Church

domestic violence, the church & theology

There is an important forum coming up in Seattle exploring domestic violence and the church’s role. The forum will bring together pastors, educators and activists from the greater Seattle area to address how the Christian church is preventing the issue

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2006September 23, 2022

international reflection on emerging church life

The latest issue of the International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church (Volume 6, Number 1 / March 2006) is focused entirely on the “Emerging Church.” Online access to the issue will run you close to $80, so

Dwight J. Friesen May 16, 2006September 21, 2022

eagle & child

My father-in-law forwarded a very cool webcam link that is streaming an eagle’s nest with parent and two eggs. Eagle & Child is also the name of the Giles Street pub in Oxford, England, where The Inklings met. The Inklings

Dwight J. Friesen April 4, 2006May 12, 2022

myths of the modern mega-church

Here is an interesting link to a transcript of last spring’s forum sponsored by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The title is “Myths of the Modern Mega-Church” featuring Rick Warren and others. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen March 28, 2006January 18, 2021

by the people, for the people

By the People, For the People: Seekers of Faith Increasingly Take “Church” into Their Own Hands by Jay Voorhees Copyright © 2006 by The Alban Institute Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 13, 2006May 10, 2022

wartburg seminary

I will be interacting with a group of “J-TERM SEATTLE” seminary students from Wartburg Seminary, around some of my research regarding the “Scale-Free Kingdom.” Jan 18, 2006. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 10, 2006May 8, 2022

what might be God’s wisdom for us?

What is the God’s Wisdom for us? Where are the passions and life . . .   A heartbeat, coming together Reminder and helping each other remember that God loves us People who are questing Tangents Seeing where God is moving

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005May 9, 2022

Dancing to a New Rhythm

Dear friends, I am writing this as I reflect back on our gathering this past Sunday night.  It was a “family time” for thoughtful consideration of how we might morph our structured times together to continue to be more and

Dwight J. Friesen October 14, 2005October 3, 2022

a learning party

check this out. peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen August 5, 2005November 22, 2020

creation . . . “comedy central”

For a few days I’ve been sitting the question: “how can I better understand and enter into the narrative of church?”  This question took me back to Greek theater, represented by the masks.  I find myself wondering whether the narrative of

Dwight J. Friesen June 21, 2005October 3, 2022

Missional Consultation

Here is Alan Roxburgh’s report on the report on “Forming Leaders for the Missional/emerging Church consultation which took place in April. The event was sponsored by Fuller/Allelon and brought together 40 leaders from USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Dwight J. Friesen June 19, 2005October 3, 2022

soft differnce: church/culture

When I first encountered Miroslav Volf and his theological work I was elated. I found myself sharing his books with anyone around who would lend me their ear even if just for a moment.  Needless to say I don’t agree with

Dwight J. Friesen June 10, 2005September 20, 2022

leadership consultation

I have the joy of participating in the Fuller/Allelon “Forming Leaders for the Missional/emerging church” consultation. Drs. Eddie Gibbs, Ryan Bolger, and Allan Roxburgh are facilitating the conversation. This group of participants is amazing! There are some folks who I

Dwight J. Friesen April 27, 2005October 4, 2022

morphogenesis of church life

I’ve been giving some more thought to the connections of Cellular Mitosis with church growth and church planting. The body of Christ appears to be a not unlike a multi-cellular living organism. Multi-cellular living organisms contain more than one cell

Dwight J. Friesen April 22, 2005January 14, 2021

re-church

The Church of the Apostles (Seattle, WA) and Moot (Westminster, UK) are sponsoring what is promising to be a great conversational space. Click for more details. peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 7, 2005December 8, 2020

God’s guidance

As the news of Pope John Paul II’s home-going sinks in, I am moved to pray all the more for the Cardinals who will be gathering in the selection process of the next pope. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 6, 2005October 5, 2022

church: body & soul

There have been times throughout Western history when people talked as though the spiritual mattered, and the physical did not. Soul = good; body = bad. The move to holistic viewing of the human person in community seems like a

Dwight J. Friesen March 24, 2005October 10, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

community & intimacy

Recently, my friend Jacob highlighted Randy Frazee (author of “Connecting Church,” and “Making Room for Life”) and Randy’s encouragement to make use of certain tools to aid us in replacing “too many” weak relational connections and build a smaller number

Dwight J. Friesen August 5, 2004September 13, 2022

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

Community Mapping

Bill Wallenbeck of Jacob’s Well just preached a sermon called Scale-Free Networks and the Kingdom using some concepts of Scale-free networks, he even drew on some of my research. Check it out.  Tim Samoff posted some photos of a community-mapping

Dwight J. Friesen July 20, 2004May 5, 2022

Thank You Kansas City & Jacob’s Well

Well, I’m home for one day and then I’m off again. This is not the way my life has usually is… how do people who travel all the time get the everyday stuff done? I spent the last couple of

Dwight J. Friesen June 16, 2004November 29, 2022

my relational leadership

Over the past few months I elicited a small group of friends to help me evaluate my person and leadership. This small group comprised of three men and two women have known me for an average of three and one-half

Dwight J. Friesen April 15, 2004August 31, 2022

“Church”

Church by Dwight J. Friesen Restless boy yanking at his neck tie Flipping through hymnals, Bibles and Sunday School papers No match for the sermon fidgets Those warming the pews trade yawns Waiting For the last song and benediction Long

Dwight J. Friesen April 14, 2004November 28, 2022