I attended Dr. Elaine Heath's class on A NEW KIND OF CHURCH. Dr. Heath is a professor of evangelism and has started a new monastic, missional community in Dallas called NEW DAY. You can visit their web site at http://newdaydallas.org/New_Day_Dallas/Welcome.html
I invite you all to learn more about Dr. Heath's missional initiative. Check out her book titled "Longing for Spring."
Basically, this ministry is about a leadership team covenanting together for their spiritual journey, living by a rule of life, and being bi-vocational. Leaders receive their income and benefits from their employer and donate their time to the ministry. There is no plan to grow a large church. Anchored to an existing church a new community would consist of 12-20 neighbors gathering in a home for a weekly meal and worship. Members would become a close-knit community sharing burdens, studying the Bible, being inclusive and diverse, and an advocate of social justice.
Dr. Heath is interested in exploring how this might look in our Alaska communities. She has a plan for an academy that will develop lay and clergy leaders to start small, missional, monastic communities. This vision has touched my heart and I wonder how God might be working in our lives to do something similar in Alaska. So let's pray and talk about it!
Grace and peace,
Dave
2 comments:
I attend the Perkins Lay School of Theology most every year, and this year I attended the section on Romans. Our speaker was dynamic and passionate and informative, and I think our whole class was fascinated throughout our study time together. I wish there was some way to videotape or in some way make both topics available to people. Your study sounds absolutely intriguing, and do hope that our Conference finds out more about this new approach to Christian living.
I was aware that I did not write about the Romans class. Trying to keep it short and readable. Thanks for adding it to the mix.
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