Chapter 1: A brief look at culture
The study of culture is a very important issue because it addresses the relationship among Christ, the gospel, the church, and culture. Because missions is becoming more about cross-cultural relations, the Church must take great consideration in cross cultural studies. Some points that identify key reasons why the church must study culture are because of incarnation, cultural understanding has always been essential to living missionally, Christendom and Modernity are in rapid decline, and that the church is in decline.
Chapter 2: What is the emerging church?
The Emerging Church are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern culture. Emerging church have three core practices: 1)identify with the life of Jesus 2)transform the secular realm 3)live highly communal lives. Because of these three practices, emerging churches welcome the stranger, serve with generosity, participate as producers, create as created beings, lead as a body, and take part in spiritual activities.
Chapter 3: Identifying with Jesus
The Emerging Church does not want the gospel to be individualized. Just like Jesus catered to the world, they believe that they are to bring the Kingdom of God into world. The gospel of salvation for emerging churches is not limited to personal salvation but to local cultures.
Chapter 4: Transforming secular space
With the rise of modernity came the notion that some space was secular and not part of God. The church, or that which was religious, had its own “spiritual” domain. The Emerging church desires for holistic spirituality, wanting to demolish any parts of these categories of modernity that have affected the church.
Chapter 5: Living as community
Emerging churches commit to community that follows Jesus and put all other priorities as secondary. They hate the idea of church being a meeting, a place, or routine. Rather, they believe that the church is to be a people, a community, a way of life, and a medium where people can connect to other Christians. These communities of people tend to be small and missional.
Chapter 6: Welcome the stranger
Members of the Emerging Church are taught to be hospitable like Jesus, especially to welcome into their midst those who are differing from them. They seek to include even those that are different from their faith and truly try to listen to them. They don’t believe they are to argue for their faith but let their lives talk for them instead.
Chapter 7: Serving with generosity
The Emerging Church sees itself as a place of offering hospitality to all. They emphasize ministry in their surrounding community and to worldwide needs. This strong emphasis o serving others is possible because the church is preoccupied about maintaining its internal structure.
Chapter 8: Participating as producers
Emerging churches have a desire to provide a space for genuine, communal worship. Their worship is highly intentional as they encourage the congregation to have a Godward focus where God is both the participant and audience. The entire congregation is activity and creatively engaged in offering worship.
Chapter 9: Creating as created beings
Emerging Churches try to have its worship gatherings reflect the love the creation feels towards its creator. The church believes that every person is creative because they are the creation of a creative God. Creative acts of worship are encouraged as it serves as a witness that God restores broken humanity and transforms it into something beautiful.
Chapter 10: Leading as a body
The Emerging Church is against a hierarchical and controlling understanding of leadership. They desire to follow God’s order, which contrasts sharply with methods of control. This church recognizes that what they need is a leadership that embodies the servant model demonstrated by Jesus. Moreover, they hope to develop a leadership that points to the presence of the Kingdom through servanthood and collaboration.
Chapter 11: Merging ancient and contemporary spiritualities
Spirituality is a major emphasis of the emerging churches. They draw from a variety of traditions. The spirituality they pursue is both corporate and personal. Through practice of spirituality, the congregation is able to see the importance of mission outreach while also gaining personal development.
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