Posted on 12/07/2004 5:12:03 AM PST by missyme
As we enter the 21st century, a vital new expression of Christianity is growing in the United States and worldwide. This movement even has a name. It is called "the Emergent Church."
This movement expresses what I call "progressive evangelicalism," because it emphasizes traditional evangelical beliefs - affirming the doctrines of the Apostle's Creed, a high view of Scripture and the importance of a personal transforming relationship with a resurrected Christ - yet rejects the structures and styles of institutionalized Christianity. The Emergent Church
The Emergent Church turns away from spending money on buildings. Instead, most congregations meet as "house churches" or gather in makeshift storefronts and warehouses.
Emergent churches espouse a decentralized grassroots form of Christianity that rejects the hierarchal systems of denominational churches. Each emergent congregation makes its own decisions by consensus.
Leadership is fluid, with all members sharing authority and participating in the mission of the church. Task forces are assembled to undertake such specific programs as feeding the homeless, establishing a partnership with a Third World church, developing an after-school tutoring program for disadvantaged children or organizing people in a poor neighborhood to solve pressing social problems.
The missionary programs of such congregations are committed to direct involvement with those they decide to serve. These churches want little to do with bureaucratic organizations with professional administrators. Members of these congregations want to be involved personally with those in need. They want to know the names and faces of the people they serve.
Emergent congregations must not be confused with those nondenominational mega-churches that seem to be popping up increasingly in communities across the nation. In fact, the two are markedly different.
Emergent churches often express a disdain for the "contemporary-worship music" heard in many mega-churches.
The worship in emergent churches often includes classical music, and such congregations often follow a more formal liturgical style that may even incorporate such ancient forms of praying as that of monastic orders.
The people who join emergent congregations are often folks who have tired of what goes on in churches that have "contemporary services."
A postmodern mindset
The Emergent Church is often somewhat indifferent to theological and social issues that seem urgent to mainstream evangelicalism. These church members tend to think that the crusade against homosexual marriage is a waste of time and energy, and they tend to reject the exclusivistic claims that many evangelicals make about salvation.
They are not about to damn the likes of Gandhi or the Dali Lama to hell simply because they have not embraced Christianity.
In many ways, these Christians express a postmodern mindset that may come across as being somewhat "new age."
They see care for the environment as a major Christian responsibility. They are attracted to Christian mysticism. They talk a great deal about "spiritual formation" and focus significant attention on the healing of illnesses through prayer.
This new expression of Christianity is growing faster than most sociologists could have predicted. It is thriving, in part, because so many people are fed up with the arguing and pettiness that they claim are all too evident in the rest of Christendom.
It remains to be seen whether the Emergent Church will fade away or become an ongoing expression of Christianity.
But there is no question that it is attracting many sophisticated Christians who contend that traditional mainline churches are devoid of vitality and mega-churches are irrelevantly narrow.
The word "progressive" is a bad choice, I fear. It is too closely associated with the progressive NCC--Nat'l Council of Churches. "Progressive church" in my mind immediately conjures up Democrats, Unitarians, Wiccans, etc.
MORE ON APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY:
This weekend, the Seattle-based nonprofit Mustard Seed Associates sponsored a conference to bring together leaders of the new church movement with mainline church leaders.
"I genuinely believe that God is raising up a new generation of 20- and 30-year-olds that are reinventing and bringing renewal to the church," said Tom Sine of Mustard Seed. "It's a breath of fresh air for the church."
In 1998, the Leadership Network, a church-resource group based in Dallas, estimated that 150 to 200 churches targeting young adults had been created since 1994. The numbers are believed to have grown considerably since.
Some experts believe it's the next phase of development for Western churches.
Seattle, with its largely unchurched but spiritual population, is a natural for the emerging churches, said Edmund Gibbs, professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Mars Hill Church, commonly regarded as the most theologically conservative of the new local churches, holds four services at its main site Sundays, and a fifth in the University District. It has about 1,600 members.
