evdc09 reflections and report

evdc09
finding the way forward together

I write with a sense of gratitude for the unique gifts and perspective of each one who participated in the evdc09 process. I especially write with the keen awareness that many many more people in the Emergent Village were present in spirit and prayer. The good that came forth from this weekend and the good that will continue to come forth comes from the Spirit and the hopes of the deeper and wider well of the Village.

Here is my attempt to share what I experienced…

Friday night we came together in a circle full of hopes, fears, history, dreams, uncertainty, and intrigue. We were a beautiful collaboration of women and men; brown, white, black, pink- from cities, suburbs, churches, organic communities; pioneers all. Artists, bloggers, pastors, poets. students, community activists, long time friends, brand new friends, designers and cohort leaders…we told stories in that circle.

It was a bit of a surprise to hear many in this “cool crowd” express a sense of being Emergent outsiders. Some in the circle were self identified ‘insiders’ who had worked hard for years for the dream of EV (I might add that it was clear they came humbly holding the future and the past tenderly with hands wide open to the larger community) ; others were people who’d been sustained by friendships they found through EV and felt their only “home” and community existed in EV, others came with a real concerns about power issues and whether Emergent was more (or could be more) than a marketing device. Some were ready to shut the whole thing down and others were terrified about losing Emergent Village. As we shared stories and hopes and fears, these distinctions quickly evaporated and we found ourselves on common ground…looking for God’s best dream to be realized.

Pam Wilhelms, International Sustainability Consultant, and Dwight Friesen, professor from Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle gracefully modeled wise cooperative leadership as they facilitated using “Theory U” http://www.solonline.org/repository/download/5DR.Appendix3_.pdf?item_id=8960872 ,
The U is designed to help groups “sense, presence and realize”. Moving through various reflective, interactive, collaborative exercises a group is able to see reality “beyond their individual filters”, connect with purpose and vision collectively, and then translate visions into concrete working models.
In order for the process to work, this group of free thinkers had to chose to submit to the process, submit to one another and to trust that God was at work as we did so. The humility and attentiveness that was born by late in the day on Saturday was a remarkable thing. Holy. Tangible. True. Collective…the Body of Christ listening and learning and feeling God’s heart of love together.
Not soft and fuzzy squashy love, but bare, raw, honest, birthing kind of love.

Meditation walks alone, gathered worship melding the daily offices with unique songs composed on the spot, story writing, brainstorming, truth telling, poetry reading and earnest prayer, all wove together in our process.
After a hours of work together, putting it all on the table, lots of post it notes, a world cafe session, listening to God speak to us through nature and through the urban setting of the Adams Morgan Neighborhood, after hours of asking questions, naming fears and each one working to hold back the impulse to pronounce Our Own best plan but instead to wait for the group travel together, we came to a pivotal exercise.

Dreams of the Collective:
Pairing up, we each took time to write a draft for a magazine article. The article was to be a report written five years in the future describing what would be if the most beautiful dreams for Emergent were realized (no holds barred). The room grew very still as pencils and pens scratched. We wrote and we interviewed our partners. What did they dream? Where did our dreams connect? We then shared those stories around the room. As each one shared, the sense of God’s voice seemed more and more clear…the sense of awe and something like a heavy and holy weight grew.
It was simply amazing to hear one story after another articulate a vision of a broad network of people taking local action and practicing holistic living. This movement had become a way of life which had transformed local and global communities. EV was a point of connection that existed for the sake of connecting people who were doing justice in winsome locally embodied communities.
Many stories recognized that the voices and prophetic imagination of the artists, storytellers and musician were essential to realizing the dream. There was a sense that each local context had it’s own unique need and flavor, it’s own theology and creative expression and that was okay. There was no overarching leadership structure or dominant voice(s) that would articulate what “emergent” was or what “emergents believed”. EV consisted of a broad base of local networks made up of ordinary people who were connected together for encouragement, inspiration and positive action.
The story was one of the body of Christ made visible…all over the country, and even through the world. The Millennial goals had been achieved and people shared their resources with their neighbors. Events were local and contextual rather than national commercial events. Personality and ego did not rule, instead authentic missional living led the way.
As each one shared their story the sense of the presence of God grew stronger and stronger. At the suggestion of Michael Toy we slipped off our shoes and stood silent on holy ground. At the request of Laci Scott, Troy Bronsink led us in song. We left the meeting and spent the remainder of the evening in animated conversation over good food and beverage, while treasuring these stories in our hearts.

