Events

As the 2010 National Gathering kicks off this week, we are excited to launch a liveblog to extend our experience beyond the room we gather in. It’s designed to function somewhat as a collaborative blog, and somewhat as an encased social media platform. We hope it can extend our learnings and conversations together.

How it works

Gathering participants can register for the site to post updates. If you are going to be at the Gathering, you can register here. Once you register and log in, you will see a post box at the top of the home screen. Any entries you post will automatically be added to the site without refreshing.

Non-attendees are welcome to participate by leaving comments on the attendees’ posts. No registration will be necessary, though there may be a delay for your first comments to appear until they have been moderated.

Ecclesia Network Liveblog

Currently, we are proceeding as planned with the National Gathering. The 4H Conference Center has shared that the parking lot will be cleared and that currently the main road in front of their building is also clear. We also understand that there is the prediction of a small snow storm on Monday. At the moment we don’t expect that this will impact the start of the National Gathering. Please stay posted.

We are pleased to announced Verge LA 2009. This unconference is hosted JR Woodward and the Ecclesia Network. It takes place next month — November 13-14 — at the Fountain Room in Los Angeles.

JR describes the event this way:

The next big idea is about giving time to interact about innovative ways to partner with God in the renewal of all things. Unconference is about freely sharing creative ideas with one another without putting anyone on a pedestal. It is more participant oriented than personality driven, which is why there will be no lists of speakers. There is also no cost, because people share their gifts and knowledge freely.

Within a 24-hour period there will be twenty 14-minute presentations by 20 different speakers from 20 different churches on innovative ways to think and live missionally.

I will be in LA for this event. I love the format JR is putting together, and I’m going to be one of the presenters. You can learn more on JR’s blog or on the event page on Facebook.

We’re excited about the upcoming Scripture and Culture Seminar with Darrell Guder and Andy Crouch at The Well in Suburban Philadelphia. This event is put on by both The Well and The Renew Community.  It should be a great event. If you are coming, directions can be found here. We’ll also be trying to do a video cast as well so check the Ecclesia Twitter stream for more info.

But, we’re more excited about all the proceeds from the event going to two organizations that are working hard to care for the poor. One Days Wages and HELP (Help End Local Poverty).

You can find more information about these organizations on their websites.

Oh, and if you are attending, register here.

History
We will be using the best resources developed by GCM and other support raising mission agencies who have trained and helped hundreds of people develop funding for their mission over the years. The teachers are practitioners with over 20 years of experience in development.

Purpose
This intense training time is design to give you theological confidence and practical training in developing a ministry partner team so that you can be fully funded to fulfill the vision that God has given you.

Goals
Theological Grounding for Support Raising
Gaining a Positive Perspective in Raising Support
Overcoming The Major Fears to Raising Support
Gathering the Necessary Skills for Ministry Partner Development
Developing a Workable Plan and Accountability
How to Maintain and Cultivate Your Support Team

Dates
Tuesday, October 27th @ Noon until Thursday, October 29th @5:00 p.m.

Place
Richmond Hill [An ecumenical Christian Fellowship Monastery]
2209 E. Grace St., Richmond, Virginia 23223 (map)
804.783.7903

Cost
$400 for Training, Room and Board
$350 for Ecclesia Network Members

Registration
Due to the reading and work that must be completed prior to registration, it is encouraged to register as soon as possible. To register, please email JR Woodward @
totalpraxis@gmail.com.

• How do we read and interact with scripture as communities of faith?
• How do we read and interact culture as communities of faith?

These two questions will be giving shape to our time together during this day.

We are excited to have two exceptional conversation partners for this event:

Dr. Darrell Guder
Dr. Guder is the Dean of Academic Affairs and Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princteon Theological Seminary and author of the landmark book Missional Church, among others.

Andy Crouch
Andy is the author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, winner of Christianity Today’s 2009 Book Award for Christianity and Culture and named one of the best books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, Relevant, Outreach and Leadership. (Read more about Andy here)

Event Schedule:

• 10:00am – 12:00pm / Reading Scripture with Dr. Guder
• 12:00pm – 1:00pm / Lunch at local restaurants
• 1:00pm – 3:00pm / Culture Making with Andy Crouch
• 3:00pm – 4:00pm / Panel & Discussion led by Scott Jones

About the Location:
The Well is a church community in Feasterville, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Check out some pictures of the seminar space here.

More info and registration for this seminar: http://scriptureandculture09.eventbrite.com/