While technically Friday evening's Anderson University musical service marks the beginning of the NAC, the effective beginning is Saturday. And, having arrived late last evening, it was on this hot and humid Indiana summer day that the convention began for me.
Saturday is a busy day for me at the NAC, mainly taken up with meetings related to my role as an Area Administrator. And, of special significance for me was getting to hear Patrick Nachtigall address us. While he didn't actually rehash his new book for us (that is available at a separate conference on Sunday) he did share a provocative analysis of the state of the Church of God globally as he discovered it from his extensive travel and research. In short, he says that internationally we are "mostly in chaos" and he attributes that largely to the less than desirable aspects of our movement's DNA that have been uncritically transmitted to other cultures. These aspects include autonomy, suspicion of strong leadership, resistance to strong organizational structure, and lack of accountability. Nachtigall's assessment is far from simplistic. He clearly reads the situation and offers numerous well articulated insights. Ultimately he sees his book as not providing the solutions, but "a realistic platform for dialogue". I obtained my copy today and look forward to reading it as soon as possible along with posts here.
One of the most obvious changes at this year's convention is the new venue setting. Ever since the demise of Warner Auditorium we have been trying to find a new home in Anderson. The Kardatzke Wellness Center worked for a few years, but the annual setup cost was ridiculous. Last year's spread across the city (including evening services at Madison Park church) worked, but took away from the event's cohesiveness. It looks like they may have found a solution that will work for the foreseeable future (or at least until they move this event out of Anderson - but I digress!). Most everything is concentrated in one corner of the Anderson University campus, with Reardon Auditorium and Park Place church as the main gathering hubs. A two-block section of 5th Street is closed off to traffic allowing for people to congregate. Display tents are just east of Reardon in the parking lot, making this a great place to hang out. Once people catch on to the new site, and when the weather moderates, this should be a busy hub.
Tonight's keynote service was the first opportunity for this congregating to take place. The service actually takes place at Reardon Auditorium, but Park Place is setup with high-quality, live video feed as an overflow. The latter was not really needed tonight, as Reardon could have easily accommodated everyone present. When I popped in at the beginning there were only 14 in attendance (plus ushers). That will certainly change in the coming days.
This year's evening services feature Todd Braschler as the worship leader. The setting, along with the outstanding acoustics, provided a comfortable and familiar environment that contributed to a powerful experience. Mitchell Burch spoke tonight, addressing the first of the five transformational statements, "Ignite", which focuses on the Great Commission. In his vibrant, campmeeting style Burch challenged not only us individuals but our larger structures to get in line with God's mission in the world.
Unfortunately, however, reports are that no one else was able to take in last night or tonight's services. That is, cable and Internet broadcasts don't appear to have been working, a big frustration for organizers. Hopefully they will have their technical issues resolved for Sunday evening when many churches across the continent (and even the world) will be watching. [UPDATE: June 27/10: Apparently some were able to watch, but I have heard reports to the contrary]
Saturday is a busy day for me at the NAC, mainly taken up with meetings related to my role as an Area Administrator. And, of special significance for me was getting to hear Patrick Nachtigall address us. While he didn't actually rehash his new book for us (that is available at a separate conference on Sunday) he did share a provocative analysis of the state of the Church of God globally as he discovered it from his extensive travel and research. In short, he says that internationally we are "mostly in chaos" and he attributes that largely to the less than desirable aspects of our movement's DNA that have been uncritically transmitted to other cultures. These aspects include autonomy, suspicion of strong leadership, resistance to strong organizational structure, and lack of accountability. Nachtigall's assessment is far from simplistic. He clearly reads the situation and offers numerous well articulated insights. Ultimately he sees his book as not providing the solutions, but "a realistic platform for dialogue". I obtained my copy today and look forward to reading it as soon as possible along with posts here.
One of the most obvious changes at this year's convention is the new venue setting. Ever since the demise of Warner Auditorium we have been trying to find a new home in Anderson. The Kardatzke Wellness Center worked for a few years, but the annual setup cost was ridiculous. Last year's spread across the city (including evening services at Madison Park church) worked, but took away from the event's cohesiveness. It looks like they may have found a solution that will work for the foreseeable future (or at least until they move this event out of Anderson - but I digress!). Most everything is concentrated in one corner of the Anderson University campus, with Reardon Auditorium and Park Place church as the main gathering hubs. A two-block section of 5th Street is closed off to traffic allowing for people to congregate. Display tents are just east of Reardon in the parking lot, making this a great place to hang out. Once people catch on to the new site, and when the weather moderates, this should be a busy hub.
Tonight's keynote service was the first opportunity for this congregating to take place. The service actually takes place at Reardon Auditorium, but Park Place is setup with high-quality, live video feed as an overflow. The latter was not really needed tonight, as Reardon could have easily accommodated everyone present. When I popped in at the beginning there were only 14 in attendance (plus ushers). That will certainly change in the coming days.
This year's evening services feature Todd Braschler as the worship leader. The setting, along with the outstanding acoustics, provided a comfortable and familiar environment that contributed to a powerful experience. Mitchell Burch spoke tonight, addressing the first of the five transformational statements, "Ignite", which focuses on the Great Commission. In his vibrant, campmeeting style Burch challenged not only us individuals but our larger structures to get in line with God's mission in the world.
Unfortunately, however, reports are that no one else was able to take in last night or tonight's services. That is, cable and Internet broadcasts don't appear to have been working, a big frustration for organizers. Hopefully they will have their technical issues resolved for Sunday evening when many churches across the continent (and even the world) will be watching. [UPDATE: June 27/10: Apparently some were able to watch, but I have heard reports to the contrary]
3 comments:
Thanks Lloyd for your updates. For those of us far away they are most valuable.
Ken DeMaere
I watched Saturday night's program on the internet. It worked fine for me. Saw my pastor pray for the offerring and what a great message by Mitchell Burch!
Charlie, Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that you were able to watch. Apparently others had problems.
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