The Emerging Church I need Help.....

[Thomas Cook]

I have seen and heard several mentions recently of "The Emerging Church".Today at our NYI Convention it was mentioned a couple times and seems to be a new "Buzz" term or movement.(It may not be!).
Could some of you enlighten me as to what this means ? Is it an organized thing? Is it something that has defined parameters or is it more general?
Do you know the history or roots of the idea? Is it across denominational lines and is it occuring in the COTN? How would one recognize and/or know an emerging Church?
As you no doubt have perceived , I am almost totally ignorant of this term or Movement and would be deeply appreciative for any enlightenment.Thanks in advance to any who may reply and have a blessed Sunday!
Tom

[Ryan Scott]

There are lots of threads all over Naznet with varying degrees of discussion on the topic.

It began simply as space for conversation, where people could ask, discuss, and think through questions unwelcome in other church settings.

It's more than than now, although still new enough as to be without answers to most questions.

I would say the emerging church is an attempt by a new generation (not necessarily defined by age) to discover what it means to be faithful followers of God in a new world and in light of new challenges.

[Heidi Anderson]

I would also add that we want to find purpose to our calling...actually get our hands dirty in a way others either refuse to do or won't do. Living out (literally) Matt. 5, 6 & 7

Being missional - purposeful - organic - I've often said it's not my job to bring people to Jesus (as if he's sedentary) but to bring Jesus to people. That's how I perceive emergence.

Sadly, not all agree - mostly out of fear or ignorance.

[Meghan Schoonover]

A good starting place for me to understand emergent/ing/postmodern stuff was Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian (http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Spiritual-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209272629&sr=8-1). :)

[Billy Cox]

A good starting place for me to understand emergent/ing/postmodern stuff was Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian (http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Spiritual-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209272629&sr=8-1). :)

I just finished reading the book. There is alot to take in. I'll probably have to re-read it at some point.

[John Kennedy]

Tom -

This might prove helpful: http://emergentnazarene.blogspot.com

[John Kennedy]

The above didn't seem to work. Try www.emergentnazarenes.com

[Ryan Scott]

I just finished reading the book. There is alot to take in. I'll probably have to re-read it at some point.


Plus there's two more books in the series that build on the first.

[Heidi Anderson]

I just finished reading the book. There is alot to take in. I'll probably have to re-read it at some point.

I liked the second one even **more** than the first. Really good stuff.

[Ken Pell]

Thomas,
This article by Hal Knight is a pretty good place to start. It looks at the Emergent Conversation from a Wesleyan perspective. It gives 7 comparisons and a critique.

http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/pmol/PFVemerging.htm