The second day of the NEXT Church National Gathering was
long. We learned a lot. It was joyful and hard and we have many things to take
back to our ministries. Our conversations can become concrete.
We began with worship (well, some of us began with
breakfast). Bagpipes kicked us off, which @Rev_AaronJWhite said, “Hearing
‘Brave Scotland’ playing on the bagpipes on St. Patrick’s Day! Bold move.” I
said, “Free Scotland!” Sorry, St. Patrick’s Day (although so many people were sporting
green that I think St. Patrick’s Day is well-represented).
@mnewgale I *love*
singing The Church’s One Foundation in a sanctuary full of singers.
@PastorHallie “I’m sick of screens. I’m using the hymnal,
damnit.”
And when Brian Ellison began to preach, the Twitterverse
went wild.
@JoeGenau Will the church really have changed? I hope so…our
very life as the body of Christ depends on it
@shanibah Grow up church: speak the truth in love.
@Raveler1 “May we believe that Truth isn’t just a metaphor –
just to tell the truth, naming brokenness”
@BolingRevRuth On speaking the truth in love: “There is no
unity in silence, no reconciliation in avoidance.” Brian Ellison preaching
@marcybain When we’re silent rather than speaking
truth/engaging each other, it doesn’t result in one body; it results in no
body.
@dwightolin Brian Ellison’s sermon on the change that is
upon us paired with great organ music: lovely juxtaposition of old and new.
There was discussion (thanks to @joshmrowley) on a location
for NEXT Church gatherings where socioeconomic diversity is more visible, or
honored, or mentioned, or where ministries in mixed-income neighborhoods are
lifted up. @jazzpastord mentioned Oakland, or Washington Heights in NYC.
During a greeting from @LindaBValentine, @hewnickel tweeted
“’Trusting in God’s love even in turbulent times.’ A lesson for the next
church.” Many tweeted about the use of time for greetings from the heads of the
Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Presbyterian Foundation, the Board of
Pensions. @ajc123 tweeted “Term ‘racial-ethnic communities’ gets used in the
church a lot, but I rarely (ever?) hear it elsewhere.”
I missed the reference, but someone said something about a
movement. @RevJohnRussell said “Strikes me as a little vague? A movement toward
what exactly? And for whom? Us in the room?” @JoeGenau said “It does feel like
the institution is seeking to respond to the movement – if awkwardly – instead
of the other way around.”
@JEDi1016 nicely encapsulated things: “Ug [sic], the running
joke of this conference (or today anyway) really going to be that there are ~666
of us here.”
@thesarahross Let’s just round up to an even 700.
@tripporch Current #nextchurch2015 agenda item: “pat
ourselves on the back hour”
During the IGNITE presentations (on ministry and marriage as a
clergy couple, ministry and education and children in Rochester, pastoring a
church as it closes, by Young Adult Volunteers, and crowdfunding)…
@LandonWhitsitt @miheekimkort and @andykort speaking “truth in
love” to one another. On stage. In front of us. #awkward J
@SarahDianne1230 Let’s not assume that ALL millennials hate
traditional worship, hymnals, organs, etc. We’re not all the same.
@C_Rev Great Schools For All: great education for children in
every zip code, Rochester, NY. Beautiful work, 3rd Pres.
@emmahhjo A “fear eradicating, hope inspiring God” is my God.
@RevMcWhit Well pastoring a church to closure is kind of putting
it out to pasture #toosoon?
@NEXTpcusa IGNITE abt faithful church closure comes directly fm
’14 feedback that we must tell this story along w/renewal stories
@abbykk speaks of the sure and certain hope of resurrection
@Raveler1 “When I saw the disbanded church BE the church that
day, I saw the turn of resurrection”
@jessscholten Vulnerability builds trust, gives courage. Thanks
YAVs
@Jessie_Light YAVs!!! I love you!
@jodicraiglow Intentional community takes accountability,
vulnerability, and hard work. #YAVs
@bookkats Crowdfunding another #newthing and way to reach beyond
your wall
@tericarol I hope some year one of these presentations will be
made by a single pastor about how we are invisible to the church.
#altnextchurch2015
@jbonewald @ajc123 just put the ‘fun’ in crowd funding for the
church
The livestream went in and out for viewers from afar.
@revjenn this ustream is horrible…I think Jesus is crying.
And when it came back, @Rob_Mus If we are talking about
band-aids, then I am live again.
Afternoon Workshops saw participants scattered throughout
the building and all over the city of Chicago, and happily/disproportionately
featured alumni of McCormick Seminary! (I’m a proud 2005 graduate).
@MarkAllio we need 2 have difficult conversations, ask hard
questions, and answer truthfully in love. #DiversityMatters
@JessiLoo How do we do mission without hurting the people
we’re visiting?
@cathymanthei1 Dinner Church! Love it.