*ping*
Wow! Tom Sine, after all these years. I remember him--and this Mustard Seed org is still out there? If it has not changed a great deal in twenty-two years, I wouldn't call Mustard Seed "apostate"-- he was then an evangelical of generally conventional doctrine. A lot can change, however, in a couple of decades...
.......The Emergent Gnostic Kristian Leach of Kristian Science......Haters of the 66 books of the bible?
Another Ecumenical Kingdom Unity Theory.......of mess-ianic roots nonsense.....
:-(
(Romans 10:17)
Jesus Christ
This movement expresses what I call "progressive evangelicalism," because it emphasizes traditional evangelical beliefs - affirming the doctrines of the Apostle's Creed, a high view of Scripture and the importance of a personal transforming relationship with a resurrected Christ - yet rejects the structures and styles of institutionalized Christianity. The Emergent Church
Actually, if this description of this growing movement is truthful and factual, this church sounds a lot like the first Christian churches described in Acts of the Apostles.
One encouraging idea, if true, is that these folks actually believe in hands on Christianity, inc. charity, rather than relying on the "gubmint". That's why I don't get the description as progressive. Progressive in these times is actually a code word for socialist.
High church with no authority. Doctrine as a substrate for atmosphere. Worship for aesthetes. FM types.
The Emergent Church is often somewhat indifferent to theological and social issues that seem urgent to mainstream evangelicalism. These church members tend to think that the crusade against homosexual marriage is a waste of time and energy, and they tend to reject the exclusivistic claims that many evangelicals make about salvation. They are not about to damn the likes of Gandhi or the Dali Lama to hell simply because they have not embraced Christianity.
No, not really, not while I still have Acts 4:12 in my Bible.
In fact, news flash to the reporter: this is nothing new. Been there, done that, still paying the bills. It was called Modernism, it was called Social Gospel, it was called Liberalism. It comes in varying shades and colors, but it hasn't much changed. New package, old poison.
Dan
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We attend one of those "mega churches" but mega churches don't start out that way. Ours started as a small group meeting in a rented hall, then a warehouse, then a storefront, and now a former Walmart.
Mega-churches don't "pop up" out of the blue with large attendances, they grow in numbers just like any other church.
And many mega-churches have planted other churches in neighboring communities just to cope with the growth.
Another reason these churches are popping up in "increasing" numbers just again highlights the changing demographics of our country...the moral values voter.
The article actually paints emerging churches with a very broad brush. I'm familiar with several that would fall into the "emerging church" category. They are quite sound theologically and would certainly not say all beliefs are valid or true.
I think the big difference is for these types of churches, the gospel isn't about sin management but about the invitation to the kingdom.
Unfortunately many conservative evangelicals preach nothing but a brand of faith that produces "converts" who seek a "get out of hell free card" and a lifeless intellectual assent to some facts.
- Kevin
As we enter the 21st century, a vital new expression of Christianity is growing in the United States and worldwide. This movement even has a name. It is called "the Emergent Church."
Now we know what Rick Morron's,....Purpose Pushing Emergent Crutch is really about?
/sarcasm
Do you ever have anything constructive to add to the conversation?
I am struck by the rejection expressed to contemporary Christian music and services. Perhaps this is a bias projected by the author. Or I wonder if some people aren't just seeing that style of service as sometimes "slick packaging" that is too much akin to the popular music and culture (even though the words are scriptural). The article doesn't say why the Contemporary style services are not liked.
Personally, I prefer a more reverent service featuring traditional music and liturgy, but I thought it was because of my middle age status and what I was brought up with. I kind of feel that the contemporary praise music seeks to manufacture a level of emotional involvement that feels manipulative to me, but that's my personal opinion. Others love that style of music and it works for them. To each his/her own.
Don't know much more about them; they meet Sunday nights when I have other committments.
I don't care where they meet or the style of music they listen to or how big their group is.
But if they think someone other than Jesus is the light of the world, then they aren't Christian.
Is salvation (get out of hell card) not a free gift of God? If it is not free, then what obligations must a sinner fulfil before God will give the sinner a "get out of hell card"?
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