The theme that rose to the forefront of the second day of Verge is just the old Reformation call to be a priesthood of all believers. The problem is, as Ed Stetzer put it, most Evangelical churches look like pre-Reformation Catholic churches. All the work is done by a leader with an almost gnostic secret knowledge, otherwise known as “seminary training.” The answer is to help every Christian understand they are a missionary, and, as Alan Hirsch put it “your baptism is your commission.”
A second theme that rose to the top is developing an awareness of the people and systems around you. I’ve long been challenged by the question “do you really know any non-Christians?” But Dave Watson expanded this by asking if we even try to develop strategies for people who don’t live like us. There are people who work graveyard shift and are up all night, but why aren’t there churches meeting at 4 in the morning?
My favorite presentation was by Hugh Halter of Denver, Colorado. Hugh is disturbingly honest in person in a way that his book cannot get across. His concept of a church with simple outwardly focused structure, that is still hard to get in to, sounds more authentic and natural than any Sunday morning show and awkward living room Bible Study I’ve ever taken part.
I’m excited for day three.
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