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31Jul/090

Exhaustion at GA.

So, it's no secret that life at the General Assembly is pretty exhausting.

You got to walk everywhere (not really a big deal). The schedule is packed to the brim with opportunities that you have little chance of making. You have to wake up early and stay up late to see all the folks you want to see. The food wavers between great to terrible. You can't engage in a conversation with someone for five minutes without being interrupted by someone else that you may not have seen for a few years.

It's just plain sensory overload.

I wouldn't mind it if GA toned down a schedule now and then to make things easier for folks.

But it may not be the GA folks who are stuffing the schedule anyway.

I'd propose a restructure of the GA into more of a praxis/info setup. I like the wholeness cafe - it's a great start. Workshops are fine too, because people obviously thirst for info. And some of the general units (like Church Extension) are on the right track with their booths anyway.

Think of it like this - an area where you can demo anything that our units and services have to offer. Want to learn about the new VBS resource from DHM? We are doing it together at 3 PM at Booth X. Want to see what a multicultural bible study might be like? Check out the Global Missions booth at Y at 8 AM and 8 PM each day. Then, you have another area that is just more info oriented - brochures, flyers, reps, and so on just to talk and give out info.

With something like this, we could take a step away from schedule glut and have more open time for folks to experiment and taste and see what is out there. Maybe not the best idea - but it's an idea.

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30Jul/090

A Movement for Wholeness

Day One of the General Assembly was a good strong kickoff.

Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale preached Wednesday night and in particular raised the point that when the Holy Spirit moves on a people, you get a movement.

What a refreshing reminder!

I think in my own ministry with young people and unchurched folks, most don't really care about denominational ideas or creeds or stances. Even telling them that all are welcome to partake communion at the table... well, it's just not the draw it used to be. I think welcome and inclusion ARE values that people respond to, but they respond to it in practice and thought more than just a position that a church adopts. So reclaiming language that we are a movement is a pretty cool way to speak about who we belong to and what we are about.

Thanks to Rev. Hale for a good first sermon. We also had great dance, music, and art that drew us in. So far, there is a strong and positive feel flowing through the folks I have met. Not much controversy yet.

I am going to try to do some video tweets later today.

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