Hugh's Views

Last weekend, Renee and I went to Washington DC for the Transform East Coast Gathering. Many folks have asked me exactly what it was – their website described the event like this:

We are gathering missional practitioners on the East Coast to learn from each other and to mobilize others for forming new missional communities.

Whether you’re a pastor, prospective “church planter,” or simply interested in finding out more about transformational missional communities of practice, this gathering is designed to inspire and equip you to go and do likewise!

Anyway, Renee and I rode the train (Love the Amtrak) and to keep the cost as low as possible, stayed with our friends the Merritts in Arlington, just over the river. They were incredible hosts and went out of their way to make us feel at home. Thanks so much, guys!

On Saturday, I spoke on a panel, along with my friends Reverend Vince Anderson, Angela Harms and Kathy Escobar, on being “Missional at the Margins”. In short, we talked about reaching out to the people who often get looked over in church planting plans.  I thought it was going to be recorded, but, I was wrong. (I really need to get a digital recorder like this one so I can always have a copy of my talks.)

My friend Kathy had the keynote address at Transform, and she was just incredible. She held the audiences attention and at least six times during her talk, I wanted to shout “Amen!” If you are at all interested in the “Missional Church”, this is a must watch.

Her overall point? That being faithful to the Gospel is a path of “Downward Mobility”. And that this Jesus thing is really, really hard.

NB: Due to the craziness that is Ustream, I tried and tied to highlight only the clip of her talking. Alas, I failed. Or maybe Ustream did. In any event, her part of the video starts at 32:10.

So much happened at Transform I would love to talk about, but honestly, I just do not have the time right now. However, it will probably inform several blog posts in the days to come.