Next Cohort Gathering - January 19

Our next cohort gatheirng is this Saturday from 10:30 to 12:30 at Tre Amici - 1907 N 19th Street, Tampa, 33605 (two blocks north of 7th Ave in Ybor City).

We need to have a big turnout for this gatheirng as we will be doing some video clips to send on for the Everything Must Change tour video and possible use by Emergent Village after the tour. I'll be bringing a couple of miniDV cameras, and if you have cell phones with video cabaility or other video cameras. please bring them with you. The final video will be kind of a patchwork quilt, so the differences in the cameras and the quality will really add to the texture.

Here is what we need you to do:

Show up. Even if you don't have time to think through these things or even finish this email, please come out on Saturday, even if it's only for half an hour

Think about what you love about Emergent Village, the cohort, the emerging church (friendships, conversation, coffee, books, blogs, Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, music, hope, love, focus on the kingdom, social justice, ability to ask hard questions, whatever.) Make a list of 3 or 4 things.

Think of something whacky to say or do. Jeff Kursonis made these suggestions: a word or phrase to shout out: "emergent"..."emergence"..."emergency"...."beer"..."I love these people"..."theo-log-ical tawlkin!" (with a funny accent)..."our cohortentialness is emergifying!.... "Faith".... "Love".... "Hope".... "Social Justice"... "I'm a Methodist"... "I'm a Pentecostal".... "I'm a Bapticostal"...the idea is that we will stick these in here and there and along with the music and the skillful editing it will be this quilt, this melange of all your beautiful faces and souls shining before the audience as a beautiful place that they want to go to - the Village where new things are Emerging!

Maybe you'd like to share what being a part of this conversation has meant to you. Here are some questions you might want to ponder.
"what is the emerging church"?...
"talk about how you are enjoying the cohort"....
"talk about how you join in the conversation usually...cohort, blog, conference, other..."?
"tell an emergent story"....
"how is theology changing"?...
"how is your understanding of social justice changing"?...
"how has being in the conversation given you hope"?...
"Why did you come to/join a cohort?"
"Why are cohorts important?"
"How has being in a cohort benefited you?"
"Why should someone join a cohort?
"What is the 'emergent conversation?'"
"Why is the conversation important?"
"What is your motivation for being in the conversation?"
"What do you think about penal substitutionary atonement (just kidding, making sure you're still reading...)
"Does being in a cohort help you in your understanding of God? How?"
"What's your denominational background"? (brief answer and long answer...it'd be great to have twenty different versions of "I'm a Methodist"..."I'm a Baptist"..."I'm a Catholic"..."I'm a non-denom Megachurcher"..."I'm a Mennonite"......all throughout the video.

We'll also do a group shot as well as some b-roll of our group in conversation, enjoying coffee, etc.

I'll need to FedEx the footage to California on Monday, so please please please come out, even if it's only for a few minutes, to be a part of this video. Let's show everyone the depth and breadth of the conversation in Tampa Bay.

EVENTS IN FEBRUARY
Be sure to register for A Sustainable Faith on Feb 2-3 ($25) and the Everything Must Change tour on Feb 29 - March 1. Email me for a discount code to save $20.

If you have any questions, please email me: wpattison(at)hydeparkumc(dot)org.