Central Oregon Emergent Cohort

I guess there is no real way to put a pin on how to describe the emerging church as a whole. Perhaps it’s a group of people who are reimagining how church might meet the needs of our changing world. We desire to think creatively about this reimagining as we hold to a balanced view of scripture, history, experience, and reason. We will not refuse, however, to ask questions… and to welcome questions, either. Many of us believe many different things… that’s OK. As a cohort, it is our desire to continue in support and friendship and to dream together. All are welcome to join the conversation.

As friends of Emergent Village, here are some useful words from their site.

[We identify ourselves] a growing, generative friendship among missional Christians seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Our dream

Our dream is to join in the activity of God in the world wherever we are able, partnering with God as God’s dreams for our world come true. In the process, the world can be healed and changed, and so can we.

Emergent

In English, the word “emergent” is normally an adjective meaning coming into view, arising from, occurring unexpectedly, requiring immediate action (hence its relation to “emergency”), characterized by evolutionary emergence, or crossing a boundary (as between water and air). All of these meanings resonate with the spirit and vision of Emergent Village. In other languages, names for regional networks will be chosen with similarly evocative meanings.

And this:

Other words:

• “Growing”: which indicates our desire to develop as the dreams of God for the healing, redemption, and reconciliation of the world develop.
• “Generative”: which means that we expect our friendship to generate new ideas, connections, opportunities, and works of beauty.
• “Friendship”: Because we firmly hold that living in reconciled friendship trumps traditional orthodoxies – indeed, orthodoxy requires reconciliation as a prerequisite.
• “Missional”: Because we believe that the call of the gospel is an outward, apostolic call into the world.

Friendship

Above all, we are convinced that living into the Kingdom means doing it together, as friends. Thus, we have committed ourselves to lives of reconciliation and friendship, no matter our theological or historical differences.