Sunshine State Cohorts - Emergent Village

Moving the Conversation

2009-11-23T08:50:00.002-05:00

We are migrating all of our announcements, discussions, events, photos, etc. over a Ning. The blog will not be updated from this point forward.

The social media features of the Ning will allow a more free-flowing dialogue than the blog has provided. So come on over to the Sunny Emergent Ning, add your profile, and join the conversation!

Tampa Cohort Gathering Saturday 11.21.09 at Cafe Kili

2009-11-13T17:51:00.005-05:00

Come join us for dialogue about the Christian faith and life. Since Tre Amici will be packed and there will be a parking fee due to the Tampa Cigar Heritage Festival in Centennial Park, we're moving this month's meeting to Cafe Kili on Fowler Ave in Temple Terrace. Cafe Kili is located at 5731 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33617 behind Applebee's near the corner of 56th Street and Fowler Ave. It's about a mile west of I-75. We'll get started at 10:30 AM and go until 12:30 PM or so. As always, anyone is welcome and we'd love to welcome new folks to the conversation.

We'll be back at Tre Amici in Ybor for our December 19 gathering.

Tampa Cohort Gathering Saturday Oct 17 at Tre Amici

2009-10-16T17:56:00.002-04:00

Hello Tampa EV Cohort. We're having our third Saturday gathering for September on Saturday the 17th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at Tre Amici at the Bunker. I'm so excited to be back at Tre Amici following their summer remodeling. They re-opened this week. The address is 1907 19th Street N, Tampa, FL 33605.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends.

Next month's gathering is scheduled for Nov 21, and the Cigar Heritage Festival will be happening in Centennial Park across from Tre Amici. Since they will be charging for parking and Tre Amici may be quite busy, I'd like to find an alternate location for our meeting. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

Cohort Gathering Saturday Sept 19 10:30 AM-12:30 PM

2009-09-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

We're having our third Saturday gathering for September on Saturday the 19th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at La Tropicana Cafe in Ybor. Our normal venue (Tre Amici) is closed until October for remodeling. Hopefully we'll back there for our gathering next month.

La Tropicana is near Tre Amici, and is located at the corner of 7th Ave and 19th Street. The address is 1822 East 7th Ave. Parking is behind the building, accessible off of 19th St. If you want to enjoy some Cuban coffee, a breakfast Cuban sandwich or other tasy treats, please keep in mind that it is a cash only establishment. There is an ATM on site if you need it.

We'll try to gather in the back corner, closest to the parking lot. It's not visible from the front near the counter, so you may need to hunt a bit to find us, but it's not a large place.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

The Future of Emergent Village

2009-09-08T23:10:00.002-04:00

There are a few new threads in the EV conversation that I want to call to your attention. Please check them out.

http://bit.ly/3OzjNe - Emergent/C Newsletter

http://bit.ly/1muArh - A video message from Tim Hartman and Danielle Shroyer

http://bit.ly/vaKMi - A Special Letter About the Future of Emergent Village

Cohort Gathering Saturday August 15 at La Tropicana

2009-08-14T07:22:00.000-04:00

Hello Tampa EV Cohort. We're having our third Saturday gathering for August on Saturday the 15th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at La Tropicana Cafe in Ybor. Our normal venue (Tre Amici) is closed until September for remodeling.

La Tropicana is near Tre Amici, and is located at the corner of 7th Ave and 19th Street. The address is 1822 East 7th Ave. Parking is behind the building, accessible off of 19th St. If you want to enjoy some Cuban coffee, a breakfast Cuban sandwich or other tasy treats, please keep in mind that it is a cash only establishment. There is an ATM on site if you need it.

Last month we found a nice table near the back, kind of in the corner. We'll try to be in the same place this month. It's not visible from the front near the counter, so you may need to hunt a bit to find us, but it's not a large place.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Cohort Meetup This Saturday 7.18.09 - NEW LOCATION

2009-07-16T20:31:00.002-04:00

Hello Tampa EV Cohort. We're having our third Saturday gathering for July on Saturday the 18th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at La Tropicana Cafe in Ybor. Our normal venue (Tre Amici) is closed until September for remodeling.

La Tropicana is near Tre Amici, and is located at the corner of 7th Ave and 19th Street. The address is 1822 East 7th Ave. Parking is behind the building, accessible off of 19th St. If you want to enjoy some Cuban coffee, a breakfast Cuban sandwich or other tasty treats, please keep in mind that it is a cash only establishment. There is an ATM on site if you need it.

As always, guests are welcome. If you're interested in the conversation, please join us!

Cohort Meetup This Saturday 6.20.09

2009-06-19T19:13:00.001-04:00

Hello Tampa EV Cohort. We're having our third Saturday gathering for June on Saturday the 20h, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor. Bruce has agreed to facilitate the meeting.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends. I've received word that we will likely have some first time guests attending.

Tampa Cohort Meetup Saturday 5.16.09

2009-05-09T09:37:00.003-04:00

We're having our third Saturday gathering for May on Saturday the 16th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (or so) at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends.

We have been presented with a unique opportunity to provide feedback on an upcoming book in Abingdon's Practicing Theology Series. The series is edited by Tony Jones. The book is called THE PROMISE OF DESPAIR: The Way of the Cross as the Way of the Church by Andrew Root. They've asked a couple of EV cohorts to read the manuscript and provide feedback to Tony by the end of May. I sent manuscript around a few weeks ago by email. If you didn't get it or need another copy, please email me at wwpattison(at)gmail(dot)com.

