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THE EMERGING CHURCH Vintage Christianity for New Generations Dan Kimball Zondervan, 2003, 266 pp. |
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Kimball founded Graceland worship services out of working in
youth ministry at Santa Cruz Bible Church.
He looks beyond the “seeker sensitive” church that meets the needs of
those disappointed with church and probes how to connect with the generation
growing up with postmodern values and no church experience. The book is illustrated with
conversations, sidebar comments, tables, and examples of art. It has many concrete suggestions based on
the Graceland experience. This is the
most forward-looking, experience-based church book that I’ve seen. I appreciate his frequent reminders to
focus on God more than methods. Part I provides a background understanding of the next
postmodern generation and their relationship with church. Part II deals with practical ideas. “The
only way to stay relevant is to anchor your ministry to unchanging truths and
eternal purposes while being willing to continually adapt how you communicate
those truths and purposes.”
(Foreward, Rick Warren) Some of Dan’s assumptions: There will be many models for
the emerging church. It is more
mindset than model. It measures
success in terms of its mission. “By
looking at what our practices produce in the called people of God as they are
sent out on a mission to live as light and salt in their communities (Matt.
5:13-16).” (15) Part I. Deconstructing Postmodern Ministry, Candles, and Coffee A “post-seeker-sensitive” approach to ministry…is simply
going back to more of a raw and basic form of ‘vintage Christianity’…which
unapologetically focuses on kingdom living by disciples.” Worship gatherings promote “a full display
of spirituality (extended worship, religious symbols, liturgy, extensive
prayer times, extensive use of Scripture and readings, etc.) so that people
can experience and be transformed by the message of Jesus.” (26) “Previous generations grew up experiencing church as dull
or meaningless, and so the seeker-sensitive model strove to reintroduce
church as relevant, contemporary, and personal. But emerging generations are being raised without any
experience of church, good or bad.” “Their desire is to experience God
and not just be told about him….” (27,36) “Our worldview consists of the presuppositions and the
foundation upon which our life’s meaning and purpose are based.” “Our worldview is the lens through which
we see everything.” (42) Some worldview shifts (from a table, p. 44)
“The Enlightenment assumed that human thinking can solve
everything. So when modernism then
assumed we could figure out God and systematize our faith, we went astray.”
(49) “…there actually are many
refreshing aspects of going back to a more transcendent view of God, allowing
for mystery, and bringing back the supernatural view of life. We need to be thinkers and theologians
more than ever in this day so we can discern the good from the bad and what
is scriptural from what is man’s methodology or philosophy….” (49) “Pure modernism held to a single, universal worldview and
moral standard, a belief that all knowledge is good and certain, truth is
absolute, individualism is valued, and thinking, learning, and beliefs should
be determined systematically and logically.
Postmodernism, then, holds there is no single universal
worldview. All truth is not absolute,
community is valued over individualism, and thinking, learning, and beliefs
can be determined nonlinearly.” (49)
“Contradiction is accepted.” “A person can claim spiritual belief without living out
that faith in any genuine way.
Contradiction in spirituality is acceptable.” “In a modern world, this would be called
hypocrisy. But in a postmodern world
where the lines are blurred, it is simply a way of life.” “Sexual, pluralistic, pop Christianity is
in vogue….displayed in artists…who are vocal about their Christian beliefs
but send hypersexual messages through their appearance and lyrics. Beliefs blatantly contradict actions, and
from a postmodern viewpoint, no harm is done.” (53) “The postmodern world…understands itself through
biological rather than mechanistic models….hungry for spirituality yet
dismissive of systematized religion…in which image and reality are so deeply
intertwined that it is difficult to draw the line….” (54) “Postmodernity and the spiritual relativism it brings
completely pull the rug out from under most of our current, modern ministry
strategy and methodology.” (55) “After that … another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10” This generation of teens and young adults has simply no Judeo-Christian roots to return to. (57-8) The modern world: (59) ·
God is the Christian God. ·
Ethics based on the Judeo-Christian worldview. ·
Characteristics: monotheism, rational, religion,
propositional, systematic, local, individualistic, truth. Postmodern world: (60) ·
All religions are equal, Christianity has a
negative ‘finger-pointing’ reputation. ·
Ethics based on what the culture accepts and
personal choice learned from the media and press ·
Characteristics: pluralism, experiential, mystical,
narrative, fluid, global, communal/tribal, preferences “The basis of learning has shifted from logic and rational,
systematic thought to the realm of experience. People increasingly long for the mystical and spiritual rather
than the evidential and facts-based faith….” Perhaps a third of the baby boomers are more postmodern
than modern (per Brian McLaren) (63) “We cannot blame emerging generations for believing what
they believe. …this is the only world they know.” (63) “…we need to become like the spies Joshua sent to look
over the land across the Jordan.”
