TRACKING THE TRACKING THE EMERGING CHURCHEMERGING CHURCH

Eddie GibbsEddie Gibbs

North American Society for North American Society for Church GrowthChurch Growth

New Orleans, November, 2003New Orleans, November, 2003

USA: % Church AttendanceUSA: % Church Attendance

5049

47

4544

43

38

40

42

44

46

48

50

52

1972 1991 1992 1993 1995 1997

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The Average Sized ChurchThe Average Sized ChurchGeorge Barna Report, Jan-Mar, George Barna Report, Jan-Mar,

1999:21999:2 The average sized The average sized

church dropped from church dropped from 102 adults in 1997 to 102 adults in 1997 to 91 adults in 1998 91 adults in 1998

This corresponds with a 15% drop This corresponds with a 15% drop in the annual operating budget of in the annual operating budget of churches, from $123,000 to churches, from $123,000 to $105,000 in the past 12 months$105,000 in the past 12 months

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Changing Position of Changing Position of Church in SocietyChurch in Society

Traditional Society Traditional Society Chaplain to Chaplain to CommunityCommunity

•Church at the centerChurch at the center Modern Society Modern Society Marketing Marketing

EntrepreneurEntrepreneur•Church on the marginsChurch on the margins

Postmodern Society Postmodern Society Apostle on the Apostle on the FrontierFrontier

•Church as one segment among Church as one segment among manymany

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What is the “Emerging Church”?What is the “Emerging Church”? Other namesOther names

• ““Missional Church”Missional Church”• ““Liquid Church”Liquid Church”• ““Organic Church”Organic Church”

Why “emerging church?”Why “emerging church?”• The Church is in the process of becoming until Jesus The Church is in the process of becoming until Jesus

returnsreturns• The Church is a “pilgrim” churchThe Church is a “pilgrim” church• The Church needs to be contextualized, and re-The Church needs to be contextualized, and re-

contextualizedcontextualized The “emerging church” is to be found both within The “emerging church” is to be found both within

traditional denominations as well as among new, traditional denominations as well as among new, independent movementsindependent movements

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How Churches EmergeHow Churches Emerge Hub and ClusterHub and Cluster

Decentralized NetworksDecentralized Networks

HubHubChurchChurch

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Forms of Worship:Forms of Worship:1. Centrality of the Meal1. Centrality of the Meal

The main event and the backdrop of The main event and the backdrop of everything that happenseverything that happens

Fellowship mealFellowship meal EucharistEucharist Appropriate location:Appropriate location:

• HomeHome• Café or restaurantCafé or restaurant

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Forms of Worship:Forms of Worship:2. Multi-sensory2. Multi-sensory

Worship in which all participate according Worship in which all participate according to their creative talentto their creative talent• SongwritersSongwriters• PoetsPoets• ArtistsArtists

Indigenous to the cultureIndigenous to the culture Variety according to the topic and the Variety according to the topic and the

occasionoccasion

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Forms of Worship:Forms of Worship:3. Participation of all3. Participation of all

Every worshiper is a ministerEvery worshiper is a minister• Priesthood of allPriesthood of all

All gifts are sharedAll gifts are shared Leadership moves around the groupLeadership moves around the group

• Assigned leader for the worship serviceAssigned leader for the worship service• Leadership of each person according to their giftLeadership of each person according to their gift

Recognizes the giftedness of each personRecognizes the giftedness of each person Space for spontaneitySpace for spontaneity Emphasizes both community and missionEmphasizes both community and mission

1010

Forms of Community:Forms of Community:1. Small is Better1. Small is Better

Cell is the baseCell is the base Strong commitment to communityStrong commitment to community In some cases, scheduled meetings In some cases, scheduled meetings

are incidental because they are are incidental because they are meeting all the timemeeting all the time

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Forms of Community:Forms of Community:2. Higher level of Commitment2. Higher level of Commitment

Inspired by the Celtic monastic modelInspired by the Celtic monastic model• Celebration (Chichester)Celebration (Chichester)

Apprentices of JesusApprentices of Jesus• Learning in CommunityLearning in Community• Learning at the feet of Jesus: prayer and Learning at the feet of Jesus: prayer and

contemplationcontemplation• Learning by action and reflectionLearning by action and reflection

Pastor as spiritual directorPastor as spiritual director

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Forms of Community:Forms of Community:3. Leader without Control3. Leader without Control

Leadership based on vision and maturityLeadership based on vision and maturity Organic structureOrganic structure Church leader as “organic gardener” Church leader as “organic gardener”

(Doug Pagitt), not as general in charge(Doug Pagitt), not as general in charge Facilitate growth: air, weather, soil – Facilitate growth: air, weather, soil –

balance between letting things happen balance between letting things happen and intentionalityand intentionality

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Forms of WitnessForms of Witness1. Identity forged through serving1. Identity forged through serving

Jesus is the model for ministryJesus is the model for ministry• Gospel of the kingdom.Gospel of the kingdom.

Strong sense of servanthoodStrong sense of servanthood Incarnational ministry as servants of the poorIncarnational ministry as servants of the poor Holistic mission: transforming relationship with Holistic mission: transforming relationship with

Christ, in fellowship with one another and in Christ, in fellowship with one another and in witness and servicewitness and service

Social justice and racial reconciliationSocial justice and racial reconciliation Empowering local communityEmpowering local community

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Forms of Witness:Forms of Witness:2. Engaging Culture2. Engaging Culture

Urban focus - shaping our cultureUrban focus - shaping our culture Use of pop culture in engaging youthUse of pop culture in engaging youth Nighclub culture, art expressions, café Nighclub culture, art expressions, café

movementsmovements Art as missionArt as mission ““Labrinth” accessible to Christian and non-Labrinth” accessible to Christian and non-

ChristianChristian Mission flows from culturally appropriate Mission flows from culturally appropriate

points of contact: in homes, clubs, etc.points of contact: in homes, clubs, etc.

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Peering into the FuturePeering into the Future We do not know which are fringes and We do not know which are fringes and

which frontierswhich frontiers We do not know how they will evolveWe do not know how they will evolve

• From new dynamic movements to From new dynamic movements to bureaucratic institutionsbureaucratic institutions

We do not know how the traditional We do not know how the traditional denominations will respond either to the denominations will respond either to the emerging churches within their own emerging churches within their own traditions or to the new independent traditions or to the new independent networksnetworks

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From Hunters to HerdersFrom Hunters to HerdersDavid K. Hurst,David K. Hurst, Crisis and Renewal Crisis and Renewal, Harvard, Harvard

Business School Press, 1995, 2002Business School Press, 1995, 2002

Mission becomes StrategyMission becomes Strategy Roles become TasksRoles become Tasks Teams become StructureTeams become Structure Networks become SystemsNetworks become Systems Recognition becomes CompensationRecognition becomes Compensation