Hyper-reality: Ian Mobsby musings

New Anglimergent Group for Australia & New Zealand

2009-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say that a new Anglimergent network has begun in Australia and New Zealand coming out of the growing fresh expressions movement in Australia and my small contribution to developing this through my speaking tour.

So if you are down-under and interested in or part of an emerging or fresh expression of church, please do have a look at this new and evolving network within the context of the global Anglimergent network here.

Another Speaking Tour begins

2009-02-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well I again start on another speaking tour, this time in Australia and New Zealand. To keep reading follow the link....

Updated Speaking Tour March 2009

2009-02-14T02:11:00.000-08:00

AUSTRALIA Speaking 2009

MELBOURNE MARCH 2nd - 5th
Mon 2nd to Tues 3rd March
Consultation on Fresh Expressions & Parish Ministry,
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Monday 2nd March -
After dinner talk: The importance of the catholic Trinitarian & Sacramental Anglican tradition as a basis for mission engagement with spiritual tourism
Place: St James Anglican Church, Camberwell webinfo
Time: From 5.30pm (Starting with Evening Prayer)
For more info: Invite Only
Booking: Invite only, Ms Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email

Tues 3rd March - Developing Fresh Expressions of church of the sacramental traditions.
Place: St James Anglican Church, Camberwell
Time: 10am to 3pm
For more info: Invite Only
Booking: Invite only, Ms Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email
Books: Both my books will be available in return for a suggested donation to the Moot Community.

Weds 4th March - Noel Carter Memorial Lecture
Title: Being Church in a global culture of consumption and information technology
Place: Trinity College Theological School (Evan Burge Lecture Theatre)
Time: 7pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information: Please contact Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne email

Books available: Both my books will be available

Thurs 5th March - Diocesan Training Day
Title: Developing Emerging & Fresh Expressions within a Mixed Economy of Church
Time: 10am to 3.15pm
Place: St John’s Camberwell, venue website
Cost: $25 for the day
Booking: contact Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email
Books available: Both my books will be available again in return for donation to the work of the Moot Community

GOLD COAST MARCH 6th - 9th

Sat 7th March
Event: Regional Fourm, Tweed/Byron Anglicans
Title: Emerging & Fresh Expressions and being Authentically Anglican
Time: 9.30-3.15pm
Venue: St Martins Anglican Church Mullumbimby, Stuart St, 02 6684 3552, Byron Bay
Booking: free and open session for anyone to attend
Books: Both my books will be available

Sun 8th March
Title: Preaching & Presentation on Fresh Expressions in the rural context
Place: All Saints, Mul'bah NSW. Website
Time: 9am to 2pm
Info: For more info please contact Colin Tett. Email.
Booking: Contact Tel: (02)6672 6070 Fax: (02) 6672 6070 Email.
Books available: Both books will be available

NEWCASTLE MARCH 9-11th March
Mon 9th March
Title Day with the Senior Staff of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, invite only
Place: tbc
Time: 9am to 5pm
Books available: Both my books will be available

Tues 10th March
Title: Training day for the Diocese - Developing Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church in a mixed economy of Church.
This is a training day for clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese, see flyer
Place: St John the Baptist Anglican Church hall, Morehead Street, Lambton
Cost: $10
Booking: Email or phone father david - 0400 686 514
Time: 9am to 5.30pm
Books: Both my books will be available at this event.

Tues 10th March
Title: The future of the emergent church in Newcastle and the Hunter
Place: The Gateway Hotel, Maitland Road, Islington (in Newcastle).
Booking: contact as below
Time: 7.30pm for dinner ($5 pub meals - excellent quality) then 8pm upstairs for discussion.
Books: Both my books will be available at this event.
Info: Contact Les Chatwin by Email or 0425 255 143

SYDNEY MARCH 12th
12th March - Day Conference
Title: (Re)Visioning Mission today, a conversation about Fresh Expressions from the edge and in the mainstream with Pete Pillinger & Ian Mobsby
Place: Paddington Uniting Church, 395 Oxford Street. Parking available 24-28 Gordon Street
Time: Starting at 10am
For more info & booking click here to register on line Click here to see the flyer
Books available: Both my books will be available in exchange for a donation to the work of the Moot Community.

BLUE MOUNTAINS MARCH 13th & 14th

13th March
Title: Intentional Christian communities in mission (new Monasticism)
Place: 5 Queens Road, Lawson, Blue Mountains.
Time: 12.30-5pm, Dinner at 6pm, Compline at 7pm
Booking: Contact Wayne by email
Info: See Flyer

14th March
Title: Worship that connects for mission in a Post-Modern world
Place: 5 Queens Road, Lawson, Blue Mountains
Time: 9.30-3.30pm
Booking: Contact Wayne by email
Info: See Flyer

NEW ZEALAND Speaking 2009

AUCKLAND MARCH 20th - 25th

CITYSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH Sun 22nd March
Title: Trinitarian Mysticism - the call of the church.
Ian curates worship and speaks about this subject in the service.
Place: Cityside Baptist Church, 8A Mt Eden Road, Newton, Auckland web info
Time: 10.30am to 12midday
For more info: Contact Brenda the pastor there on (09) 377 3512 or send an email through here
Books available: Both my books will be available in return for a suggested donation to the work of the Moot Community

JOINT PONSONBY BAPTIST CHURCH & CITYSIDE EVENT Sun 22nd March
Title: Compline exploring New-Monasticism for the 21st Century
Place: Ponsonby Baptist Church, website
Time: 7pm to 10pm
For more info: Contact Jody Kilpatrick the pastor there on (09) 376 3621 ot send an email here
Books available: Both my books will be available in return for a suggested condation to the work of the Moot Commuity

CAREY BAPTIST COLLEGE
MON 23rd March
Title: Spiritual Leadership and Mission in the Global Village
Place: Carey Baptist College, website
Time: 6.30pm to 9.30pm
For more info: contact Mike
Books available: Both books

TUES 24th March
Title: New models of leadership - Baptist Pastor's workshop with Ian Mobsby
Place: Carey Baptist College, website
Time: 9.30am to 1pm
For more info: contact Mike
Books available: Both books

TUES 24th March
Title: Lunch interview with Ian Mobsby
Place: Carey Baptist College, website
Time: 1pm to 1.45pm

WEDS 25th March
Title: A Christian Spirituality in an Age of Neo-Mysticism - Lecture
Place: Carey Baptist College, website
Time: 9.30am to 11am
For more info: contact Mike
Books available: Both books

CAMBRIDGE & HAMILTON MARCH 26th - 30th

THURS 26th MARCH
Title: Meeting up with the Stations of the Cross Team, Hamilton.
Place: Tbc
Time: To be confirmed
For more info: To be confirmed

FRI 27th MARCH
Title: The challenge of contemporary mission and ministry in the 21st century. How do you do church (worship, mission and community) in our now spiritual post-secular post-modern world?
Place: Te Ara Hau auditorium, 100 Morrinsville Road, Hamilton
Time: 10am-2.30pm
Cost: $35
For more info or booking: Email

FRI 27th MARCH
Title: Invited Prvate discussion on Emerging Church & the experience of Moot in London UK
Place: Pub in Cambridge
Time: Evening
For more info: Contact Paul Fromont

SAT 28th MARCH
Title: Spiritual Tourist – Spiritual Pilgrim… Engaging with post-secular spirituality
Place: Workshop at Lady Goodfellow chapel, University of Waikato, Gate 1 Knighton Road, Hamilton
Time: 1-4pm
Cost: $10
For more info or booking: Email

SUN 29th MARCH

Title: Preaching
Place: Chartwell co-operating church (St Albans), Comries Road, Hamilton.
Time: 9.30am
For more info: contact Anne on email

SUN 29th MARCH
Attend Ex-ile Service, Hamilton
Place: Uniiversity Chapel, Waikato University, Hamilton
Time: 8 pm
For more info: contact by email

TUES 31st MARCH
Conversation exploring missional context
Place: Anglican Diocesan Offices
Time: 1-4pm
For more info: contact Jemma by email

AUCKLAND 1st April

WEDS 1st APRIL
Preaching in Eucharist Service & Presentation on 'Forms of mission-centred church for a 21st Century culture of the spiritual searcher
Place: St John's College, Auckland
Time: 1-4pm
For more info: contact Jemma by email

PLANS FOR CHRISTCHURCH
As with five other elements of the original tour in Australia, I am sad to say that the credit crunch has made it unviable financially for me to complete planned activities in Christchurch. However, I am currently seeking the possibility of returning to honour this commitment in the next year or so, as I hate letting anyone down. My particular disapointment was not being able to complete the speaking engagements that Steve Taylor has been very kind in facilitating. As I said, I hope to be able to honour a return to this once global economics calms down.

Ian Mobsby Speaking Tour March 2009 of Australia & North Island New Zealand

2009-02-03T16:42:00.001-08:00

AUSTRALIA Speaking 2009

MELBOURNE MARCH 2nd - 5th
Mon 2nd to Tues 3rd March
Consultation on Fresh Expressions & Parish Ministry, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

Monday 2nd March -
After dinner talk: The importance of the catholic Trinitarian & Sacramental Anglican tradition as a basis for mission engagement with spiritual tourism
Place: St James Anglican Church, Camberwell webinfo
Time: From 5.30pm (Starting with Evening Prayer)
For more info: Invite Only
Booking: Invite only, Ms Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email

Tues 3rd March - Developing Fresh Expressions of church of the sacramental traditions.

Place: tbc
Time: 10am to 3pm
For more info: Invite Only
Booking: Invite only, Ms Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email
Books: Both my books will be available in return for a suggested donation to the Moot Community.

