The following is a comment i left over at e~mergent Kiwi. His article is on how he is attempting to transition a chruch. It is good stuff. Read it here.
i share you beliefs and your methodology. In my experience a bit of it does come back and bite you every once in a while but it can be overcome. i’m currently the small group pastor at a more traditional church while developing an “emerging community” apart from that body. Each arena has its own challenge and joys.Andii’s comments made me think of a Startbucks experience i had several years ago. While working on my personal philosophy for an emerging church, my Toshiba Libretto got the interest of four retiree’s at the next table. They were Christians. As our conversation continued i started explaining what i was thinking about in practical terms and not emergent speak. Their mood lifted and they just lit up. One gentleman said to me, “We have been praying for the church to wake up for the last 25 years! i’m glad to see that God is answering our prayers in these changing times.” The conversation was positive and very enlightening to me. Their values were emergent even if their language and expression was not.
As our time ended these saints prayed with me. Each on prayed a blessing along the following lines, “Lord, we bless this young man in Jesus name. Extend to him and his wife double what you have done for us in our lives.. . .” and on it went. i wept. If these people were the majority in an older congregation then transitioning a church would be a joy. It is the practical discovery oriented approach that gets them excited. Forget the “emergent speak”, just live it out. --- Keep it up Bro’.
WLYAS!
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