I'd like to take an hour or so of our time at our May 16 gathering to discuss the book. Feel free to email me your thoughts as well. I'll compile any email notes and a summary of our conversation and send it on to Tony.

Also this Saturday we'll have a first-time guest with us from the Ft. Myers area. Becky Robbins-Penniman is an Episcopal priest and is taking Sabbatical leave to explore some emergent churches / communities. She'll be asking us for feedback on our experiences in emergent / emerging communities in the areas of mission, discipleship, music, worship, teaching, location, community, leadership and finances. It would be really helpful for us to have as many people as possible here for this.

It will be a full and rewarding meeting. I hope to see you all there.

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, 4.18.2009

2009-04-16T20:26:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone. Hope everyone had a blessed Easter. We're having our third Saturday gathering for April on Saturday the 18th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

As always, anyone who is interested in the conversation is welcome. Please feel free to invite your friends.

You might also want to check out this post on the future of Emergent Village.

NoiseTrade Widget

2009-03-23T12:18:00.001-04:00

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, 3.21.2009

2009-03-20T06:05:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone. Just a reminder that we are having our third Saturday gathering for March on Saturday the 21st, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

Thank you to everyone who participated in last month's discussion with Bishop Smith. He has asked to come back to be part of the ongoing conversation of our group, and that is a welcome and wonderful thing.

As we continue in the season of Lent and prepare for the remembrance of Christ's passion, death, and Resurrection, I would like to begin our conversation by sharing responses to a simple question - where/how have you experienced God in the past month? I imagine our responses may range from "I haven't" to "nothing special" to some stories of deep experience. I hope to see you there.

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, 2.21.2009

2009-02-20T18:27:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder that we are having our third Saturday gathering on February 21, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

Bishop Dabney Tyler Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida will be joining us. A large part of our gathering will be dialoguing with the bishop about the need for new forms--or a rediscovery--of doing church, as the church we have really isn't cutting it in the ways of intentional, communal and faithful disciplining of persons in the life of Christ. This will be more of an exploration with the bishop to give him a sense as to what is already going on in the area, and how an institutional church can learn from the good being done so to recapture the imaginations of people in the Tampa/St. Pete area. We hope to have an open dialogue about what we're seeing, and name the good of things like New Monasticism, "Deep Church", the Emerging church, Emergent Village, etc.

As always, please invite others that you know who would like to be a part of this conversation.

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, 1.17.2009

2009-01-15T17:01:00.002-05:00

Our first cohort gathering of the new year is this Saturday, Jan 17, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at our normal location - Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

As always, please invite anyone who might be interested in our conversations.

Our next gathering will be February 21.

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, 12.20.2008

2008-12-18T07:56:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. Hope you're having a blessed and holy Advent.

Our next cohort gathering is this Saturday, Dec 20, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. We're back in our normal location this time - Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor.

Hope to see you there. As always, please invite anyone who might be interested in our conversations.

Our next gathering will be January 17, 2009.

Cohort Gathering Nov 15 - Different Location

2008-11-13T18:37:00.002-05:00

Our monthly cohort gathering is this Saturday, November 15 starting at 10:30 AM.

Due to a large event in Centennial Park that will affect our normal meeting place, we will be meeting in a different location for this meeting.

WE WILL MEET AT THE SEMINOLE HEIGHTS STARBUCKS ON HILLSBOROUGH AVE AND CENTRAL AVE IN TAMPA at 10:30 AM.

The address is 502 E. Hillsborough Avenue, Tampa, Florida 3360. It's near the intersection of Hillsborough and I-275.

Hope to see you there!

We'll return to our regular meeting place in Ybor next month on Dec 20.

Don't forget to register for The Great Emergence with Phyllis Tickle in December.

The Great Emergence - Dec 5 & 6

2008-10-04T10:07:00.007-04:00

Phyllis Tickle's new book The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why is on books shelves now. This promises to be one of the best books on all things emergent / emerging. And there is going to be an amazing event as well - Dec 5 & 6 in Memphis, TN.

Early bird registration is $145 and includes all sessions and workshops, two lunches and four coffee breaks, and a signed copy of The Great Emergence.

Speakers include Phyllis Tickle, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Peter Rollins, J. Brent Bill, Lisa & Will Samson, Joseph Myers, Tim Keel, and many others.

Read more about the exciting event here.

Click the button below to register, and use the coupon code TBEC when registering.

Be sure to watch this space or email me about carpool options to the event.

Cohort Gatheirng Saturday June 21

2008-06-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

I hope you're enjoying your summer and staying cool. Our next cohort gathering will be this Saturday, June 21 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker - 1907 N 19th Street, Tampa, 33605 (two blocks north of 7th Ave in Ybor City).

I know it's the middle of summer and many of you are on vacation or are otherwise engaged on Saturdays. I hope that you will make a special effort to join us on the third Saturday of each month. I also encourage you to think of a person or two to invite to the gathering. New people are always welcome and really add to our dialogue as we explore what it means to live as missional Christ-followers in our community and the world.

I have some ideas for our gathering this Saturday, but if you have ideas on topics for our gathering, please email me at wpattison@tampabay.rr.com (note the change in email). I will be out of town until Friday night, but will be checking email via my blackberry.

