I attended a great event last night called Blah. These are evenings of missiological discussion sponsored by Church Missionary Society in London. Think . . 50 people in a big room, round tables, merlot and chardonnay, nibblies to eat, and guest speakers each time to kick start the conversation. Cool, ay! What a great mission…
Read MoreWomen: Am I Missing Something?
Back again. After another weekend internet-off-line but family-on-line. i found a wifi spot this morning near Sainsbury’s in Wathamstow and sucked in my email. Thanks to all of you for your comments and your commitment to me. I am honored. I knew something was up when I had a number of emails apologizing for harsh…
Read More“i hate the emerging church”
Speaking of emering church, i came across a group of churches in USA that were really really organic. They shifted the house meeting every time they met to allow mixed leadership. They had a big focus on food (even wrote their own cookbooks) and there commitment level to each other was so strong that insurance…
Read MoreEmerging Church Definition Additional
These thoughts represent what i added on to the email to Steve for his article, as well as some recent thoughts. 1.We are always looking for better words or concepts. The word that makes sense right now is “Emerging”.
Read MoreMcLaren on Berry
Brian McLaren sent a good email out yesterday, recommending a read of Wendell Berry’s article, In Distrust of Movements and giving some good thoughts: “There won’t be postmodern churches (or better put, churches that deeply engage with postmodern cultures) until there are Christian theologies that are not written/spoken in modern-ese. Post-modern-ese THEOLOGIES may have been…
Read MoreEmerging Church Definition 4.0
STEVE: 4. How far do you think the church has to go before it will really start to reach the emerging generation in large numbers? TALLSKINNYKIWI: As far as Jesus went, which is all the way, incarnating, fleshing out Kingdom realities in the culture God has planted us. It will take courage, risk and sacrifice.…
Read MoreEmerging Church Definition 3.0
STEVE: Why do you think the idea of an emerging church has gained such popularity over the last few years – why do so many want a part of it? TALLSKINNYKIWI: Well, some would say that the new thing is always attractive to those driving the old model, and everyone wants to upgrade from what…
Read MoreEmerging Church Definition 2.0
STEVE: WHAT EXAMPLES HAVE YOU SEEN WHICH YOU THINK DESERVE THE PHRASE "EMERGING" TALLSKINNYKIWI: – Parties. In Japan, I attended a party that was one of many now being started in that country. The parties happen in a home, with lots of food, a DJ, and discussion on spiritual things. As people decide to follow…
Read MoreEmerging Church Definition 1.0
STEVE: HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE EMERGING CHURCH?" TALLSKINNYKIWI: Steve, I have tried to define it and have failed miserably. My apologies. It may be of some console for you to know that no one else has succeeded in defining it, and some of us have been at it a long time. Maybe that is OK.…
Read MoreMore on Megachurch
Thanks for all your comments on “Willow Creek and postmodern worship”, and for your honesty. it is obvious that there is real tension between large church structures and the emerging organic structures of church. It was helpful to let those feelings to the surface, as well as to land on a place where we can…
Read MoreDefining the Emerging Church
ORIGINAL POST:This has been killing me all week. A well known magazine in England is asking me for a definition of Emerging Church. And I am really struggling with it. I have tried to avoid it in the past, since I (also) tend to snobbery and elitism, and dont want to exclude some of the…
Read MoreCafe church
Mark from Germany asks about running a cafe church (coffee shop church for Americans). Hi Mark. Yes, I know lots of café churches and have even been involved in starting them, or pastoring them. My first one was in 1989, in Portland Oregon.
Read MoreWillow Creek and postmodern worship
Mega church. There. I said it. Now you can hit me. I need to write a seperate blog entry because some of you want to clobber me regarding mega church and i would rather you did it here, in the comments section. some of the mega church people may also want a few swings. As…
Read MoreEmerging Gen pastor needed.
Big church in California called Eagle Rock has a paid position open for Emerging Generation pastor. Tom Hughes needs your application before Jan 31. Ask me for details.
Read Morecant keep people happy
its not easy to please everyone, and i often find myself in the position of not being understood or appreciated by certain segments of the church. many of you are in the same position. the first group that doesnt understand us much is the traditional church. they feel comfortable in their diagnosis that we are…
Read MoreThe “Kama Sutra” of an Emerging Church
Interesting title of an article that i will read when i get time (i am still in my meeting – and the conference room has wifi – hence me finding this article when i should be paying more attention to whats going on in front of me . . . on the other hand .…
Read MoreOff to Norway
Whats the first thing Andrew does when he arrives in London? Goes to Norway, of course. I will be gone until Thursday next week and will be speaking at a few events there related to Church Planting and DAWN Europe. Bloggers who will be there with me include Reinhold Scharnowski, Marc Van Der Woude, Kerstin…
Read MoreCarl F.H. Henry dies at 90
Carl F.H. Henry, Theologian and First Editor of Christianity Today, Dies at 90
Read MoreWorldconneX launches today
I blogged about this over a year ago but now it has actually come about. The website is almost ready.
Read MoreGluttony? What did you say?
DallasNews.com has an article that will probably be IGNORED completely by the majority of churches. Those influenced by a postmodern mindset should take it seriously, and have possibly already developed a holistic understanding of the body-spirit connection, and a theology of the body to match. But for many of the churches in the old paradigm…
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