Thurs 5th March - Diocesan Training Day

Title: Developing Emerging & Fresh Expressions within a Mixed Economy of Church
Time: 10am to 3.15pm
Place: St John’s Camberwell, venue website
Cost: $25 for the day
Booking: contact Lyn Whaley, Anglican Centre, 209 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 ph 03 9653 4220 email
Books available: Both my books will be available again in return for donation to the work of the Moot Community

GOLD COAST MARCH 6th - 9th
Sat 7th March
Event: Regional Fourm, Tweed/Byron Anglicans
Title: Emerging & Fresh Expressions and being Authentically Anglican
Time: tbc
Venue: St Martins Anglican Church Mullumbimby, Stuart St, 02 6684 3552, Byron Bay
Booking: free and open session for anyone to attend
Books: Both my books will be available

Sun 8th March
Title: Preaching & Presentation of Fresh Expressions in the rural setting
Place: All Saints, Mul'bah NSW. Website
Time: 9am to 2pm
Info: For more info please contact Colin Tett. Email.
Booking: Contact Tel: (02)6672 6070 Fax: (02) 6672 6070 Email.
Books available: Both books will be available

NEWCASTLE MARCH 9-11th March
Mon 9th March
Title Day with the Senior Staff of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, invite only
Place: tbc
Time: 9am to 5pm
For more info: To be confirmed.
Books available: N/A

Tues 10th March
Title: Training day for the Diocese - Developing Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church in a mixed economy of Church.
This is a training day for clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese
Place: tbc
Booking: tbc
Time: 9am to 5.30pm
Books: Both my books will be available at this event.

Tues 10th March
Title: The future of the emergent church in Newcastle and the Hunter
Place: The Gateway Hotel, Maitland Road, Islington (in Newcastle).
Time:7.30pm for dinner ($5 pub meals - excellent quality) then 8pm upstairs for discussion.
Books: Both my books will be available at this event.
Info: Contact Les Chatwin by Email or 0425 255 143

13th March

Title:

Place:

Time:

Booking:
Info:

14th March

Title:
Place:
Time:
Booking:
Info:

NEW ZEALAND Speaking 2009

AUCKLAND MARCH 20th - 25th

CITYSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH Sun 22nd March

Title: Trinitarian Mysticism - the call of the church.

Ian curates worship and speaks about this subject in the service.Place: Cityside Baptist Church, 8A Mt Eden Road, Newton, Auckland web info

Time: 10.30am to 12midday

For more info: Contact Brenda the pastor there on (09) 377 3512 or send an email through here

Books available: Both my books will be available in return for a suggested donation to the work of the Moot Community

JOINT PONSONBY BAPTIST CHURCH & CITYSIDE EVENT Sun 22nd March

Title: tbc

Place: tbc

Time: 7pm to 10pm

For more info: tbc

Books available: tbc

CAREY BAPTIST COLLEGE

MON 23rd March

Title: Spiritual Leadership and Mission in the Global Village

Place: Carey Baptist College, website

Time: 6.30pm to 9.30pm

For more info: tbc

Books available: tbc

TUES 24th March

Title: New models of leadership - Baptist Pastor's workshop with Ian Mobsby

Place: Carey Baptist College, website

Time: 9.30am to 1pm

For more info: tbc

Books available: tbc

TUES 24th March

Title: Lunch interview with Ian Mobsby

Place: Carey Baptist College, website

Time: 1pm to 1.45pm

For more info: tbc

Books available: tbc

WEDS 25th March

Title: A Christian Spirituality in an Age of Neo-Mysticism - Lecture

Place: Carey Baptist College, website

Time: 9.30am to 11am

For more info: tbc

Books available: tbc

CAMBRIDGE & HAMILTON MARCH 26th - 30th

THURS 26th MARCH

Title: Meeting up with the Stations of the Cross Team, Hamilton.

Place: Tbc

Time: To be confirmed

For more info: To be confirmed

FRI 27th MARCH

Title: The challenge of contemporary mission and ministry in the 21st century. How do you do church (worship, mission and community) in our now spiritual post-secular post-modern world?

Place: Te Ara Hau auditorium, Waikato University, 100 Morrinsville Road, Hamilton
Time: 10am-2.30pm
Cost: $35
For more info or booking: Email

FRI 27th MARCH

Title: Invited Prvate discussion on Emerging Church & the experience of Moot in London UK
Place: Pub in Cambridge
Time: Evening
For more info: Contact Paul Fromont

SAT 28th MARCH

Title: Spiritual Tourist – Spiritual Pilgrim… Engaging with post-secular spirituality
Place: Workshop at Lady Goodfellow chapel, University of Waikato, Gate 1 Knighton Road, Hamilton
Time: 1-4pm
Cost: $10
For more info or booking: Email

SUN 29th MARCH

Title: Preaching
Place: Chartwell co-operating church, Hamilton.
Time: 8 or 9am
For more info: ?

SUN 29th MARCH

Attend Ex-ile Service, Hamilton
Place: Chartwell co-operating church, Hamilton.
Time: 8 pm

PLANS FOR CHRISTCHURCHAs with five other elements of the original tour in Australia, I am sad to say that the credit crunch has made it unviable financially for me to complete planned activities in Christchurch. However, I am currently seeking the possibility of returning to honour this commitment in the next year or so, as I hate letting anyone down. My particular disapointment was not being able to complete the speaking engagements that Steve Taylor has been very kind in facilitating. As I said, I hope to be able to honour a return to this once global economics calms down.

Ian Mobsby Speaking tour to Australia & New Zealand March 09

2008-12-05T07:21:00.001-08:00

I am pleased to announce that I will be completing a speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand in March 2009. This looks at the moment as being:

- Melbourne
- Gold Coast
- Newcastle
- Sydney
- Auckland
- Cambridge & Hamilton
- Christchurch

Details are still being confirmed, for more details click here

Greenbelt Festival 2008

2008-08-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

GREENBELT ARTS FESTIVAL 22nd-25th AUGUST
I will be contributing a seminar, and helping the Moot Community do two alternative worship services

What kind of Church is Emerging? Panel discussion from Emerging Church practitioners
Place: Shine Stage
Time: Fri 22nd Aug 7.15pm

Exploring the implications of the Capadocian Mothers & Fathers
Place: Evening Seminar Programme, Children's Festival Stage
Time: Sat 23rd Aug 6.15pm

Moot Service: Perpetual Dawn?
Dawn follows night follows dawn. In this contemplative and visceral service, Moot explores the (im)possibility of the second chance, the fresh start, with the Christian God.
Place: New Forms Venue
Time: Sat 23rd Aug 9pm

Moot Service: Trinity Twister
This active, family-friendly Communion service will be an opportunity to re-imagine our relationship to God and others in the light of the love and intimacy modelled within the Trinity.
Place: New Forms Venue
Time: Sun 24th Aug 10am

New Blog & Info Site

2008-07-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Blogging and keeping info uptodate has proved impossible through blogger, so please see my new blog and info site here

http://www.ianmobsby.net

Please help me by resetting your rss, blog reader, and links to this new site.

Cheers
Ian Mobsby

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-07-18T09:23:00.001-07:00

Now that I have completed by last book tour, and because we in Moot are planning an interim period before being able to start on a church plant we hope to organise before too long, I have taken it upon myself to launch a new site of my work, because I will need to fund raise 89% of my pay from Sept 2008.

So Yes it does look like shameless self-promotion, but I and Moot are in a very real financial squeeze, so promoting what I do is going to be important to be able to keep going. So thank's to Gary for developing this site, so please do check it out www.ianmobsby.net This site will supercede my old blog site hyper:reality, as my new blog is integrated into it.

Podcast interview on the becoming of g-d

2008-07-10T23:42:00.001-07:00

Last week, Aaron Kennedy of the Moot Community interviewed me about the book the becoming of g-d for the Moot Community podcast site as part of a new series of interviews with those that surf the interfaces between spirituality, politics, religion and contemporary culture. To listen to how I got on click here

End of the Becoming of G-d Tour June-08

2008-06-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Now that the tour is coming to an end, finishing in Seattle tomorrow with the Diocese of Washington, I am now beginning to reflect on what I have been learning. Friends will be amused to know, that the dialogue coming out of this tour have helped me frame a proposal for a new book, drawing on the whole area of mission to our culture of new mysticism and the emergence of a form of lay new-monasticism. I have submitted a proposal to a US based publisher, so we will see what they say.

I have learnt a great deal this tour, and it has been interesting to explore the findings of the becoming of G-d book alongside Barry Taylor's book Entertainment Theology. I will start to blog about some of the things that have begun to emerge out of this synthesis once I have returned and collapsed for a bit. It is certainly the last time I do this completely on my own....

Thanks to all for supporting this tour. Books are still available through US & CANADIAN Bookstores, please see link on the top left of this blog.

So what is coming up next?

