i’m heading up to pasadena this afternoon and evening to connect with a bunch of emerging church leaders from all over the world who were brought in by Fuller and Al Roxburgh for a multi-day forum. what a rare opportunity to see old friends like Simon Hall from Leeds, UK (simon was the worship leader, and i the speaker, at a youth camp in Denmark about 10 years ago!), Doug Pagitt, Tim Keel, as well as newer friends like Andrew Jones and Steve Taylor (the Kiwi author, not the Nashville musician).

and, i lived in pasadena for five years before coming down to san diego for YS; so it will be fun to hang there.

UPDATE
great time last night. wonderful dinner with Doug P, talking openly and warmly about the future of the emergentYS publishing line. it’s good to be going through tough questions with friends you can trust, and i really sense that with Doug — emergent is not going to stab us in the back or dishonor our friendship and history (that is clear). we’re truly trying to decide what’s best for the books, and for the church — not what’s best for YS (which would clearly be to continue as is) or emergent. pray for us on this. but this wonderful dinner was made more wonderful by the food; we ate at my favorite italian restaurant on old Colorado in Pasadena, called Mi Piace. i had ricotta and pumpkin stuffed ravioli with a piece of grilled chicken on top. i’m convinced angels made it — or, it’s what angels ate for dinner last night also.

we ambled over to The Yard House (100 beers on tap!) to hook up with 25 or so of the 40 emerging church leaders from around the world — a full half of them non-U.S. Got to chat with Karen Ward, Tim Keel, Spencer Burke, John Franke, Doug, Andrew Jones, Simon Hall, Steve Taylor, and met several new friends, including a wonderful conversation with Alan Hirsch. i’m really looking forward to reading Alan’s book, which i hear is fantastic.

Jay and i left pasadena at 10:15, tried to stop at my old favorite coffee shop (which was closed), got stuck in a total-stand-still traffic jam at 11:45 somewhere south of riverside (one of those weird traffic jams where you sit on the freeway for 45 minutes, then, instantly, everyone starts moving full speed, and there is not one single sign as to what caused the stop), and got home at 1am. oof.