EuroChurch Conference, Lisbon, Portugal
Eurochurch.net has networked with churches in Europe and organized conferences for more than 25 years to cultivate a generative conversation about the nature of mission in the new Europe. Eurochurch members come from all over Europe and the UK. One partner in the group states that we
…are hopeful about the future of the church in Europe because we believe that God is at work. We recognize that the future is shaped by committed minorities who use creative imagination to explore God’s purposes. We acknowledge that history often hinges on the courageous activity of a single generation. We desire this generation to be a hinge on which the future will be redirected. We are convinced that missional thinkers and practitioners need to be encouraged to provide future leadership.
Journal From the Road, Part II: Connecting in Tulsa, OK
Just sitting at the airport in Tulsa, OK after spending a few brief hours with a group of Church of Christ (Disciples) who were meeting for their state conference. They were a wonderful group who are looking at a variety of ways to cultivate transformation processes in their churches. I did a brief workshop on change and transformation. What was the most fun was talking with a number of people who really get that that the Spirit of God is among the people of God and in the midst of their stories are all the clues to innovating missional change. In all the places I go I keep meeting ordinary men and women who get this so much. They understand that God is up to something in the ordinary and the local. They get that transformation isn’t about a bunch of resources or programs and that it has to be a bottom up process.
A Journal from the Road
Alan Roxburgh is traveling at the moment in the UK and Portugal — along the way, he’s been sending back a few notes from the road. These brief reflections will not only inform you about this current trip, but also provide some insight into a few of the ongoing Allelon projects and relationships that are being cultivated. Together, they help give a sense of what God is doing through these connections in neighborhoods and around the globe. Watch for more updates and netcasts in the coming weeks following this trip. — ed.
Wednesday April 9, en route Vancouver to London
Heading for meetings in the UK and Portugal.
Missional Leadership Reflections, Part Four: Mark Lau Branson
Mark Lau Branson is a teacher and good friend. He tells the stories of his time in Oakland and how a community of Christians entered a neighborhood without hope and began to rebuild hope in its school. This is a story of Christians on-the-ground figuring out what the Spirit was up to and discovering the amazing gifts of people God was bringing to this conviction that geography does matter.
Missional Leadership Reflections, Part Three: Joe Colletti
Joe Colletti is a community organizer working with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He grew up in Chicago and did a Ph D in Birmingham, UK. Listen to his story and how he tells it. 
This is not your usual story from 40,000 feet with lots of ideals but little on-the-ground work. The metaphor that caught my attention is how Joe moved into one of the worst areas of LA and put his desk right up against the window looking out at McArthur Park. This became the place from which he and a group of friends reclaimed the park and its streets for the community. Out of this work came Mama’s Hot Tamales, a wonderful entrepreneurial engagement that empowered people on the edges of society.
Bishop of Durham on law and faith
Last Thursday, the Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, stopped for a short and insightful conversation with Ruth Gledhill of the Times. They discussed the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent lecture on the relation of Islam to public law and the attention this has received in the media.
This video is an excellent conversation that touches on the topics of secularism, multiculturalism, politics, faith, democracy and the incredible challenges we face in finding space for meaningful public discourse. We share this piece with you believing that the issues it raises go to the heart of mission-shaped leadership in the West.
Bishop Wright points to key issues for the shaping of missional leadership. His comments underline our conviction that much of the missional conversation in North America remains locked inside circular, church-focused conversations with ourselves. Conversations that don’t even begin to think about the larger issues that Newbigin and others sought to address.