Over the weekend we had a meeting of our embryonic ‘Emerging Scotland’ group. This began on Facebook, and has slowly gathered momentum towards real connections as well as on-line ones. If you are interested in such things tartan, there is an account of our last meeting here.
The whole point of the network is best summed up like this;
…the proposal is for a facilitated network, which imposes few restrictions or obligations on members. We need to decide pretty early on what we would seek to embrace and include. My preference is for a very ‘generous orthodoxy’- and again, this seems to fit in with those who returned the questions.
The object is to support and sustain one another as we seek to follow Jesus into Scottish towns and cities. Hopefully we will share ideas, resources and find companionship and encouragement, and there may be grounds for formal/informal mentoring or partnership arrangements.
People may be part of existing church situations in which they are seeking new ways of being or doing, or they might be planting something new- or perhaps just dreaming of doing…
One of the issues at hand has been what on earth we should call ourselves? The name ‘Emerging Scotland’ was coined prior to the time when many of the earlier users of the word emerging began to distance themselves from it. Do we start to use this new word ‘Missional’?
Here is a selection of answers to a questionnaire;
4. What’s in a name? We set out using this word ‘emerging’- although it seems to be a word that is being abandoned by many of its early users. What does the word mean to you?
“A useful word to catch lots of different ideas and activities.”
“New ways of doing things.”
“Living life with people where they are and in the course of life, and living/sharing the gospel.”
“A label that speaks about what we are not, but not what we are. It evokes an emotional response.”
“The birth of something new from an old foundation.”
“Exploring/questioning/seeking.”
If this network is to call itself anything, is it time to find a new name- ideas?
“Emerging- necessary as an interim description- we can’t denote ourselves until we can define ourselves.”
“ Possibly need new name- but most names that convey significant meaning will become outdated as things move beyond them.”
“It’s fine for now.”
“Emerging implies something is HAPPENING.”
“ It speaks to me of hope, whereas ‘missional’ speaks to me of obligation, and organisation.”
So we will stick with ‘Emerging’ for now- even if what we encourage is activity that might also be described as ‘missional’.
How about you- are there others out there who are also wanting to stick with the E word? Is it still meaningful as a descriptor of something?
