So check out this cool development. A pet peeve of mine has always been that there is not enough scholarship that expresses a vineyard view of theology (my view). Just try to find a commentary that expresses a kingdom theology, or a view of the Holy Spirit is actually ngaged in the world. Here is an opportunity to expand that....
Vineyard USA is launching a new initiative, the Society of Vineyard Scholars (SVS).
THIS IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT...
We are gathering the thinkers and scholars of our movement to “think theologically” in community—both in order to address the critical questions of the moment and to put down theological and intellectual roots for the long haul. Our expectation is that doing this well involves building a diverse, interconnected community of scholars, pastors, and scholar-pastors within our movement.
Ultimately, our desire is both to deepen our theological reflection and to broaden our engagement with our culture. Towards these ends, we anticipate holding conferences and other events to provide forums for collaborating and sharing intellectual work as well as pursuing other ways of facilitating connections among current Vineyard seminarians, graduate students, and scholars.
If you are interested in receiving communication about SVS please click on the "Interested in SVS" button to the right, and fill out the information so we can get to know more about you.
A CALL FOR PAPERS
“The Theology and Practice of the Kingdom of God: Justice, Power and the Cross”
All in the Vineyard who hold or who are working on a graduate degree and enjoy thinking theologically about your discipline are invited and encouraged to submit a paper for the first annual Society of Vineyard Scholars (SVS) Conference. The theme of the conference is “The Theology and Practice of the Kingdom of God: Justice, Power, and the Cross.” It will be held Thursday evening through Saturday morning, October 22-24, in Columbus, OH. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Ron Sider, Professor at Palmer Theological Seminary and President of Evangelicals for Social Action. The opening address Thursday evening will be delivered by Dr. Don Williams on “The Past, Present, and Future of the Kingdom of God in the Vineyard Movement.”
Three panel sessions on Friday will feature presentations of and responses to papers written by SVS participants, focusing on some aspect of the conference’s larger theme. Papers should be in one of the following areas, broadly defined: Bible, Theology, Ethics, and History, as they relate to the theme of the conference. For these sessions, we will select a maximum of nine papers of no more than 12 pages in length. Completed papers, including titles and abstracts, will be due August 1, 2009. Submissions should be emailed to Carol.Shelton@vineyardcolumbus.org. Those who submit will be notified of the acceptance status of their papers by August 30, 2009.
Showing posts with label emergent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergent. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Adding a new blog jonny baker
This guy is worth the link. I have been checking out his blog, and as every blog should it has not just an interesting person, but lots of freebies. Yes, I see the shortfall in my own blog- mental note add freebies.
JonnyBaker (UK) speaks a lot about emergent church....a lot. He must be obsessive, but fortunately he really thinks too. (I can't wait to meet him). Anyways, his freebies are great like series of worship 'tricks'. Here is his idea number 10.
worship tricks [first series]
no 10: pentecost flame throwing
pentecost madness. mark pierson from nz is always coming up with wonderfully creative ideas. he seems to have a particular penchant for crazy pentecost services that involve as much fire as possible! this is his latest (don't run it past the health and safety people first though or it will never happen)..... "Pentecost is my favourite festival. So many great images. We took the Spirit of God as Fire this year. 2 services with the themes The fire of God's Spirit enables... and reveals.... I set up the space with a campfire of tvs 2 high running fire vid loops, lots of red flood lights, mirror ball etc so the place was awash with red. After our usual (a tradition now) popping of the popcorn all over the floor while I talked about the potential God sees in each of us and how the Spirit enables that potential to be realised in a relationship with Christ, I moved to the centre piece. I had a large steel bowl (wok ) on top of a metre high black plinth, with candle burning beside it. In the wok was a pile of meths soaked pumice rocks (very porous). At the appropriate moment I pulled out an aerosol can of cooking oil and sprayed it across the top of the candle. It ignited like a flame thrower and lit the bowl of pumice beside it. Very cool effect! We also used a cross covered in magicians flash paper to ignite in the dark. Now next year...!"
FLAME THOWERS IN CHURCH>>>WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!
JonnyBaker (UK) speaks a lot about emergent church....a lot. He must be obsessive, but fortunately he really thinks too. (I can't wait to meet him). Anyways, his freebies are great like series of worship 'tricks'. Here is his idea number 10.
worship tricks [first series]
no 10: pentecost flame throwing
pentecost madness. mark pierson from nz is always coming up with wonderfully creative ideas. he seems to have a particular penchant for crazy pentecost services that involve as much fire as possible! this is his latest (don't run it past the health and safety people first though or it will never happen)..... "Pentecost is my favourite festival. So many great images. We took the Spirit of God as Fire this year. 2 services with the themes The fire of God's Spirit enables... and reveals.... I set up the space with a campfire of tvs 2 high running fire vid loops, lots of red flood lights, mirror ball etc so the place was awash with red. After our usual (a tradition now) popping of the popcorn all over the floor while I talked about the potential God sees in each of us and how the Spirit enables that potential to be realised in a relationship with Christ, I moved to the centre piece. I had a large steel bowl (wok ) on top of a metre high black plinth, with candle burning beside it. In the wok was a pile of meths soaked pumice rocks (very porous). At the appropriate moment I pulled out an aerosol can of cooking oil and sprayed it across the top of the candle. It ignited like a flame thrower and lit the bowl of pumice beside it. Very cool effect! We also used a cross covered in magicians flash paper to ignite in the dark. Now next year...!"
