Comments for Emergent church conference explores what movement is, isn't at http://pres-outlook.net , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://pres-outlook.net Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:12:56 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-3009 This is a great article, attempting to explain what emergent is. Its something that churches have to deal with as it shapes church culture. We have to engage it in conversation to help some of our old churches to reinvent themselves without going full blown into some of the church growth Materials. NET RESULTS needs to do some more stuff in this direction. Pastor Chris http://www.evangelismcoach.org - james walker Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-3006 Leslie, thanks for a great article. In response to Matt Ferguson's comment, I can only speak from my experience with many of the people who helped to begin Emergent Village, but I have never once thought of them as those who 'do violence to God's word.' I am friends with many of them, and find them to be people who care passionately about the Kingdom of God and how we can help to bring it about in the world today. They have a robust Christology and are faithful followers of God. Thomas, I too hope that PNCs (and CPMs, for those of us who have yet to be ordained but are in the middle of the process) will be able to open up their imaginations enough to support those of us who desire to be loyal radicals in the denomination. But I would clarify one thing: Emergent is not about church growth. The two are not synonymous. Emergent & the emerging church is not the Church Growth Movement, Round 2. It goes beyond that, it goes deeper than that... - Adam Walker Cleaveland Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-3000 I resent the message that the PC(SA) is dying or whatever the disgruntled are saying. My congregation is alive, vital, vibrant, growing and in love with the church. Leaving the PC(USA) is not the answer; if we want to be all God wants us to be we must stay, pray, fight, preach the truth of God';s Word. I am not blind to some of the ways the church is going opposite of what God has called us to be. That is not an excuse, not even a good reason. God is with us and He will enable us to be true, faithful and once again see the churhc flourish. - bert wiley Sat, 10 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-2997 good recap, i think you captured the complexity of this 'movement' thanks! - Bruce Reyes-Chow Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-2999 Mark Driscoll (of Mars Hill church) is one of the leaders the emergent folks love to quote. In his book 'Confessions of a Reformissionl Rev' (or something close to that---I am away from my office as I write this note) Driscoll talks about his early involvement with folks in the emergent movement and explains why he now rejects the emergent folks because, as he writes, they do violence to God's word'. There is a vast difference between the emergent folks (in reality they are progressives) and the emerging folks (they are orthodox). So be warned and beware. - Matt Ferguson Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-2990 Thanks for a captivating look at the church that my children are exploring now. I'm deeply interested in how this works itself out into 'the way we do church now.' Great site links too. A simple exloration of them leaves you with challenging questions that aren't too unlike the ones the Jesus Movement asked about authentic community and how to be the Church. Thanks for a super job Leslie. - Jeffrey Bridgeman Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-2989 History has taught us that the message of Christ needs to be made fresh or contextualized for each generation. When the PCUSA becomes frozen in its presentation of the Gospel message, I believe it's because of the institutional attitudes that are abounding that limit innovation. The church then becomes a monument to a past move of God. How often does a Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) look for an entrepreteur or for someone to think outside the box to get results in their community? Most frequently, the PNC will look for someone like the last pastor and for someone who will continue things as they have always been done. We need to realize that our church's maintenance mode (hence a non-growing church), runs counter to the lessons that we learn from the Book of Acts. In Acts, we are called to ask God what God is doing in our communities, what we can do to be a part of the move of God, and to ask God to bless our 'everything for God' efforts of building the Kingdom of God for God's glory. - Thomas Emery Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.net/news-and-analysis/1-news-a-analysis/3966.html#comment-2985 Wonderful description of this quite interesting phenomena within Christianity. This kind of bubbling up worship and 'church' experience is what happens within Christianity all the time. For amateur historians like me this movement is an old story. It has been happening since the beginning of Christianity and in every century. People begin to experience dissatisfaction with the old ways and experiment with the new, not even realizing the new is an old reality. Christianity is an incredibly dynamic reality when you consider all the 'bodies of Christ'. I applaud the efforts and I welcome the experimentation. I also embrace the long-term dialogue-in-love between emergents, mainliners, sideliners, evangelicals, catholics, orthodox, and anyone else. I hope and pray as this movement continues it will not have to go through the cleansing persecutions that many Christian movements have experienced. On the other hand, maybe all movements need the contextual cross to temper it and make it stronger as it grows. May I live long enough to see where this whole movement goes. - Martin Shelton-Jenck Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100