Aug-08 - Speaking at Greenbelt Festival. Details to follow soon.
Oct-08 - Speaking in Oxford on the Becoming of G-d. Details to follow
Nov-08 - Speaking in the US, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA. Details to follow

Updated | Ian Mobsby Book Tour 2008 | USA & Canada

2008-05-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Pleased to say that this is finally coming together. Details will be updated as soon as information is finalised. For details on the book, which is the basis of this new new tour click here

New York
2nd June | Book Launch & Emerging Church NYC Gathering | 4.30pm to 7pm

This event will include a short address about the book in an interview format, with books available for purchase. The evening will include a new CD by Isaac Everett promoting the work of his band.
Place: The Episcopal Book Store, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Time: 4.30pm to 7pm
Booking: no booking required

Greenwich, New York State

3rd June | The place of Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church | Trinity Church | tbc

An evening address to the leadership of Trinity Church, Greenwich
Place: Trinity Church, 15 Sherwood Place, Greenwich CT 06830
Time: To be confirm
Booking: Not required, see website here

Greenwich, New York State

4th June | Private retreat with the staff of Trinity Church

Private retreat exploring the implications of a Trinitarian ecclesiology on mission and community

4th June | Evening Discussion with Transmission | Venue to be confirmed, New York City

details to be confirmed

Montreal, Canada
5th June, | evening meeting with leaders of emerging churches here over a beer at "Les 3 Brasseurs"

This event will be an informal gathering of those interested in meeting up over some beers.
Place: Les 3 Brasseurs
Time: To be confirmed
Details: Please contact Nick Brotherwood email here, for more details see the website here

6th June , 10am-3pm | The Becoming of God - Lessons from the Emerging Church | Atelier Loblaws

This event is being organised through the Canadian Anglican Church Diocese of Montreal for clergy to explore the concept of Emerging and Fresh Expressions of Church as experienced through the Church of England.
Place: Atelier Loblaws Cavendish, 6600 St. Jacques West, Montreal
Time: 10am-3pm
Booking: Apply as specificed in downloadable flyer click here
Information: Email Here

7th June | Emerging Church Event | walk & picnic with emerging church leaders

Place: meet Metro Place d'Armes, St. Urbain Street exit, for a 'historic walk' in Old Montreal followed by informal picnic lunch with members of Montreal emerging churches
Time: 11am
Booking: Contact Nick Brotherwood by email here or see website here

7th June | Emerging Church Event | What do have to learn from the Cappodocian Fathers?

Evening presentation & discussion exploring the implications of the Cappodocians on being a missionary community in the twenty first century
Place: Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, 1819 René Lévesque west, corner of St. Mathieu
Timing: 7pm to 9pm
Booking: Contact Nick Brotherwood by email here or see website here

Jamestown, New York State, USA
Sun 8th June | The Emerging Church & Trinitarianism in an Age of New Mysticism| Jamestown

To see a flyer for the event, please click here
Place: YWCA Lake Lodge - 187 E. Terrace Ave Lakewood NY 14750
Time: 6.30 for 7pm
More info: Contact Tara here or 716-969-3950

Mon 9th June | Breakfast and discussion with Ian Mobsby on the place of the Emerging Church in a postmodern culture | Jamestown

To see a flyer for the event, please click here
Place: YWCA Lake Lodge 0 187 E. Terrace Ave Lakewood NY 14750
Time: 9/10am
More Info: please contact Tara by email here or 716-969-3950

Chicago, USA
11th June | Contemplating the implications of the Trinity from an Emerging Church Perspective | St Barnabas Church

Place: St Barnabas Episcopal Church, 22W415 Butterfield Rd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm
Booking & Info: Matt Gunton, 630-469-1394
Cost: Free

12th June | Emerging & Anglican in an Age of Mysticism | St James Episcopal Cathedral Sanctuary | 10am to 2pm

Workshop facilitated by Ian Mobsby and Isaac Everett for all to learn about the emerging church
Place: St James Episcopal Cathedral Sanctuary
Time: 10am to 2pm to include lunch
Cost: $15 inclusive of lunch
Booking: to book places or for more info email here

12th June | Alternative Worship Service entitled "Divine Trinitarian Encounters" | St James Episcopal Cathedral Sanctuary | 5.30pm refreshments 6-7pm event

An Evening of Alternative worship reflecting a multisensory approach to worship
Place: St James Episcopal Cathedral Sanctuary
Time: Refreshments 5.30pm, 6-7pm
Booking: to book places or for more info email here

Denver Colorado
14th June | Exploring New Monasticism in the context of the Emerging Church

Place: St. Paul Lutheran Church in downtown Denver 1600 Grant St, Denver, CO 80203
Time: 2pm-4pm
Booking: book places by contacting Nadia Bolz-Weber, sarcasticlutheran@gmail.com, 720.301.9409
Cost: Donation to the event is an expected. For more information on the host community see website here

15th June | St Johns Episcopal Cathedral | Preaching in 10am Eucharist

Place: St Johns Episcopal Cathedral
Time: 10am
Booking: Not required

15th June | The Becoming of G-d & Emergence | St Johns Episcopal Cathedral | 4.30pm

This will be a forum to explore the theology in my latest book and it application to Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church.
Place: St Johns Episcopal Cathedral
Time: 4.30pm
Booking: Tbc

15th June | St Johns Episcopal Cathedral | Wilderness Service | 6pm

This is an alternative Eucharist run in the evening, see the website here. I will speaking in this service.
Place: The Wilderness Service, St Johns Cathedral
Time: 6pm
Booking: Not required

San Francisco
21st June |Developing Fresh & Experimental forms of church and mission for the 21st Century, Episcopal Diocese of California | All Day

This training follows on the work I did last year with the Diocese, to see information flyer, click here
Place: Grace Cathedral basement
Time: 9.30am to 3.15pm
Booking: register by email here

22nd June | Grace Episcopal Cathedral | Preaching | Sunday at 6pm Service

Grace Cathedral have graciously offered me the opportunity to speak in their usual 6pm service
Place: Grace Cathedral
Time: 6pm
Booking: NA

23rd June | New-Monasticism as a new/old way of being Christian in a postmodern culture, Episcopal Diocese of California | Afternoon

This training follows on the work I did last year with the Diocese, to see information flyer, click here
Place: Grace Cathedral basement
Time: 1pm-4.30pm
Booking: reserve places by email by clicking here

23rd June | The Place of the Arts in new forms of church and mission, Episcopal Diocese of California | Evening

This training follows on the work I did last year with the Diocese, to see information flyer, click here
Place: Grace Cathedral Basement
Time: 6-9.15pm
Booking: reserve places by email by clicking here

Vancouver, Canada
28th June | Presentation | Being an Emergent & Missional Community in the twenty first century. Inspiration from Trinitarian theology | 9am to 4pm

The day will explore the place of the emerging church as a form of missional community drawing on a Trinitarian ecclesiology. The day will explore how such an ecclesiology will enable contextual mission with a vision of unity in diversity, a foundational belief of Anglicanism.
Place: St Martin’s North Vancouver, 195 East Windsor Road, North Vancouver, BC, V7N 1V2
Time: 9.00am coffee, 9.30 start – 12.30 lunch – 1.00-3.30, closing prayer and away by 4
Booking: St Martin’s Church, (604) 985-5919 email here
Cost: $20
Details: See website for venue and map here

Seattle
1st July | Clergy training day for the Diocese of Olympia | 10am-3pm | Apostles Church, Fremont

Topic: Anglimergence -why Anglicanism (when freed from traditionalism) is so well suited to speak to the spiritual hungers of postmodern seekers.
Place: Apostles Church, Fremont
Time: 10am to 3pm.
Booking: Contact Karen Ward here by email

The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian nature of God has to do with Church and a deep Spirituality for the Twenty First Century

2008-05-14T00:19:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say, that at last, the book is available for purchase at £10 through YTC Press. This, my second book, seeks to explore the theology behind groups like Moot, Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church. It looks at the whole issue of knowing G-d through experience, and that the concept of the Trinity, formulated through the Cappadocian Mothers & Fathers, is a best guess understanding of the nature of God, which though partially revealed in Christ, remains mystically out of reach. However, the Western church, through the differences of latin and greek texts, never fully understood the concept of the Trinity, which has distorted its theology and practice.

I explore the importance of this understanding of God in the context of our postmodern culture driven under the logic of consumption and information technology, which drives a new form of cultural mysticism. In this brave new world, the importance of church reflecting the Trinitarian nature of God as 'mystical communion or community' becomes an imperative. Finally, I explore the difficult challenge of building community in a culture which is loosing its interpersonal skills to the cult of the individual.

So it should be a good read!!

To Order A Copy
To order the book directly, click here, to printout more info, click here

To Order from a Bookshop
For bookshops only, you can order the book directly, click here.
To printout more info for bookshops click here

Fresh Expressions of Church as Post Modern Friars

2008-05-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, I spoke at a New Monasticism conference organised by the Anabaptist network and the Northumbria Community. I was invited to dialogue with the Provincial Brother, who heads up the Anglican Franciscan Order in England. It was a real privilege. This week, I was invited to speak at the Rochester Diocese Gathering about how Rhythms of life contribute to reimagining Church as spiritual community. Both events have got me thinking...

Much of the Fresh Expressions movement I identify with, comes from the more radical Emerging Church end, out of the Alternative worship end. However, I have been repeatedly struck, that much of what I see and hear about the more innovative Fresh Expressions, is that they resonate a lot with the premodern Friars.

Friars, literally means 'brothers' coming out of the French, to emphasis a calling to serve a particular community. They were send out in groups to serve, and build new forms of indigenous church through loving care, hospitality, teaching and worship. Historically there were 4 great movements of these Friars. The Black Friars, the Dominicans, were Friar preachers who were into dialogue, evangelism and hospitality. The White Friars, the Carmelites, promoted forms of contemplative spirituality and hospitality. The Grey Friars - the Franciscans, offered radical love and pastoral care, emphasising social and ecological justice, and finally the Austin Friars, the Augustinians, who encouraged spiritual journeying and pilgrimage.

