This past weekend I was at a church conference in Ontario - topic was the atonement. I left feeling pretty good about the conference - there was great input and I have a lot to think about. Some highlights were connecting with people, the plenary sessions which were really challenging, the discussion parts of the conference. Sometimes it feels like we Menno types shy away from vigorous discussion since it can sound like fighting. Discussion in love can be a challenge, but I wonder if it gives us the chance to deal with stuff if we air it out rather than hiding behind image. I admit I liked the discussion when people's emotions got involved and there was disagreement.
Getting together as church delegates is a fascinating concept. It is something we used to do a lot when there was a clear sense of ownership and belonging. It is less clear what the value is when those dynamics are not so clearly defined. We made few decisions but we had good discussion, which is good but how does that apply to conference ownership and decisions? Most church members don't really care about conferences I suspect, which is something to think about.
More later
