What is the emerging church?

9Marks

The emerging church is an incredibly diverse movement that sprung up out of evangelical Christianity sometime in the 1990’s. Since it has had no confession of faith, no formally recognized leaders, no denominational structure, and no official institutions, it is difficult to speak accurately about the emerging church as a whole. That said, here are some traits that characterize many within the emerging church movement. Participants in the emerging church conversation tend to:

What are some key components in a biblical perspective on culture?

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God is Lord of the entire universe. As Abraham Kuyper put it, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”* This means that all humans are accountable to God for all of their actions, including the most mundane or seemingly unspiritual.

How should Christians relate to the culture around them?

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Jesus prayed that his followers would be in the world but not of the world (Jn. 17:11, 14-15). Therefore, all of Christian cultural engagement should be pervaded with a sense that our citizenship is in heaven, our hope is in heaven, and our affections are fixed on heaven (Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:1-3). We’re not of the world, so we should not share its values and hopes and goals.

How can local churches work toward racial harmony?

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Know the history of the problem. In order to understand present racial tensions, one must know something about the history of race relations in one’s context, the history of the church’s involvement in racial oppression, and the particular historical experiences of different minority groups.

Why are so many church leaders today talking about contextualization?

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A lot of people today are talking about contextualization because it’s a fancy way to justify targeting the subset of the population they like best. Some people argue that we have to “contextualize” the gospel and the church into punk rock culture, or elite urban culture, or artsy hipster culture, or rich suburban culture in order to reach such groups of people.

How can Christians think biblically about race and ethnicity?

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In order to develop a biblical perspective on ethnicity Christians should recognize that:

Must evangelism always be accompanied by social action?

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No. But…

What unique opportunities are afforded by pastoring a multi-ethnic church?

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Pastoring a multi-ethnic church affords a unique opportunity to:

How can a pastor develop a church’s corporate evangelistic witness?

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Preach expositionally. As your people hear God’s word every week they will increasingly reflect his glory to the world. Week by week their lives will become a more focused picture of their savior, Jesus Christ. Preach the gospel every week. As your people hear the gospel every week they will grow in their appreciation for it, their understanding of it, and their ability to share it with others.

What are some of the challenges of pastoring a multi-ethnic church?

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In a multi-ethnic church it can be particularly difficult to:

What is the connection between an individual’s evangelism and his or her church’s corporate witness?

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A church’s corporate witness will either enhance or undermine an individual’s evangelism.

Should pastors try to be cool?

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Many people assume that the best way to reach people is to be like them. So, if pastors want to reach cool people, they should try to be cool. But there are several problems with the idea that pastors should try to be cool:

Why should we evangelize?

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Desire to be obedient. Jesus commands his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Peter says to all Christians, “Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15, NIV). Peter says this to explain how we are to “set apart Christ as Lord,” that is, how we are to obey him. We should evangelize because God commands it.

What are the dangers of being too contextualized?

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Compromising our witness to the gospel. One danger of being too contextualized is that in attempting to adapt to cultural practices of those around us we adapt our way into sin or untruth and so compromise our witness to the gospel. Losing the sharp edges of the gospel. If we focus too much on making our message relevant, or appealing, or palatable to non-Christians, we may be tempted to adjust the gospel at those points where it is most offensive.

What should we do after we evangelize?

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That depends mainly on your hearer’s response. Here are some responses you might encounter.

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