Sunday was an intense whirlwind as we worked to clarify what we all believed to be most important to hold in preparation for consideration of what concrete working models could best make these dreams a reality. As we worked we attempted to retain that place of collective consciousness that we reached the day before.

These are collective points that I heard come out of our time on Sunday:

• The most important part of EV is the Village, not the Emergent.
• The Village is global, local, inclusive and rooted in justice lived out.
• EV still has life and should not be disbanded.
• The website is needed.
• EV needs to be rearticulated and reshaped in order to go forward as Village.
• Leadership of some sort on some level (local? National?) is necessary.
• Leadership roles need to be clearly articulated and always collaborative.
• Leaders need to serve for limited terms and in partnership with others to avoid dominant personalities emerging “at the top”.
• Theology is very important to us but must be locally rooted and lived out.
• We need the artists.
• We value the Church in all her forms. We value tradition and innovation.
• We need Village leaders who are first and foremost listeners, story collectors, connectors, resourcers.
• The most important work will be done on the local level. Local life, local action, local exploration of theology and practice, local events will be the heartbeat of EV. These will be born out of the particular local context.
• Doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God is the reason for all we do.

Although our weekend in DC did not allow us time to specify just how this structure would look and would be formed, the work of the group still continues.
Over the next days and weeks, in smaller working groups and by email, wiki, facebook and conference call the vision that we felt God made clear will be given a structure to help it form. For some it feels scary or frustrating to not have nailed down all the details and have a new plan in place before we parted ways. I have a sense that the waiting and the extra time to reflect now is an important part of the process. I truly believe that there is a clear imperative and a true intention to honor the work that was done in the collective consciousness of the group and that was wrought by the Spirit. I believe we accomplished far more than can be measured at this moment.

I imagine next steps will mean answering very real questions we did not address in detail, like:
• Will there be a board of directors or some other form of governing group (Village Council)?
• How often should leaders rotate?
• What people will best lead in the spirit of the collective?
• What collaborative leadership forms are effective?
• How can cohort leaders and other local leaders be empowered?
• How and where can people connect?
• What about relationships with publishing houses and authors?
• Is there a place for national events?
• What are healthy systems for leadership accountability?
• Does EV need any paid employees (bookkeeper, web master)?
• What about money?
(By no means is this a comprehensive list and others might see the questions differently)

The Dreams are Expansive but the spirit of the Community is strong and viable.
Our best hopes are grounded in God and in learning from each other.

What I Loved Most:

• Being part of a diverse circle that I have always hoped EV would be.
• The power and beauty and humility of each voice present.
• Taking time to really Listen and to really See.
• Men being willing to cry.
• Laughter.
• Poetry.
• Honesty.
• Trusting God together.
• These words
Village
Local
Listening
Action
Justice
Practice
Artist
Spirit
• The very cool and diverse urban setting and the hospitality of Church of the Savior.
• Forging new friendships with amazing people.
• Great facilitators.
• Hope.

Although I have already written sooo many words it bears noting these people:
Thanks to Tim Hartman who is giving the next couple months as a volunteer to keep the process moving forward and to help hold the evdc09 group together to continue to discern and plan, till he begins his PhD program and until decisions have been made. I feel confident in his commitment to the process and to the greater community. He is also a superb administrator. (note…he is not the Decider. he is simply helping the will of the collective come to be- so don’t jump on him!).
Thanks to Brian McLaren, Ivy Beckwith, and Pam Wilhelms who are hanging in there as board members till the new structure is clarified and who are prepared to trust the group process and freely release EV to a new future when they get the word that it is time.
There are others (board members, devoted friends, faithful supporters) who served generously over the long haul. We can be grateful for their good gifts to the kingdom as we look forward to what will be birthed next.

I had such a difficult time knowing where to start with this post but once I started I can scarcely stop– but I am beginning to feel sick of hearing myself ramble on so I will post this in the hopes that this attempt captures something of the spirit of a remarkable weekend experienced in community. Perhaps it will be of some help for others who have been praying and wondering…thank you all. I am amazed and grateful to have been a tiny part of larger story in the making.

Tagged as: emergent village, U Process