Reading John Franke's forthcoming book

Well here are the details: We get the chance to read and comment on John Franke's forthcoming book: Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth. We have an unedited version in a pdf that we can use (only) for our cohort discussion. Due to his teaching and travelling schedule, John is disappointed that he will not be able to be join us. He is eager to receive our notes and feedback. Just e-mail and we'll send you the pdf. We will gather to discuss the book and our feedback on Monday October 29th at 8pm in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. The address is: 602 E. Fort Ave., 21230. The space is a rowhouse which we lease. It is right next door to Hilltop Carry-Out if you need any food. Parking is on the street. I look forward to seeing you there, Tim P.S.--The band The Cobalt Season (musicians Ryan and Holly Sharp) will be playing a concert in Baltimore on Saturday night Nov. 3rd at 8pm. Admission is: $10. The venue is: 602 E. Fort Ave., 21230

Update

After an extended summer vacation, the Baltimore Emergent Village Cohort is coming back to life. Here are a few updates: 1. Heather Kirk-Davidoff is going to co-facilitate the cohort with me (Tim Hartman). Thank you, Heather! 2. The cohort will start meeting in Baltimore city 3. Our next gathering will take place in late October. We have the opportunity to read and provide feedback on John Franke's upcoming book: Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth which is being published by Abingdon Press. At the least we will be able to provide written comments before John makes his final edits. Perhaps, John will join us in person. We are waiting to hear back from John before confirming a date. If you have any questions or ideas, send an e-mail to emergentbaltimore at gmail.com and we'll get it. Tim

Cohort tomorrow--May 22nd--Amahoro Africa!

Come and join the Baltimore cohort of Emergent Village as we gather TOMORROW--Tuesday May 22nd from 7-9pm at Bare Bones Grill in Ellicott City to hear from Caitlin Kelley, Heather Kirk-Davidoff, and Tim Hartman about their recent experiences at the Amahoro Africa conference in Kampala, Uganda. This will be the last (formal) gathering of the Baltimore cohort until September. The conference brought together 200 people--the vast majority from Eastern and Central Africa to consider the shape of the church that is emerging in Africa. We Americans we there to listen and learn. We are eager to share the fascinating stories we heard from the amazing people we met, as well as some reflections on potential partnerships and implications for faith and churches in the USA. To learn more about the conference, including summaries and podcasts, visit futurechurch or the Amahoro africa blog. See you tomorrow, Tim P.S.--Don't forget 2 upcoming events in DC on Global Poverty--domestic and international--that Emergent Village is a part of.... Sojourners/Call to Renewal Pentecost 2007: Taking Vision to the Streets June 3-6 in Washington, D.C. National City Christian Church Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama will be joining those who attend Pentecost 2007 for a nationally televised presidential candidates forum to focus exclusively on faith, values, and poverty. We'll be asking candidates the important questions - and you can be there in person. Micah Challenge leaders such as Lawrence Temfwe, Co-Chair of Micah Challenge Zambia and Director of the Jubilee Centre and Peter Vander Meulen, Co-Chair Micah Challenge USA, and several other Micah Challenge associates from around the world will be leading workshops on global wealth, the Millennium Development Goals, and doing truly integrated ministry. The goal of Pentecost 2007: Taking Vision to the Streets, is to call individuals, churches, and especially our political leaders to put poverty at the top of our national agenda. Come and be inspired by speakers including Jim Wallis, Freddie Haynes, Brian McLaren, Lynne Hybels, and Gary Hagan, among others. The conference will also offer training to help you form partnerships and get organized to do your part right where you are in your local church or school. See the schedule of events. Register now. Scholarships available. Bread for the World's Gathering 2007 Sowing Seeds: Growing a Movement June 9-12, American University, Washington, DC Based on Micah 6:8 passage "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,", thousands of people of faith will gather in Washington, DC to launch a renewed movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. Bread for the World is honored to host several Micah Challenge leaders from around the world at Sowing Seeds, including Joel Edwards, Co-Chair, Micah Challenge International and Lawrence Temfwe, Co-Chair of Micah Challenge Zambia and Director of the Jubilee Centre. These Micah Challenge leaders will speak candidly about the energy and passion that is building public will in both developing and developed countries, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Join us in prayer and in action at the second Interfaith Convocation on Hunger, the U.S. faith community will renew our own commitment to overcoming hunger and poverty and insist that our government provide meaningful leadership in this work. A celebration on the great lawn of the Washington National Cathedral will prepare participants for an evening of inspirational music, solemn prayer and instruction from sacred texts. All those in attendance--old and young, experienced anti-hunger leaders and those new to the movement--will be commissioned to carry on this work from this day forward. See the schedule of events Register now Scholarships are available

