Church in the Inventive Age

We live in the midst of inescapable change.

Maybe this thrills you. Maybe this scares you. We can't pretend cultural change doesn't impact the church. It does. It always has.

The challenge now for churches is the rise of a creative, participatory, inclusive culture. The role of the church is to live as a participant in our culture. Thus inclusion, participation, collaboration, and beauty are essential values for both culture and church.

The last two centuries can be divided into four epochs: Idyllic, Industrial, Informational and now—Inventive. The Inventive Age—our currently reality—presents distinct opportunities for how faith communities think, what they value, and the tools they use. It is essential to create church frameworks for participation in our Inventive Age. We will learn about the 10 Inventive Age Characteristics and how to use them to be the church.

Faith looks different in each cultural moment, this workshop will help us to tell the story of Good News in our Inventive Age.

Living in the inventive age is not optional. We can either be in on the change, or we can be left behind.

This workshop is most effective when congregations send a group of 4-6 people, including (if possible) pastoral and lay leadership.

Our Keynote Speaker is  Doug Pagitt,  Director of Inventive Initiatives for the Center for Progressive Renewal (CPR). Doug is a ‘possibility enthusiast’ who seeks to find creative, entrepreneurial, and generative ways to enlist people to join in the hopes, dreams and desires God has for the world. He is the founder of Solomon's Porch, a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

              This workshop is presented as part of our three year investment with CPR to equip our churches for mission and ministry today and tomorrow.