Cohort Meetup Saturday May 17

2008-05-15T23:22:00.001-04:00

Our next cohort gathering is this Saturday, May 17 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker - 1907 N 19th Street, Tampa, 33605 (two blocks north of 7th Ave in Ybor City).

Bruce Wright will be facilitating.

Upcoming dates are June 21, and July 19. I will have to miss the May and June meetings due to vacation and a business trip. If you would like to facilitate, please let me know.

As always, new folks are always welcome, so invite your friends!

Cohort Video Is Up

2008-04-12T19:40:00.000-04:00

If you haven't visited in a while, be sure to check out the Emergent Village blog. Steve Knight has been posting some really great stuff. He just posted the video below about Emergent Cohorts. (Yes, that's my lovely mug on the still frame). Some of you may have seen it at the Everything Must Change event in St Pete.

Original post with credits is here. Curious to learn more? Join us on the third Saturday of the month at Tre Amici. No spaceships, I promise.

Cohort Meetup Saturday April 19

2008-04-12T19:38:00.000-04:00

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

We'll continue our look at Everything Must Change, with a look at Part 8: The Revolution of Hope. I hope you'll come and join in the discussion. The dialogue will be structured so you can join in whether you've had a chance to read that far or not.

Remember to invite your friends!

Tony Jones in Naples, FL on Saturday, April 5

2008-03-10T00:22:00.000-04:00

Tony Jones, national coordinator for Emergent Village, will be speaking about his new book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Naples. The event is free and begins at 10 a.m.

The New Christians is a great primer on Emergent / the emerging church / emerging Christianity.

I'm setting up a carpool from Tampa, so if you want to go, please email me at wpattison@hydeparkumc.org.

EverythingMustChange.org and the Terra Nova Project

2008-03-10T00:18:00.000-04:00

Those of you who were at Everything Must Change last weekend got to witness the unveiling of www.everythingmustchange.org, a project spearheaded by Tampa resident (and cohort member) Rick Bennett in partnership with Brain McLaren and Tim Bresenden. The Terra Nova Project and everythingmustchange.org were created to inspire people to think creatively and act boldly in responding to four global crises - The Crisis of the Planet, The Crisis of Poverty, the Crisis of Peace, and the Crisis of Purpose (Story). If you haven't joined yet, I encourage you to do so ASAP. Join God's Revolution of Hope and change the world - one action at a time!

Cohort Meetup This Saturday, March 15

2008-03-09T23:34:00.001-04:00

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've had some tremendous interest in the cohorts from both Everything Must Change and A Sustainable Faith and I'm hopeful that we'll have several new folks joining us this Saturday. We'll continue our look at Everything Must Change, with a look at Part 7: The Equity System. I hope you'll come and join in the discussion. The dialogue will be structured so you can join in whether you've had a chance to read that far or not.

McLaren Interview on RadioActivity

2008-02-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

FYI, I just heard from Bruce Wright that Brian McLaren will be interviewed on WMNF's show RadioActivity at 1 pm today. Tune your radio to 88.5 or listen online here (live stream link on the bottom left.)

Note that the station had a lightning strike last night and live streaming is sporadic, but currently working.

After the program, and MP3 of the interview will posted on the archive site here.

Coffee Conversation With Brian and Grace McLaren

2008-02-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

A quick reminder that Brian McLaren will be in St Petersburg this weekend, Feb 29 and March 1.

By all accounts from Charlotte, Boise and Dallas, this is a not-to-be-missed event. Reports are coming back from people saying the second session alone could revolutionize the church. People who have been at arms length from the church have really felt like this is the Jesus and Christianity they have been looking for.

As a part of the event, cohort members and church planters are invited to a special coffee with Brian and Grace McLaren at 7:29 AM on Saturday, March 1. This is a great time to get some face-time with one of the most prophetic leaders in the emerging church. You need to be attending the event to get into the coffee time. There will be a signup on Friday evening, first come, first served. The room capacity is limited, so please be sure to sign up for the coffee when you get to the site on Friday.

We will also have a cohort meetup on Friday evening after the evening's activities at a TBD location in St. Pete. Then on Saturday during lunch we'll have some time to talk about the cohorts with people who are curious about continuing the conversation.

If you haven't registered, remember that cohort folks get a $20 discount (see discount code below) . We also have a new discounted rate for student groups of 20 or more

DISCOUNT CODE - Save $20. Register here (click on "St Petersburg, FL" at the top of the page). Enter the code emergcohort to save $20 on your registration.

NEW STUDENT GROUP DISCOUNT. There is a special student group discount rate of $59 per person for groups of 20 or more who register at the same time. Use the Student Group ticket type at the bottom of the list. No discount code needed.

Be sure to interact on the local EMC blog here.

Audio From "A Sustainable Faith"

2008-02-23T06:46:00.001-05:00

The podcast feed is now live. The full feed URL is http://www.asustainablefaith.com/index2.php?option=com_podcast&feed=RSS2.0&no_html=1. Copy and paste it into your favorite podcast app (like iTunes) or feed reader (Bloglines, FeedReader, etc).

More audio from the breakout sessions will be posted in the coming weeks. Huge thanks to Jon Irvine from the St. Pete cohort for his work on the website and setting up the podcast.

Also, Josh Brown has posted some pics from the event here.

Everything Must Change - What to Expect

2008-02-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

Everything Must Change. . . In One Week

2008-02-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

OK, so it will take longer than that a week to change everything. But the EMC tour is coming to Tampa Bay in one week. Several folks from our church, including Jim Harnish, will be attending.