May cohort--Tuesday 5/22--AFRICA

The Baltimore cohort of Emergent Village will next gather on Tuesday May22nd from 7-9pm at Bare Bones Grill in Ellicott City. Our topic will be the Christian faith in Africa. A small number of our cohort will be traveling to Uganda for the next 2 weeks along with Brian McLaren and 40 others from Western nations to meet with 160 emerging and innovative African leaders who are working with organizations focused on mercy and justice in a conference called Amahoro Africa. We will be hearing from these African leaders and listening to their stories about what it means to follow Jesus in a time after the colonial powers have left. Our cohort on 5/22 will focus on issues of global Christianity, shaping a post-colonial theology for the church that is emerging, and reflecting on what Africans have to teach us about our American context. If you want to do any advance reading, I recommend The Next Christendom by Philip Jenkins as well as a short interview with David Zac Niringiye. Here's the pdf. I hope you can join us, Tim

Mark Scandrette--Tuesday April 10th

On Tuesday April 10th (at Bare Bones Grill from 7-9pm), I am excited to say that we will have Mark Scandrette joining us. Check out his blog. He is also the author of a new book, Soul Graffiti: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus which will be released in mid-April while he is with us! Soul Graffiti explores the message of Jesus as an invitation to embrace life as a sacred journey— learning to collaborate with our Maker’s intentions to bring healing and greater wholeness to our world. Through stories and reflections, Soul Graffiti addresses the questions, “What was the essential message of Jesus and how can we inhabit that message as a way of life?” What if everything matters? Soul Graffiti, is an invitation to explore the life and teachings of Jesus as a pattern for pursuing a spiritual path that is fueled by compassion, creativity, community and connection. Here are some quotes about the book as well as Mark's bio. Hope to see you for a great evening with Mark and save May 22nd and June 19th for the next couple possible cohort dates, Tim early praise for Soul Graffiti “Mark Scandrette guides us in this beautifully written and brilliantly illustrated book along a path towards actualized spirituality in a postmodern world. The book provides new avenues to ancient truths.” —Tony Campolo, professor of sociology, Eastern University “Through Mark’s rich insights and reflections, and especially through his stories … about Jack, Richard, Gary, Caroline, Emperor Arcadia (you’ll never forget him!), Michelle, Beryl, and many others, you’ll get an honest and inspiring view of what ‘the emergent conversation’ is really about, and what it’s for.” —Brian McLaren, author/activist (brianmclaren.net) “Soul Graffiti is not so much a book as it is an encounter—a deadly serious encounter—with a Christianity that is urban, American, un-institutionalized, and now. If you truly like your own Christian walk just the way it is, you definitely should not read this book.” —Phyllis Tickle, religion analyst and compiler, The Divine Hours “Scandrette guides us down a winding, beautiful path through an urban park of whole-life Jesus-y spirituality. It’s a story-weaver's bountiful spread - filled with chocolate and wine and artisan bread—of the present Kingdom of God. See that the Lord is good, indeed.” —Mark Oestreicher, president, Youth Specialties “Soul Graffiti chronicles Mark Scandrette's brave exploration into an intentional, lived Christianity. In a world numb to religion, inhabiting the way of love may be the only apologetic left.” —Sally Morgenthaler, www.trueconversations.com “In Soul Graffiti, Mark Scandrette strips away the religious traditions that cloud our view of Jesus and gives us the courage to investigate the transformational message. If the challenge for churches and for individual followers of Christ is to live out the gospel, this is the help we need.” —Nancy Ortberg, Founding Partner, Teamworx2 “Soul Graffiti is creative, inspiring and challenging in equal measure. Mark has a wonderful way with language weaving together stories, metaphors, and insights that combine into a poetic call to take seriously the radical nature of Christ’s life and teaching and live it out in our own communities.” —Jonny Baker, Church Mission Society, London, UK Mark Scandrette is the executive director and cofounder of ReIMAGINE, and a founding member of SEVEN. With extensive experience providing leadership in churches and community based organizations, Mark has a B.S. in Applied Psychology, studied theology at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN and has been a minister, writer and spiritual teacher for 15 years. Mark is the author of SOUL GRAFFITI: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus (Jossey-Bass Wiley 2007) and contributor to several other books including: AN EMERGENT MANIFESTO OF HOPE (Baker 2007) THE RELEVANT CHURCH: A Vision for Communities of Faith (Relevant Media 2004), and COMMUNITY OF KINDNESS (Regal 2003). Mark is also a senior fellow with Emergent Village, a growing generative friendship among missional Christian leaders. He lectures frequently with the U.S. Center for World Missions, leads retreats and workshops and provides life coaching and spiritual direction. He is married to Lisa Scandrette, the educator and textile artist. They have three children and live in an old victorian in San Francisco's Mission District.

