MWR story on NuDunkers & MennoNerds

From our last hangout w/ David Fitch & Geoff Holsclaw

Kelli Yoder at the Mennonite World Review interviewed me a few weeks back on the NuDunkers, and has this nice article up today on the website (and in their upcoming print edition):

Hangout for 'MennoNerds': Online Anabaptist communities build faith, friendships, resources

As the title indicates, the story is also about the MennoNerds/Anabaptist Alliance that I've had some involvement with over the past few months. (This blog appears on the MennoNerds website.) The story offers a great account of the two distinct movements, where they came from and why, as well as our "symbiotic" relationship with each other, which as been great to see.

If the Anabaptist tradition is one that's marked by a thick sense of Christian community, these two movements are a great example of how we're trying to make that happen in online spaces, while simultaneously being cognizant of the limits of virtual communities. I'll quote myself here:

“Just because NuDunkers [and MennoNerds] is entirely social-media-based, this shouldn’t replace church for any of us... It should inspire and compel us into deeper engagement with those local manifestations of church.”

It seems that is actually happening, as the story reports one couple involved in MennoNerds is starting to think about planting a new local congregation! Great story, and my thanks go to Kelli Yoder for taking the time to conduct all the interviews and write it up, as well as all the folks involved in these two exciting, young, and emerging groups!