Now these great premodern Friars were engaging in a pre-word culture based on mysticism, who enabled the faith to grow by how they lived, by orthopraxis. People were encouraged to go deeper into the faith, by adopting or taking on a rhythm of life or rule, not to dissimilar to the commitment some make to being a Christian as an adult. People were encouraged to go deeper in their faith, through a pattern of spirituality, in how they lived.

Now many of the new Fresh Expression initiatives at the radical end of Fresh Expressions, again turn to use a rhythm of life in a post word culture, which again is being driven by the logic of new forms of mysticism driven by consumerism and information technology. These postmodern friars seek to love and evangelise through radical hospitality and through dialogue, and through orthopraxis.

When you think about it - the Anglican Ordinal which is used when thinking about Fresh Expressions of Church - states - to proclaim afresh the gospel for every generation. Well this is very apostolic, and relates to the vision of a number of Friar rhythms of life. Further, the Bishops new mission orders - sound very like Friars being sent out as communities made up of ordained and lay people. It is for me too much of a coincidence.

Emerging and Fresh Expressions of Church came about because of a new mission imperative as culture changes from modernity to postmodernity. Social change 0f this form is not new for the church. In fact, you can look at the Benedictines and Franciscans and see that they were radical new fresh expressions of church in their time, but where they maintained obedience and accountability to the wider church. In the same way, Emerging & Fresh Expressions Postmodern Friars or New-Monastic movements are seeking to be radical but accountable to to the church.

These are exciting times, ones with an Ancient:Future perspective.

Trinitarianism as the basis to Ancient Future Emergent Questing

2008-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

If there is anything the church needs right now, are those who are questing or seeking to reconstruct church and the faith in our postmodern consumerist and technological culture.

I am convinced that there are a number of themes that are crucial if we are going to be successful in this quest of the emerging/ent church.

If we start with the Trinity as our model of Church, then we are open to a communitarian understanding of what is required of church in that it is loving, empowering, participative, sharing in power, committed to prayer, justice and radical hospitality. This will create Christians who are life affirming, able to cope with complexity and be loving.

A Viable & Accessible spirituality
As I have already written about extensively. We need to be living out a spirituality that works - that does really inspire us and resource us. We live in an Age of New Mysticism or of the new spiritual tourist. Our aim of helping spiritual tourists to become pilgrims must draw on the ancient practices of the church reframed into our current context. We can then explore and quest with using these resources thr0ugh podcasting, internet activities or through ipods and a host of other creative ways to encourage forms of worship that work. Our communities need to be modelling a weekly rhythm of spirituality that is viable.

Communities of the sustaining love of God

Our communities need to be what it says on the tin. They need to be functional adaptive places of the giving and sharing of love. If our communities do not have integrity - then it will call into question whether the spirituality we propose to be living are real. These communities will also need to be enabling, as so many people do not have the skills now to do community. So they need to be loving almost therapeutic communities.

Promote the creative
I think spirituality and creativity are closely related. Questing is part of discipleship, so we need to enable people to join in this positive quest. For some it may take a while to deconstruct forms of discipleship that were of a more unsustaining and negative position. This is the place for some of the dechurched. Through creativity, God the Sustainer and Companion can draw people into renewed and reimagined faith, free from the things that hold us back. So the use of alternative worship in services is important, for people to have the space to be through their senses, feeling and thinking as a form of worship. This is is after all, learning about God through experience rather than facts.

Holistic view to life with a commitment to justice
All forms of church need to be joined up in their thinking. There needs to be a commitment to discipleship as human becoming. The physical, social, psychological and emotional are all linked. Similarly there is the need to see the connection between us and the cosmos. That God is committed to social, economic and ecological justice. So it is for us. So we need to do away with dualism - the public private split, the sacred and secular, ordained and lay. We need to see all of life as precious, as God sustains all life on the planet.

A positive narrative concerning God and ourselves
Too much talk about the Christian God is shaming. Often Christians do not appear as the people of love, but the people of judgement and guilt making. This is so opposite to the way of Christ. So when we talk about the love of God, and our need of God, let's start with God's love before talking about sin and brokenness. Let us be living as people of the loving God before we point out the faults in all. Let us seek to affirm all that is good in life and seek to encourage people to see themselves as loved by God, so loved, that God died for them, before we talk about God as King and Judge! In this way - people can be invited to encounter the real God rather than the human projected myth. With this narrative of us being human becomings, of us growing into the love of God, and our need for this God. Then I think we speak of God in ways that allows the Holy Spirit to do things beyond our imagination. Then we see Christian communities as profound places of human becoming, of God leading us together transfigured into the best we can be.

Humility to see that our way is only one way amongst others
If the emerging church can live humbly, affirming all Christians to keep going in their faith, working with all, not excluding anyone, but seeking to go deeper with God, then it will be truly 'both and'. It will be mature, it will have the discipline to discern the things of God. We are not the future of the church. We are not the new reformed better way. We are a bunch of people who are seeking and passionate about contextual mission and church, but we are small, have much to learn, and continue to make mistakes. We are no better or worse than anyone doing things in the name of Christ.

If we can put these things in place, then I think we can see what the power of God can do in contextual mission....

The need for Emergent and some of the Emerging Church to deconstruct its ecclesiology

2008-03-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Many of the churches and groups involved in the Emergent & Emerging Church movement in the UK & US came out of radical evangelicalism. Evangelicalism - and in particular the more reformed, were birthed in modernity. Recently, Emergent churches and projects have changed their practice socially, due to the influences of postmodernity, information technology and consumerism. They have socially changed to respond to the sociological norms of culture.

The problem is, that many of these churches have changed sociologically - but not theologically or ecclesiologically. Many hold to the view that the real church began at the point of the reformation, and that reformation values still have a core place in the postmodern church. Those at the more radical end, still hold a view that they need to finish off the reformation, and were never happy with the Anglican settlement which held a more 'both and' perspective of catholic and protestant together. No - the more radically Emergent continue with this idea that the Emergent churches are the next stage of the reformed church - more pure than those that have gone before. A lot of the language coming out of the Emergent movement in the US seems wrapped in this language and perception of reformation.

Many of us in the Emerging Church feel uncomfortable with this position. We need a more both and postmodern perspective. We need an approach that is more affirming, more humble and less arrogant, something more communal, more about celebrating diversity. We have deconstructed our theology and ecclesiology - listening to the lessons of postmodern theology and ecclesiology. Some of the Emergent language of reformation needs to be deconstructed for our new context. If change remains only sociological - then we are only window dressing. What we need is a reappropriation or reconfiguration of missiology and ecclesiology to understand how we the church need to approach worship, mission and community in our new social context.

We don't need more disunity - more churches that define themselves as ' not like them'. We need a church that seeks to live out God's love to the world. One that brings renewal, revitalisation. Yes we need change, but with an ancient:future perspective. Our cities are littered with empty churches. These create new opportunities for doing new things drawing on the old. What we need is more churches focused on real mission to the unchurched and dechurched. Churches focused on love, and seeking apostolically to build new churches in a culture which is increasingly post-Christian. Without more deconstructed postmodern approaches to Ecclesiology and Theology, then Emergent will not be sustainable in our new brave world. It will then only be a short term fad!

I hope that is not so!

The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian nature of God has to do with Church and a deep Spirituality for the Twenty First Century

2008-02-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have somewhat neglecting this blog this month. This is because I have been working like a dog on my next book - the Becoming of G-d. In this book I have taken the concepts of my first book on the practice of emerging and fresh expressions of Church, and explored them in more detail and in wider application. I explore how a deeper understanding of the Trinity birthed through the early Cappadocian Church writers helps us reimagine the nature of God through a more apophatic reading. Further, I explore how the Church is called to reflect this nature of God in its form and function. In this way the Western Church is freed from its limited understanding of the Trinity, (the unfortunate achilles heel of St Augustine's interpretation) releasing the Church to be more pioneering, fresh and engaging through a better understanding of the Trinity, and in particular, the person of the Holy Spirit.

As G-d becomes as a continuing event through human history this God reframes who we are and what Church is called to be. We are all on a journey of 'individual human-becoming' and the Church as a 'transformative event of God's love and action'. In this way we have rediscovered an ancient:future expression of the Christian faith and church in an Age of New Mysticism.

The book also includes images, poems, stories and reflections by contributors from the Emerging Church in the UK, Ireland and the USA. The book is to be published by YTC Press in Cambridge, and all proceeds go towards the work of Moot. I will be promoting the book on a tour of the US and Canada in June that looks to be including:

- New York
- Buffalo
- Denver
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Vancouver

The book will be available for order soon in the US & UK through YTC Press.

Ian Mobsby Speaking Tour June 2008 in the USA & Canada

2008-02-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

I am looking for speaking engagements for June 2008. If you are interested, then please let me know.... Click image to be able to read it...

To express an interest in the speaking tour, or want the info above to be send to you, please email:

Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church & Art-as-mission

2008-02-18T02:22:00.001-08:00

Much has been written concerning the return and power of the image and film in postmodernity. We are now very much a visual culture, which creates real opportunities for engagement through a metaphorical approach. It is in this ancient:refreshed approach, that the Emerging Church seeks to enable spiritual encounter through the imagination. This is nothing new. The prophets used the arts and music to enable people to imagine another way of being through an artistic approach. It is in this playful way that the Emerging Church mixes up the secular and spiritual - through arts events on a theme of the spiritual.

