Tuesday Afternoon Discussion Groups and Leaders:

Shaping Christian Vision Project – Andy Crouch

Description: If you had three years, three magazines, and a million dollars, what would you do to help Christian leaders think deeply and creatively about ministry in the twenty-first century? Christianity Today International had the magazines (CT, Books & Culture, and Leadership), I had the time, and, well, we're still looking for the money, but we decided to go for it. The Christian Vision Project will ask big questions about culture, mission, and the gospel and introduce a broad range of pastors, scholars (including Dr. Miroslav Volf), activists (including Theological Conversation participant Rudy Carrasco), and artists to a wider audience. One month into our projected three years of publication and production, we have learned a lot. At this informal session I will share the highlights of what we are doing and why, the pitfalls we've avoided and the pits we still might fall into, and the ways you can contribute.

The Embracing Community: Diversity in the Emerging Church – Jay Voorhees

Description: For much of the history of the church we have attempted to ignore the richness of God's creation as we have banded together with folks just like us. Yet, no matter how much we try to see no difference, hear no difference, or speak no difference, we continue to exclude persons from the party. How then do we "emerge" from our practices of exclusion to become communities of embrace?

Social Justice, Poverty, and the Emerging Church – Danielle Shroyer

Description: The crisis of global poverty is possibly the biggest moral question facing our generation of Christians. How the church will respond is critical not only for our witness to others, but for our mere validity as people of God. Using the conversations of exclusion, embrace, and grace, we will discuss both theological issues at stake in our response as well as practical action steps to move us closer to God's Kingdom. (We will also talk about Emergent's role in this arena and share steps that are underway to unite our efforts on the local, national, and global levels.)

Spiritual Formation and the Emerging Church – Ivy Beckwith

Description: This group will focus specifically on the topic of spiritual formation in the church addressing the spiritual formation of children, youth, and adults with an emphasis on deconstructing and re-inventing traditional schooling paradigms. We will also be intersted in discussing the role of intergenerational interaction in the faith community as a means of spiritual formation.

New Monasticism and the Emerging Church – Karen Ward

Description: NEW MONASTICISM is a small but growing 'stream' within the wider emerging church movement. We will discuss some of the 'marks' of new monasticism and it's significance for re-shaping church and mission for today's culture.

Exclusion, Embrace, and Youth Ministry – Mike King and Kenda Creasy Dean

Description: Kenda Creasy Dean and Mike King will lead a dialogue focused on Miroslav Volf’s theological work in Exclusion and Embrace and Free of Charge and how it impacts youth ministry philosophy and praxis. We will also explore how Volf’s project affects the behavior, thinking and priorities of the youth worker.

The Politics of Repentance: From Sacrifice to Mercy – Geoff Holsclaw

Description: Repentance. Is it anything more than personal, spiritual piety? Hopefully it is, otherwise it would make little sense for Jesus to announce his ministry with, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” In light of this we will investigate the social, ethical, and economic revolution of repentance as (1) the end of sacrifice (2) leading toward mercy, illuminated by Augustine’s Eucharistic Theology. By this we will examine one relationship (among many) between the ‘Kingdom of God’ and the ‘Atonement,’ between social action and salvation. We will collaborate and explore somewhere between the ethereal concepts of theology and social theory, and the soil of pastor practice; after all, abstract ideas without application is intellectual constipation; but, never stopping to think becomes merely speaking out of our butts.

The Humanity of God & The Embrace of the Other – Scott Collins-Jones

Description: Karl Barth is one of the Church Fathers of the modern era, and still manages to pique the interest of postmodern Christians as well. We'll spend some time considering some of the broad themes of Barth's theology and how they might relate to the work of Miroslav Volf. In particular we'll consider how each theologian grapples with the cross at the heart of God, and what that might mean for those who want to cross boundaries in the name of Jesus.

Ministry and Theology in a Flat World: Embracing others in a colloborative way forward – Tim Hartman

Description: In the best-selling book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st century, Thomas Friedman explores globalization, technology, and culture and their implications for politics, economics, and international relations. Friedman points out changes for business and government, but what about for theology and ministry? In a flat world which demands colloboration and creativity, the church must assess our strengths, weaknesses, methods, and message.