Today’s church is a mix of all kinds of groups, some of them seemingly far removed from traditional norms. Many of the ‘contemporary’ and ’emerging’ groups look at more traditional churches and say things like “If the 50s ever come back, your church is ready.” (That would be which fruit of the Spirit?)
Yesterday, an event was held in Reston, VA called ‘the Whiteboard Sessions‘. Here is the description of the event:
The Whiteboard Sessions is about the power of an idea in its raw, most conceptual form. One simple idea could forever change your life and ministry. We’ve invited 8 of the most inspiring leaders in ministry to share one compelling idea in just 30 minutes each. They come from different ministry circles and use a variety of methods, but they all have one thing in common: a love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a desire to see lost people reached. You will be stretched by their thinking and challenged by their insights. The very idea you resist could be the key to God’s future for you. Who knows, you might even find confirmation for the dream God’s already revealed to you. But whatever the reaction, one thing is certain: you will never be the same.
The speakers were described by some of those involved as coming from the Reformed tradition, the Contemporary Church world, or from the Emerging Church – the ‘right wing’ of the Emerging church, that is (i.e., the allegedly ‘good’ side).
Here are the speakers, most of whom I do not know:
- John Burke, Gateway Community Church, Austin, TX
- Darrin Patrick, the Journey, St Lous, MO (Vice President of Acts 29 Church Planting Network – Mark Driscoll’s group)
- Vince Antonucci, Forefront Church, Virginia Beach, VA
- Mark Batterson, National Community Church, Washington, DC
- Tim Stevens, Granger Community Church
- Perry Noble, NewSpring Church, Anderson, SC
- Ed Stetzer, Director of Lifeway Research and Lifeway’s Missiologist in Residence.
- Mark Dever, Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC
The group is very … eclectic … shall we say?
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