Moot's "Beyond the Wilderness - a Lenten Journey" is an expression of this. Michael L Radcliffe and Tim Dendy lead a number of contemporary artists who are involved in the emerging church, to create an art exhibition as a form of spiritual journey. Moot have taken over a swanky new gallery in Victoria called "the SW1 Gallery" as an arts-as-mission event. This approach uses an apophatic approach to mission, an open-ended pursuit that does not seek to fill people with facts, but rather enable people to encounter God through spiritual experience. This has an obvious pneumatological approach - creating an environment for encounter trusting that people will encounter God, as we attempt to catch up with what God is already doing. Given the Trinitarian/communal approach of Anglican Emerging Church Groups, this approach to contextual mission is common to those who are Anglimergent.

To experience this click on the film:

to be edited

How are emergent church viewed in the Anglican Community?

2008-02-09T07:42:00.001-08:00

In this challenging times for Archbishop Rowan, I wanted to post this clip of his interview about Emerging/Fresh Expressions

Boston - New Monasticism Denver - New Alt Worship Community

2008-02-05T11:19:00.001-08:00

I was forwarded this link from a friend, if you are interested in New Monasticism, check this out here

In the tour I did last year, I was pleased to work with members of Denver's Episcopal Cathedral, who were exploring a new alt worship inspired service and congregation, to include a discussion group I think at a local bar. Well I am really pleased they have got it together, and are hosting the 'Wilderness' alt eucharist service in the Cathedral. For more info click here

Boston New Monasticism

2008-02-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

I was forwarded this link from a friend, if you are interested in New Monasticism, check this out here

Moot Community Arts Events

2008-01-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

Online Event Registration - Powered by www.eventbrite.com

Podcast - Deep Spirituality in the Trinity

2008-01-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

Moot launched its new Podcast site yesterday, kicking off with a homily from me concerning a Deep Spirituality for the twenty first century, found in the Triune God.

Click here to go to the new site.

Resources by Practitioners for Practitioners

2008-01-11T02:02:00.001-08:00

There are now loads of resources out there in the name of Fresh Expressions, Alt Worship and the Emerging or Emergent Church or Conversation. Many of the big publishers are now buying in to this emerging market, so I just wanted to take a moment to flag a few practitioner led resources. The first is Proost run by Jon Birch & Jonny Baker, and the second is the Mootique, created by the Moot community in London UK, and the third is the COTA Store in Seattle USA. Click on their logos to follow the links.

These sell a mixture of mp3 talks, CDs, movies and books of original worship resources, arts you name it, so check it out. By buying through these sites, you will be assisting these varying practitioners and groups financially in their missional activity.

Further on the unspoken model of church - church as business

2007-12-29T03:00:00.001-08:00

Blimey - that got you thinking!! See comments section to original post. Responding to the comments...

As has been said, there is a difference between utilising good working practices around money and activities, learning from business. It is quite another to base church as a model on a business. It is the latter I am talking about and question, whilst fully supporting the first. Yes - churches need to be sustainable, which means many have to be entrepreneurial, and when thinking about mission in particular, need to consider communication and event type management, BUT these need to be based on values around the meaning of Ekklesia. Ekklesia is a greek word most common in the New Testament for Church, which playfully takes the word used for a town council which was dominated by rich usually men and excluding everyone else, and turned it on its head as a word for church as an alternative community which scandalously included slaves, children and women. It was focused on the Kingdom of God and the counter cultural teachings of Jesus that are sometimes called the 'upside down kingdom'. They were called to be radically inclusive communities of love. This is something which Moot holds very dear. Secondly, these churches were called to worship the Creator, Redeemer and Companion - the Trinity - although this was not fully understood until the Cappadocian Fathers and the Nicene Creed - so that churches should engage with worship, mission and community that enable people not only to encounter God, but to participate in the divine, and model this in the way they do community. In this way Christianity is profoundly different from other religions where worship is more about what you do for God, where the focus in Christianity is about being transformed by being brought into relationship with the Trinity in all that you do.

So unlike the other models of church which draw scripturally on the significance of Jesus, and different focii of Jesus' teachings. I am concerned that churches modelled on businesses do not know or hold to these central teachings of Christ, and are based on business which can never reflect the Kingdom of God, and therefore based on different values.

However, where churches need to be involved in business ventures, I do think they can use more creative models of how they do business learning from previous christian innovation, for example the co-operative, the not-for-profit organisation. But this doesn't define the church - it defines the churches particular business initiative. There is a subtle difference but an important one for me. Otherwise you just end up with a form of Christendom which I have already outlined in my previous post.

Responding to Andii's comment about working with business people as a form of contextual church - I would argue that the place first is to radically challenge such people with Jesus' teachings and model a way of church that challenges much of business values about economic worth, markets, and products, with the stuff about how to be fully human, to live beyond the addiction of consumption, how to find centeredness, how to give, how to live beyond individualism - and all of this has to be learnt in the context of doing and being church which is counter cultural. Contextualisation for me, is not about absorbing values that go against the Kingdom of God, but more about how we can live and do church with out being syncretetic but holding on to Christ's teachings, exploring how to be in culture but not of culture. I hope that Moot in its future can do this. Moot is considering running a prayer and anxiety group as a contextual form of mission - as many people suffer from anxiety as a result of the pressure on people in modern life - so exploring life skills and forms of contemplative prayer to bring peace, so teaching counter-cultural living skills rather than anything offered so far from within culture if you see what I mean... We are not running self management skills courses, or skills on how to be a better individual and be independent - stuff of culture - as these we believe just drive people further into consumption, addiction and the myth of independence.

To come clean about Moot, we are exploring it becoming a church plant, and the possibility of Moot and I taking on a church in London, with the desired will to set up intentional communities, alt worship services and a cafe/art centre for mission. Now clearly this art centre/cafe will need to be run as a business, it will need to cover its costs, but we are not going to start with this business defining what and who Moot is - as I state is the case for some churches in my previous blog - but take Moot and its governance and inclusive approach modelled on new monastic interpretations of Christ's teachings - a mixture of a Mystical Communion model with a Sacramental model as a basis to what it means to be church in a postmodern urban context, using our rhythm of life from this to answer 'how should we live' and from this seek to set up a form of business for the cafe and not the other way round which would completely distort what Moot is supposed to be.

So I come back to where I started - there should never be a model of church called the business model, as for me, this says that church should be what ever culture dictates and is therefore the ultimate form of syncretism - but rather, we should seek authentic models of church, and then seek how we do business where we need to, based on these Kingdom values, and not the other way round. I never want to be part of a church where it becomes a hierarchical board, with departments where I as a cleric - become the managing director - never - no matter how large a church gets, I don't think that is right - if we are truly to be an authentic body of Christ. So we need to consider how do model servant ministry as radical hospitality, particularly to and with those who are excluded from our market understandings of business.

Salvation through into the Wild

2007-12-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

Not sure why especially this year, but I found the whole run up to Christmas to be extremely unspiritual, with the ridiculous consumption and passionless Christian Church services, and what seems the enormous stress and depression of many of my friends. In the last week I have felt more alone and disconnected from those I have loved, than I have for a long time. At the start of today I felt over-whelmed, in pain, and a tad lost.

Well, my own salvation happened when I went to see the film tonight with mates, 'into the wild'. I have so gained from seeing it, to touch the things that matter. It is an extremely good film, and most of it resonated with a lot of my own life, other than the absence of God other than that expressed by an old bloke who talked of God as Love who lived in a communion in the desert. It has a very sad end, one that reminds me with gratitude for God's presence and expression of love to me at times of my own liminality and pain. No, this film has reminded me gratefully of how rich my life has been, where grace and the love of God has drawn me to become more human, I laughed and cried in the film. So this Christmas time, I seek to recommit to questing in life to be who I am and to seek God in all that I experience, so that stuff, things, possessions and the rest do not get in the way of my walk with God.

I am left feeling sad, that for so many, the Christian faith is so distorted so that some never know or hear that it is about Love and acceptance, and a God who comes as a helpless baby to seek the salvation of everything.

It has reminded me how sick I feel at the decadence and lack of humanity I feel at this time of year. Why is it we do less Christian things at this time? Yes family are important, but why is it we separate rather than celebrate? I don't really know.

Happy Christmas

2007-12-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

The new unspoken model of church: church as business

2007-12-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

On a recent visit to St Paul's theological Centre in London, I completed a recent lecture on Models of Church using Avery Dulles' models of church as a starting place. In the session we explored the seven different forms of church reflecting different emphases of the significance of Jesus, and looked for examples of local churches that reflected these differing models. These are traditionally 'God as King - Church as political society', 'God as Trinity - Church as mysticial communion', 'God as Sacramental - Church as Sacrament', 'God as Servant - Church as servant', 'God as Proclaimer - Church as Herald' and finally 'God as teacher - Church as discipler'. These are pretty well known, and I cover the Church as mystical communion model & sacrament as the emerging church in my book.

But what I did not say, and something that has increasingly troubled me, is the unspoken model that seems to have seeped in with little questioning due to the financial pressures of the modern world - is the model of 'Church as business'.

What has increasingly astounded me, is that there is so little written about this model, which has been absorbed by many churches, particularly those that are large. Clearly this model is not based on the significance of Christ, but purely on business cultural import.

For me, there is something deeply dangerous about churches going this way without thinking through the consequences. Firstly, because it can distort a high view of the 'Body of Christ' as an alternative community reflecting the Kingdom of God, that seeks to include those who are excluded - with a vision of human community at its best. As soon as church becomes a business this has to change to become something of a process model. From my experience of a church like this, your PCC quickly becomes a Board meeting, your congregants become share holders, and the church becomes divided into departments sustaining business activity. In such a church - where is the place of the poor? for those of little economic or work value? for those with out middle class business skills? For me this is far more of a challenge to the church than the issues it seems more vocal about such as issues concerning sexuality and gender. So why is the church so silent on this issue? Where is it being counter-cultural regarding models of church?

