Meetings About Meetings

I had the greatest experience this past weekend. I was recently asked to be on the board for an online publication called Episcorific. It is described on the website as:

Episcorific is a web ‘zine created for and by the Young Adults of the Episcopal Church as a forum for conversation about the place of faith in our modern society and our individual lives. It is designed as a site for the building of relationships, the challenging of ideas and the formulation of new ways of being and thinking “Episcopalian.” It is open to participation by all.

I have always been a supporter of this effort and have even written for it a few times, but it wasn't really "my thing." What it said it was and what it turned out to be never seemed to match up exactly.

When I was asked to join I got nervous because I wasn't a big reader of the magazine, but I love to support young adult ministries and so I said yes. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!! I was very impressed with the attitudes of all the people at this retreat for the board, but especially the Sierra brothers (the founders of the magazine.) Normally meetings in the church suck because everyone comes in with an attitude about the way things should be and rarely budge, but this meeting was just the opposite. Everyone came ready to brainstorm, learn, and listen. And after a full day of using a really critical eye when looking at the group and the product, we decided to essentially start over.

I am so excited with where we are headed. The publication will turn into a website with new content appearing at least once a day and a bi-yearly publication. It will have regular columns peppered with original peices from the community. There will be content for undergrads, graduate students, singles, married, married with kids, gay, straight, conservative, and liberal views. I think it is going to be so fun and I think people are going to want to read and comment on anything that goes up on it.

I love having a sense of renewal!!! I love when I remember why I am in this ministry and I love when I see a group of young people who leave each others company feeling like they can take over the world. That is exactly how I feel right now. This is what church should be about.

What do you find renewing???