WHAT Is Emerging Anyway

I keep getting final year bible students wanting to do disserations on Emerging Church. Hopefully its because of how i am living and not that i look like a hippy new ager and by default a good candidate for non conformity.
The first thing i have to get over (before the ensuing onslaught of new community questions tackles me to the ground and rubs my face in the mud) is that The Whole Church is Emerging, If it has ears to hear what God is asking of it in this season..................... flipping long season.
For instance, some emerging issues of the church re emerging are in relation to: Where is the rising Generation? What Happened to the last one (which worked its way to the back of your church and deeper into the pigeon holes of 'lost sheep and prodigal sons')? What happened to Gender Marginalisation (women second class) And all those other Whats. Oh, and Extending kingdom in work place - you know the one, the one where the construct values you on the basis that you can do PA, and is very grateful that your successful business tithe in part salaries the new kids worker. Catch My Drift?
So - EMERGING CHURCH ISSSSSSSSS NOTTTTT about another group of people leaving the inherited church in the hope of finding fuller life and purpose (although thats one aspect of whats happening)..Its about whatever God is asking of you and your guys next, on the road to transformation and re engaging - yes re engaging with life and the works spheres. It may be something measured, it may be and exploration of partnering with other tribes in your city so we dont duplicate works and waste resources. It may be that you realise that Cell 'wasnt it' as the publicity more than implied, but was a wake up call on our walk back into meaningful LIFE LAYING DOWN RELATIONSHIPS - ........ aha, just about the time that you realise you have to totally deconstruct...What? . . . the CONSTRUCT, because every step you take towards re engaging with life SMELLS OF AND IS LIMITED BY CONSTRUCT THINKING and you need to detox to be of much use at all.
He breathes out!

A City Sized Soundbite

The good thing about what God is doing in shaking the walls of church down, is that we can see one another across the city. The good thing about what God is doing in these days is it enables me to agree with some thinkers - that church is both big and small - but not in the least bit cell and congregation - instead its back to families and city. By Families i mean grass roots bunches of people around natural family or created family, more around whats naturally bubbling up than what we can contrive. By City i mean, Gods view of church as geographical (see pauls letters to territorial 1 church or the letters to the angels of the city church in revs).

So.. im having to work in two direction these days - back into high risk relationships (or as my friend carl in orlando says - 'invasive community, friendships that are not solely on your terms'), but also finding interdependancy upon the other limbs in our locality - which means i have to work hard NOT to re create MICROCOSM church where we have independance and no need of others (which just means we are 2 dimensional and with real defecits at the end of the day - so why do it?)

The biggest trouble isnt the grass roots relationships, although that does come at a price, its actually the city, its actually making the choice to no longer work against unity. We dont have to work to be unified as church in our locality, we just need to stop doing the things that separate us off from one another. Good that isnt it? You cant make Gods unity work with the church, you just have to stop being dorks and stop trying to keep your stuff together and around your distinct vision. By this i mean, we have distinct gifts as tribes and groups that God has formed, which the whole needs from me/ us, and the toughest bit - seeing we have need of them and are richer for the trying.
'So What' - I Say to the Fella who tells me that ' im fightened to let go of MY church incase it falls apart' to which i have to say "if it falls apart - it was never together"

Im ranting - so ill stop with this city tasty morsel.............. "What God Is Doing In Terms of Unity, Is Not Icing To Your Existing Church Cake........... It Is The Absent Ingredient That Demands The Cake Get Re Baked "

World View V Resources

The other day i was helping with a churches intership training, it was part of a series on Leadership, integrity, ability and all that kind of stuff. The guys gave really good 10 minutes talks on:A) What they liked or valued about leaders - B) If they could change anything about their church, what would it be.

I had a short slot at the end to pick up the loose threads. The primary loose thread appeared to be, if they view church in those two flows (from previous article) that a wrong flow would dictate how they would communicate, what they would communicate, what they would lead the next generation towards. All of them believed that church should flow outwards, and that our ecclesiology (church infrastructure) should be dicatated by and formed through our Missiology (what we are here to do). In reality, most had never thought of this, were beginning to think of this or were so 'INHERITED CHURCH' in their thinking, didnt realise there was anythign to think about. In reality - their leadership development and use of time was at this stage, fairly well orientated to a Wrong Flow model of church. As such, it was likely that this Inherited thinking would re enforce things to the next generation.
Funnily, after the session was over, i was in their church office being showed various types of welcome pack model, Lots of leaflets about programmes, values and mission statement...... mission statements that marginalise mission to a seminary call or the mission field of elsewhere in the world, like the disciples were on hold in Jerusalem and skipped to Judea.
I know the church has been there for around 90 years, so i thought i would go lightly, by asking, " is it the mission of the church, to see people undergoing personal transformation - leading to societal transformation?" 'Yes', "So, over the last 10 years, how has the former significantly begun to effect the latter, what of your communication, your training, your money and resources are flowing towards the Transforming of the City? - Oh, and havent you been trying this for 90 years? to what end?"

I wonder where that next generation will take things if they have the capacity to be formed and provoked to once again, have church as the agent of the coming kingdom, and i wonder if their leadership can lead us back into life? We are not judged by what we do not know - but by the choices we make once God has shown us options, another way.

Church As Centre = WRONG KINGDOM FLOW

Which Way does church flow for you?
Lets start with some level ground before i say more. Jesus came for a lot of reasons, right, but can we agree that His primary objective was To Reconcile Man To God?
Ok - As Gods Agent of the Kingdom..... What, amongst many others im sure - is the Primary Purpose of the Church - as co heirs and partners with God?.....

In light of this:
It would be fair to say, Jesus came to earth with a revelation of the father that we might be reconciled to Him. As such - as his image bearers we take on the collective identity of bride- His bride, Church. As church - we live life in the world, reconciling others to Him, and thus as Church in and through all things - Extend the Kingdom. Build Church or Kingdom.

Can i rephrase that - Jesus Came - Reconcile To Father - Entity Of Church Born - Continue Reconciling as We Extend Kingdoms Rule and Reign as Church In And Through All Things - And As Such.................. Hasten The End - His Final Coming.

Thats FLOW 1.
The Other Flow is This.................. Allow It To Speak To You.

Jesus came with a revelation of the father, that we might be reconciled to Him (or as one comment in feedbacksaid...'far more consequencial 'to reconcile ALL THINGS' to be more wholistic and far reaching - well said that man!!). In that reconciling we take on the identity of Church - His Bride. As such, From this Separate Defined Place....We visit the world with a revelation of The Father, Win some to him, ultimately to the Church we take them back to, to keep them safe - until Heaven Comes.

Summary......... Jesus Comes, Reconcile Man To God, Entity of Church Separate To Life and Creation where we live out spiritual things, We go from there into the World, To win others to God, and back into the church. we then do all that we can to keep them - and us, safe till heaven comes?????????
But we cant, because we have removed the very dynamic and flow that means the end could come at all.

Your Church Context...Which way does it Flow?