Wednesday Night I got to have dinner with Alan Hirsch...
Because of my friendship with
John Johnson (the head of the DMin program at Western), I've gotten to have dinner with Brian McLaren, Todd Hunter, Mike Frost... and hands down, this was my absolute favorite one of these times.
Alan loves Jesus and has a brain the size of a planet.
He also loves America and loves what God is doing here. As a South African Jew who came to Jesus, moved to Australia and wrote some of the
most influential books on
missional church out there, he has a unique perspective on the Church worldwide.
And that perspective is this: God is doing something here in the States in terms of new, missional communities and an apostolic ethos- something that can spread and make a difference worldwide.
His take on Americans reminded me very much of Bono- it's not that he doesn't see the amazing hubris and over the top we-can-do-itness that often turns off the rest of the world. He does see it, but not just its downside. He thinks it's exactly that piece of who we are combined with some of the missional thinking that's happening here and around the world that will help turn the tide in the post-Christian West.
Talking with him excited me. I've been jazzed about where Evergreen is at and seeing that with a bit more preparation, a few more steps... we'll be ready to plant not just another church here in Portland, but church after church after church. Talking with Alan I began to see how Evergreen could seed a missional movement here in Portland, but also contribute to church planting and the spread of the Gospel worldwide.
That brings us to last night and my (and
Chris and
Chip's) conversation with Dan Steigerwald and
Rob Fairbanks...
Again, talking missional church, but this time through the lens of
Christian Associates, and how Evergreen could potentially become a place where those wanting to plant churches around the world come and hang out, learn and then are sent.
I have to tell you... the thought of planting churches here in Portland excites me. I see room for many evergreenish small/medium sized focused-on-Jesus-and-community churches all around PDX... a self-replicating multiplying movement. And the thought of participating in church planting in Europe and beyond? And even sending evergreeners to help plant churches around the world?
Man... :)
And tonight, I get to hang with Dan, Rob AND Alan, out at the Edgefield no less and talk about Missional leadership development... how we can pray and work and disciple to see it all happen.
Here's the schedule...
Friday evening 7:00 – 9:30 pm – Processing mega-shifts and changes that affect church planting & the way we form leaders. This will involve open conversations in “the Library” with Rob, Hirsch and Dan facilitating the exchange with all present. We’ll also talk a bit about the world of CA.
Sat morning – 9:30 – 12:00 - Sharing a bit about CA’s plans for N.Am. and talk about how this might relate to your world (including your ideas about feeding into a new missional movement). We’ll also hear from Jeff Shaffer who is leading a missional-incarnational thrust among various marginalized populations in Santa Barbara.
Note the late start on Sat morning, which is intentionally accommodating late night conversations and the sipping of some fine libations over pipes and cigars
Yeah, I know... suffering for the Kingdom :)
But seriously-this feels like an important few nights for me and for our community in a lot of ways. Exciting stuff!