Justice and Poverty--3/19

The next cohort gathering will be on Monday March 19th and will focus on Justice and Poverty. Our guests will be Kathleen O'Toole and others from Bread for the World. Bread's slogan is "Seeking justice. Ending hunger" and they are a group of Christians who are lobbying to end hunger. We will hear about Bread's work as well as their upcoming event: Sowing Seeds, June 9-12 in Washington, DC. I hope to see you on March 19th as we gather to build friendships, further conversation, and hear more about ways we can be part of God's work of justice in our world. As usual we will gather at Bare Bones Grill from 7-9pm. Save the date: our April gathering will be on Tuesday April 10th. Tim

A conversation with Brian McLaren at Kittamaqundi Community Church

Check this out from our friends at KC. Hope you can make it. Tim Everything Must Change: Jesus, the Global Crises and the Revolution of Hope A Conversation with Brian McLaren Author of A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy and many other books. Named one of “America’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals” by Time Magazine. Thursday, February 15th, 2007 7:00 pm At the Kittamaqundi Community Church 5410 Leaf Treader Way, Columbia, MD 21045 $25.00 per person ~ 5 tickets for $100 To order tickets, go to www.kc-church.org or www.brianmclaren.net . For more information, call the church at 410-730-4855. All proceeds will benefit KC’s delegation to the Amahoro Africa Gathering in Kampala, Uganda, May 2007: www.amahoro-africa.org

Heather's article for 2/8

Also thanks to the folks at Kittamaqundi Community Church, Heather Kirk-Davidoff's article is on-line. "Meeting Jesus at the Bar: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Evangelism," will be discussed (with Heather!) at our cohort gathering on 2/8 from 7-9pm at Bare Bones Grill, and will appear in the forthcoming book, An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. Follow the link on the church's homepage to "Heather's Emergent article" to find the pdf. Hope you can check it out before the cohort gathering.

Next Cohort Gathering--Thurs. February 8th

The next gathering of the Baltimore Emergent Village cohort will be on Thursday February 8th from 7-9pm at the Bare Bones Grill in Ellicott City. I am excited to say that Heather Kirk-Davidoff will be presenting that evening on her chapter, "Meeting Jesus at the Bar: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Evangelism" from the forthcoming book An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, edited by Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones and published by Baker Books which releases in April 2007. We hope to make her chapter available on-line soon--check back to the blog for more details. UPDATE: Heather's article is available on the Kittamaqundi Community Church website. Look for the link on the homepage to "Heather's Emergent article". Check it out before the cohort. Heather is the pastor of Kittamaqundi Community Church in Columbia, MD, is a member of the Board of Directors for Emergent Village is a wife to Dan, and the mother of 3 kids. It should be a great night of discussion about what "evangelism" is, isn't, and can be. I hope you can join us. Tim