Missional Renaissance Gathering in Dallas

I just finished 2 days with Leadership Network and 9 churches which are a part of their first Missional Renaissance Leadership Community.

I’m very excited about how these churches are genuinely striving to get practically involved in their local communities in a way that holistically serves them. LN has asked me to write up some of what these churches are learning and the first article will be on what precipitated these churches to transition from attractional to incarnational modes. I’ve finished interviewing all 9 churches and also asked them how they worked as leaders to help everyone in their church make the transition. I believe LN will publish the article sometime this summer.

Tonight, I’m stuck in Dallas ’cause American Airlines canceled hundreds of flights to check some wires (see this USA TODAY story). Fortunately I was able to get another car and another hotel room for the evening. I’m on hold now to get another flight.

The upside to being stuck in my hotel room tonight is that it gives me some time to continue listening to the audio I did of the interviews and take notes. Reggie McNeal and Eric Swanson are co-leading the community and they and the rest of the LN team did a great job. I had earlier complained in A Rhythm of Learning/Planning/Executing that so many groups miss the opportunity of providing folks time to strategize how they will operationalize what they’re learning at such meetings. Reggie and Eric provided folks with tons of time in cross-church and church teams to discuss and develop specific action plans.

And what was also fun was that during one of our sessions today, who should walk in other than Todd Hunter; it was great to see him again.

It was also great to meet Sherry Surratt, who serves at Seacoast Church, a multi-site church in South Carolina. She’s about to launch a brand new national project that I probably shouldn’t say anything else about ’cause I’m not sure if it’s public or not.

I’m looking forward to what these churches accomplish as they seek to better serve their communities and segue from churches in their communities to churches for their communities.