Dinner and discussion with Jon Tyson

It seems in some ways Jon is the heir to the Redeemer stuff. He is not just wanting to imitate Redeemer, but reflect on their ministry and values and think how to move it forward, continuing their project and solving the practical problems that he perceives from how they've implemented it.

Here's a bunch of things that came up in our discussion:

1. The danger of video venues for church is that 'the medium is the message' and the medium communcates that the preacher is a celebrity.
2. One of the challenges Redeemer has encountered is finding out how to really get people to live their vision.
3. A related issue is encouraging a big view fo city renewal, while keeping the missionary edge. Jon is trying to restore the pointy edge to the holistic vision.
4. A few book recommendations: The Spiderweb and the Starfish (great movements don't just have one head and lots of legs like a spider, but rather independant legs that regrow, like a starfish); Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; Flickering Pixels and also The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture (both by the same author, they warn of the unintended consequences of technology); A Community Called Atonement; Who's Your City? (a bo
   
5. Keep learning and reading. Seek to master a new topic every year. That's the great thing about Keller: he knows more about everything and has worked out a theology about every major industry in Manhattan.
6. To avoid encouraging people to attend several churches at once, only have appointments with those who are solely committed to your church.