adam walker cleaveland pomomusings.com [email protected]

Adam Walker [email protected]

WHAT IS THE EMERGING CHURCH?

Emergent Village vs Emerging Church

Emergent Village:

• Formed in 2001

• Throws parties, publishes books through a variety of partnerships and facilitates both the national and local conversations

• Is critiqued by many as being the more “liberal” portion of the emerging church movement

• Key voices: Tony Jones (National Coordinator), Brian McLaren (the “Godfather” of Emergent), Doug Pagitt, Karen Ward, Tim Keel, etc.

Emergent Village vs Emerging Church

Emerging Church:

• A broad loosely-connected network of churches - Gibbs/Bolger

• Catchall term - Jonny Baker

• Gibbs/Bolger definition: “Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern culture.” (44)

Chapter 2: What is the Emerging Church?

Deconstructionists?

• Dismantling current ideas of what church is.

Deconstruction leads to contextualization

Is the emerging church generational ministry?

• Gen-X beginnings

• Young Leaders Network

• Terra Nova Theological Project

• Emergent / Emergent Village


Fresh Expressions of Church:

• Anglican/UK version of emerging church.

Doug Pagitt’s typology:

• Return to Reformation (Mars Hill/Seattle)

• Deep systemic changes, but Christianity & church are still center (University Baptist/Waco)

• Focus more on Kingdom than on church (Solomon’s Porch)


Adam Walker Cleaveland’s typology:

• Aesthetically Postmodern: Candles & Coffee Theologically Conservative

• Methodologically Postmodern: Dialogue-focused, Shared/Communal leadershipTheologically Conservative/Moderate

• Theologically Postmodern: Engaging in new aesthetics & methods, they also engage in new theology, re-thinking everythingTheologically Moderate/Liberal


Gibbs/Bolger’s Three Core Practices:

1. Identifying with the life of Jesus

2. Transforming Secular Space

3. Living as Community

Definition: “Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures.”

Chapter 3: Identifying with Jesus

A renewed focus on Jesus & Kingdom

Missio Dei

Re-thinking the Gospel as the Gospel of the Kingdom

• Individual --> Communal

• Sin-Management --> Embodying New Way

• Salvation --> Participation

Jesus was not a church planter: Goal isn’t to start churches (Wicker Park Grace, Hartmans in DC)

How (Not) to Speak of God, by Pete Rollins


“In this way the emerging conversation is demonstrating an ability to stand up and

engage in a powerless, space creating discourse

that opens up thinking and offers hints rather than

orders. In short the emerging community must

endeavor to be a question rather than an answer and

an aroma rather than food. It must seek to offer

an approach that enables the people of God to become

the parable, aroma and salt of God in the

world, helping to form a space where God can

give of God. For too long the church has been

seen as an oasis in the desert - offering water to

the thirsty.


In contrast, the emerging community appears more

as a desert in the oasis of life offering silence,

space and desolation amidst the sickly nourishment of western capitalism. It is

here in this desert as we wander together as nomads,

that God is to be found. For it is here that we

are nourished by our hunger.”

BLATANT Self-Promotion

For more info, check out:

http://www.pomomusings.comhttp://www.emergentvillage.org

For information on how PC(USA) pastors, laity, CPMs, seminary professors, General & Executive Presbyters and other denominational leaders are engaging in the Emergent conversation, check out:

http://www.presbymergent.org

adam walker cleaveland pomomusings.com [email protected]

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