“Are you listening to what their musical poets and prophets are
saying? If not, you may not
understand their world and how they view it,…” (68) “Newbigin [after 38 years as a missionary in India] found
that ministry in England was now ‘much harder than anything I met in
India. The cold contempt for the
Gospel is harder to face than opposition.” (68) “…we need to use the same approach we would employ
entering a foreign culture. …we need
to see ourselves as a new kind of missionary. And we must train people in our churches to do the same. …the generations being born…don’t know who
God is or what he has done, or what the Bible says about him, or who the true
Jesus is. We have to start all over
again….” (69) “The United States is the most religiously diverse nation
in the world…. The Immigration Act of
19655 eliminated the quotas linking immigration to national
origins….radically altering the religious landscape of the United
States.” (Diana Eck, 71) “This diversity impacts not only how we
evangelize but also how we teach and educate people to think about other
faiths and beliefs.” (72) “We have lost the overarching story of God and man. So we piece together our own
stories.” The ‘God’ people believe in
today is pieced together from a mix of world religions and various personal
beliefs. (73) “We need to be opening our Bibles and exploring what the
Scriptures say about all types of ethical and moral standards. We need to know what it means to be
holy. But we need to rethink how we
preach about it.” (74) “Emerging generations are culturally sensitive and
globally aware.” “We need to communicate to them with a global awareness and
a global conscience.” (76) “When people sense that you aren’t just dogmatically
opinionated due to blind faith and that you aren’t just attacking other
people’s beliefs out of fear, they are remarkably open to intelligent and
loving discussion about choice and truth.”
“But effectively conveying Jesus’ teaching in a post-Christian world
is no easy task.” (76) College students interviewed at a California university
thought Jesus is cool but Christians are messed up, dogmatic, closed-minded,
the wicked ones. Only 1 out of 16
claimed to know a Christian personally.
(80) “…we need to introduce people to Jesus, not to the
Christian subculture of consumerism we have subtly created.” What do people see in your church
building? What do your décor and
bookstore communicate? Emerging generations are being taught theology and
spirituality by the movies, television, popular music, and celebrities whose
lifestyles are contrary to the Christian message. (85) Maybe some of our consumerism comes from the way we have
understood the word ‘church.’ “We
can’t go to church because we are the church.” (91)
“The way leaders define church will determine how they measure
success, where they focus our time and energy, how they design their
strategies and form their ministry philosophies.” (92) “…the primary function of the church (people) is her
evangelistic mission.” (theologian
Millard Erickson) “Have we…turned our
churches into vendors of religious services and goods?” (93) “If the church has become the place instead of the people
on a mission, leaders only naturally start focusing their efforts on what
people experience when they come to the place on Sundays. In recent years, we have even added the
words excellence and relevance to our values statements for church. In doing so, we naturally began spending more
time focusing on the quality of the music, sound system, and bulletins. As the church grows, the pressure to
continue this focus increases and the problem escalates.” “…as a result the
church can subtly lose sight of its identity and missional function….” “Could we be guilty of creating consumer
Christians?” (94) “The emerging church must define the church scripturally
again, teaching people how the church fits into the grand story of the
Bible.” “Then the focus would move
off of ourselves. We would then
naturally break out of our consumer mindset, changing everything.” People will “be on a mission
together. …feed deeply on the
Scriptures…., see themselves as
ambassadors of Jesus, ….” (95-6)
[There is a huge leap here, from postmodern paganism to “naturally”
becoming the church. dlm] Part II.
