During the recent General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, a group of people composed of deputies and volunteers; laypeople, bishops, deacons and priests; and a variety of liturgical and theological backgrounds, came together to dream a new vision for the Episcopal Church.
This group goes by the name the Acts 8 Moment, and has continued beyond General Convention. In the eighth chapter of Acts, the early apostles' vision for the church was destroyed with the martyrdom of St. Stephen. This forced the church to move beyond the vision of a church headquartered in Jerusalem, the cultural and spiritual capital of the time. But rather than be a church destroyed, this experience strengthened the Christian message, as the early Christians scattered and discovered a new vision.
Today churchgoing is no longer a social norm, and the Episcopal Church no longer commands the same cultural influence it did just a few decades ago. But this is not a cause for despair. It may instead be a sign of the Holy Spirit calling us to a new thing.
The Acts 8 Moment is moving on from General Convention to the dioceses. The Diocese of Arizona will be the first to host a local gathering; Indianapolis will be the second.
Join us during the Friday lunch break immediately following the legislative session (approx 11am on October 25) in a meeting room at the Marriott Courtyard in Bloomington to start dreaming about what the Holy Spirit is calling our diocese and our parishes to do. All people are welcome to attend - you need not be a delegate or in any "official" capacity.
Learn more about the Acts 8 Moment here:
Acts 8 Facebook Page
Acts 8 Web Page
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