[Dialogue] A renewed church in Minneapolis?

[KroegerD at aol.com]

I know of these 3.  St. Step[hen's just got slammed by the archbishop,  and 
most of their progressives and are meetin in house church.
 
I just can't see myself as a Roman Catholic.  Soooo much  baggage.
 
 
In a message dated 3/11/2008 4:45:27 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
rcwmbw at yahoo.com writes:

What  are/were the benchmark criteria over against which one says the LCX  
was or was not successful?  Likewise, what are the  characteristics of a 
"renewed" church?  We all seem to have assumptions  about both of these.  Is there a 
consensus in there anywhere?   Randy

Janice Ulangca <aulangca at stny.rr.com> wrote:  
Hi Dick Kroeger,
 
I'm digesting two books about vital churches -  telling their stories, 
identifying their characteristics and describing  their journeys.  Diana Butler 
Bass' 2006 book Christianity for the  Rest of Us (the rest of us - not featured in 
the media as conservatives  often are) looks at mainline Protestant churches 
that describe  themselves as moderate to liberal-progressive  where "new 
things  are happening".  Her team studied 10 congregations intensively, and 40  
more to provide validating data.  All have found "new vitality -  spiritual 
depth, renewed identity and mission, and often, numerical growth -  through an 
intentional and reflexive engagement with Christian tradition."  This three-year 
research project, funded by the Lilly Endowment, is a  kind of "in search of 
excellence" that cuts against conventional belief  that only conservative 
churches are growing. She says the encounters  with these congregations also 
contributed much to her own  journey.  Among the 40 congregations is Westminster 
Presbyterian  Church in Minneapolis.
 
Paul Wilkes book Excellent Catholic Parishes (2001)  tells the stories of 
eight outstanding parishes - and how they  were brought from business as usual or 
even back from dying into  vitality that is transforming lives. The back of 
the book has 59 pages  of  additional "excellent parishes" listed by state. 
>From that  state list, 3 are in Minneapolis.
St. Olaf and St. Joan of Arc are listed, plus St.  Stephen's which has 
"Masses in Spanish and English; ministry for adults with special mental and physical 
needs; strong  social justice and outreach programs, including shelter for 
homeless men and  residence for Native American women recovering from chemical  
dependency..."  St. Joan's has "television show for generation Xers;  retreats 
four times per year; Faith & Work breakfast series with  nationally known 
speakers..."   These might just be busy parishes  - you'd have to see. 
 
Janice Ulangca

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _KroegerD at aol.com_ (mailto:KroegerD at aol.com)  
To: _dialogue at wedgeblade.net_ (mailto:dialogue at wedgeblade.net)  
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 5:32  PM
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Did NOT  WORK????


If there is a "renewed" church in the Minneapolis area, I'd like to  know the 
name.
 
Dick Kroeger
 
 
In a message dated 3/10/2008 7:59:25 A.M. Central Daylight Time, 
_rcwmbw at yahoo.com_ (mailto:rcwmbw at yahoo.com)  writes:

Where do we find the "church" (ala  Niebuhr) today?  It is seems not to be, 
with some  noteworthy exceptions, the cigar boxes with steeples, and I  am "in 
a church" to use Dick's words.   Randy




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