The regular rate is $109, but if you email me I can give you a discount code for $20 off your registration. There is now a group student rate of $59 per person if 20 or more students register together. Normal student rate is $79. Register here.

Also, there is some scholarship assistance available (partial and full). People requesting scholarship assistance should send an email to EMCscholarship@gmail.com with their request.

Here are some deatils.

Fast on the tail of his recently released book, thought to be a "manifesto for Christian change," author and spiritual change-agent Brian McLaren is on an 11-city nationwide tour based on his most recent book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope (November 2007, Thomas Nelson). The conference, also called "Everything Must Change," will be held at First Baptist Church in St. Petersburg on Friday & Saturday, February 29 & March 1, and will focus on how the radical life and teachings of Jesus address the most critical global problems in our world today.

Sponsoring organizations for the "Everything Must Change" tour include some unlikely partnerships with organizations including the ONE Campaign, the Sierra Club, Sojourners, Faith & Justice Churches, the Mars Hill Graduate School, Faith at Work and Emergent Village. Together these groups will discuss and initiate change to impact the world.

Known as a "paradigm-shifter" for Christianity and a leading voice of the Emergent Church, in his book McLaren exposes the flaws of traditional Christian religious systems and lays out a different structure by which to understand the teachings of Jesus. Incorporating this concept into his conference-tour, McLaren will go beyond addressing "typical" conservative religious issues to address questions about the global climate crises, terrorism and love, corporate and individual greed, destructive political and religious systems and other global problems.

Brian McLaren is an internationally known speaker and the author of more than ten highly acclaimed books on contemporary Christianity, including A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, and The Secret Message of Jesus. McLaren has appeared on ABC's "Nightline," CNN's "Larry King Live," and PBS-TV's "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly." A popular speaker and lecturer, McLaren covers a broad range of topics including postmodernism, apologetics, church health and growth, ecology and the arts.

The event in St Pete will be 24 hours of interaction: a participatory experience of teaching, visual art, prayer, music, conversation, reflection, and more.

You'll experience times of prayer and guided meditation, aided by some profoundly moving works of art.

You'll not only sing new songs, but you'll participate in some new kinds of music, and you'll experience liturgical resources that you can bring home to your faith community.

You'll be challenged to think about some important ideas, and you'll engage in some stimulating dialogue with people who sincerely want to listen and share.

And you'll be challenged to action too - not with pressure or manipulation, but with encouragement and hope and opportunity. Our prayer is that this event will be for many of us a true and lasting conversion.

For more information and a schedule of the event, visit DeepShift.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Next Cohort Gathering - January 19

2008-01-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-12-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

Hello Tampa EV Cohort. I pray that you are all experiencing a holy Advent season. I know this time of year is crazy busy (especially so for church professionals) and I hope that in the midst of the craziness we are all able to take the time necessary to prepare our bodies, minds and spirits to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation on Christmas. Here are couple of online resources I’ve found to be helpful in my journey. Perhaps you will find them helpful as well:
The Advent Door
The Advent Conspiracy
Pray As You Go

We’ll have our cohort meetup this Saturday morning, December 15 at Tre Amici from 10:30 to 12:30. I’ve been reading Brian McLaren’s book Everything Must Change and I’d like to throw some things out there for us to chew on. I know several of you have also read it or are reading it. Brian says it’s his most important book to date, and I’m inclined to agree.

A VIDEO PROJECT
Jeff Kursonis, the EV National Cohort Coordinator, has asked each cohort to shoot a little video of our gatherings for a video piece about cohorts they’re assembling for the Everything Must Change tour. I will have a video camera and microphone with me this Saturday and it would be great to have a huge turnout to show the strength of the conversation here in Florida, especially Tampa Bay.

We’ll do a group shot of everyone waving to the camera, and also some short clips of individuals sharing what they love about Emergent Village / our cohort / Emerging Church, etc. Jeff wants to show the diversity of denominations and traditions represented in EV and has asked that folks say something like, “Hi, I’m Warren. I’m a Methodist and I love Emergent Village because . . . .”

So here’s your assignment – take 10 minutes and write down a list of things you like about our cohort, the Emerging Church, Emergent Village, etc. Just something to get the thoughts flowing so you have a little something to say when the camera comes around to you.

If any of you have cameras or video recording capability on your cell phones, can you bring them with you? We’d actually like to get a variety of types of video with various cameras and the like. The idea is that these clips from all of the cohorts around the country will form a kind of patchwork video.

FEBRUARY EVENTS
We have two exciting events coming in February and we need your help. Feb 2-3 is “A Sustainable Faith” with Shane Claiborne, Frank Viola and Tim Keel, among others. The event is being put together by the St. Pete Cohort and is going to be a regional gathering for folks in the southeast. Contact Joe Esposito for more info on how you can help.

The other is Brian McLaren’s Everything Must Change tour, Feb 29 - March 1. We need a strong representation from our area cohorts to be there. There will be lots of folks who aren’t familiar with Emergent Village who come to this thing. We need to get them plugged into cohorts to keep the conversation and action going after the event. We hope to be able to have cohorts started in every major metropolitan area in Florida after this event. Also, there is a blog on the EMC site specific to the stop in our area. It is dismally blank right now, and we need your input. Please take some time to comment on the blog and let folks know that there are people engaged in this conversation in our area. The local blog is here.

