Letting Loose The Young

One of the things I should have said in the post directly below is that I was 37 in 1991. I had actually started making moves to start the church as early as 1985 when I was 31 years old. That's a great time to be doing what I am calling for below, or even earlier. Even in your college days. It is a native vs. immigrant in the culture thing, quoting Leonard Sweet.

(another things we need to get over, in that list below, is the mindset that "churches" have to have an indefinite lifespan; I think there's a tendency to think, or act, that if if we can't start one that will be around in the same institutional form for 400 plus years, like First Parish Plymouth from 1620, then maybe we shouldn't make the venture at all--what will happen if it dies out or we move on?). Part of the speed of the new age we are in is that the lifespan of groups will speed up; what the lifespan of a church might have been before, say 60 years statistically unless it makes certain plateau leaps, will now be maybe 10 years, or less. Experimentalism and entrepeurism should guide us.

Where in our youth gatherings are we putting out the call to be planters, of missions and new gatherings; or are we saying to those who have such an urge, go first ye to seminary and then you can be about the business of the "kingdom."? Maybe they are there; maybe I've missed it; I admit to not being up to snuff on all the denominational goings-on. But if people, especially young people, want to make real changes in institutional racism and classism, for example, then go about creating new communities; it is easier and more effective and likely will have more of an impact than trying to transform existing communities and cultures. Come to Turley and see how we are doing it, here with a 50something immigrant white geezer. Let's change the turf rather than fighting over old turf. Where are these calls at Convos and gatherings of youth and young adults? Are we afraid of offending seminaries? If seminaries are smart, they will see where the future is and, as the church should, go where God/Spirit is already present and giving birth and see about connecting with it, incarnational rather than trying to be an uber-attractional institution.

Why are you waiting on someone's blessing? Go meditate and pray and journal daily on the parable of the sower for three to six months, if you want to wait on something.