Sunday, November 18, 2007

Some Emergent Websites of Note

With Doug Pagitt among the contributors to the Winter issue of Sharing the Practice, here are a couple of suggested web sites and blogs to take a look at. Chief among sites is Emergent Village (www.emergentvillage.com). This site is self-described as: “Emergent Village is a growing, generative friendship among missional Christians seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” It includes weblogs, podcasts, and more. This should be your first stop in researching the movement. And if you like video, try out Emerging Church TV (http://emergingchurch.tv) , where you’ll find video of Emergent figures such as Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt. Of course you might want to check out Doug’s website and blog (http://dougpagitt.com). Other emergent leaders also have blogs, including that of Brian McLaren (www.brianmclaren.net) and Tony Jones (http://tonyj.net). So, if you’re interested these sites should quench your thirst for knowledge, at least for a moment.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Web sites of Note

Loren Mead, one of the founders of the Academy of Parish Clergy, sends along two web sites that would be of special interest to clergy:
  • www.congregationalresources.org. This site is self-described as: "An effort of the Alban Institute in consultation with the Indianapolis Center for Congregations and other specialists, the Congregational Resource Guide (CRG) exists to help congregational leaders connect with resources that will enable them to face challenges and foster vitality in their communities of faith."

  • www.resourcingchristianity.org. The site is described as: " This web site seeks to assist leaders and participants in Christian communities, scholars and other interested publics in better understanding the impact, trends and trajectories of Christianity in American society. By providing both information and reflection on selected projects funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., it offers a unique vantage point for discerning the character and contributions of this tradition within American religion and culture."
Enjoy these two sites, which are full of interesting and useful information for churches.

Consecration of David Epps

EPPS TO BE CONSECRATED AS BISHOP

Father David Epps, FAPC, Pastor of Christ the King Church, will be consecrated as a Bishop in the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC) on Friday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. The service will be conducted in the sanctuary of Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, Highway 54, Peachtree City, GA.

Epps, 56, was elected at the House of Bishops in Orlando during October to serve the Mid-South Diocese which includes Georgia and Tennessee. The election was made necessary when, in June 2007, the Diocesan Bishop, The Most Reverend John W. Holloway, 53, suffered a debilitating stroke. Epps will serve as Auxiliary Bishop with Bishop Holloway remaining the Diocesan.

The consecrators for the service will be The Most Reverend Charles Jones, Archbishop of the Southeast Province, The Most Reverend David Simpson, Bishop of Florida, and The Most Reverend Gene Lilly, Auxiliary Bishop of the Southeast Province.

Epps, who first began ministry as a Youth Worker in 1971, was licensed to preach by the United Methodist Church in 1975 and was later ordained in the Assemblies of God (A/G) in 1978. In 1996, he was ordained a priest in the ICCEC.

Prior to 1983, Epps served United Methodist and A/G churches in Tennessee, Virginia, and Colorado. In June 1983, he became the pastor of Fayette Fellowship Assembly of God, Peachtree City, GA, which later relocated to Sharpsburg and was renamed Trinity Fellowship. In September 1996, Epps and 18 other people planted Christ the King Church which met for six years at Carmichael-Hemperly Funeral Home in Peachtree City.

In November 2002, the church relocated to its present location on 12 acres in Coweta County. The church currently has approximately 250 people who claim their church as their home. In addition, Christ the King has assisted in the planting of other congregations in Hogansville, GA, Fayetteville, GA, and Champaign, IL.

Epps is a graduate of Berean College of the Assemblies of God, East Tennessee State University, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, International Seminary, and Berean Graduate School of Divinity, an institution founded by Carrie Nation. He is a current Doctor of Ministry candidate at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry. Epps, a karate black belt and former instructor, also received an honorary doctorate for his work with youth and martial arts ministry from Great Plains Baptist College and Seminary. For 18 years, he has served as the chaplain for the Peachtree City Police Department and is a graduate of the police academy in Fulton County.

Within the ICCEC, Epps has served as Canon to the Ordinary for the Mid-South Diocese, Canon to the Ordinary for the Archdiocese of the Armed Forces, Chair of the Diocesan Commission on Ordained Ministry, as a member of the Mid-South Diocese Bishop’s Council, and as a member of the Provincial Council for the Southeast Province.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Epps also served with the Tennessee Army National Guard and served as a Chaplain (with the rank of captain) for the Georgia State Defense Force, an auxiliary of the Georgia Army National Guard.

