Ecclesia Spokane

What resources  for forming missional theology and action are you recommending and using with the wonderfully regular folks you live and serve among?  I ask this for a couple of reasons.  First, there are a host of books and such that I have enjoyed and found beneficial.  However, many of them are not accessible to a lot of my friends due to academic language, length, etc (This is not because the folks I mention are unintelligent, etc. but due to the disconnected nature of such language and philosophizing to the everyday world of work, child raising, and the like.).  Second, a lot of the resources I find are targeted towards those who serve as pastors or who are concerned with how to do church.  However, many of my friends are not interested in such things, though they are deeply interested in being the church in the places God has planted them.  So again, what are you utilizing and recommending?

Infuse is designed to equip existing and prospective missional leaders and churches in the theology and practical expression of “missionality” in Western culture, while seeking to identify and mobilize pioneers to embark on the journey of creating missional communities locally and beyond.

Here’s a flyer with more information including dates, location, etc.

And here is an outline of the sessions, which will be led by Rob Fairbanks and Dan Stiegerwald and hosted by New Community Church.

Session One: The Story We Find Ourselves In
Tuesday September 14, 2010 @ 6PM

Session Two: Discovering & Following Our Missional God
Tuesday September 28, 2010 @ 6PM

Session Three: Cultivating MIssional Church
Tuesday October 12, 2010 @ 6PM

Session Four: Growing Local Missionaries & Sustainable Initiatives
Tuesday October 26, 2010 @ 6PM

Session Five: Listening & Learning In Context
Saturday November 13, 2010 @ TBA

Session Six: Missional Leadership
Tuesday November 30, 2010 @ 6PM

Our next gathering will take place on Wednesday July 7, 2010 at noon at Ha Ha’s Grillhouse.  As we gather we’ll take time to share with one another about the recent happenings of our lives and communities, follow up our conversation about Infuse, float a few ideas including the possibility of a fall / winter prayer and solitude retreat and dialogue on the following:

During our recent trip to Haiti we encountered the deep contrast of beauty and brokenness.  In creation, in people, in systems, in possibilities.  Our first few hours of navigating chaotic and crumbling streets, hiking up eroded mountain paths, breathing in the mixed aroma of burning trash, exhaust and food being cooked over open flame led one of our companions to say, “this can’t be fixed.”  Over the course of our time in country we also met amazing and creative people, experienced hospitality that left us humbled, and began the joyous process of friendship and misison shaped partnership.  As such, the aforementioned companion, and all of us, realized that progress, redemption and change could and would happen.  But it will happen little by little.  Or as the Haitian proverb we learned says, “piti, piti, wazo fe nich li” (little by little the bird builds it’s nest).

I’m confident that all of us would agree, to some extent, that the same is true of our mission shaped work in this time and place, and in all times and places.  But what about our souls?  Would we agree that, to some extent, our souls are formed in the same way?  As I reflect upon the brokenness and beauty mentioned above I find myself confessing that there are days, seasons, where my soul is a crumbling mess, much like the streets of Cap Haitien.  And if I were to expand the story a bit more I’d say that there have been times where I’ve tried quick and unsuccessful fixes, or simply wondered if it could ever be fixed at all.  What about you?  What about those we journey with?  What about those we seek to mentor and develop as future leaders?

How do you assess the state of your own soul?
Have / Are you experiencing soul formation as a “little by little” journey or something other?
Do you see this as an aspect of mission shaped (missional) formation and faithfulness?
How do you foster care for the soul in your church community?
How are you training future mission shaped pioneers in this?
What other questions or issues related to this would you raise?

Rob Fairbanks will be sharing about the recent Infuse process that took place in Portland, OR, as well as helping us prepare to host Infuse this fall here in Spokane.  Take some time to review an overview of Infuse prior to June 2nd as we’ll focus our conversation on activating this collaborative training.

April’s ES Gathering will take place on Wednesday April 7, 2010 at Ha Ha’s Grillhouse.  Please be sure to RSVP, spread the word and read the following paragraph by Eric Blauer, which will be guide our conversation.

Illegal drug & alcohol abuse is a reality within all  of our congregations. It’s a cultural problem that has long lasting consequences for individuals, families, children and our communities.  As leaders who embrace a gospel of grace, and enjoy the freedom it allows, as it relates to responsible use of God given pleasures; I wrestle with what this looks like among the addicted and those in recovery. Most recovery models or programs are “abstinence based”, which isn’t always consistent with the message of learning “moderation in all things” as a gospel value, that I often teach. I also find many other elements within recovery ministries that seem out of harmony with the gospel…i.e. fear based accountability, legalism, law focused teaching, defilement anxiety vs. sanctifying power, habit vs. transformation, works over grace, man focused vs. God focused, determinism vs. new life.