In some ways I can trace the development of alternative worship and the emerging church as a reaction to churches that increasingly became task orientated and dehumanised - as the focus became orientated around the business vision of the organisation. And yes, it shifted from being a fluid community to an organisation. I would argue that many of the successful Charismatic evangelical churches in London are built on a model of 'Church as Business', and demonstrate the weaknesses of this as a model. The question needs to be raised - how are these churches being IN but not OF business culture if they are to be contextualised forms of authentic church. I think many of us who have been part of these forms of church, have experienced the downside of these forms of church. Where Vicars operate as powerful managing directors with significant financial and political power. The danger of such forms to distort the function of the 'body of Christ' is substantial.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against business innovation or the need for creative entrepreneurialism where it is considered and used wisely. However, I am concerned that many do not seem to be aware or have considered the consequences of taking on very capitalist and business models of the church. For me, the greatest downsides - has to be that such churches are not really enabled to take on mission activities that are counter to business values, particularly those that might be counter cultural. They again target the powerful, the rich and successful and avoid the poor, the disdvantaged.... And again have a very Christendom focused approach to Church and mission.

This could be an interesting area for research

New Monasticism UK Conference 3rd May 2008

2007-11-28T02:33:00.001-08:00

The Place of New Monasticism & The Emerging Church
I met up with Stuart Murray Williams yesterday, who is part of Urban Expressions , emerging type church projects coming from a more Anabaptist perspective. We talked about new monasticism, and Moot's developments concerning its rhythm of life. Many know that I am very pro new monasticism as it promotes a model of church that seeks a fraternity as authentically being church in an age of renewed spiritual interest in spirituality rather than religion.

Well I am really pleased to say that the Northumbria Community, Urban Expressions and the Anabaptist Network are co-sponsoring a day conference on the 3rd May 2008. I know that are UK sister groups MayBe and hOME in Oxford are also attending, so it shall be very good. I strongly commend this conference. Click here for further info and booking form.

Our culture of new mysticism as spirituality

2007-11-10T01:19:00.000-08:00

Its two years now since I read Eric Davis's book Techgnosis which heavily influenced the hypothesis of my book, that what is driving this new form of mysticism in our culture (spirituality not religion) is a cocktail of consumerism as an individual life strategy combined with the influence of information technology.

Information technology and consumerism - as a cocktail - are also heavily linked to globalisation - and hence they are now influencing many previously diverse cultures - and in some - bringing a sense of convergence through global technological development.

The hypothesis that Davis and Caputo hold - is that technology has created a re-appreciation of spiritual transcendence. In the ancient premodern world - reality was about heaven above and hell below as a form of transcendence. In modernity - with the focus on science - transcendence was seen as a myth - and all that was - was here and now. In postmodernity - information technology has driven a re-apprecation of transcendence - through cyber-reality, mobile telephones and such like, there is what some have called - hyper reality - or an impossible faith of neo-mysticism.

In the west - this means that what was more of a secularised culture - now has a deep sense of spirituality - and spiritual tourism, even when people don't realise they are spiritual tourists. As this is heavily influenced by individual consumerism - this spirituality tends to be more of a 'pic-n-mix' type - where people choose the bits they like and hold it as their spirituality.

This is now the cultural context for many cultures and subcultures within the world. I would argue it is heavily present in Europe, UK and USA, and would explain why some are heavily resistant to religion - as it requires and expects conformity of belief - rather than consumptive choice, and also focused on spiritual experience - rather than focused on right thinking - the greatest challenge to the church. So the challenge remains with the church - whether it can engage with this postmodern hyper real spiritual sensibility, and shift from 'is it true' to 'does it work'. Only if spiritual experience of the church - brings transcendence and spirituality - will people explore it. And if those involved in it seem to have a form of peace and centredness will it be seen to have something of worth. Often our churches fail on both these fronts.

My hope, is that forms of the emerging church and fresh expressions of church - will be able to radically re-orientate themselves around this emergent culture of new mysticism, in the way of being church. Offering places of spiritual engagement and hospitality for people who are searching for deep spiritual meaning and centredness. In this way they take inspiration from the mystics, the premodern wandering monastics, and many others - in the vision of assisting people to shift from being spiritual tourists to becoming co-travelling Christian pilgirms - shifting from an individually driven, never ending journey, to a place of travelling community, cented in the hope of Creator, Redeemer and Companion.

The challenge is if we can truly be this type of Christian spiritual community.
For me personally - I see new/old forms of church as the emerging church as the best hope. The ones experimenting with outward focused intentional communities in combination with alternative worship and radical hospitality through art cafes and other public forms of spiritual engagement engagement as the best hope. Moot, MayBe, COTA, hOME, Sanctus 1 seem to me to be heading the right way with all of this, but we will see if they become embedded and sustainable in the long term....

Book review by John Twisleton, Mission & Renewal Adviser from Diocese of Chichester

2007-11-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

Emerging and fresh expressions of church - how are they authentically church and Anglican? Ian J Mobsby 2007 Moot Community Publishing ISBN 978-0-9555140-0-5 £10 122pp

This is a rather Anglican book full of what many would see as the right sort of questions, shy of over simple answers and giving critical loyalty towards the main sweep of Christian tradition. Ian Mobsby, priest missioner in a London church, gives a defence of emerging and fresh expressions of church that will connect with those who look to the catholic vision of Christianity where God is seen ‘equally in the Eucharist and in drinking beer together in the local bar’.

Four groups are studied including MOOT, the author’s own alternative worship community at St. Matthew, Westminster. Their Anglicanism is discerned in a flexible structure, a focus on bringing relational presence into particular places and networks and the light hand of ecclesiastical authority. Fresh expressions are presented as a leading prong of the contemporary strategy ‘to proclaim afresh in each generation [the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds]’ (Declaration of Assent).

This ‘proclaiming afresh’ is at the heart of the contemporary debate between inherited and emerging approaches to church growth. Is this proclamation a translation of the faith of the church through the ages (inherited view) or is it a synthesis in which the local culture reshapes the church (emergent view)? The writer, a man and a missioner of his age steeped in postmodernism, favours the latter. Ian is frustrated by the Christendom mindset that survives in the Church of England. In that frustration he is one with the Anglocatholic pioneers even if his interpretation of Anglican worship would be worlds apart from theirs.

Since many of those early pioneers were Catholic-Evangelicals they would miss in this book passionate reference to Jesus and to the priest as Jesus’ man (sic). The main theological bearing of the book is an inclusive Trinitarianism that fits a less linear, missionary approach to church than that of Jesus eg. in John 20:21 ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you’.

It is a book that speaks powerfully into the current ecclesiological and missiological divide with a brilliance both traditionalists and synthesisers can profit from it. The perception that the miracles of information technology are breeding forms of mysticism is quite fascinating. High theological flight is sandwiched by sharp reality checks such as the prediction that in 2040 average church attendance age will be 64 years.

Ian Mobsby is passionate that the good news of Christ should get out into the 60% of the population who now have no contact with the church and are suspicious of any who hold over-arching world views. Whatever your ecclesiology if you share this concern there will be something for you in this book.

John Twisleton, Chichester diocesan mission and renewal adviser

To purchase the book - click here

UK & European Emerging Church Site, Deep Church Site

2007-10-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pleased to say the October update of the emerging church site has been uploaded. Click here for info. Also really pleased to find that the Deep Church movement have a website too - with a series of interesting seminars drawing on Kings College in London - click here for info.

Community as beyond individual Condition & Cure

2007-10-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

For the last two days I have been ruminating on this subject after a profound conversation with my good friend Padraig of the Ikon Community in Northern Ireland, who has just performed in our Moot Arts Cabaret in London.

My thoughts are still about community. It seems to me, that much of modern life is about comodification of everything - and that we are labelled with various conditions and allergies that somehow assist modern living in the categorising of everything - and for me - unhelpfully reduces everything down to a medical model of inadequacy compounding our sense of reduced humanity.

Another benefit of Christian community, is that it is about profound betterment and affirmation - at its best - it is about our collective human becoming. That in community and the love of God, we are able to find acceptance, love and wholeness.

In the Moot Community I am known as Ian, slightly eccentric and over working. These things are true, and I feel greatly loved by my brothers and sisters in the Moot Community. Left on my own, I can retreat to self-depreciation and frustration with my constant health issues and allergies, and my own sense of inadequacy. So it is in knowing others, and the relationships and care that has built up, that I see reflected another me that I have learnt to accept and love.

The challenge is again, that this is utterly counter-cultural. In community we find our place as a counterbalance to personal anxiety, in community we find a place and a sense of belonging, and it is in community that we ultimately experience God.

So in a culture obsessed with the individual, looking beautiful and finding the cure, community offers something beautiful of another way of being - the foretaste or moment of the Kingdom of God.

Anglimergent global

2007-10-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say that my good friend Karen Ward, of COTA in Seattle, and fellow Anglican Emergent Priest, has launched an Anglimergent group on Facebook.

There is a need to promote the place of Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church throughout the various provinces of Churches in the Global North and West.

Although I see the Emergent Church Movement as an Ecumenical movement, I do think there needs to be champions in the various denominations to bring change - Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists - what ever - to work with the historic Church to seek Ancient Future forms of church reflecting tradition - but honest to now.

For a link to the facebook group click here

Exploration of Kester Brewin's Complex Christ/Signs of Emergence Book

2007-10-06T12:24:00.001-07:00

I am pleased to see that New York City's very own Emerging Church, Transmission, Sister Group to Moot London, are exploring the thinking and work of Kester Brewin regarding complexity, gift and the rest.