If you would like to help with this event, there is an organizational meeting Tuesday Dec 18 at 2 pm at FBC St Pete. I know some of you are already planning to attend the meeting For more info or to volunteer, contact Pam Sullins.

Info on both of these events is below in earlier posts.

Hope to see you Saturday. Invite a friend and don’t forget about the video!

A Sustanable Faith (A Southeastern Emergent Conference)

2007-11-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

The St. Petersburg and Tampa Cohorts are taking the lead in providing a conference for the Emergent conversation in the southeast part of the United States. Called "A Sustainable Faith: A Simpler Way to Do Faith, Spirituality and Life," the weekend long event will be held February 2-3, 2008.

Much like the “going green” catch-phrases out there, the word “community” gets thrown around Christian circles these days as if it’s ‘going out of style.’ The reality is, a truly missional community is far more than the latest hot topic in the church, in fact, it IS the church at its very core. So why does it seem that authentic community is so difficult to find, even when so many churches use the name “community” in hopes of fostering it? Perhaps something has been lost in translation. This weekend-long conversation will unite the minds of those who are interested in nurturing a simpler, more sustainable faith within their own faith communities.

Expect to hear the thoughts of Shane Claiborne (The Simple Way and author of Irresistible Revolution), Frank Viola (Rethinking the Wineskin), Tim Keel (Jacob’s Well and Intuitive Leadership), Danielle Shroyer (Journey Community Church) and others as they lead a holistic discussion on how to practice faith, spirituality, and church in general without the programs and productions we find stifling the ability for us to simply love one another.

Interact with these emerging ideas in the context of break-out groups, creative worship, engaging workshops and most importantly by meeting and making friendships along the way. Held at Albright United Methodist Church, in charming St. Petersburg, Florida, there will also be optional events planned outside of the venue such as small concerts, book readings, and other social activities downtown throughout the weekend. Come prepared to learn but also to engage with new friends as this will surely be a time to do both.

Everything Must Change: Feb 29–March 1

2007-11-21T07:34:00.000-05:00

Brian McLaren and firends are coming to St. Petersburg for the Everything Must Change tour. This will be right after our Sustainable Faith regional event.

For more info visit the EMC website.

Be sure to check out and interact with the local page - a place to ask questions and proviude feedback to help tailor the event.

We're looking for artists, musicians, poets, event planners, hospitality folks, and more. If you would like to help, please contact Warren Pattison or Kelly Moore.

Gathering Saturday November 17 - CHANGE OF LOCATION

2007-11-15T09:13:00.001-05:00

We'll have our monthly gathering this Saturday November 17 at 10:30.

CHANGE OF LOCATION
Our usual meeting location is part of the Cigar Heritage Festival. It's going to be crazy busy and parking and conversation space will be tight, so we will meet at Starbucks on Hillsborough Ave at the corner of Central Ave - right off of I-275 in Tampa (Seminole Heights). The address is 502 E Hillsborough AveTampa, FL 33604. Take the Hillsborough Ave West exit off of I-275.

Bruce Wright will be facilitating. I (Warren) have a work obligation and won't be able to join you, but if any of you want to meet up at the Cigar Heritage Festival later in the afternoon, email me: wpattison_at_hydeparkumc_dot_org.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation and mark your calendars for the third Saturday of each month at 10:30.

Our next cohort gathering will be Dec 15.

The Cobalt Season House Concert - Nov 10

2007-10-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

Rick and Kristi Bennett will be hosting Ryan and Holly Sharp (AKA "The Cobalt Season") for a backyard concert at their home in Seminole Heights. You can reach Rick at rickkristi@gmail.com.

Rick wrote:
We had a house show/ Christmas Party with them in 2005 some of
you attended. It was a great time, so we will do it again. We are hoping to have
40-50 people at the show, so put it on your calendars and tell your friends
about it (we are hoping to put the show on in our back yard).
We will be asking for donations from each person ($5 or more), so let people know about that. We are hoping to bless the Sharps as they entertain people and make them think across the nation (n their Prius with their son in tow).
Also, they will have art from Holly, as well Cobalt Season CDs for purchase.I have know the Sharps for about 5 years. They are part of Emergent and their music has been featured on EV podcasts, the site, Brian McLaren events and elsewhere.
Here are some links to prepare you (they call what they do "hopeful protest music" and they deal with the realities of the Gospel as it bumps up against Empire,
Consumerism, Life, Family, Dreams and Patriotism)...
Their myspace page with music
Official Website with music, links, video, etc.
Place to hear lots of their music

Also, if yu can help with event or are intersted in helpibg to sponsor the concert, please email Rick.

Help with Brian McLaren's Everything Must Change Tour

2007-10-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

Kelly Moore (Florida United Methodist Conference) is looking for some help with the Brian McLaren Everything Must Change event Feb 29 - March 1, 2008 at First Baptist St. Pete.

Those of you with concert promotion and event experience could really help us out. You can reach Kelly at kmoore@flumc.org.

Kelly wrote:
I was wondering if anyone would like to help me with the Brian McLaren event coming in February. I am slowly getting over my head and need some assistance. Some of the cities are having concerts and art shows and promoting it a million different ways. I just don't have the resources (especially in the Tampa area) to make things happen like that, but I believe it would help brig more people to the event. Just let me know.