I am interested in discovering a recovery model or program that embodies a healthy balance of truth and grace that enables addicts to truly experience the power of God for change. Helping people find and live in wisdom and freedom that empowers them to not be “mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). How are you approaching these issues personally and within your church community? ,We’ll put these questions and the topic of recovery on the table as we gather in April.

We’ve discussed for some time how we might work together to produce an environment where the mission of God and mission shaped living can be explored, resourced, etc.  Infuse arose from those discussions, but not without a bit of confusion as to how the process would work and the logistics of the event itself.  As such, and with apologies, the event has been postponed here in Spokane until we are able to clarify some of the lingering questions and prepare well for the event itself.

Therefore, here are a few questions intended to help clarify and prepare.
1.  After reading the outline, what questions, if any, do you have regarding the overall focus and possible outcomes of Infuse?
2.  Once clarity and good preparation are in place, will you participate and will you facilitate the participation of others?
3.  Are you willing to help with the logistical preparation of the event?
4.  Other?

Again, apologies for the confusion, the postponement and such.  I think that by addressing the above questions, and the ones that come up in conversation, we can work together to host a learning community that illuminates the centrality of mission for the church and resource that mission here in Spokane and beyond.

If you have yet to see the GCN Groups site, I’d recommend you take a quick look. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve tracked a few discussions in the “Everyday Mission” and “Community Life” groups that I’ve enjoyed, that refer to good resources, etc.  Also, the GCM Collective site is slated to launch on Monday I believe, and will be a portal for gospel communities on mission.

Over the last few months we’ve discussed the possibility of working together to host a mission shaped learning environment with a hope of provoking further missional engagement in our region and beyond.  Here you will find an outline that has been put together by our friend Rob Fairbanks and that will be fleshed out in Portland in March and April.  As you read over the outline please consider whether or not this is something that you would support and if it’s something that would be doable this spring.  Leave questions, etc. in the comments section.

First Things
As we prepare for our next gathering be sure to read Dave’s note below, as it will serve as the starting point for our conversation. Also, please RSVP via the comments section as we’ll be sharing lunch together at Ha Ha’s Grillhouse and will need to let them know how many of us to expect (Note the “Upcoming Events” section on the sidebar.  This will serve as a reminder of when and where we’re gathering).

Into The Question
Most of us work in neighborhoods with mixed incomes. We have people with much and those with very little.  I assume the poor are a part of our communities. I tend to interpret Jesus as being for and with the poor, and take seriously (but maybe not seriously enough) the Matthew 25 passage. The idea that noticing and caring for the marginalized is like caring for Christ himself. Likewise ignoring them is just like we are ignoring Jesus.

The Porch has called West Central home for 2 years now. As we have more and more homeless and semi-homeless(not sure if this is a term, but seems to be a reality) I am learning about a world that has existed all around me. This world includes payees, social services, police, prisons, mental disorders, violence, love, generosity, laughter. . . a whole range of beauty and mess.

At this point we are trying to offer friendship. This seems to be good. The rub for me comes when there is crisis, usually with housing or with the law. Many of our friends are not stable enough to keep a place for more than a month at a time. Others are routinely in trouble with the police, often because of bad choices, but others are targets of police harassment. I wonder how much we should help. I can easily spend days working on one problem like chasing down an overworked pubic defender to find out what can be done for someone who is incarcerated, usually with little result.

How does your community do when it comes to sharing life/ministry with people in poverty? What do you struggle with? Where do you see hope?

Looking forward to the conversation.

Dave Wilkinson
The Porch

Rick Capezza is working with Western Seminary to gauge interest in a seminary course offering here in Spokane. This course would be offered in the form of a hybrid,  with a professor traveling from Portland for one weekend to teach. The rest of the course would be completed via distance. If interest is high, Rick will use his relationship with Western to get them to offer more classes in Spokane. He is also asking for input on what course topic might be of interest to those who are interested in taking a course. He needs at least 8 students to make this a possibility. Western Seminary is an ATS accredited seminary with a missional emphasis. Feel free to message Rick via facebook/ecclesia or call him at 279-5636 for more information or to express your interest. If you are interested, please express this interest to Rick, so that he can get back to Western with a number of possible students.