I’m getting pumped for the first ever Missio Alliance gathering in April.  With main speakers like Dallas Williard and Scot McKnight, a meaningful discussion of discipleship and the Kingdom is likely to take place.  Many of the workshops will take on difficult discussions such as gender roles and the environment.  These are essential discussions that the church needs to be having today.

However, I am a pragmatist.  So I’m hoping there will also be some practical discussions that tie into the overall themes of what it means to be the church today.  Here’s three conversations I hope crop up in the discussion time in workshops, hallways and over drinks.

New Models for Evangelism

A lot of the planned discussion at Missio Alliance seems to be around ecclesiological issues, that is, how do best organize a missional church movement?  What I hope does not get lost in this is asking “how do we invite others into this new movement?”

Anabaptist Values in Post-Christendom

There seems to be a gathering steam around a neo-Anabaptist movement.  It makes sense, because the classic Anabaptist churches (Mennonites, Amish, etc.) were shaped in part as a response to the nationalization of Christendom.  Today, as Christendom crumbles around us, Anabaptists give hope that there has always been another way.  My gut feels that the answer is not to join existing denominations by shaving my mustache and sew my own clothes, but too take these values into new, 21st century forms.  Who’s in?

Viable Models for Bi-Vocational Ministry

Many of the leaders of Ecclesia Network are bi-vocational, and in some ways, so am I.  However, I seldom see this model  resulting in viable church plants that last for more than a few seasons.  If Bi-Vocationalism is the new normal we need to have some serious discussions about vocation in general and leadership structures that will create thriving churches.

Are you attending the conference? What do you hope will be brought up?  Will you join me in this discussion?