Parish Church

ecumenical emergent gathering

“The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.” Richard Rohr Come to the first large gathering of Roman Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and other Christians seeking to explore this emergence and convergence together. You’ll be inspired

Dwight J. Friesen January 9, 2009September 20, 2022

emergent village – keeps emerging

Emergent Village continues to emerge as social network of conversationally engaged, missionally minded communities/people of faith.  Check out the statement from EV and listen to a podcast of some of the EV board members talking about the move to an

Dwight J. Friesen October 31, 2008May 11, 2022

evangelical future(s)?

What is the future or possible futures of evangelicalism? The movement of evangelicalism seems to be at a crossroads. The baton of leadership of the modern evangelical movement is being passed along. The political landscape is changing. The philosophical and

Dwight J. Friesen March 21, 2008September 20, 2022

emerging & established churches together?

I find myself looking for conversation partners. I’m looking for new paradigm churches (emerging, neo-monastic, simple, avant-churches, etc.), who are intentionally partnering with more established congregations in mission and mutual transformation. And the reverse as well, for established congregations who

Dwight J. Friesen January 31, 2008September 21, 2022

emergent @ national workshop on Christian Unity

I will be representing emergent village at the National Workshop on Christian Unity in Chicago later this Spring. I’ll have the privilege to present a workshop on emergent village and ecumenism. BTW, Emergent may have some opportunities to include some

Dwight J. Friesen December 30, 2007September 21, 2022

my workshop at, “hear.listen.connect”

My friend Jim Henderson together with the collaborative team at Off-the-Map are gearing up for a national conversation happening in Seattle, in early November. This year’s theme is Hear·Listen·Connect.Presenters include Diana Butler Bass, Brian McLaren, Richard Twiss, Ruth Padilla DeBorst,

Dwight J. Friesen August 24, 2007May 8, 2022

seattle simple churches?

I’m looking for links to, or contact info for simple churches and/or house churches in and around Seattle. If you know of one could you please comment on this blog entry or email me? BTW: in an effort to try

Dwight J. Friesen August 3, 2007September 21, 2022

out of theOOZE

Spencer Burke of theOoze let me get a sneak peek at recently completed book, Out of TheOoze. Having sifted through hundreds of thousands of web contributions to theOOZE.com Spencer Burke has selected a few choice offerings, inviting us to encounter the concerns, wonderings, and awakenings

Dwight J. Friesen August 1, 2007May 8, 2022

emergent update from “faith & order”

Just returned from the 50th anniversary celebration of the Faith & Order Commission of the National Council of Churches in the USA, which took place at the site of the first gathering at Oberlin College. It was great to rub shoulders with people

Dwight J. Friesen July 24, 2007September 23, 2022

emergent village @ faith & order anniversary

Tomorrow I head out to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the National Council of Churches’ “Faith and Order Commission.”  The celebration is taking place at Oberlin College in Ohio which was the site of the first gathering half a century

Dwight J. Friesen July 18, 2007May 8, 2022

What do we mean by ‘simple church?’

Some call them house churches. Some call them organic churches. Some call them simple churches. We prefer to just call them churches. They are rapidly multiplying, simple communities of believers, meeting in homes, offices, campuses, wherever God is moving. This

Dwight J. Friesen July 18, 2007November 12, 2020

New House church site

Welcome to a website dedicated to linking and resourcing simple churches (house churches) in Western Washington. The site has just launched and will be adding features and links to websites and email addresses to simple churches in and around Seattle.

Dwight J. Friesen July 17, 2007September 23, 2022

thank-you

Last night was the final and celebratory gathering of the simple church that I’ve led and been part of for the past 11 years.  I was both surprised and blessed by the evening.  Spending the evening with friends (some of

Dwight J. Friesen July 16, 2007September 23, 2022

bahamas – soularize

I just got off a conference call with Spencer Burke of theOoze and some of the other facilitators for the upcoming Soularize learning party being held, of all places, in the Bahamas, October 25-27, 2007. The closer we get to

