come converse with us : connecting with the spiritual interest of non-religious people

Connecting with the Spiritual Interest of Non-Religious People

A Conversation among Christian Leaders in Middle Tennessee

 

(Facilitated by author/speaker, Jim Palmer)

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June 13, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

First United Methodist Church, Hendersonville, TN 

The way many people process life and matters of ultimate reality have changed, and represent an increasing number of people in Middle Tennessee. Here's a sampling of those changes…

God Peace, Doctrine Truth, Christianity Christ, Blue Green,   Church Community,  Worship Centers Coffee Shops, Holiness Compassion, PC Mac,
Teaching Conversation, Membership Friendship, Functionality Beauty, Books Blogs
Knowledge Freedom, Answers Questions, Religion Spirituality, Doing Being
Style Substance, Outreach Missional, Plastic Digital, Heaven Earth
Exclusive Universal, Certainty Wonder, Consumerism Activism, Polished Real
Excellence Authenticity, Programs Doing Life, Homogeny Diversity
Orthodoxy Love,  Accountability Acceptance

The working question for June 13 is: What does this change mean, and how do I and my faith community respond?

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About Jim Palmer: After receiving his M.Div. from TEDS, serving on staff at Willow Creek Church, and planting/pastoring a non-denom church for six years, Jim left professional ministry and immersed himself in a world of non-religious people. As an author, he has been chronicling his journey out of organized religion: Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God (and the unlikely people who help you) and Wide Open Spaces: Beyond Paint-by-Number Christianity. Jim's new book will be out the end of 2008. Through trial and error, Jim pioneered a form of church for non-religious people, which functions as a social network in the Nashville area.

Two groups have increasing contacted Jim through his writing: people interested in knowing God but turned off by organized religion, and people in ministry who desire to connect with them. The half-day gathering on June 13 is meant to stimulate conversation among pastors, church planters, church staff, and key volunteers around the topic of how churches can better relate to people who want to know God but currently wouldn't consider the idea of "going to church."

Jim and friends will share and guide our conversation and interaction for the gathering. Each participant will receive two free books: Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer, and Authentic Relationships by Wayne Jacobsen. A light lunch will be offered. The cost is a $50 minimum donation. Because the gathering is designed to be interactive, participation is limited to the first 25 people. Please register by email before June 1 by contacting Jim at: jim@divinenobodies.com Each participant will be given preparatory assignments, and a dedicated Internet forum will be utilized for participants before and after the June 13 gathering. For directions to the gathering, go to www.hfumc.org (contact me for more church info)