Emergent Church

What is the emergent church? What does that mean? Does it actually mean anything? Does it have a real definition yet? Is it good? Is it worse than Scientology? What in the world is the Emergent Church???

Well, to begin, let’s talk about some of the things that we do know for sure. First, the Emergent Church is still so young that it doesn’t really have a definition yet. It is still in the beginning stages. It still needs to be fleshed out and solidified. One person’s definition and understanding of the Emergent Church might be completely different from anothers. How can we propose or deny things that we do not truly know yet? Honestly, the Emergent Church does not have a universal and common meaning or definition. Give it some time. Let it simmer. Then we can see if it tastes good.
Second, the Emergent Church is not evil. It’s not. We know that. Even the people who might not like it, they cannot honestly call it evil. It is not like the Emergent Church is trying to COMPLETELY change the church and roll around in blasphemy and frolick in heresy. They don't. And it's not evil. We all need to find some common ground there. We know for sure that this is not a purely evil conspiracy.
Third, we know that this new breakthrough has not played itself out yet. It is still relatively new. There have been some great books about the emergent thought. There have been excellent church examples of this emergent philosophy. It is starting to gain ground and gain structure and framework, but it is not to the point where it is decisive yet. It is too new. We have not seen the scope of its proven successes. We have not seen its pro's and con's. We have not seen what this house will look like. So how can we say if it is successful or not? Just as we know for sure that it is not evil, we know for sure that it's not a proven success yet, either. It's still new. It's still early. It's still developing. Before we crown it the most wonderful thing since sliced beads (yes, sliced beads) - we need to see if it is even successful and good for the church. We really do not know yet.

The final thing that we know for sure is this: we are all on the same team. Emergent church. Old church. Young church. New church. No matter what it is, where you are from, how old you are, or what you believe - we are all on the same team. We all want Christ to further. We all want the Message to spread. We want the Church to grow. We are all on the same team. We know that for sure. And we need to remember that. For sure.

So what is the Emergent Church? Here’s what it is. It’s frustration about the Church’s failures. It’s a cry for relevancy toward a new generation. It’s a desire for community. It’s a passion for the lost and the lonely. It's a hope for a better Church...out of a love for the Church...and an obedience to be the best we can be.


And I think we can all agree that those are good things. Let’s start there.