Reflections on 10/15 Class

While I’m wholeheartedly in agreement with more recent church trends (especially within the emerging movement) to privilege dialogue and openness over purely a drive to reach a bottom line or specific conclusions, I think that sometimes such openness puts us at risk of failing to move forward in our attempts to change and renew the church. Today’s class reminded me of the vital importance of pursuing a mindfulness and intentionality as we seek to create new initiatives within the church. We must be flexible but also persistent, seeking to move in a particular direction but also being open to shifting directions when the Spirit leads us to do so. It’s for this reason that I find great value in the experimental stage of creating new initiatives, as it allows us to be purposeful about testing the waters and trying new things out while also keeping us in dialogue with God and with other church members as we pursue new avenues for church renewal together as a team.