A Generous Ecclesiology

Why I am house-church/emerging-church

Within a broad generalization, it can be argued that emerging churches fall into two types (with many permutation between the two poles):

1. House churches which further subdivide into (A) intentional missional communities of faith, and (B) healing communities for those needing to detox from church for a season, and

2. Emerging churches, which may include (and often do) a house/cell component, but who are generally planting churches that meet in warehouses, cafes, or other non-traditional settings, while including elements that are best described as "ancient/future" as they tap into the rich history of multiple Christian traditions to ground their 21st century expression of the Body.

Consider the following possible permutations of what an emerging church expression could look like:

• There are house churches, such as the one that Len Hjalmarsson and his family are a part of, which have a missional focus on ministry among the poor, inviting them into their homes and caring for a neglected part of their city in the Okanagan Valley in BC. While existing outside normal denominational affiliations, they are connected by relationship to many individuals in the Body around their city. Their missional focus keeps them dependent on God, praying deeply, and gives them an outward, servant focus that keeps Jesus and His works front and centre.
  
  
• James Mills, over at KnowTown and Missio Dei in Denver CO, is a self-described "ecclesial dreamer", and he and the core of Missio Dei have been on a several-years journey of dreaming about what their own expression of the Body will look like. Some people have criticized James et al. because "it's taking too long" -- and those kind of comments can really take a bite out of you -- but I think they've been wise in taking their time to really think through what kind of DNA they want to sow into the fabric of this new venture.
  
  Folk wisdom from the Doobie Brothers: "In your search, you might find that getting there will have no meaning, if you can't enjoy the ride".
  
  
• Solomon's Porch is but one example of a church plant (as is Dan Kimball's Vintage Faith) that has all the "traditional" components (worship, teaching, prayer, and the accompanying structural elements of offerings and a building), but is on a journey of deconstructing and reconstructing a ministry that reaches people where they are at and helps them in their own journey towards maturity in Christ. There is a definite difference in both the ETHOS of the church plant, and also in their methodology and leadership styles. After reading their story in Reimaging Spiritual Formation, I wondered if they had being spying on our ministries in Victoria, Winnipeg and Los Angeles -- our stories, values, and ethos are so remarkably similar!
  
  
• And there are pastors who have chosen to work within their church and denominational structures, who have been able to re-invent their churches all the same, over time.

All of these possible models can be thought of as emerging gatherings. Wendy's & my involvement with several of these models has taught us that there is no "right" way to be a pomergent gathering, and that God's fingerprints can be found wherever people gather to learn from each other what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

While Emergent struggles to NOT become an organized "movement" (which I think they're wise to resist at this point in time), a Generous Ecclesiology will need to be a DNA marker of whatever direction and ethos is created, nutured, and modelled for others, as time goes on.