Dwight J. Friesen July 13, 2007June 1, 2022

final celebration

If you were ever part of this simple church over the past 11 years, then you are invited to an “I was part of Quest” party on Sunday, July 15 starting at 5:00 pm at the Friesen’s house (bring beverages

Dwight J. Friesen July 1, 2007June 17, 2022

@ zoe in tacoma

Tomorrow, I have the privilege of facilitating at one of the pacific northwest most holistically, missionally focused churches: zoe: livable church. Paul Sparks is the pastor and he is fast becoming a dear friend. I can’t wait to hang out

Dwight J. Friesen June 30, 2007May 8, 2022

missional living = the good life

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to participate in Calvary Chapel’s (Seattle) mission conference and was asked to unpack “The Meaning of Missional.” As I sought to give some kind of understanding to this fairly new word, I

Dwight J. Friesen May 25, 2007September 23, 2022

emergent village & full communion

Tomorrow I will be presenting the following paper to the National Council of Churches “Faith & Order Commission.” I was asked to reflect on “Full Communion” from the perspective of Emergent Village. Full Communion has been a way of describing

Dwight J. Friesen March 16, 2007September 23, 2022

Aloha Breakfast – March 4

Jen & Jamison Nielsen and baby Scott will be storying with us of their experiences for the past year at the Gathering in Hawaii.  Also, since the Gathering typically eats on the first Sunday of the month, Jen has requested

Dwight J. Friesen March 4, 2007September 23, 2022

Feb 4, 2007 – connecting weekend

We’ve decided that between the Super Bowl, and the arrival of baby Snowden, that we would make this Sunday a connecting weekend. No quest gathering this weekend. We will gather for a meal next Sunday (2/11/2007) at Jeff’s place. peace,

Dwight J. Friesen February 4, 2007September 23, 2022

convergence

There is a Northwest gathering of emerging women leaders coming up, January 26-28, 2007 in Troutdale, OR. For more information or to register follow this link.   Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 17, 2007December 7, 2020

questions . . . Jan 14, 2007

Beginning with our next gathering, we will explore questions about life, meaning, spirituality, God, humans, evil, race, patriarchy, classism, or whatever! We’ll begin by voicing some of the questions we can – acknowledging some seem almost too deep for words

Dwight J. Friesen January 7, 2007September 23, 2022

Quest’s Rhythm of Gathering

Quest exists to connect people.  More accurately, we exist to help each other awaken to the reality of our already interconnectedness. We life and move in an ecosystem of relations. Each relationship invites our faithful presence. You might say that

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

Expression Gathering

Our “expression gathering” is a vital part of the life of our community… in fact they often feel a bit like family gatherings. On the second Sunday of each month we gather to encounter the mystery and story of God.

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

The Meal

On the first (1st) Sunday of each month Quest piles into someone’s home to celebrate communion while sharing a meal.  In the Christian tradition we refer this table as the Lord’s. God sets a place at the table for everyone, and

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

Connecting Weekend

We have no gathering this weekend but next Sunday (1/14/2007) we will join together again. Quest highly values the need for rest. It is not our intention to fill each moment with “church gatherings.” Just as a reminder we have

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006January 13, 2021

Community Groups . . . A Friend or Two

Jesus once taught that wherever and whenever two or three people gather in the Way of Christ, God is among them. Jesus’s words make sense to most people, because most of us have had the experience of deep meeting and

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006September 23, 2022

Journey . . . quest exists to assist in the process

We have always been focused on serving people in their unique faith journeys.  We believe that every person is in process of becoming.  So we seek to be an aid in that journey; to be a friend to walk with,

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006May 5, 2022

thanksgiving eve . . . together

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice. – Meister Eckhart Lynette, Pascal and I will be joining together in a Thanksgiving Eve Community Worship service tomorrow night. Wednesday, 7:30 pm at

Dwight J. Friesen November 22, 2006October 16, 2020

Quest’s Open Mic

This coming Sunday is Quest’s “Open Mic.” As you may know, we gather on the third Sunday of each month to offer an expression of the work of our hearts, hands, minds, and voices. We seek to offer these expressions

Dwight J. Friesen November 13, 2006January 13, 2021