He is married to the former Cynthia Douglas, a professor of Nursing at the University of West Georgia. The Epps’ have three adult sons and nine grandchildren. The consecration service, which will be followed by a reception, is open to the public.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Web site of note -- Teens and Technology

Kim Shimer, marketing director, for Judson Press, sends along this recommendation -- the web site -- Teens and Technology. This site is dedicated to understanding teens and the technologies they love so much. As a parent of a teen myself, I understand the phenomenon.



This site is owned by Peggy Kendall, author of two books on the subject of teens and tech -- one for parents and the other for those in youth ministry. Check it out.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Fall Issue -- Sharing the Practice

The Fall issue of Sharing the Practice has gone out today in the mail. It takes some time to cross the nation, but it gets there. Here is the contents of the issue:

Articles:

Ministry in the Post-Cartesian World, Richard Beck 3
Breaking the Curse: Evangelism in the Mainline Churches, Martha Grace Reese 7
Spirituality and Ash Wednesday, Lolly Dominski, APC 10
Colleague Groups: The Keel of Stability and Movement, Paul Binder, APC 14
Parish Ministry from a Cartoonist’s Perspective, Lawton W. Posey, FAPC 16
Will B. Dunn and Kudzu (Comics), Doug Marlette 18

Book Reviews
Mark Toulouse, God in Public, David Nash 22
Joseph Bush, Gentle Shepherding, David Nash 22
Peter Schmiechen, Saving Power, Paul Binder 23
James Nieman & Thomas Rogers, Preaching to Every Pew, John Hugus 24
Richard Hamm, Recreating the Church, Robert Cornwall 24
Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Church, Robert Cornwall 25
Steven Greenberg, Wrestling with God and Man, Steve Kindle 26
Shayne Lee, T.D. Jakes, Lawton Posey 27
Gerd Thiessen, The Bible and Contemporary Culture, Robert Cornwall 27
Steve Jacobsen, Hearts to God — Hands to Work, Robert Cornwall 2

Saturday, September 1, 2007

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit



New Book from an APC Member


The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

By Dr. Paul L. Kitley








ISBN: 978-1-57736-400-9
$12.95
Softcover, 64 pages




Dr. Paul L. Kitley was ordained into the ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1949, and spent twenty-nine years in parish ministry. A licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed clinical social worker,Dr. Kitley is a fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, a fellow in the Academy of Parish Clergy, and a clinical member of the American Association for Marital and Family Therapy. He has made it his life’s work to serve God’s people through church ministry and counseling.



NEW from Providence house publishers
238 SEABOARD L A N E • F R ANKLIN, TENNESSEE 37067
T O L L F R E E 8 0 0 - 3 2 1 - 5 6 9 2 • FAX 6 1 5 - 7 7 1 - 2 0 0 2
http://www.providencehouse.com/
P r o v i d e n c e H o u s e P u b l i s h e r s



“Dr. Paul L. Kitley draws upon his vast experience in pastoral ministry and professional counseling to provide new and creative understandings of Galatians 5:22–23, and what it means to live by the Spirit.”
Dr. Lester D. Palmer
President Emeritus
Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Open Hearts, Affirming Pages -- A New Blog

Steve Kindle, whose article on welcoming gays into the church recently appeared in Sharing the Practice has launched a new blog: -- Open Hearts, Affirming Pages. Steve is a Disciples of Christ pastor and is also the Executive Director of Clergy United for the Equality of Homosexuals.

The subheading of this new blog states it's purpose clearly --

This blog is intended to be a spirited conversation with the church regarding our reluctance and our need to affirm gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians.

In his opening post he writes:

This blog, then, is an effort to bring the straight church to its senses. It is an effort to bring the message of the inclusive gospel that will confront us with our sins and bring us to our knees. It is a plea to those we’ve textually abused to not abandon us, but to nurture us and witness to the life changing power of Jesus. This is why I am in this struggle, and hope to convince you to join it yourself. I can guarantee you two things: your life will never be the same, and you’ll be thankful for that. On the other hand, if you don’t need convincing, welcome aboard. I hope to hear from you, as well as those who disagree. Maybe we can come together on at least this: what we share in Christ is more valuable than our disagreements. And I ask you, would you be willing to extend that grace to those “other than ourselves?”


This is a controversial and divisive issue, one which Steve has taken a leading role in seeking a solution. So check it out and give your thoughts.