In line with the theme of waiting during this season of Advent, we know that you’re likely expectantly anticipating news about what is developing within the Feast of Love movement!
It’s been just over three weeks since the Progressive Brethren Gathering in Elgin, where the Interim Organizational Team presented our ideas and plans to those gathered there. If you weren’t able to travel to Elgin for this event, you can watch the recorded webcast at Progressive Brethren Online. The initial Feast of Love presentation begins at 55 minutes into this video.
Several important developments emerged out of the Elgin gathering:
First off, we were incredibly encouraged by the support we recieved from a broad array of people. It was very clear to us (and to others) that this is an idea whose time has come. We were also excited to see how our ideas meshed with and supported many of the other proposals presented.
Another important happening was the invitation for representatives from Feast of Love to join with other leaders from BMC, Womaen’s Caucus, and VoS to create a new committee with the purpose of working together on collaborative projects, such as the Progresive Gathering, and to help support emerging projects and action ideas. This kind of collaborative networking is a big part of our long-term hopes for connecting progressives and other similarly-minded folk within the Church of the Brethren.
Our conversations and interactions in Elgin gave us the opportunity to continue expanding the conversations that have brought Feast of Love to where we are today. From the initial whisperings following last year’s Annual Conference, to small-group discussions in congregations and coffeeshops across the country, to Manchester, to Elgin, and beyond it has been a process of deeply creative, Spirit-led, Christ-centered discernment and dialogue that has helped the Feast of Love take shape.
Some things we’ve learned from all of our conversations so far:
- Many people are supportive of this movement, but uncertain about the name “Feast of Love.” We’ve heard you. As we move forward we will be reaching out for you to help us name ourselves and to proudly proclaim who God is calling us to be. If you have ideas or suggestions, please send us your feedback!
- There are individuals and congregations who are ready to support this project financially. We’re working on the best way to accept donations during this interim, formative time. We’ll let you know how you can contribute once we’ve sorted out these details.
- We’ve got a lot of work to do. Many of the action ideas at the Progressive Gathering were the kinds of things that the Feast of Love would eventually hope to nurture and support, but as we’re still getting things set up and going ourselves we need to keep our main focus on the tasks of organizing, structuring, and building the Feast of Love.
Since Elgin we’ve continued our weekly conference calls and we’ve begun more in-depth networking with other Progressive Brethren leaders. We’re also continuing to work on issues surrounding funding, non-profit status, and future leadership structures. Lastly, we’re putting together a comprehensive communications plan for the coming months, so expect to start hearing updates more frequently.
Togther we await the in-breaking of Christ into the world, not waiting idly by, but by actively creating and becoming the church Christ is calling us to be.
