Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Cohort on hold

I'm sorry to report, but because of a general lack of interest, participation and focus, the Eastern Iowa Emergent Cohort is on indefinite hiatus. No meetings or regular blog postings are planned, though we'll keep the lights on for you in case those with permissions want to post something from time to time (and the comments section is open to anyone who wants to post).

Take heart, however, those who have come to this site looking to connect with others in the Emergent movement. I've gotten a number of emails recently from people who attended the Brian McLaren "Everything Must Change" book tour, most notably in the Quad Cities, and they seem excited to explore emergent/missional church in their areas. I have a couple of their emails and would be happy to forward your name to them if you'd like.

So while the Iowa City group isn't doing much right now, there may well "emerge" a conversation group elsewhere in Iowa. I hope so; it would be nice to keep this going in some fashion.

Peace.

2 comments:

Tim said...

Sorry to hear about the hiatus status. Stephen, please know that I have appreciated the website. I've often used it as a springboard to other sites (for instance Monte's blog). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do Wednesday evening meetings. Perhaps meetings are a problem at the moment. But might it not be possible simply to suggest topics for discussion here on this site? For example, I've been meaning to throw this one out there: what is there about Brian McLaren's books that folks like or dislike generally? In my own case, I appreciate his respect for individuals' narratives. He doesn't assume there's a pre-programmed story for everyone. Rather, he seems to delight in finding where God writes unique and creative chapters in each individual's life. I find that refreshing. Thoughts? Comments?

Stephen said...

Tim:

Thanks for stopping by, Tim, and for your comments. I don't want to read too much in our inability to get much traction with the group -- it could simply be a matter of the whole "emergent" concept not quite catching on in these parts. It IS a bit of an amorphous idea, as evidenced by the wide variety of ways in which it has manifested itself across the country. And, for me, anyway, it does seem to be a bit too focused on discussion than action (though there are many exceptions to this rule). Still, I think the intention behind it is good and it's brought into my life a few people I was unlikely to otherwise meet, yourself included, so I consider that a blessing.

So, yes, let's keep the virtual conversation conversation going. Let me think about your comments regarding McLaren's book -- I certainly have some opinions -- and I'll post them as a new blog entry sometime today. Then we can, as the jazz musicians say, riff.

Peace.