Gathering Saturday October 20

2007-10-18T14:56:00.000-04:00

We'll have our monthly gathering this Saturday October 20 at 10:30. As usual, we'll gather at Tre Amici (http://www.yborbunker.com/) - 1907 N 19th Street, Tampa, 33605 (two blocks north of 7th Ave in Ybor City).

Chad Johsnton will be making the trip from Orange Park to share about a ministry he's a part of called "Hope Remains." You can read more at http://hoperemains.wordpress.com/about/.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation and mark your calendars for the third Saturday of each month at 10:30.

Gathering Saturday June 16

2007-06-12T00:47:00.000-04:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. I pray you are well and looking forward to our gathering this Saturday. Our last one was so amazing. Thank you Roger and Daniel for sharing your stories about Africa with us.

You all might want to read more about Amahoro - the Emergent expression is Africa. Claude Nikondeha is the man I told you about who spoke so eloquently about the intersection of worship and justice. You can read more about Amahoro and Claude at http://www.amahoro-africa.org/.

Our next gathering will be at 10:30 AM this Saturday, June 16 at Tre Amici (http://www.yborbunker.com/). I will be out of town and Bruce Wright will be facilitating.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation and mark your calendars for the third Saturday of each month at 10:30. The next cohort dates are:

July 21
August 18

If you're interested in facilitating one of our gathering discussions, please let me know.

Also, just a reminder to be careful not to block the path to the coffee bar and restroom with our chairs and bodies. The manager kinda fussed at me last time. And big tips always help them feel better about us being there and is a witness to Christian generosity as well. Thanks for sharing the love of Christ in all you do.

May 19 Gathering

2007-05-15T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. I pray this post finds you well and looking forward to our gathering this Saturday.

Our next gathering will be at 10:30 AM this Saturday, May 19 at Tre Amici.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation and mark your calendars for the third Saturday of each month at 10:30.

Voice for the Homeless Benefit Concert - May 11

2007-05-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

Hello Tampa Bay EV Cohort. I wanted to make sure you are all aware of the Voice for the Homeless Benefit concert next Friday May 11 at the Springs Theater on Nebraska Ave. The musical line up includes several cohort members: Preson, Melissa Marley and Roger Sullins. Delta blues guitarist and vocalist Toby Bonar will also be performing.

The concert will be at the Springs Theater, 8029 N Nebraska Ave, 33604. For more info, call 892.5707 or visit www.myspace.com/voice4homeless. Doors at 8. Music at 8:30.

Roger says, "Bring your checkbooks. And your affluent friends."

Please circulate this announcement amongst your friends.

Tampa Cohort Gathering Saturday April 21

2007-04-15T22:51:00.000-04:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. I pray you are well and that you are experiencing the full joy of resurrection this Easter season.

Our next gathering will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, April 21 at Tre Amici (http://www.yborbunker.com/). Joshua Livingston will be our facilitator. (Thanks Josh!)

Josh has been doing some reflection on the book of Hebrews. I encourage you to visit his blog before the gathering. I'm sure his reflections will spawn some great discussion.

Since we're in the midst of the "Great 50 Days" of Easter, I invite you to spend some time reflecting on how you have experienced "resurrection" in your life. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to share those reflections at this gathering.

Also, Earth Day is Sunday, April 22 so if any of you know about Earth Day events, please bring info to the gathering. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can actively participate in the stewardship of God's creation, bring them with you.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation. I will not be able to join y'all this time as I will be out of town enjoying some much-needed vacation time.

There seems to have been some confusion as to when our cohort meets, especially since the meeting time has been shifting. You can mark your calendars for the third Saturday of each month at 10:30.

The next cohort dates are:

May 19
June 16
July 21

If you're interested in facilitating one of our gathering discussions, please let me know.

Also, please mark your calendars for Feb 29 and March 1, 2008 for Brian McLaren’s “Deep Shift 2008” gathering (yes, there is an “F” in that word). In addition to the regular attendees, they're looking for musicians, poets, and artists of all types to participate. The event will be at First Baptist Church in St. Pete.

Tampa Bay Cohort March 17 Gathering

2007-03-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. I pray you all are well and experiencing a holy and blessed Lenten season.

I understand that many of you requested an earlier meeting time at the last cohort gathering, so our next gathering will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, March 17 at Tre Amici.

Please invite anyone you feel might enjoy the conversation.

Have a blessed week and we’ll see you next Saturday.

Tampa Bay Cohort Meeting Feb 17

2007-02-13T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. As we agreed at our November meeting, we'll make our regular gatherings on the third Saturday of the month. Tre Amici was a great venue, so we'll gather there at 2pm this Saturday Feb 17.

We’ll meet at 2 PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor City. The address is 1907 19th St North, Tampa, 33605. That’s south of I-4, between 8th Ave and 9th Ave on 19th St. For more info and detailed directions, check out their website at http://www.yborbunker.com. The Ybor City Saturday Market is across the street in Centennial Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. if you want to arrive early to do some shopping for fresh produce, art, pottery, etc. Parking on Saturdays is free in the metered lots off of 8th Ave.

Please feel free to invite some friends and be sure to email Rick as to whether or not you’ll be there so we know approximately how many to expect.

Tampa Cohort Gathering This Saturday, Jan 20: 3 PM @ Tre Amici

2007-01-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

Hello Tampa Cohort. Sorry for the delay in getting this reminder out. As we agreed at our last meeting in November, our January Cohort is scheduled for this Saturday, Jan 20.

