by Karla Morton

In today's world, we often hear the term “emergent church.” Many are left wondering, “What in the world does this mean?” We might envision a church being birthed or emerging from some other place.

As I tried to explain this to my daughter, I used the example of something we are familiar with from science—the amoeba. I know, it seems wrong to compare the church to an amoeba. After all, Jesus spoke of Peter and building his church upon “this rock.” How can we even attempt to compare the body of Christ to an amoeba? Bear with me as I try to explain with examples of the emergent church.

First, the emergent church has all different shapes and sizes. This is where the amoeba analogy comes in. Just as the amoeba changes shape in relation to what is going on inside of it, the church of Christ changes shape according to what is going on within and without its walls. Unlike a more traditional church where the programs and committees serve as the structure of the body, emergent churches are often moving and shaping themselves to the ministries to which God calls them—as those ministries emerge from within the body. For instance, if one of the members of the body senses God's leading to do a certain ministry (with children, with teens, or with crisis pregnancies, for example), that member will share the sense of call and will invite the congregation into a time of discernment. Also, other members are invited to join in that ministry as they are called. If the congregation is smaller, like ours, where we don't have committee structure, we work together as a body in ministries as they come forth (emerge) through various members.

Second, we cannot point to a prototype to say, “THIS is the emergent church!” A particular style or mode of “being church” does not exist as it once did for the megachurch. Nor does any model or program exist that one can follow in order to be the next emergent church. Often, the leaders and members in these congregations feel that they don't really know exactly how God is leading. If that sounds strange—because you've always heard that the church needs to have a plan and a way to follow that plan (step one, step two, etc.)—just think how strange it's been for emergent church leaders. However, we often do feel a sense of anticipation and excitement as we see how God is leading and guiding our part of the body of Christ to participate in his ongoing work in our world.

Third, the emergent church tends to stay away from a lot of technology and glitz. One of the emergent churches with which I'm familiar has in its worship time various “stations” where members are able to respond to the Scripture and the message through various forms of art. The atmosphere at that time is quiet and contemplative in order to allow the members to meditate on the Lord and how he is bringing to life the word of God in them. Another emergent church group uses low lights, lit candles, a projection of nature, and Scripture and hymns cast in a liturgical form (sometimes the music comes out of Latin liturgy). A brief message may be spoken or the Lord's Supper shared, followed by a response in art, poetry, or journaling (with supplies provided). This kind of service has been meaningful for us to attend once in a while. In another emergent church—a “youth church”—young people (high school, primarily; some college age) meet together to worship as honestly as they can. Many are reacting against adults they consider inauthentic in their worship-lives, behaving in ways that don't match their words. These young people are seeking to worship in as authentic a way as possible.

In our case, we are seeing the emergence of a network of house churches, coming under the umbrella of Emmaus Christian Fellowship. Friends, Mennonites, and Presbyterians are being called into ministries that motivate them to see their neighborhoods as their “parish.” These ministries are not “high tech,” although the liturgical group does use PowerPoint to help lead worship.

Overall, we cannot point to one church or body of believers to say, “THAT is the emergent church!” The emergent church comes forth, is birthed, and responds in many different ways to the call of God. As Isaiah spoke so many years ago, “Though the LORD may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:20-21). Though we may not always know where we're going, we know that the Teacher is with us, directing us. In that we trust!