FLAME THOWERS IN CHURCH>>>WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Vineyard and the Rose
Last year at this time I had a revelation of some things that had been lurking in the back of my mind. At a prayer conference no less!! Phylis Tickle, gave a lecture called the Rose in which she details the history of the church as it relates to the 'emergent church' movement. History evolved like a spiralling mass, heading toward a blurry center, where all the lines got mixed up, all the traditions began to blend, all the theologies mixed. I am a vineyard pastor, I have been part of the movement for years and suddenly I realized why!
Now this is going to sound entirely optimistic, and overzealous, but the Vineyard I believe is strategically placed to be able to give input into this new 'emerging' church movement. Today we have 1000's of people leaving the church to experiment, to do their own thing, house church, community. The regular Sunday church just doesn't cut it for them. Post modern thought, main stream media, technology, cultural shifts have battered the traditional church, shifting its very foundation. Here I believe is where the vineyard fits and needs to speak loudly:
1. TRADITIONALLY non-TRADITIONAL- the vineyard was a hippie movement from California, but it went much deeper than simply wearing jeans and preaching from a stool. The Vineyard is about seeking to be culturally relevant. This is not about catering to a culture, but using culture as a platform to incarnate the gospel. It is not about giving up on the church, but on forms.
2. GIVING IT AWAY- Over and over I have heard how a Vineyard pastor or person has befriended someone, given something that was over the top great. This is a fundamental attitude. John Wimber traveled the world doing conferences for the greater global church. He wanted to gift the whole church with his understanding, and ministry. We need to understand that we still play a role here. Let's 'give it away.'
3. APPRENTICESHIP- It has never been about a leader doing it. It has always been about....you do it. Let me show you, now your turn, once you get the hang of it then you do it. This is the heart of discipleship. It is beautiful when it works. I have seen the most insecure leaders, walk in confidence because they didn't walk alone. An old vineyard addage has been 'if someone wants to learn, ask them to come and be with you. Don't give them a title. Train them by life.. I believe the Vineyard plays a key role in helping a new generation of leaders learn to do the stuff. Community living and local living makes this type of close life modelling possible, and probable again.
Now this is going to sound entirely optimistic, and overzealous, but the Vineyard I believe is strategically placed to be able to give input into this new 'emerging' church movement. Today we have 1000's of people leaving the church to experiment, to do their own thing, house church, community. The regular Sunday church just doesn't cut it for them. Post modern thought, main stream media, technology, cultural shifts have battered the traditional church, shifting its very foundation. Here I believe is where the vineyard fits and needs to speak loudly:
1. TRADITIONALLY non-TRADITIONAL- the vineyard was a hippie movement from California, but it went much deeper than simply wearing jeans and preaching from a stool. The Vineyard is about seeking to be culturally relevant. This is not about catering to a culture, but using culture as a platform to incarnate the gospel. It is not about giving up on the church, but on forms.
2. GIVING IT AWAY- Over and over I have heard how a Vineyard pastor or person has befriended someone, given something that was over the top great. This is a fundamental attitude. John Wimber traveled the world doing conferences for the greater global church. He wanted to gift the whole church with his understanding, and ministry. We need to understand that we still play a role here. Let's 'give it away.'
3. APPRENTICESHIP- It has never been about a leader doing it. It has always been about....you do it. Let me show you, now your turn, once you get the hang of it then you do it. This is the heart of discipleship. It is beautiful when it works. I have seen the most insecure leaders, walk in confidence because they didn't walk alone. An old vineyard addage has been 'if someone wants to learn, ask them to come and be with you. Don't give them a title. Train them by life.. I believe the Vineyard plays a key role in helping a new generation of leaders learn to do the stuff. Community living and local living makes this type of close life modelling possible, and probable again.
4.Kingdom- what can we say....god is at work now. Let's join in. Let's wait on the Holy Spirit, let's call on the Holy Spirit. 'Come Holy Spirit', is not simply a mantra, something that makes ministry times 'work.' It is an invitation, to show us where to go. We were never supposed to wait, to wonder, 'where is God?' We were supposed to walk into the things He was about.
Am I hopeful about the Vineyard? Hmmmmm, I really love it, I love what God is offering to me as part of it. How deep is the Love of God, How rich His mercy on us all. I am probably happiest that he hasn't just left us.
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