Parish Church

pastoring as bi-vocation

Many avant-church leaders/hosts/facilitators/curates/etc. are serving in bi-vocational ways; meaning they earn their living working a “regular” job in order to support their community habit. Some have made this a conscious decision, others have been forced into this bi-vo-role by slower

Dwight J. Friesen March 23, 2005October 10, 2022

Emerging Women

This week in Seattle there is a gathering of Emerging Women’s Leadership. This initiative is one of the most important to be born of the avant-church conversation to date. The “emergent” conversation I’ve been most familiar with, appeared to begin

Dwight J. Friesen March 8, 2005December 13, 2022

life

As is so often the case with at least me, when my journal is quiet – life isn’t. In addition to observing the 36th anniversary of my birth, I had a pretty full teaching week; 20 hours in the classroom.

Dwight J. Friesen March 7, 2005October 11, 2022

Limitations of Cross-Cultural Missions

One of the goals of cross-cultural missions – in some traditions – has to generate a more nearly universal Christian witness, one that has pan-human validity, thus to attain a universally applicable theology and Christian ethic; its primary goal is

Dwight J. Friesen February 13, 2005September 14, 2022

influence

The cover story of the current issue of Time is “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals.” Listed among the powerful voices of Rick Warren, James Dodson, Richard John Neuhaus, Billy/Franklin Graham, J. I. Packer, Bill Hybels, John Stott, and sixteen others,

Dwight J. Friesen February 3, 2005October 12, 2022

church finding culture(s)

Recently I was again asked about D. A. Carson’s comments regarding the emerging church. The inquirer was curious whether or not I’d recommend the recordings (previous posts, 1 & 2). I always value listening to those views might appear to

Dwight J. Friesen January 19, 2005October 12, 2022

hosting forum

Today’s entry is intended for use by those who proactively shape the ethos of Quest by participating as our hosting forum. Quest’s “Hosting Forum” is the gathering of participants from our spiritual community who intentionally & collectively discern on behalf

Dwight J. Friesen December 21, 2004January 14, 2021

where is the emerging church going?

Teresa Acheson, who is a seminary student and radio host (listen live, www.ciay.ca Fridays @ 10pm PST) interviewed me as part of her research for a paper entitled Where is the Emerging Church Heading? She was gracious enough to let

Dwight J. Friesen November 8, 2004October 25, 2022

PoMo Q & R

A reader of my blog recently asked a few questions about ministry in a postmodern context. While I am certainly seeking to engage our emerging cultural context I can’t claim to be an expert in these matters. I will say

Dwight J. Friesen November 5, 2004January 14, 2021

emerging church q & a

Today I was interviewed by a student researching the “emerging church.” Here are my somewhat esoteric responses: > Can you think of a model for the emerging church? When I use the term “emerging church” I am not simply referring

Dwight J. Friesen November 2, 2004October 25, 2022

leading postures

A few years ago I asked a few people to help me see myself as “pastor” and “leader”. Through the process of that three month conversation I made a number of commitments that I revisit often and fail even frequently.

Dwight J. Friesen October 28, 2004September 14, 2022

Ecclesial Being-Unto-Death

Like most people 😉 my mind occasionally drifts to happy thoughts of Heidegger’s notion of Dasein as being-unto-death. Marty (can I call him Marty?) reminds us that when people becomes aware of their inevitable death; really aware, like after a

Dwight J. Friesen October 26, 2004September 28, 2022

leading… why no one IS “leader”

I was rereading The Web of Life and The Hidden Connections by Capra this morning (he may be best known for his book The Tao of Physics). These thoughts come from his work: A living social system of any sort, be

Dwight J. Friesen October 13, 2004September 13, 2022

the E-word

Avant-churches don’t spend much time talking about evangelism anymore. Maybe for good reason. The fifty years following WWII Western evangelicalism produced hordes of evangelism techniques, manuals, tracts, laws, programs, para-church ministries, etc. This was vital to the modern evangelical project.

Dwight J. Friesen September 26, 2004May 6, 2022

the “parish” corrective

The return of the parish appears to be an ecclesial movement sweeping Western Christ-communities. I’ve been thinking of it as the parish corrective. I would characterize this corrective as a local church move to embody “full life” or embody the

Dwight J. Friesen September 24, 2004December 7, 2020

yes, and…

It is my hope that even our harshest critics can serve a vital role in our “becoming.” Look at the shaping impact of the protestant church on the church of Rome; could there have been a Vatican 2, without the

Dwight J. Friesen September 10, 2004October 25, 2022

a mostly unhelpful conservative critique of the emerging church

D. A. Carson who was one of the more respected Conservative evangelical New Testament scholars and one of my former teachers, has recently offered the following criticism of the “emerging church.” In Dr. Carson’s clear, and at times, biting comments, he raises

Dwight J. Friesen September 2, 2004November 30, 2020

stone soup

I enjoy making soup. I literally have a pot of soup on right now. So see a few months back Lynette and I made a ham. And in my mind, any ham meal has a soup chaser. I put the

Dwight J. Friesen September 1, 2004January 14, 2021

Resonate

I been so swamped lately I don’t know which way is up. We spent part of last week in Canada last week, visiting my folks. It was nice to be together though we almost missed the ferry on our way

admin August 31, 2004January 14, 2021

missionalization

So much energy has been spent wrestling with the church and institutionalization. Institutionalization happens when reified social constructs become untouchable. What is then often needed is some form of prophetic deconstruction of that social construct – enabling us to see

Dwight J. Friesen August 4, 2004June 9, 2022

dwight j. friesen

pastoring as bi-vocation

Emerging Women

life

Limitations of Cross-Cultural Missions

influence

church finding culture(s)

hosting forum

where is the emerging church going?

PoMo Q & R

emerging church q & a

leading postures

Ecclesial Being-Unto-Death

leading… why no one IS “leader”

the E-word

the “parish” corrective

yes, and…

a mostly unhelpful conservative critique of the emerging church

stone soup

Resonate

missionalization

Community Mapping

Thank You Kansas City & Jacob’s Well

There’s Got to be More Than This

My Latest Essay… “Hubbing”

Summoned

Questions to Emerging Leaders

Growth of a Scale-Free Network

Fulfill Not Abolish

Let’s Get (Meta)physical

Missional, Incarnational, Embodied, or Bodied?