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In this newly revised and expanded edition of The Emerging Church, Bruce Sanguin continues his exploration of the characteristics of emerging, evolutionary-driven congregations and provides updated guidelines and advice to those seeking to effect evolutionary change in their own contexts.
In this newly revised and expanded edition of The Emerging Church, Bruce Sanguin continues his exploration of the characteristics of emerging, evolutionary-driven congregations that provides updated guidelines and advice to those seeking to effect evolutionary change in their own contexts.
Millennials and progressive Christians are continuing their work of creating alternative spaces for spiritual and religious expressions in North America. The practices and beliefs of progressive Christian movements like the emerging church and millennials, who tend toward spirituality over and against religion, have been the targets of much criticism. Yet millennials and progressive Christians continue to both curate spaces for self- and collective expression while also engaging within contexts often critical or hostile. This collection analyzes these movements from theological, religious-studies, and social-scientific perspectives to provide a more holistic view of what is taking shape in religious and spiritual trends, and it ventures to project what may lie ahead for the progressive Christianity that is emerging and enduring.
Millennials and progressive Christians are continuing their work of creating alternative spaces for spiritual and religious expressions in North America. The practices and beliefs of progressive Christian movements like the emerging church and millennials, who tend toward spirituality over and against religion, have been the targets of much criticism. Yet millennials and progressive Christians continue to both curate spaces for self- and collective expression while also engaging within contexts often critical or hostile. This collection analyzes these movements from theological, religious-studies, and social-scientific perspectives to provide a more holistic view of what is taking shape in religious and spiritual trends, and it ventures to project what may lie ahead for the progressive Christianity that is emerging and enduring.
The emerging church movement has quickly become one of the fastest growing ecclesiological phenomena in the west today. But there is still a debate to be had about how the church understands its identity and purpose within postmodern culture. Offering an assessment of the impact of the emerging church upon the church in the West, and examining the thinking of the movement's leading proponents including Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, "New World, New Church?" affirms what is good and insightful in the emerging church and offers a robust critical evaluation of its theological revisions. Table of Contents: 1. What is the Emerging Church? 2. The Emerging Church and Culture 3. The Emerging Church and Eschatology 4. The Emerging Church and Missiology 5. The Emerging Church and Ecclesiology 6 The Church of Tomorrow Bibliography
With the Christian church in the west in decline, some churches are undergoing difficult transitions as they seek to become relevant, to both themselves and their surrounding cultures. Evangelicalism and the Emerging Church details an ethnographic study of a Vineyard congregation making sense of their Vineyard roots and their growing relationship with the self-proclaimed "emerging church" network. Through a rich account of congregational life and tensions, universal issues are raised such as relating to religious parentage, creating safe places for spirituality, Christian growth and maturity, communication with contemporary culture, and the challenges of identity reconstruction. This book is the first to conduct an academic study of a Vineyard congregation in the United Kingdom.
A careful and informed assessment of the “emerging church” by a respected author and scholar The “emerging church” movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair. Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and is general editor of Telling the Truth and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world.
ReShape is a guided process for capturing and integrating the innovation and adaptation resulting from volatile life experiences, transforming churches into greater expressions of the body of Christ. -ReShape Purpose StatementAs our world becomes more of a VUCA environment (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), Christ-followers and churches are looking for God's calling within the volatility. Many churches and their leaders are hearing the call to transformation inherent in life disruption events. Like Holy Spirit winds blowing on dormant coals, churches are adapting and shifting in our quickly changing ministry environment, eager to integrate their experiences into their common life and ministry. ReShape is not a book of best practices, but is a process for discovering your church's emerging practices. After setting the context, readers will learn the seven key practices for reshaping churches when volatile events come our way, anticipating the following outcomes ¿Integrating the innovation gained through volatile experiences¿Gracefully laying aside those activities which have become irrelevant¿Greater spiritual imagination; emerging into the unfolding call of God while moving ahead¿Increasing vitality; more eagerly pursuing life and mission¿Turning toward a growth posture; looking for the spiritual and organizational transformation opportunities in every life experience¿Cultivating a culture of innovation wherein adaptive activity is blessed and reinforced¿Strengthening leadership through valuing leaders who call churches forward into their emerging expression of church¿Strengthening adaptive capacity; positioning for innovation as needed in this changing world¿Improving structure toward supporting mission and emerging expression of church Mark Tidsworth actively engages the intersection of God, faith, Church, and emerging culture. A wide range of vocational experiences equip Mark with an expansive perspective and integrated approach to church leadership; including leadership coach, trainer, consultant, pastor, non-profit organization leader, therapist, and business-owner. Frequently Mark is a presenter in clergy and church staff gatherings as well as denominational and congregational events. Since 2008, Mark has served as Team Leader at Pinnacle Leadership Associates based in Columbia, SC.
Christianity is essentially a historical religion. It cannot be understood merely through a set of dogmas, a moral code, or a view of the universe. Through the stories of Israel, Jesus, and the developing church, Christianity acknowledges the revelation of God in action. Augustine, the great medieval theologian, envisioned human society as composed of two "cities," distinguished by two loves: the love of God and the love of Self. He viewed these cities as universal in scope and operative throughout human history. This perspective raises questions about the church's nature, its role in society, and whether the church has lived up to its nature and destiny as God's new creation. The New Creation defines the church as "the people of God," related but not equivalent to Israel or the institutional church. This text provides a clear and concise survey of the church as God's instrument for the providential care of the earth and its human family. The story of the church begins with Abraham in the second millennium BCE, long before Jesus or the birth of Christianity, and it proceeds through three epochs: 1.Formation (c. 1850-4 BCE), 2.Transformation (4 BCE-1500 CE), and 3.Reformation (1500 CE-present). Ideal for individual or group study, The New Creation divides church history into nine units, each discussed as a phase in the church's organic growth and development. In addition to the narrative, each chapter includes three features for that epoch of church history: 1) a significant event, 2) a turning point or decisive moment, and 3) study questions.
"Why are there so many different churches?" Tracing the family tree of the modern church back to the early Christian centuries, The Extended Family explains how and why the various Christian denominations arose. It outlines the distinctive beliefs, traditions, practices, and values of the many church families in modern Britain, what they have in common, and where they have either disagreed or agreed to differ. It also examines the vital question: whether any of the differences between churches should still matter today.