Kester's work is provocative - some I like, and some that challenges me. He is an important voice that needs consideration in the radical end of the emerging church. For info on transmissions plans regarding the explorations click here.

For those are interested, I wrote a review on Kester's first book on the emergingchurch.info site, to read it click here

New emerging church venture in St John's Cathedral Denver

2007-10-06T05:33:00.001-07:00

One of the great privileges of the tour Aaron and I completed in June 07, was to hear the passions of people starting up new things in a variety of different settings.

One of these, was St John's Episcopal Cathedral in Denver, and their vision for setting up an alternative service and community.

Cathedrals are uniquely placed to provide opportunities for emerging church type projects where they are aimed at those who are spiritually searching, and I was greatly encouraged to hear about the wilderness creative service at St John's. I like this play on words, very ancient future, as the cathedral was called St John's of the Wilderness because the nearest Episcopal Church at one time, was 700 miles away in Kansas. The concept of wilderness connects with our postmodern situation of complexity, and our very disorientating and fast culture. Wilderness for me connects with the Desert Mothers and Fathers, particularly the Capadocean Mothers and Fathers, the beginning of the Orthodox church, and the form of church that inspired the celtic church... and therefore in a distant form, the inheritance of the later formed Anglican Church in Britain.

I really like the mix of service and going to the pub after for discussion. So if you are looking for an alternative form of church - this looks great - for more info - check out info on their web pages here

Planning American Tour 2008

2007-09-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Following on the success of this year's tour - I plan to complete a further tour to do more speaking and training around new forms of church and mission. I hope to bring one of the highly skilled artists and leaders of of the Moot Community with me - to do much more 'indepth' training particularly in the use of arts-as-mission.

I hope to be able to include some cities in Canada as well, that I was not able to do this year.

If you are interested in using us for training/speaking in June next year - do let me know.

The Emerging Church in the UK: Personal Reflections

2007-09-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

Recently wrote this for the Mustard Seed Associates for a conference they are running on the emerging church next year in the States....

Background about the Emerging Church in the UK
Because culture in the UK is far more secular than that which is general in the United States, there has been an emerging church scene since the late 1980s responding to the gap between traditional forms of church and contemporary culture. In the 1980s, this began with forms of church responding to new forms of community and clubbing in the dance scene, which gave opportunities for new forms of mission and church. This began with alternative worship communities in the first wave of the emerging church, as the first form of models of emerging church. Initially, these did not start off as churches, but became churches as the gap between mission initiatives and forms of church were too wide to bridge. From the 1990s, to the twenty-first century, these models of emerging churches widened to include a number of different models, which now include:

- alternative worship communities
- café church models of emerging churches
- new monastic forms of ‘postmodern’ friaries
- community initiatives that have become churches
- missions to new age communities that have become churches
- youth congregations and churches of a more emerging and evangelical perspective
- youth congregations and churches of a more catholic, Anglican perspective
- new contemplative and anglo-catholic emerging church projects
- new emerging church initiatives instigated by Anglican Cathedrals aiming at interacting with spiritual tourists
- Emerging Church initiatives from the Free Church traditions
- Emerging Church initiatives from post-church groups
- Emerging Churches specifically who are gay-affirming
- Emerging Churches that are specifically multicultural

Analysis – so why all these new groupings?
I would suggest that these new groupings have developed because British culture is complex, pluralistic and increasingly contextual. I think all are attempting to do “worship, mission and community” in a culture driven by individualism, consumption, information technology and an increased interest in holistic spirituality. BUT – on top of this – emerging churches are attempting to engage with the complexity of particular localities. This, therefore, is an exciting and significant development, as it says that many of the emerging churches are attempting to engage in real situations with those who are either ‘de’-churched (left churches for what ever reason – around 50% of the population) and ‘un’-churched (never been churched – now around 30% to 80% of the population, depending where you are). The emerging church in the UK appears to be attempting to engage with a mixture of the network and locality – a both-and approach.

Themes increasingly recognised as needed for doing Mission
Small & Relational
One of the greatest learning areas of the emerging church in the UK is the recognition that mission to the de- and un-churched requires a very relational approach. So you are talking about projects aimed at groups of 60 to 100 people max, or they become impersonal and ineffective. Un- and de-churched mission projects require a lot of time and effort where more attractional approaches to mission just do not work. Attractional models of mission seem to work for the open de-churched, which is less than 10% of the population. In the UK, initiatives such as the Order of Mission are set up to tap this form of grouping, but regarding mission to the UK, this is a minority grouping. So emerging churches are small, but this raises real issues about how they can be sustainable.

Social Capital
The greatest challenge to emerging churches in the UK is human-power to sustain projects and initiatives. Due to changes in work patterns, people increasingly have little spare time that they can volunteer, increasing the need for paid employment to create the human resources for projects. This is a real strain for main groups. However, some have started exploring a new model – first set up by Church of the Apostles in Seattle – of creating intentional community spaces at reduced rents in return for time in various projects. So, for example, some projects such as Moot in central London, are now seeking to set up intentional communities for students, artists and musicians and volunteers in return for their input of time into various projects. This may be an important model for establishing sustainability.

Hunger for community – but no skills
One of the greatest issues in the emerging church is that many people seek more relational forms of church and belonging, but because of general individualism and deskilling, many people do not have the social skills to be able to live this way due to the extreme individualism of our culture. This means that groups such as Moot actually need to help people acquire life skills to be able to live and interact in a more communal and intentional way. Being Church therefore needs some consideration, as many people do not know how to live this way. This, therefore, requires UK Emerging Churches to consider how they can live this way. For some such as Moot, having a Rhythm of Life becomes crucial as an aspiration to assist people to grow into becoming Christian Communities. We can no longer assume that people can simply switch into living this way. We need to consider how to teach people to live this way.

Engagement with a culture of consumption
The greatest challenge to the UK Emerging Church Scene is how it should live in the context of operating within a culture of consumption but not being of a culture of consumption. In other words, being in the real world but not sold out to the real world. Many sell resources online or in book form, some offer café churches as places of engagement in public space; the challenge is how this is developed. Many emerging Churches are having to be entrepreneurial to make money to sustain projects, but the danger then is that your mission activity becomes targeted to money making. There then is a tension between mission and money making, particularly when it comes to mission to and with the poor.

Emerging Church in a culture of hardening Christianity
Much has been written about how the Church in the UK, along with other faiths, has increasingly shifted to become more conservative and in places quite fundamentalist. One of the challenges for the church in the UK is how it responds to a culture of complexity. Some have followed the simplistic path of withdrawal, of the increasingly ‘black and white’ where the emerging church has attempted to remain present in the complexity of modern life. So the emerging church increasingly has a difficult relationship with traditional forms of church, which are becoming more conservative and disconnected from culture, and where Christians tend to be more specifically conservative evangelical or Pentecostal.

Engagement with increased interest in spirituality
Statistics in the UK again show an increased interest in holistic spirituality rather than religion. This remains the key missional focus for the emerging church in the UK. As church-going is predicted to decrease over the next twenty years, the emerging church’s approach to engagement with holisitic spirituality through festivals, music festivals, engagement with shops, courses, café churches, etc., seeks to engage with assisting people to shift from being spiritual tourists to becoming Christian pilgrims.

Mission Orders & Rhythm of Life
Clearly the UK Emerging Church is in an ‘apostolic’ context of mission. In response to this, some emerging churches have focused on developing mission orders, spiritual rules and rhythms of life to structure and focus on what it means to be Christian in an apostolic missional situation. The advantage of this approach is that it allows churches and projects to be fuzzy or fluid-edged and at the same time prevents projects from being dumbed down by having such fuzzy edges, and therefore having a deeply Christian centre. Not all Emerging Churches in the UK have gone this way, but a significant number have.

Conclusions
The Emerging Church in the UK has become increasingly diverse – driven by differing missional contexts. It will be interesting to see how things continue to develop.

Perichoresis - The Divine Dance of God

2007-08-13T00:12:00.001-07:00

Heads bowing, hands sharing, hearts racing
Feet poised suspended in the support of the other.
Holy Three yet one, laugh, cry, celebrate and lament their co-creativity.

Time burst out as the by-product of a hurling helix
of mystical presence
swaying through the dance.
Life and all things became real
Out of the dynamic of joy and love expressed in movement.

The Creator led the dance from sumation to incarnation,
The Redeemer led the dance from incarnation to Pentecost
The Companion leads the dance now from the time of the church
to the consumation.
But Holy dance,
don't slow down,
don't wait on us inattentive humanity.

Free us Holy Three in one to learn the dance
Teach us to be free from our selfishness and greed
Let us relearn how to dance spiritually
And be a blessing to the Cosmos
And be the spiritual community
The dancing God calls us to be
Amen

By Ian Mobsby

Intentionality & Mission & Table Meals

2007-07-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

Well I have now been back in Blighty for nearly two months after my lecture tour of the States. And some key themes have stayed with me.

Firstly - in a postmodern urban context - if you are serious about contextual forms of emerging church - then your mission is only as good as your community. Coming back to Moot, has reminded me of the incredible depth and commitment that little old Moot has in its heart. it is this central community, place of sharing and giving - that drives the community in its life. Without this quality - there is no real spirituality. That is why I think sometimes it is better to allow churches that have lost this - to die - particularly those which have become institutions where relationships are impoverished - or churches that have become little more than businesses or conversion conveyer-belts. If there is not real love, compassion, mercy and care - then I truly believe Christ is not present. So the intentionality of the Christian community is fundamentally important and must be a starting place.