We’re going to try a new location and meeting time this time around. We’ll meet at 3PM at Tre Amici at the Bunker in Ybor City. The address is 1907 19th St North, Tampa, 33605. That’s south of I-4, between 8th Ave and 9th Ave on 19th St. For more info and detailed directions, check out their website at http://yborbunker.com/. The Ybor City Saturday market is across the street in Centennial Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. if you want to arrive early to do some shopping for fresh produce, art, pottery, etc (http://yborfreshmarket.citysearch.com/). Parking for the market is free, but all of the lots are metered and since we’re meeting at 3 pm, you’ll want to bring some quarters to avoid a $20 parking ticket.

Please email Warren as to whether or not you’ll be there so we know approximately how many to expect.

Cohort Gathering Notes for Nov 18

2006-11-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

We had a great cohort meeting on Saturday at Starbucks on Gandy. Thanks Sam for the suggestion of a meeting place.

We had lots of new folks: of the 12 people there, only three of us had been to a cohort meeting before. Folks traveled from east (St Pete) and west (Lakeland) to join us. Some have been in the Tampa Bay area for some time while others have only been here for a few weeks. We spent most of the meeting getting to know one another and learning a bit about what each person is passionate about.

While our group represents a diversity of passions, a common theme of social justice emerged, particularly around issues of poverty and homelessness. We talked about the harassment of homeless men and women in St Pete as the city redevelops downtown and the plight of poor and homeless people in Tampa as Tampa works toward redevelopment. We discussed the issues of gentrification that often come when cities seek to redevelop urban areas.

Several members of the group urged us to move beyond merely talking about justice to acts of justice. Bruce Wright at the Refuge Ministries in St. Pete told us about the Sleep Out on the Friday after Thanksgiving (see previous post). There are also opportunities to get involved in both grass roots ways and through organizations like Metropolitan Ministries.

We acknowledged that we need to work on multiple levels - direct work with poor and homeless people in the name of Jesus and advocacy in city and county government on these issues. If you are involved in projects that would be helpful for our group to know about, please let us know.

Our next meeting is currently scheduled for January 20. Some of you have expressed an interest in meeting again before then. Due to my schedule I can't coordinate the meeting, but if one happens and I'm able to be there I will be. You certainly don't need my permission to gather with friends in the name of Jesus!

May you all have a blessed and holy Thanksgiving.

Seek Justice for the Homeless - Sleep Out in St Pete

2006-11-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

Cohort Bruce Wright passed out this flier at Saturday's meeting.

For more info, contact Bruce at 727-278-1547 or bgcwright@aol.com.

Meet at Starbucks This Saturday Nov 18 @ Noon

2006-11-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

Hello all. Hope you're looking forward to our gathering this Saturday, Nov 18 at noon. We'll meet at the new Starbucks on Gandy and Himes in south Tampa. The address is 3615 West Gandy Blvd Tampa, Florida 33611. I know it's lunch time, so if you want to grab some food to bring with you there is a Publix in the same parking lot as the Starbucks and there is a Subway across the street. There are several fast food places with in a few blocks on Gandy or Dale Mabry as well. If you can, make plans to grab your grub and be at Starbucks at noon.

Please let me know if you’re planning to attend so we have a head count. Please invite others you think would enjoy being a part of the conversation.

There is no specific agenda other than getting to know one another. I anticipate we’ll have several folks there who don’t know one another at this gathering. Some things to think about are what brings you to this conversation (or how did you hear about Emergent Village, the Emerging Church, etc), what you bring to the conversation, and what you hope to gain from the conversation.

If you’d like a bit more to think on, check out the Emergent Village Values and Practices. We’re always open to finding ways to integrate these into our daily lives and the rhythm of our cohort.

Also, we’ll provide an opportunity for you to contribute a buck (or more) to Emergent Village if you want to. This is not a requirement, but rather a practice I’d like to encourage us all to follow as we continue on this journey together. It’s something we talked about at the Glorietta Gathering in October and I’ll say a bit more about it Saturday.

On a side note, if any of you are interested in heading out to the Tampa Cigar Heritage Festival afterwards, let me know. I'm hoping to go for a few hours. The 100 foot cigar has got to be a sight!

As always, if you have questions, please drop me an email.

Next Tampa Cohort Meeting Set for Nov 18

2006-11-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Several of you have responded that Saturdays generally work well for you, so I just wanted to confirm that our next cohort meeting will be Saturday Nov 18 at noon in Tampa. The actual place is still TBA, though I have had one offer to use a Starbucks in South Tampa. Its a bit far for those traveling in to town from points east, and I'll continue to look for something closer to I-4/I-275 in Ybor or downtown Tampa. We're looking for a new gathering spot due to a minimum $350 tab policy to use the meeting room at the Rock-N-Sports . In any event, watch your email and this blog for details on the meeting location.

I know that some of you can't make it on the 18th due to prior commitments, but those same folks also indicated that Saturdays generally work well for them. Looking to the future, how would it be if we plan to meet on the third Saturday of the month at noon?

Since December is a chaotic month with family and ministry events, parties, volunteer opportunities, etc, I'd like to propose that we skip a December gathering (unless y'all really wanna get together for a party or something) and meet again on Saturday January 20.

Next Gathering - Let's Try a Saturday?

