The last session of the day started with Dan Kimball and ended with a round table discussion. Below are my notes. If something doesn’t make sense, leave a comment. There’s more info at www.willowcreek.com/arts.

Dan Kimball
They Like Jesus, But Not the Church
Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, CA

Jesus is what’s right with the world.
Jesus is currently popular in pop culture. Jesus is hip.
Jesus is waxing; the church is waning.

[video]
What do you think of Jesus?
What do you think of Christians?

“Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  – Gandhi

Breaking through the Christian bubble

Misconceptions of Christians
1.    The church is ‘organized religion’ and all into right-wing politics.
2.    The church is judgmental and negative.
3.    The church is a male-dominated group that oppresses females.
4.    The church is homophobic.
5.    The church arrogantly believes that they are right and all other religions are wrong.
6.    The church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally.

Suggestions for Churches
Not sermon/lecture, but discussion.
Respect my intelligence.
Don’t worry about the building.
Allow time to think and pray.
A loving place
Care for poor and environment
Teach more about Jesus.

The Panel Discussion
Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Sally Morganthaler, Efrem Smith, David Lovelace, Shawna Neiquist

DL: Where am I creating barriers from the church to the world?

BM:  The context has changed – people no longer feel the necessity of church. And the bubble reinforces the bubble.

SN: It’s not superficial changes that are necessary. It’s heart and truth issues. Remember the perspective of someone who hasn’t been in a church for years.

ES: Expand the discussion to urbanites, multiple cultures and ethnicities.

SM: Deconstruct to reconstruct. Create a worship service with integrity.

Can you create a single worship experience applicable to multiple generations?

Dialogue vs. Monologue
    Better to create a culture where questions are allowed (DK)
    ChurchClick polling hardware/software (DL)

Multiculturalism in the Church
    Our definitions are defined by our race. “Worship” is “White, European, Protestant Worship.” Whites are “not normal.” (BM)
    Tolerance vs. Inclusion compared to Bachelorhood vs. Marriage (DL)
    No all whites, all blacks. Learn your heritage, your background (ES)

The Church of Me
    Prevalence of personal narrative in praise and worship music. Authentic relationships within the church are necessary to deconstruct the walls of narcissism in worship (SM). If I hate the music but love my brother that loves the music, I can get over it.

Church as the conversation, not the destination (SM)

The church likes Jesus, but not them (the world) (BM)

Engaging non-Christians to be part of the worship service.
Action during or right after worship, i.e. identifying a need and not leaving until the need is met (ES).

Attractional or Missional? Yes. Go out or bring in? Yes. (DL)
 - had people show up in their work clothes/uniforms, ordained all as ministers/workers