pat loughery

Today I had a really helpful and powerful chat with one of my heroes, and though I want to digest that a bit before talking about it here, it also spurred me to find a page in my journal and open it up.

Here are some tags that I wrote in my moleskine notebook a while back when thinking about the topics I’m pursuing these days, and potentially in relationship with my dissertation thesis, and more so in relationship to how I’d like to see a community of faith grow – in particular, as we keep feeling a sense that at some point we’ll lead a community again.

I’ve been thinking about this topic kind of in terms of a tag cloud, though I’m not sure what sizes each ta would be. I’m jotting them here not to give you information so much as to snapshot this step in the journey.

The main ones that I find myself repeating over and over again are these, in no particular order:

• Celtic
• Missional
• Incarnational
• Organic
• Intentional
• Rhythm
• Community
• Simplicity

And extending on those, several more:

• Transformational leadership
• Bounded set within a centered set
• Transforming the city
• New monastic (neo-monastic..)
• Brokenness made whole
• Relational
• Multi-enthic/cultural/racial/class
• Multiplying networks
• Suburban // urban // rural
• Embedded in context, but portable to other contexts
• Finances directed outward (all, if possible)
• Un-busy
• Intentional community, if not a common roof
• Service
• Justice oriented
• Hope
• Aiming up (worship), in (spiritual formation), out (mission)
• Exile, theology of exile
• Theology of place
• Edges of the empire
• Living Matthew 5-7, living the Sermon on the Mount
• A network of networks
• Network multiplication
• Leadership from within the community, not outside it
• Stewarding power, money, relationships, …

Models and networks that I find helpful and that I relate to

• Mustard Seed Associates
• Community of Aidan and Hilda
• CRM
• Church of the Savior
• Vineyard Central
• Vineyard Community Church, Shoreline
• Sustainable Faith
• Third orders
• Ohana Project

I don’t think I’ll take the time to detail each of these out in bulk, but I suspect they’ll all come into play over the coming months.