Why I Stopped Writing

I noticed that I haven't posted on this site since December. I took a break from writing the past seven months. Why? I've redirected my time and energy for a season. 

In the last twelve months, I’ve had unique opportunities to connect with the broader church. This involved visiting friends, pastors, and church leaders across the country.  I gave presentations to a variety of gatherings:

Austin, TX
St. Paul, MN
Sacramento, CA
Spokane, WA
Lansing, MI
The Multiethnic Symposium at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO

My goal was simple. At a time when many in the church are experiencing loss, be helpful and hopeful. Network. Share. Build up. Bring together.

The Loved+Sent Summit emerged from this collaborative movement. There is a committee of advisors planning the event. A network of business leaders investing in it. A collaborative of 15 churches hosting it. And a team of over 100 pitching in to pull it off.  

Here’s what the Summit is all about.  

Here’s Something Great is Asked, a paper about what I sense and see in our national church body.

A line we’ve been using is, “The Summit is free, but participation will cost you.” In other words, there is no registration fee. All food, refreshments, and materials are covered.  But if you come, prepare to give something. Your time, energy, insight, and resources. 

We received 23 nominations from emerging ministries answering “Who’s Next?” Our goal is to showcase three. An announcement of the finalists will come on July 15th.  These three ministries will present their work at the Summit, and every participant will be invited to respond with insight, ideas, and support. We have a phenomenal facilitator, Leah Abel, who will lead a guided discussion toward fruitful ends.

The Summit will bring together leaders and churches from across the country to exercise these important values:

Sacrificial:  We will all lose something for the sake of Kingdom gain. There is no profit, pride, or platform promotion. The aim is not for our individual churches, but for THE church. Unlike a conference where you ask, “What will I get?” we’ll ask, “What will I give?” 

Collaborative:  No leader, pastor, or congregation is independent. Gone are the days of “compare and compete.” We are an ecosystem, inter-dependent upon one another.  When we gather together, it is an exercise in mutual sharing.  Everyone has something to contribute, and everyone has something to receive.  

Margins:  We believe the best things in ministry are happening on the frontline, on the edges. This is always how the Kingdom of God arrives. Seed and leaven. Weak people with a mighty God. Unexpected places and miraculous mercy. The Spirit is working in the places that are often overlooked and under the radar. The Summit will lift up the people and places on the margins.  
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Consider this your invitation to join us for the Loved+Sent Summit.  Fifteen St. Louis area congregations are eager to host you.  Register here.  It’s free, but remember that it will cost you.  What will you give?