@bookkats Strangers to neighbors consumers to creators
wandering to wondering. Root and branches.
@Jessie_Light McCormick is doing some awesome, reconciling
work around issues of violence and peacemaking. Just sayin.
@cathymanthei1 Don’t worry about who is there. No one goes
every week. No one. Dinner Church is difficult but it breaks the idea of church
is. Ppl like some familiar some different
@MTSRecruit “Our children are not broken. Our systems are.”
Michelle Day
@MaryAnnieSings No dichotomy between spirituality and social
action. John Wilkinson
@WLawser Not sure how to turn the aircraft carrier of a
church around? Sit at the feet of The Rev. Joy Douglas-Strome – Lake View
Pres.’
@taraMdiva God has a funny way of getting you in a corner and
you have to roll with it #wecallthatfaith words of @thepemily
@revfelipe “Young adults need a theology of giving. Say why
giving to ministry matters more than at other places” Rev. Emily McGinley
@taraMdiva Gracenomics! Brilliant words from acaawesome
Emily McGinley
@MarkAllio Ideas & goals are great but how do we bust
churches out of longstanding paradigms?
@masonmtodd I’d like to explore something other than biz as
usual. Why aren’t we DOING nextchurch not just talking it?
@heathergraces Think Presbyterians are hungry for new church
staffing models? Not a spare seat in the room.
AltNextChurch
Conversation about privilege
Conversation about people who aren’t at Next
Diana Butler Bass
@Raveler1 “I’ve discovered how much people like to talk
about the end of the church, and not about awakening.”
@scottpcusa When people had the time and money to do
something about the future, they failed to do so.
@RevCamlin Will PCUSA be church that failed to consider
future, or that emerges out of the ruins of the past?
@jledmiston Our questions will determine what will be
#allaboutthatbass
@preachercomic Seems like I remember a beginning with an ark
(not arc) and a convenant at the end of an awakening. #newpromise
@thesoulstepford Awakenings over revivals
@RevCamlin Revivals change the SIZE of congregations;
awakenings change their MEANING.
@emmahhjo Revining is what lifeguards do to someone who was
drowning. Awakening happens after a refreshing eight hours.
@ELSchemper Strikes me that this historical summary is about
white English-speaking Protestants.
@awkukla And when nativism fails (as it must) we scapegoat
minorities we view as the problem holding us back. Who are our scapegoats?
@Raveler1 Attraction – vision spreads to those non affected,
often young, leading to innovation and experience, positive + negative
@bookkats When you cross that bridge the bickering doesn’t
end but the kind of convo you are having changes
@RevCamlin Awakening step 5: Transformation. Previous
undecideds embrace new vision. Considerable revision and restructuring.
@lukehyder DBB: 3 moves of awakening: Letting Go, Letting
Be, Letting Come. Where are we? Where is our church?
@miheekimkort @jledmiston @pulpit but can we talk about what
the social and political realities of that bridge is?
@ggbolt16 Wondering about individual and communal awakening.
How awakening happens in large groups and broken hearts.
@RevSharylD “Are we willing to say we have failed?”
Confession makes room for restoration and new ways.
@emmahhjo Why does the counter-awakening of the church
parallel privatization, mass incarceration, the war on drugs, etc?
@NBensonNicol “The stage of the next Great Awakening is the
world” – Diana Butler Bass
@bhenryteam Will we embrace the Great Awakening, or be a
denomination that built too big and has to sell off a lot of real estate? DBB
@amackey12 It’s about creating a world of hope and joy.
History is ours to make. We make history with God.
@C_Rev The future is about taking the right stuff with us
into the future that is coming to be.
She also gave us a shout-out for the @Glory2GodHymnal !
She also gave us a shout-out for the @Glory2GodHymnal !
In the middle of it all, the Palisades Presbytery, by voice
vote, affirmed the change in the constitution expanding the definition of
marriage (amendment 14F).
@tericarol Is it weird that I kind of want to shout “we have
a new beginning!!” So we could celebrate even in midst of DBB? #14F
@themackattack The entirety of #nextchurch2015 just stood up
with a standing ovation for #14F passing. I and so many others feel so, so
loved right now.
@breyeschow Ha! @dianabutlerbass just threw some shade after
the marriage vote was announced, “This Episcopalian welcomes you!”
And a plea…
@thesoulstepford On behalf of those who are still smothered
in a racist hegemony, can we get Belhar through as well? Pretty please?
For Laughs
@PeterTheApostle And the Lord said, “It’s a #nextchurch2015
conference. Thou shalt have a @prezi.”
@thesarahross Millennial unicorns unite!
@drew_paton My #nextchurch2015 challenge: being inspired by
all you blazing visionaries without succumbing to the sickness of comparing
myself to you
@jbonewald Since when do Presbyterians raise their hands
during hymns? Oh I see they’re trying to take pics during worship.
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