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September 21, 2005
The emerging church as missionaries to the mainstream church
TSK posted a link
a good and well worked challenge to the hearers.
The experimentation and practice of the emerging church is cool and will go so far, but in terms of influencing mainstream church, if we are serious about reformation then we may need to adopt missionary principles in reverse.
Take communication for example, The question of how we communicate to established church is as important as what we communicate. In the same way as choosing the language we use within our culture at times we need to choose the language of the church. If that means preaching in a style that they be familiar with and changing the medium as you speak (bringing them with you) so be it.
The anarchist in me doesn’t like it, the pragmatist approves, but holding two together is one of the most important pieces of advice I was taught at college “learn the rules of the game and learn how to break the rules without people realising you’re doing so”.
All of which brings me back to the need for an authentic theologically grounded redefinition of church. So we need people to step up and start working this stuff through in a way that will be heard.
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At 9:16 pm on September 21, 2005, AnniePorthouse.com trackbacked:
More on worship/church
a cool article
…
At 10:40 pm on September 21, 2005, Phil Goodacre commented:
Thanks…I’m glad to hear somebody else say what I’m thinking.
There are times when I look at what I’m doing in terms of networking with other youth workers/ministers, and I question what on earth I’m doing there, feeling out of place and uncomfortable.
Of late I’ve become more and more convinced of the need get alongside other youth workers/ministers on their journey, challenge their thinking on some stuff, but probably more importantly – just be in relationship with them, and all that means (love, care, dialgoue, learning from one another).
At 10:13 am on September 22, 2005, Sarah H commented:
This is good stuff to hear. I think the Emerging church often seems to show disdain for the established church (I don’t think they necessarily DO but that is perhaps how the mainstream would feel about it). In the small things that we do with our young people in the field of Alternative Worship I try to keep the church informed and engaged (with mixed success). The Emergent church must be rooted in the wider church. If it is not then there will be division. However I think the idea of the Emergent church returning HOME and telling the family about all the exciting things it has done is a brilliant idea. Like a young person who comes back from university after a term; they must speak as the family speaks but speak of things of which the family does not know. That way the young person grows, the family grows and the relationship grows.
Kind of rambling I’m afraid but it’s still formulating in my head.
At 2:34 am on September 28, 2005, BlogRodent trackbacked:
“It’s okay … I’m Emergent. I’m here to help.” Or, deconstructing the helpful deconstruction.
There’s an essential irony in all the talk about the emergent church and the old-style church and where they intersect. Or, maybe, to be charitable, there’s an essential paradox. How is it possible to decry and denounce all the old structu…
At 3:39 am on August 27, 2006, “It’s okay … I’m Emergent. I’m here to help.” Or, deconstructing the helpful deconstruction. » BlogRodent pingbacked:
[...] Here are some other bloggers who thought Greg’s list was compelling enough to link to. Jeff at rustyhinges is convinced we can’t change because we won’t change. Maybe he’s right. Grace, over at Emerging Grace, takes Greg’s questions for a nice long ride, so far turning it into a thoughtful, four-part series. Richard Passmore at Sunday Papers is asking for a “an authentic theologically grounded redefinition of church.” I’d add “biblically grounded” to that, too. Etanisla at Careless Thought admits that this is why she’s left church for good. Commenter ScottB, an ex-A/G youth pastor over at the less travelled blog, cynically exclaimed in surprise that the conversation even happened at all. Shane, at The High Places takes the time to actually answer and respond to Greg’s questions (good post, if I’d seen it first, I probably wouldn’t have written this). Dave King over at IdeaJoy, inspired by the list, is asking some good questions of his own, like wondering whether the PoMo movement and the old-school churches are both mere distractions and that the real question ought to be: “Why aren’t we loving people?” [...]