Iowa City - Eastern Iowa Emergent Cohort
Kentucky, Central - Wilmington-Lexington Emergent Cohort
Kentucky, Bowling Green - Emergent-BG
Michigan, Lansing - Emergent - Mid:Michigan
Michigan, Grand Rapids - Emergent – West Michigan
Minnesota, Twin Cities - Twin Cities Emergent Cohort
Missouri, Kansas City - SPST Emergent
Missouri, Kansas City - Kansas City Emergent
Ohio, Central - Central Ohio Emergent Cohort
Ohio, Dayton/Beavercreek - Emergent Dayton
Ohio, Northeast - Akron/Canton Emergent Cohort

If you are interested in finding cohorts in other areas or in starting an Emergent cohort in your area please visit http://www.emergentvillage.us/cohorts/

Plan Your Chicago Weekend

2007-06-22T15:42:00.000-06:00

Things to Do In and Around Chicago

If you want to make a full vacation out of your trip to Chicago, here's a list of events and tourist destinations you might be interested in.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Everything you need to know to get around the city – including maps and a trip planner.
http://yourcta.com

Museums

Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu
111 S Michigan Ave (Michigan and Adams)
Friday 10:30-9:00 (free from 5-9), Saturday and Sunday 10-5
Adults - $12, Students and Seniors (65 and up) - $7, Children under 12 are free

Field Museum
http://www.fieldmuseum.org
1400 Lake Shore Dr.
(Lake Shore and Roosevelt, Museum Campus)
Regular Hours are 9-5 daily. Last admission at 4 pm
Adults - $12, Children (4-11), students (with ID), Seniors (65+) - $7

Shedd Aquarium
http://www.sheddaquarium.org
1200 S Lake Shore Dr – Museum Campus
9-6
Adults - $24.50, Seniors and youth - $17.95

Adler Planetarium
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org
1300 S Lake Shore Dr. (Museum Campus)
9:30-6
Adults - $10, Kids - $6, Seniors (65+) - $8

Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org
57th St. and Lake Shore Dr.
Monday-Saturday 9:30-4, Sunday 11-4
Adult - $11, Child (3-11) - $7, Senior (65+) - $9.50

Museum of Contemporary Art
http://www.mcachicago.org

Museum of Contemporary Photography
http://www.mocp.org

Sports
Cubs vs SF - Thursday July 19, 1:20 PM
Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Friday July 20 1:20PM, Saturday July 21 12:05PM, Sunday July 22 1:20PM
Wrigley Field (Addison and Clark St.)
Tickets from $19

Music and Theater

Blue Man Group
Briar Street Theater
3133 N. Halsted St.
http://www.blueman.com

Wicked
Ford Center for the Performing Arts
24 W. Randolph St
http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/

The Color Purple
The Cadillac Palace Theater
151 W. Randolf St.
http://www.broadwayinchicago.com

Cirque Shanghai
Navy Pier
Grand and Lake Shore
Tickets from $14.50
http://www.navypier.com/cirqueshanghai/cirq_tickets.html

Miscellaneous

Cool Globes
The Lake Front
125 different globes by 125 different artists and celebrities to raise awareness for global warming
http://www.coolglobes.com

Fireworks
Navy Pier
Grand and Lake Shore Dr.
Saturday starting at 10:15 pm
http://www.navypier.com/things2do/fireworks.html

Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Blockparty
Madison and Des Plaines
Friday, July 20 and Saturday July 21 - 5pm to 10:30pm
The host of the event, Old St. Pat’s Church, is Chicago’s oldest public building and a treasured historic landmark. The World’s Largest Block Party is Old St. Patrick’s major fundraising event of the year.
http://worldslargestblockparty.com/

John Hancock Center
Michigan Ave and Chicago Ave
Signature Room on the 95th and 96th floor is free to get to, stays open until 1:30 am Friday and Saturday. Perfect place to watch the fireworks.

Sears Tower Skydeck
Wacker Dr. and Jackson Blvd
9am – 9:30pm
Adult - $12.95
103rd floor is tallest occupied floor in the world

Lincoln Park Zoo
Grounds open 9-6
Just off Lake Shore Drive at the Fullerton Parkway exit, just minutes north of downtown Chicago
Free

Outside Chicago –

Six Flags Great America
Gurnee, Il off I-94
http://www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica/index.aspx

Bristol Renaissance Faire
Saturdays and Sundays 10-7
Kenosha, WI • Illinois/Wisconsin Border
http://www.renfair.com/bristol

For more information on what to do in Chicago (like discovering more local/smaller events) check out the Chicago Reader online http://chicagoreader.com, or the Chicago Tourism website http://www.choosechicago.com

Our Partners

2007-06-19T20:22:00.000-06:00

While the bulk of this Gathering is being planned by leaders from the Chicago and Indianapolis area Emergent Village cohorts, we have also been blessed by a number of other organizations that have partnered with us to make this event a reality. We are grateful and proud to have them on board with us.

