Midwest Emergent Cohorts

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/

Tags: Emergent, Cohorts, Midwest Emergent Gathering

Plan Your Chicago Weekend

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

Tags: Emergent Midwest Gathering, Chicago

Spread the Word

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

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!

Coordinate Meet-ups

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

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.