Companions,
Following revkev's suggestion, here's a place to begin to compile a list of emerging missional efforts in, among, and/or alongside United Methodist congregations and structures...
Feel free to keep adding to this list! In fact, don't feel free NOT to if you know of or discover something.
And again, these are in no particular order...
1) The group RevKev is part of in Savannah, GA-- I'm not sure we learned a name for this. So Kevin, can you fill in the details on it?
2) the gathering-- a United Methodist congregation in Saint Louis, MO that has been "re-built" after a merger of several inner city congregations as a more or less emerging missional congregation with a strong sense of mission in its local place.
3) Th3 Waters-- the organic groups ministry connected with Florence United Methodist Church, Florence, Kentucky.
4) Lockerbie Central UMC/Earth House-- the place and the people with whom we gathered over the emergingumc2 weekend
5) Vision Community Church-- a relatively new, missional congregation/community in Warwick, NY, the first "church start" in that conference in over 40 years.
6) Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community-- a UMC/PCUSA joint "church plant" that lives in mission with the people of the South Side of Pittsburgh, PA. They don't call themselves "emerging" or "emergent," but the vision is clearly missional and accountable. Jim Walker's book, Dirty Word, tells the story of this community and its ministry.
7) A good number of Wesley Foundations have gone this direction. Two I know in particular (and I know their staff leaders personally) are at Troy University (Troy, Alabama) and Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa).
8) Carl Thomas Gladstone and others continue to build the Emerge Network of missional ministries in the greater Detroit area.
That's good for starters... now what else do you know about or are part of or wish to add? Just put them all in the comments, and after a few weeks we'll issue a bigger list on the blog proper.
Peace,
Taylor