1. Church & Credibility in a Postmodern WorldPostmodern World

3. The Christian Church is a premodern movement that became a modern institution and now must shift to a Postmodern context Post-colonialist Post-secularist Post-rationalist Post-communist Post-capitalist Post-nationalist Post-institutionalist Post-patriarchal Post-Christendom

4. 4

7. Broadway was originally the Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. This trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of Manhattan Island.

8. 3 forms... one way.

9. The Christian faith, like all religious traditions, has taken many forms through its history. It continues to take new forms. It is still in the making.

10. 10 Like the individuals who constitute them, [our spiritual communities] are unfinished and “in the making.” They have the capacity to move forward if they choose... and the freedom to stagnate and regress.

11. 11 I believe that all of us play a role in choosing and creating our futures - as individuals and as communities. We don’t need to wait passively for history to happen to us. We can become protagonists in our own story. We can make the road by walking.

14. Old Paradigm/ Model Early Transition Late Transition New Paradigm/ Model

15. Buildings... or... ? Weekly gatherings... or... ? Historic arguments... or... ? Self-preservation... or... ? Information... or... ? What is possible?

16. Buildings - community Weekly gatherings - constant digital connection Historic arguments - contemporary crises Self-preservation - common good/mission Information - spiritual experience What is possible?

17. Buildings - community Weekly gatherings - constant digital connection Historic arguments - contemporary crises Self-preservation - common good, mission Information - spiritual experience What is possible? beautybeauty

26. There are many reasons to compare our religious communities to an old male tortoise... Slow-moving … isolated … Ancient-looking withdrawn in its shell … won’t stick its neck out

27. There are many reasons to compare the crises in our world to a tsunami …

28. There are many reasons to compare the emerging global culture to an orphaned hippo … Orphaned by religion … science … government … the economy … technology … consumerism… “progress”…

30. What could happen in our world if the church “came out of itself” for the common good? solidarity humility methodology liturgy mission networks story beautybeauty

31. many forms... one path

32. in a Church & Credibility Postmodern WorldPostmodern World

33. There are many reasons to compare our churches to an old male tortoise …