From discussions I have had since the tour - I am convinced with the need to build a community as a starting place - in the hope that church emerges. This is why intentionality and sacramental approaches to worship are so important - but they don't just happen over night if they are going to be contextual and not imposed - they need to be built towards.

So how do to do this - well for me - the starting place is for simple table liturgy and feasting - these are natural incubators of the divine. You can create real liturgy as the work of the people and not the expert - you can inculcate the powerful symbols of bread and wine - to make connection with Eucharist - such events can be bottom up - and therefore promote Christian expression and contemplation.

It is one of my little plans to take a simple table fellowship around the Moot Prayer groups to help shape some of this. So we will see what happens.

Finally - truly contextual mission then can built out of this - where you increasingly have a community that is shaped by its dreams and hopes realised in simple table fellowships....
From my travels - I found it fascinating how the most progressive and sustaining emerging church projects were a combination of the following:
- intentional communities
- alternative worship
- cafe churches
- regular Eucharist services
- drawing on new monasticism

And from what I understand - table fellowship has played a key part in this vision for true mission.

Looking Forwards ... Looking Backwards

2007-07-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

One of the phrases that Karen Ward uses that has greatly influenced the way I think is the idea of 'ancient future'. This phrase for me is a hopeful way of looking forward. I was really interested and surprised on returning to the UK - where this simple phrase really seems to trouble some. For example - my Bishop prefers the phrase 'ancient fresh'. I know why he takes this view - a high regard to to scripture, reason and tradition. With the focus on tradition - believe me - I think there is a strong place for this. But I am troubled. Troubled because for me - Christ looked forward - not backwards.

The road to Emmaus story is a classic example - in that story - symbolically - Jesus unpacked the hebrew scriptures to enable the two co-travellers to understand tradition and scripture in the context of what was being revealed in Jesus on the way. They were walking forwards - searching forwards - awaiting the Kingdom - and the eschaton and consumation of all things.

Taking the concept of 'Scripture, Reason and Tradition' - where does Justice fit? Justice matters to God - in both Old and New Testament it is a key theme. So is there a tension between Scripture, Reason and Tradition and Justice - is the former about looking backwards and the latter about looking forwards? I am beginning to think there is a huge paradigm shift between these two. Why is the church always so resistant to change? Why are so many churches such unhealthy and dysfunction places? Why are some America Christian so-called satirical magazine (I stop short of giving its title) full of hate dressed up as cynicism and clever chat. I found a so-called-article on the emerging church in this magazine utterly offensive, intolerant and unloving. Why - because basically it was strongly conservative whilst pretending it wasn't.... looking back in cynicism at a whole movement that seeks God in todays culture. It goes deep!

What impressed me about the Diocese of California in San Francisco - was how they managed to do 'both And' more than most places I have seen. The ability to hold to Scripture, Reason and Tradition as well as justice and hope in the future and the importance of change - the reception of the Holy Spirit - to change - is important......

When it comes to the emerging church - I wish people would cut it more slack - that we are called to seek mission and community. We do this because we believe that in time - God will build church out of this, and in time it will develop forms of worship and sacramentality. These emerge - hence our understanding of the emerging church.

Reflections on things emerging & cultural change

2007-06-26T10:50:00.001-07:00

Now that I completed the whirlwind tour of a number of US cities, I intend to post some reflections about particular things of interest that came to light. Much arose from discussions about the following:

1) spirituality arising out of our pomo consumerist culture and information technology (techgnosis)
2) forms of christian community to reflect changes in culture
3) evaluation of mission forms of church.

Intentionality v Conservativeness
To start I want unpack what some see as the success of the mega church and that of the more conservative evangelical. Michael Barlowe in San Francisco got me thinking, when he came up with some US research that questioned the hypothesis that it is about being conservative that has led the conservative evangelicals to grow. The research he raised - pointed to evidence of intentionality and the depth of the spiritual community was the key factor - rather than the evangelicalness or catholicness of the church or project.

This has struck a chord in me. That in a culture that seeks spiritual authenticity and integrity - it is logical that the more intentional and relational a community, the more successful that community will be in terms of how it does worship, mission and community as well as numbers. The truth is that the evangelical side of the church is generally more intentional - and the more catholic more impersonal and distant. This research would then back up the importance of the emerging church to foster highly intentional communities which seek not to be controlling - but more permission giving yet relational. It will be interesting in a few times to see if it is this intentionality that increases effectiveness - we will just have to wait and see.

Updated UK Tour related to the book

2007-06-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

June 28th | Blah Birmingham | 6.30-8.30pm |
venue: 5th Floor, 3 Temple Row West(opposite Birmingham Anglican Cathedral)

Title: Exploring the Significance of Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church from the insights
of practitioners.

For more info and to book a place please see here

Further dates in the UK ...
We hope to have more speaking engagements in the UK for the summer & autumn – so check out the Moot blog and Ian’s new blog for future dates.

American Tour

2007-05-18T15:49:00.001-07:00

June 2nd – 20th | Emerging & Fresh Expressions Speaking Tour in the States

OK, we have now completed 8 out of the sessions now, and have said good bye to Clarion, Pittsburgh, Syracruse and now finishing off in New York before going on to San Francisco. All the sessions have really gone well, and I have much to blog about when I get back and have time to think. So now having a day off collapsing before next city.

9. San Francisco | Morning/Lunch Time | Sun June 10th 2007

I have been invited to preach at St James' Church, San Francisco - Diocese of California, and then to do a presentation on Anglican approaches to Fresh Expressions of Church. Click the link for the Church website.
Contact: For more information please contact Revd Shari Young

10. San Francisco | Afternoon/Evening | Sun June 10th 2007

I have been invited to preach at St Macrina in Marin, San Francisco, Diocese of California. details on the church - contact Betsy.
Contact: For more details, please contact Betsy

11. San Francisco | 9.30am-4.30pm | Mon June 11th 2007

Title: Contemporary expressions of intentional christian community a consultation with Bishop Marcus
The Bishop and Diocese of California are hosting a consultation on intentional communities and mission. I have been asked to be involved in discussions, and also to do a presentation on 'Anglican approaches to Fresh Expressions of Church'. The consultation is at Grace Cathedral. Click here for a poster of the event.
Venue: Grace Cathedral.
Booking places: Contact Jonathan or phone 415.673.5015
Contact: Michael Barlowe

12. San Francisco | 9am-2pm | Mon June 11th 2007

Title: Emergent Event: The Spiritual Ecology Project: faith practice connected to all of life involving Ian Mobsby, Nathan George, Karen Sloan, Doug Pagitt, Mark Scandrette, Ryan Sharp, Tony Jones
Location: 1040 Mariposa St., San Francisco, CA. Click here
Cost & Registering: Free - call 415-786-7927 or contact Amy as below.
Contact: Please contact Amy
Plan for the day:
We will be offering a pancake breakfast at 8:30 and hope to begin the event promptly at 9am.
9-9:30 Mingle coffee and food
9:30-10:30 Introductions & Soundbites
(short ritual by Karen, Song by Ryan, conversation descriptions)
10:30-11:45 Break Out conversations facilitated by featured conversationalists
11:45-12:00 Closing comments, announcements, song, prayer.
More info: See Mark Scandrette's blog here

13. San Francisco | Evening | Tues June 12th 2007

Title: Return to Mystery – the inspiration of Trinitarian theology for modelling fresh expressions of church in a spiritual age
Location: tbc
Cost & Registering: No cost, to attend please contact Betsy as below
Contact: Betsy

14. Denver, Colorado | Day | Thurs June 14th 2007

Title: Why it's important for mainline churches to become experimental, missional and radically inclusive in today’s post-Christian world: A Trinitarian perspective
Location: St John's Episcopal Cathedral, Denver
Cost & Registering: Contact James as below.
Contact: James Wall

15. Pasadena | 3-5pm | Fuller Seminary | Fri June 15th 2007

Title: Church, Mission & Evangelism in a new age of holistic spirituality
Location: Fuller Brehm Centre
Cost & Registering: Contact Ryan for who to contact
Contact: Ryan

Title: Dinner Talk | A questions and answers session with Ian Mobsby - invite only
Location: Fuller Brehm Centre

16. Santa Monica | 10am to 4pm | Sat June 16 2007

Title: Fresh Expressions Of Church Tour Presented by Risen Church & Emergent Social
Content: A day to explore the following themes:
9am-midday: Techgnosis & Post Modern: Understanding our Social Context for doing mission.
1pm - 4pm: Celebrating Unity in diversity: A model of being church where there are differences of opinion.
Location: Risen Church, Santa Monica - click here for info.
Cost & Registering: $20 for early birds, $25 normal fee. To register click here
Contact: For more information contact Trevor Debenning

17. Portland, Oregan | 7-9pm | Mon 18th June 2007

Title: Praxis Lecture - Trinitarian Theology for the Emerging Church & Mission
Location: Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland Oregan
Cost & Registering: Click here
Contact: Contact the Cathedral as above, otherwise contact Karen who organised this.

18. Seattle | 7-9pm | Tues 19th June 2007

Title: Praxis Lecture - Trinitarian Theology for the Emerging Church & Mission
Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, Downtown Seattle
Cost & Registering: Click here
Contact: contact Karen who organised this.

New Book | Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church

2007-03-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Pleased to say that the new book is out now, and available through the Mootique for £10 plus P&P, for more info or to buy it - click here.

The book draws on the narratives of a number of Emerging Churches in the UK and one in the US. It distinctly looks for the significance of the Emerging Church regarding socio-cultural considerations, contextual theology and ecclesiology.

All money raised will be going to Moot initiatives.