Fall/Winter 2006 Update

Greetings, friends!
Thanks for your interest in my work. I hope that you have found some encouragement and help in my books, and I hope this website will also be of value to you.
I had an unforgettable summer – I spent 5 weeks travelling Latin America, teaching and dialoguing in seven countries, from Mexico to Chile and Argentina. For most of the trip, I travelled with Dr. Rene Padilla, a theologian and leader from whom I have learned so much. I met so many wonderful people – you can read a rather lengthy report here. (Also see Orientacion Cristiana.)
I’ve been in 20 different countries this year, and everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve heard leaders lamenting the fact that the church in the USA doesn’t seem to listen to their sisters and brothers in the rest of the world. I invited a number of friends to send me short messages that they’d like the Christian community in the US to hear, and I’ll be posting their messages here soon.
You’ll also find some big news about my plans for 2008. You might want to be involved!
This fall, I’ll be in Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana, New Brunswick, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Washington State, Tennessee, California, Virginia, Florida, Arkansas, and Illinois … maybe we’ll get to meet in person in one of these places. (See the schedule for details.) It’s clear that I won’t be bored!
Meanwhile, I’ll be finishing up “Jesus and the Suicide Machine” between now and the end of the yar. I finished the first draft while in Argentina … I’m so excited about this book. Be prepared for something quite different from anything I’ve written before.
I’ve been getting some wonderful reports of people using “The Secret Message of Jesus” for sermon series, small groups, classes, and even retreats. Just as I’d hoped, the book connects with people who are “spiritual but not religious,” skeptics, and otherwise unconnected from Christian commitment – along with committed Christians too. The book has had a stronger start than any of my previous books.
Other news – I begin my term as board chair for Sojourners (sojo.net) this fall. I’ve also been working closely with Jim Wallis, Tony Campolo, Adam Taylor, Diana Butler Bass, Amy Sullivan, and others in a new venture called “Red-Letter Christians.” Many of us have been trying to find ways to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. I hope you’ll do what you can to help as well.
And as always, I’m thrilled to see what’s happening with emergentvillage.com. Good things are happening!
I thank God for the privilege of serving you in some small way. Thanks for your encouragement and interest. Let’s keep on … plotting goodness!
Brian