2006-10-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I've been thinking about our next cohort gathering and trying to nail down a date, time, and place. I know that Thursday evenings are bad for many of you (as evidenced by our turnout last time) and that Fridays are just as bad for several of you. Recognizing that many of you live outside of Tampa, it seems that evenings or weekends are our best opportunity to get everyone together.

So, I'm proposing that our next get-together be on Saturday, Nov 18 from noon to 2 pm.

Please reply to me via email or comment here if that will work for you. If you would also let me know what days/times work best, we'll try to nail down a regular meeting time and schedule so we can all plan accordingly.

Next Cohort Meeting - Thurs 9/28 @ 6:30 PM

2006-09-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

Hello all. Sorry for the late notice, but between vacation and spontaneous emergency room visits I haven't had the opportunity to get the word out about our next cohort meeting.

Since several of you are coming form out of town and/or can't get away from work during the day, I thought we'd try an evening meeting this time. We'll meet at 6:30 in the VIP room of the Rock N' Sports Bar & Grille in Ybor.

Rock-N-Sports Bar & Grille
1811 N. 15th Street
corner of 8th ave & 15th st
Tampa, FL 33605
Here is the link (with directions) and menu.

Please RSVP by Tuesday to wpattison@hydeparkumc.org. Please invite anyone else you think might be interested. I just need a somewhat complete count to give the folks at the restaurant.

Our agenda will basically be to get (re)acquainted and to discuss how we want to go forward as a cohort. You might find reviewing Emergent's values and practices to be helpful in preparation for the meeting.

Some news for you podcast listeners. The music of Tampa cohorter and worship leader Roger Sullins was recently a part of the Emergent Podcast entitled "Hermeneutics and Eschatology" with Emergent UK leader Jason Clark. (Don't let the title scare you, it's good stuff.) Snips of his music are interspersed throughout the podcast, and there is a complete tune at the end. Check it out here.

Also, I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the U2CHARIST worship gathering we're hosting at Hyde Park UMC at 7 PM on Sunday October ONE. It's an ecumenical project involving three Tampa churches - St John's Episcopal, Palma Ceia Presbyterian and Hyde Park United Methodist. Several folks from our cohort will be providing pastoral, musical and liturgical leadership (including the aforementioned Roger Sullins and his brother Bryan). You can find out more at www.myspace.com/U2CHARIST. Hope to see you and your friends there.

Last Minute Tampa Cohort Meeting

2006-02-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, February 28 from 11:45-1:00 p.m. (or so), we will have a Cohort group for the Tampa region in Ybor City with a special guest. We are trying to make it central for anyone coming from east, west, north or south.

We will meet at
Rock-N-Sports Bar & Grille
1811 N. 15th
Streetcorner of 8th ave & 15th st
Tampa, FL 33605

Here is the link (with directions) and menu.

We will meet in the VIP room because it is quiet. Please RSVP by Friday. Invite anyone you think would be interested.

Our guest is Troy Bronsink, musician, author (book coming on Baker), Emergent Contributor, church planter and community developer (oh yeah, dad, husband and roommate- to those his family lives in community with).

Check out his site

Initial Cohort Notes

2005-08-31T11:14:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday our initial meeting of the Central Florida Emergent Cohorts went very well. A group of 8 interested parties met at a slightly loud British pub in Ybor City to get to know each other and find out what we desire to do with this group.

We have decided to attempt to meet together for lunch on Thursdays 1 time per month and figure out other things in the near future. Although we have not set the date, we will be meeting for lunch at the home of one of the Cohorts next month. She lives in Ybor City and has graciously offered her cool loft (my designation not hers).

The group decided to move forward in a positive manner, not dwelling on the past hurts of tradtional church and faith issues, but the horizons of possibility for church, ministry, theology and culture. We may read books or articles and meet with other voices in the conversation.

We also hope that many from this gathering can come together for projects and collaborative efforts, although this is not the mission of our Cohort.

I hope I reported properly. Please feel free to add any other information or observations from our time.

We will publicize a next meeting very soon.

Initial Cohort Meeting in Tampa

2005-08-08T19:38:00.000-04:00

As the summer ends and fall begins a new year for many of us, it is time to see if we can organize a cohort meeting for the Tampa area, which will hopefully expand to the rest of Florida. This initial meeting will be a chance for a few of us to come together and talk about a vision for an Emergent Cohort in Tampa Bay and the surrounding area. It is also a time for people to introduce themselves to each other.

Our initial meeting will be a simple lunch together on August 25 at 11:45.

We can meet at MJ Barleyhoppers in Centro Ybor (in Ybor City, Tampa). Click the links for directions and parking.

It is a simple place (mostly British food) that is usually not crowded for lunch and easy to find. It is also easier for those that may be coming from South or East of Tampa.

RSVP if you can and spread the word.

Introduce Yourself

2005-06-04T12:48:00.000-04:00

If you are a Floridian and interested in the Emerging Church conversation in your area, please leave your name, city, phone number and email.

It is up to you to contact those in your area to set up Cohort meetings locally. However, if you are interested, you can be a contributor to this page. Any meetings should be posted here to publicize them.

New Cohort

2005-06-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

Emergent is beginning a Cohort Group in Sunny Florida. We have seen interest throughout the state and desire to begin conversations in North, Central and South Florida. Eventually we will have a few pages with many Cohorts. However, this page will serve as an initial setup for the entire group to discuss and find local interest in the conversation.