Emerging Church

One of the phrases being thrown around by those involved in anything new in the church is 'Emerging Church'. Just about anyone who wants to be different can claim to be part of the Emerging Church, for some people it means one thing for others it means something else. When I first started exploring what is the emerging church, some people indicated it was about bringing the old stuff of the church into a new environment and some times understanding it in different ways. Some even used the term Ancient Future. Others said it Christianity as it originally was. After awhile I soon realised that the best way to understand the Emerging Church is to read, visit, participate and explore what it was about it. The following information hopefully helps you on this journey....

Understanding the Emerging Church
Article from Christianity Todays that explores five streams that lead into the lake called the emerging church; they are prophetic, post modern, praxis (how the faith is lived out) orientated, Post evangelical and Political
Wikipedia entry on the Emerging Church provides a quick overview
Religion and ethics news weekly has an discussion that introduces the emerging church
What is the emerging church? article by Scott McKnight
What should we think of the emerging church? article in Christian Post by R Albert Mohler jnr
Apologetics index has a number of articles explaining and crtiquing various aspects of the emerging church
Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon offers an online video that gives an overview of the Emerging Church and some of its leaders.

Concerns about the emerging church
Take back Canada examines and collates a number of articles, books and papers that oppose the Emerging Church
Understanding the times offers a number of articles and resource critizing the emerging church. Some of what they call the emerging church (like Purpose Driven Life) is generally not seen as the emerging church.
Sound witness critiques the emerging church

Resources and web sites relating to being an Emerging Church
Emergingchurch.info offers an introduction, emerging church stories, reflection from those in the emerging church, research, prayer and links
Emergentvillage is a growing, generative friendship among missional Christians seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It offers events, PODCASTS and WEBLOGs
The OOZE is one of the original and premier sites for the emerging church movement with a host of articles, conversations, recommendations and a lot more.
The Next Wave is an online magazine for the church in a post modern culture
Tyndale University and College online reading room offers articles, books and links relating to the emerging church
Anglimergent offers details of events, stories, information on books and other resources, discussion and a lot more
ChurchNext is a place where Christians forming new expressions of faith can share stories and ideas
FutureChurch NZ is a platform for emerging forms of Spirituality

Specific Lutheran articles and resources relating to the Emerging Church
Emerging Lutherans offers a range of resources, conversation opportunities and ideas on Lutherans being emerging
Perspective: A good fit for Lutheran theology....the Lutheran (ELCA) magazine
The emerging church, emerging eucharist and the U2charist article in the Lutheran ELCA magazine
Lutheran Emerging Huddle on Facebook
Emergent Leaders Network is a site for sharing resources, stories, experiences, hopes, dreams and prayers
The Lutheran Zephr offers a range of articles and blog articles relating to the emerging church
The Lutheran wikitionary entry relating to emerging church
Emerging Lutheran Blog
Father Hollywood offers a discussion and critque on the claim that Lutherans can be emerging
A short discussion from the WELS church about the emerging church

Emerging Church Congregations
House for all sinners and saints
Church of the Apostles
The Well
Mosiac
Anchorgaslamp
The SimpleWay
Solomon's Porch
The Living Room
Cafe Church

Blogs from Emerging Church Leaders
Jesus Creed: Scott McKnight
jakebouma.com offers great resources including a chart comparing various eras of Christianity
Leonard Sweet article and blog
Brian McLaren
Dan Kimball
Erwin McManus
Josh Reich
Dion Forster
Doug Pagitt
Tall Skiny Kiwi

Books and other resources for those exploring the emerging church
Book Reviews in Christianity Today

Emerging Ministry: Being church today (Lutheran Voices)



An Emergent Theology for an emergent church

The Emerging Church

Emerging Churches



Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church


The Emerging Church:


Listening to the beliefs of the emerging church


They like Jesus but not the church: Insights from the emerging church


Church in the emerging culture: 5 perspectives


Emerging Worship


Confessions of a reformission Rev


If you know of anything else relating to the emerging church please feel free to email me at richard.schwedes@lca.org.au

Commentary Directory

Looking for a commentary or want to compare commentaries....

Maybe you are looking for a commentary written by a particular scholar...

www.bestcommentaries.com is a handy directory of commentaries...

Lutheran Leaderhship 8: Obstacle removers, not obstacle encouragers or enforcers

The core mission of Jesus is extremely clear....

Read John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Reflect and share
As one of his disciples how does Jesus core mission affect how you lead?
Where can you see examples of Jesus core mission in your life and the organisations you are leading?
Where can you see Jesus core mission missing in your life and the organisations you are leading?

One of the issues every leader faces is that there will be obstacles to us living out and leading people in being in touch with Jesus core mission, at times we even put obstacles in the road.
We can assume there are more important things than Jesus core mission. This could be the hoops people need to jump through to receive God's love, that they must participate or like a certain style of music or worship, that they need be living perfectly up to our standards before God would even consider loving them, that everyone must worship at the same time or anything else that we say is crucial that the bible doesn't say is crucial (remember the Lutheran principle we do and not do what the bible clearly says, but where it is not covered there is freedom).

Even the disciples fell into the trap of putting up obstacles of others developing relationships with Jesus.

Read Matthew 19:13-14, Mark 10:13-16 and Matthew 18:15-17
Reflect on and share
What do these texts say to us as leaders about people being in contact with Jesus?
What do they mean for us?
Are there any practices or thoughts in our organisation that needs to be reviewed to remove the obstacles that exist for people to develop a relationship with Jesus?
Why do you think we want to develop and enforce obstacles?

One of the things in life we need to face is that people are different...there are different generations, different personalities, different backgrounds and experiences....
This situation of differences often results in what one person sees as good another sees as bad...but for many things, not all the reality is neither is good nor bad maybe just more appropriate for one type of person and less appropriate for another. And the bible does talk to us about this situation read 1 Corinthians 12 and 13....

and if you are interested in learning about the different types of people that maybe in your organisation and how they may connect with Jesus read the book Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas....it highlights 7 different types of people and the ways they relate to Jesus....

Passionate Life Devotional

The Passionate Life Devotional is an excellent short devotional book that stirs the reader to a closer spiritual walk with Christ. These inspirational reflections all centre around a basic theme - Jesus invites us to "Come" and experience life with Him. He invites the faithful, the sinner, the weary, the rich and His invitations require a response from us. This devotional challenges the reader to repond by drawing closer to the Lord. The short devotionals are fresh, thought provoking and encouraging.

Contemporary Music Resources

The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Westborough has developed an excellent set of resources for those congregations using contemporary music in their worship.

They include:
Song List
Song list by Sunday
Song list by placement

To obtain these resources visit http://www.goodshepherdcares.org/NewDirection.html#songs