Ben,

I like it. Being in the Vineyard Movement, and especially in Cincinnati, the city of servant evangelism," I have been wrestling with this concept quite a bit.

On one hand, my folks and people here in general are so ingrained in the Servant Evangelism culture, that they don't know what to do next. It's fairly low risk to plant seeds - doing the lowest risk SE stuff like, pass out water, etc - but actually taking that to the next level is really scary for people. The way it has worked in the last 25 years has been, "just come to the Vineyard (cincy)."

One of the things I have worked to do is to help us see that Servant Evangelism needs to be done with people we can sustain ongoing relationships with. I.e. Go back to the same places, same neighborhoods, same communities. Really encourage people to serve their neighbors. Serve the people they work with, etc. The people who are starting to "get" what I have been doing are seeing that the "person of peace" is right in front of them, they just weren't quite looking with the right eyes!

About the risk of meeting the person of rejection. IF....you are not ashamed of the Gospel, rejection is a part of life. I think our discipleship in America just forgets to add this piece to the package. As we develop relationships with people and continue to serve them, rejection will come, but inevitably, so will the "why do you keep doing this?" "Why are you like this?"

Actually, being rejected is one of the ways we truly commune with the sufferings of Christ. It is an "imitation of Christ." It is discipleship. Why wouldn't we model that?

Jason

Mike and I had a little chat about that in Chicago. I will give you a call I'm sure. I gotta get another week behind me. Thanks....

I think you are on to something Ben and this is something that has been missing from this conversation.

And, this is one of the reasons I'm am intrigued with 3dm. I heard and saw the Holy Spirit engaged and talked about in a way I haven't in the past when I engaged the "missional" discussion.

I am a graduate of Denver Seminary and now that I am a few years removed from the experience realize the immense gratitude I have to God for leading me there. The mentoring program was essential in my experience. I would also agree with Dr. Blomberg in that I see that the Seminary provides a "unique" space to equip students with the biblical, theological, and historical education that is difficult to create in other places. I think others are doing it well, but definitely not the same. I think the Vineyard Leadership Institute (with which I am familiar) is an example. It is providing a similar quality to seminary, but not quite the same. I would have to say my experience with "practical" coursework in seminary was hardly of any help. Counseling, leadership, and other coursework felt so artificial, it would have been better to just not do it. The best practical education I got was the 3 years pastoring a rural church after I graduated from Denver Sem.

In my engagement with 3dm and Missional Commons, through a Vineyard context, I think the question being asked is how do we take the best of these worlds and marry them together? The best of the seminary - which we agree is difficult to replace - and the best of the "in the field" - which is increasingly missionary based post-Christendom secular America... My experience at Denver Seminary provides a foundation for me to lean on, but I always felt there was something missing, because the church didn't "get it" or didn't understand the missional landscape that was before them. They didn't understand the benefit a relationship with the seminary could create if they came alongside the seminarian and provided a fertile learning community that could provide this "practical" hands on proving ground. It always seemed to take on an artificial "learning contract" approach.

I don't really know how to fix it, but I want to be apart of the solution. I know Dr. Blomberg and I had a couple of cups of coffee over my years at Denver Sem that perculated some of this in me. I remember one very stimulating conversation when I was working with FranklinCovey and interacting with Mormon coworkers and we were working out how to dialogue with young Mormons. Now, that is where the rubber meets the road...