Conversations on Missional Discipleship

I‘m really excited about the 4th annual Midwest Missional Learning Commons, which takes place in Chicago October 29-30 (just two weeks from tonight!). We’re going to be gathering people from around the Midwest to discuss “Kingdom Relationships,” specifically discipleship, family, and leadership from a missional perspective.

You need to register for this event! And there are some childcare options available so families can come. All the pertinent info is on the Missional Commons website.

Friday evening Oct 29 my friends JR Rozko and Jon Berbaum will facilitate a discussion on Jamie Smith’s book Desiring the Kingdom.

Then on Saturday morning, in the 1st of our 3 discussion sessions, three different people will speak for 12 minutes each and invite us into some guided reflection and conversation with regard to missional discipleship.  Here’s a bit of a glimpse into who is catalyzing those conversations and their topics, from JR’s blog.

Cyd Holsclaw: Discipleship in Disguise

Summary: In our missional lives, many of us don’t have a standard or recognizable role as leaders or teachers or mentors.  Some of us might shy away from embracing a discipleship role in the lives of those we meet, yet there are people around us every day who are hungry for mentoring and discipleship. With a few frames through which to view our relationships, we can move past just ‘hanging out’ with people into sharing a journey toward the cross and into new life.

Bio: Cyd is part of the leadership team at Life on the Vine in northwest Chicagoland.  She and her husband, Geoff, also homeschool their two sons, Soren and Tennyson.

Michael Novelli: The Intersection of Biblical Narrative, Dialogue and Spiritual Formation

Summary: Michael will share about his experiences with Bible storying, a dialogical approach rooted in the Hebrew tradition. Through years of experimentation, Michael has found approaches like storying stretch across generations, helping guide faith communities to be rooted and formed by the biblical narrative.  In this process, the community is birthed “on the way” in Mission.

Bio: Michael Novelli is a writer and workshop facilitator helping church leaders to explore learner-center approaches to teaching. Michael, his wife Michele, and children Angelo and Abrielle live in Elgin, Illinois.

Mark Van Steenwyk: Missional Discipleship in the Shadow of Empire

Summary: Discipleship as commonly practiced in the North American church has become a disembodied, abstracted “thing.” Missional discipleship–embodying a way of life that is “Jesus shaped” in our local contexts–requires an experimental approach to new practices. How can we cultivate deep Gospel practices that counter an imperial way of life?

Bio: Mark Van Steenwyk is a co-founder of Missio Dei–a Mennonite intentional community in Minneapolis. He works part time (with the support of the Central Plains Mennonite Conference) to network and nurture fledgling radical communities around the country. Mark is an adjunct instructor at Bethel Seminary and experiments in grassroots radical education and organizing. He is a contributing editor at JesusRadicals.com and a regular co-host of the Iconocast. Mark lives with his wife (Amy) and son (Jonas) in Missio Dei’s Sattler House.

More info on the missional family and missional leadership speakers will be available soon.