Emergent Village - a growing, generative friendship among missional Christians seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary - located in Evanston, IL, GETS equips bold leaders for the Church and the world according to their core values of critical and creative reason, evangelical commitment, and prophetic participation in society.

North Park University - located in urban Chicago, North Park combines a deep tradition in the liberal arts and the Christian faith with a spirit of innovation, and a desire to reach out to serve and to learn from the dynamic and diverse community around them.

Baker Books - Baker publishes titles for lay Christians on topics such as discipleship, spirituality, encouragement, relationships, marriage, parenting, and the intersection of Christianity and culture. They also publish books and ministry resources for pastors and church leaders, concentrating on topics such as preaching, worship, pastoral ministries, counseling, and leadership. Recently Baker has partnered with Emergent Village to publish their Emersion line of books.

Christianbook.com - The online affiliate for Christian Book Distributors, Inc. (CBD), the world's largest distributor of Christian products.

InterVarsity Press - As an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing resources that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of Life.

Jossey-Bass - Jossey-Bass publishes books, periodicals, and other media to inform and inspire those interested in developing themselves, their organizations and their communities, featuring some of the world’s best-known authors in leadership, business, education, religion and spirituality, parenting, nonprofit, public health and health administration, conflict resolution and relationships.

Paraclete Press - an ecumenical publisher of books and recordings offering spirituality information and resources from Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Jewish perspectives and traditions.

Off the Map -a Seattle-based ministry that seeks to make evangelism (helping people to connect with God) doable, practical and fun for ordinary Christians … what they call reinventing evangelism. OTM hosts an annual Off the Map Live conference in Seattle.

Emerging Women - an informal network that attempts to create a space for women involved in the emerging church conversation to voice their thoughts, express opinions, and practice theology. It seeks to be a safe community where women can complain, deconstruct, brainstorm, network, dream, and encourage one another.

Presbymergent - an online community for those who live in both the Presbyterian (PCUSA) and Emergent/emerging church worlds and want to try and find a balance between the two.

Spread the Word

2007-06-04T15:10:00.000-06:00

Help us spread the word about the Midwest Emergent Gathering (get all your friends to come)!

Help us get the word out by placing one of our web buttons or banner ads on your blog, Face Book, My Space, church or cohort website. Click here to get the code for your website.

Midwest Emergent Gathering Blog

2007-06-04T15:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Midwest Emergent Gathering Blog. This is a place to tell stories, get conference updates, and connect with others who are attending. You can use this blog to ask questions, arrange to share rides and rooms, and start to get to know each other.

If you haven't registered for the conference yet - click here.

What is the Midwest Emergent Gathering?

A church of 10,000 people that meets in a mall...
A small urban community that meets in an art gallery...
An African-American church on the south-side of Chicago...
Web communities that connect tens of thousands of people...

What do all of these have in common? They are all emerging faith communities discovering what it means to be missional in their own unique context. AND they will all be represented at the first annual Midwest Emergent Gathering, July 20-21 in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. Come learn from Tony Jones (Emergent Village), Denise Van Eck (Mars Hill Bible Church), Spencer Burke (theOoze.com), Nanette Sawyer (Wicker Park Grace), Doug Pagitt (Solomon's Porch), and Alise Barrymore & James King (The Emmaus Community) and many other missional practitioners from a wide diversity of backgrounds as we learn together about "Creating Missional Communities".

Contribute to the conversation as we discuss, network, and learn in community together via fast-paced mainstage sessions, interactive workshops, and unstructured times for dialogue with old or new friends. Whether mainline or evangelical, emerging or traditional, high church or de-churched, you will find inspiration and ideas to help you and your faith community become more effective agents for the mission of God in this hurting world.

Who is the Midwest Emergent Gathering for??

It's for anyone who wants to discover how to create a missional faith community, or how to transition their existing community into a more missional mindset. This isn't just about churches or just for pastors. A missional community could be an emergent cohort, or a group of friends who live in the same neighborhood and want to make difference right where they live - we're even inviting a number of speakers who have disengaged entirely from the institutional church and yet continue to create missional community by gathering friends for backyard barbecues and serving food to the homeless on weekends.

