polling for canadian emergents

[Ruth Monette]

Hi All,

I'm working on a research project as part of my ThM at Vancouver School of Theology looking at emergent-ish congregations in Canada.  Basically, I'm interested in what's working in the Canadian context and how that's been shaped.  Besides the three groups listed in the directory here (St Benedict's Table, Winnipeg; Church on Tap, Port Colbourne, ON; and Emerge, Montreal), do ya'll have suggestions for groups - Anglican or not - that I should be looking at?

I'm hoping to do some interviews and modified case studies this fall.  Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Yme Woensdregt]

Hi Ruth,

I'm at Christ Church, Cranbrook, a small "kind-of emergent" parish. I put it that way because while we still use the BAS service, we do so with lots of energy and with modifications as they make sense to our situation. I suspect that there would be many more such parishes than the three fully emergent parishes. I think it may be helpful to look at this stuff on a continuum, and try to discern some of the elements that make up the emergent church in lived practice. We do lots of the traditional stuff, but we make it come alive in ways beyond the text that speak both to the traditionalists among us as well as to those who come for the first time, or who come back again for the first time in a long time.

Hope this helps

[Ruth Monette]

Hi Yme,
You're right - a study of how existing congregations are picking up and using emergent-y ideas has a lot of potential to be interesting and useful. This round of research at least, my intention is to stick with groups who have embraced emergent-ness fully. However, if I can swing it, all the examples of partial adaption might make a very interesting follow up.

If anyone knows of folks willing to fund that study starting in say the second half of 2011, I'm all ears. ;)

I've recently moved to Vernon so perhaps we'll run into each other out here in Kootenay.

thanks,
ruth

[Steve Bailey (Rev)]

Hi Ruth:

Check out the Resonate Canada blog - it includes some Anglicans as well as other traditions that are exploring the 'emergent' or 'missional' approach. JordanCooper.com is an initial way in. He coordinates the blog. Of course, you'll want to talk with Nick Brotherwood (Montreal) who is with Fresh Expressions Canada. I have contact information for him.

There's also an Anglican church in Ontario that has started a skateboard church for teenagers. There's a Youtube video that's easy to find by searching for 'skateboard church in Canada'.

Just a few ideas. Have fun!

Steve

[Ruth Monette]

Hey Steve,
I've tracked Resonate and Emergent Canada - although neither are currently being maintained from what I can tell. Resonate is giving me server errors today, actually. Emergent Canada has a list, but it hasn't been updated in awhile and a number of the links are broken. I've also seen One Size Fits All? - www.onesizefitsall.ca - a DVD released in '08 looking at emergent-ish churches in Canada. I believe the filmmaker is tied to The Story in Sarnia.

If folks know anything about what's happening in Saskatchewan, I'm curious there as so far things aren't popping from there.

Thanks for your input!
ruth