Reconstructing Vintage Christianity in the Emerging Church There will be hundreds of models, each unique to its
context. Many will be contrary to
today’s seeker-sensitive churches.
Trying to bring new styles into the existing worship service probably
won’t work. (102-104) Approaches to Worship (from table on p. 105):
“These new approaches will be messy!” (107) “Our hope is that the emerging church will break out of
the consumer Christian mentality. Our
aim in making a worship gathering more experiential is that people would
participate in the service rather than remain spectators.” Beware, “lest you train people to become
consumers of religious goods and services.” (112) “What the New Testament church did not have were
buildings.” (Rick Warren, 113) They
were “very Christ-centered and very participatory and community
oriented. Very vintage.” “They came to worship the risen Jesus
through song, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and teaching.” (113-14) “We must first ask whether God is truly encountered and
worshiped and whether people are encouraged to become disciples of Jesus.”
(114) “…so that…there is no doubt we
are in the presence of a Holy God. I
believe both believers and nonbelievers in this emerging culture are hungry
for this.” (116) “Emerging post-Christian generations…want fluidity and
freedom…the arts and a sense of mystery…an organic
approach…vintage-faith.” (121) The scriptural theme of God’s story is woven throughout
and is the theme of the entire gathering.
(122) It functions with ebb
and flow and is interactive and participatory, more artistic than
engineered. (123) Emerging generations are attracted to architecture and a
spiritual atmosphere. Darkness
represents spirituality, indicates something serious is happening. Avoid suggestions that the band or speaker
are performing or “above” the congregation.
Candles “symbolize sobriety, spirituality, simplicity, quietude, and
contemplation.” Aesthetics and environment should reflect you and those you
are trying to reach. (134-142) Incorporate art by using powerful visuals while you
teach. Drama can be effective or
embarrassing. Use dramatic Scripture
and poetry readings. Have actors
express various emotions while a script is being read. Use drama in ways that resonated with the
culture. (148) Honor older generations who have been down the road of
life. Use them for testimonies and
telling stories. Give females
up-front roles as much as possible.
The role of women is a huge issue.
Incorporate children and families.
Use street interviews to gain insights into unbelievers. (150-51) You can do all of the above with volunteers if you plan
ahead. Go to www.vintagefaith.com for links to art
resources. (153) Suggestions for experiential worship: Use music that is God-focused rather than
me-focused. Read from the Scriptures
before singing or in the middle of a song to give insight into the
words. Provide times of silence for
people to worship. Pause to allow
truth to sink in. “Quiet may be to a
healthy mind what clean air and water …are to a healthy body…” (Marianne Moore) Have times of quiet while Scripture is projected on the
screen. Present the offering time as
worship. Model and value prayer. (158-169) Preaching as storytelling: “We start in the middle of a story that they don’t know or that
they know very little about mainly through negative experiences. We offer them escape from a peril they
don’t know they face, and we use words that either aren’t part of their
vocabulary or that they don’t correctly understand. Because people in the emerging culture don’t know the story,
preachers must become storytellers again.” (172) Start with creation and the origin of man and sin. Show how the ancient wisdom of Scripture
applies to living as a disciple.
Emphasize the experience of the one who is Truth. Explain biblical terms. Supplement words with visuals, art,
silence, testimony, and story.
Motivate people to learn from the Scriptures during the week Continually tell the story of God and
humans. Paint the big picture of the
Bible story. Make preaching
God-centered vs. man-centered. Go
into depth. Use complete sections of
Scripture. Shape worldview by telling
the story. Use all preaching to teach
kingdom living as a disciple. Regularly
teach that Jesus is the only way to God.
Frequently address human sexuality.
Define marriage and family.
Teach on hell. Teach the
trustworthiness of Scripture. And
more (175-182) The modern mindset:
facts àbelief àbehavior Shift to: experienceàbeliefàbehavior (187) Develop a scriptural focus by getting the focus on the
story and off the preacher and encouraging people to bring Bibles. (191) Further chapters focus on Evangelism, Spiritual Formation,
and Leadership. List of resources. |
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