You don't even have to be especially emergent to attend. Missional is a much broader term than emerging, and we've invited speakers from a wide spectrum of belief and practice. All you need is a conviction that the church is at its best when it's giving itself away, and a desire to learn how to do that better in your own context.

I look forward to seeing everyone there!

FAQ

2007-06-04T14:58:00.000-06:00

Ask any questions you have about the conference (logistics, themes...) and the event coordinators will do our best to answer them.

Coordinate Meet-ups

2007-06-04T14:55:00.000-06:00

Are you interested in getting together with others from your area or denomination at the conference? Do you want to share a meal with other Emerging Women or Emerging Theologians (not that they are mutually exclusive...)?

Post your meet-up ideas here and coordinate with other interested parties.

Introductions

2007-06-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

We are looking forward to getting to meet everyone this summer at the conference. To help us become more acquainted with each other we encourage you to introduce yourself here. Feel free to tell as much or as little about yourself as you like. If you have a blog, post a link.

Hotel Information

2007-06-04T14:47:00.000-06:00

Preferred Conference Hotel

Sheraton Chicago Northwest

3400 West Euclid Avenue
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Phone: (847) 394-2000
.22 miles from conference site (within walking distance!)

Indoor Heated Pool
Complimentary health club featuring a heated Olympic-size indoor pool, extensive health facilities, personal trainers, sauna, and whirlpool.
Free Wireless High Speed Internet Access in Lobby
Business Center/Services
Starbucks coffee shop
Room service
Car rental service
Complimentary shuttle to local attractions and businesses within a five-mile radius of the hotel
Safe Deposit Boxes
Game room
Free parking

Special Rate: King room, $115.00 (plus applicable taxes)
When you call, mention that you are with the Emergent Midwest Gathering. We have a block of rooms reserved.
* The Sheraton has a water resort available for an additional fee, based on availability ﾖ this might be great for those of you traveling with your families.

Motel 6 Chicago NW / Rolling Meadows

1800 Winnetka Circle
SR 53 at West Euclid Avenue
Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008
Phone: (847) 818-8088

Outdoor pool
Kids 17 and under Stay Free
Small Pets Welcome
Free HBO & ESPN
Data Ports
Free Local Phone
Free Morning Coffee
Coin laundry

Rate - $43.99 single, $49.99 double (plus applicable taxes)
When you call, mention that you are with the Emergent Midwest Gathering.

Extended Stay America Efficiency Studios
Rolling Meadows, IL

2400 Golf Rd.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
(847) 357-1000
crm@extendedstay.com
2.5 miles from conference site

Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, and stovetop
Workspace with computer dataport
Free local phone calls
Personalized voice mail
ron and full size ironing board
On site guest laundry
Dining and cooking utensils provided
Wireless high-speed Internet access (fees apply)

Note: Housekeeping service is NOT provided for stays of 7 days or less. However, towel exchange is available at the Front Desk for guests staying one to six nights.
Rate: 1 BR efficiency, ~$61 on Orbitz (plus applicable taxes)

Feel free to post other good deals you may find!

Sharing Rooms

2007-06-04T14:44:00.000-06:00

Connect with others here -
- If you are interested in finding someone to share lodging with and help split the costs or
- Live locally and have an extra bed (couch, floor...) you are willing to offer

Share a Ride

2007-06-04T14:39:00.000-06:00

Are you driving in from out of state and have an extra seat in your car? Are you renting a car in Chicago and want to spread the cost? Do you need a ride from the airport? Do you want to carpool with others to the conference site from your hotel? Do you want to save gas money and the environment by sharing a ride?

If you are interested in connecting with other conference attendees about sharing rides, post your needs here.

Midwest Emergent Gathering Blog

Midwest Emergent Gathering Recap

Midwest Emergent Cohorts

Plan Your Chicago Weekend

Our Partners

Spread the Word

Midwest Emergent Gathering Blog

FAQ

Coordinate Meet-ups

Introductions

Hotel Information

Preferred Conference Hotel

Sheraton Chicago Northwest

Motel 6 Chicago NW / Rolling Meadows

Extended Stay America Efficiency StudiosRolling Meadows, IL

Sharing Rooms

Share a Ride

Extended Stay America Efficiency Studios
Rolling Meadows, IL