New Developments

Couple of FYI notices.

We just finished a great conference on Postmodern Youth Ministry with Tony Jones. Tony worked as much with themes from Emergent as with youth ministry in particular. The event was sponsored by MidAmerica Nazarene University, NTS, NYI USA/Canada, and Youthfront. Tony was appropriately "provocative" charting postmodern changes and calling the church to embrace the power of the gospel (which he described as lava breaking through the crust of older Christian movements) and then he really pushed for a non-hierarchical model of Christian leadership. Mike King and I hosted a special session on Missional Leadership and Discipleship. There will be podcast downloads of Tony in the future and I will try to let you know when they happen. Mark Hayse and Mike King were exception leading special sessions with Dave Curtiss, Brian Hull and Jon Middendorf providing sound leadership from NYI.

NTS will be one of the sponsors of Brian McClaren's new campaign, Everything Must Change, when he comes to Kansas City this spring (I think MNU has also signed up as a sponsor). We have another class scheduled this summer where Ron Benefiel and I will review Missional Theology and it looks like NTS will host at least two events next year in conversation with emerging churches.

In case you think this is just another NTS promo, please note that NNU is sponsoring Brian McClaren this fall in Nampa this fall and, of all things, the recent Preacher's Magazine includes an article by Henry Knight on Wesley and the Emerging Church Movement. Also there are serious plans between NYI and Newstart to develop a comprehensive strategy for advocating/supporting missional/emergent ministry endeavors.

I have also heard of some casulties this weekend. There are places (which I am sure you are aware of) where we still have a lot of work to do. There are no slam dunks but at least there are positive rumblings around the Nazarene world.

Dean