I have noticed several articles in recent Christian publications talking about the emergence of a new type of Christianity expressed through churches called "The Emergent Church."
From what I've read about these new congregations, they seem to be a blend of the old and the new, with an emphasis on the restoration of fundamental evangelical theology but with less concern about church structure and hiearchy. The main emphasis of these churches is two-fold: 1) Evangelism; and, 2) Holiness expressed through spirituality or mysticism.
Members of these churches refuse to get caught up in the burning issues of other main-line evangelical churches, such as same-sex marriages and political issues that have entangled the theology of main-line evangelicals. Instead, their main focus is missional, seeking to bring others into the fold of Christianity. They also express a deep concern for spiritual practices and put an emphasis on spiritual formation.
It appears that this emerging church movement is an outgrowth of the non-denominational movement/Vineyard movement that has been very attractive over the past 20 years or so. These churches also focused on spirituality and the expression of charismatic gifts. It will be interesting to see if the emergent church survives in this post-modern era, or if it is merely a new fad in church life, similar to the fads we've seen in recent years revolving around the "Prayer of Jabez," the "Purpose-Driven Life," and contemporary services. In those cases, we watched the church reorganize and shift programs and emphases, just to change them when something new came along. Regardless of the success of this church in the long term, I think we can celebrate the emergent church as a new vessel through which God is speaking, and support the efforts of these churches by being more involved in evangelism in our own lives and our own churches.
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