INITIAL LIST OF CHURCHES

As the researching and writing of my ThM thesis continues, I will be posting some "thought bubbles" for the purpose of critique and clarification. Questions, comments, and corrections are welcome.

The List So Far Updated (1/18/08)

• Vineyard Church, UK
• Moot Community, UK
• Opawa Baptist Church, Christ’s Church, New Zealand
• Church of the Exiles, Saskatchewan, Canada
• Grace London, UK
• Church of the Apostles, Seattle
• Solomon’s Porch, Minneapolis
• Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz

Removed due to space and time considerations:
Bangsar Lutheran Church, Malaysia
Mars Hill Church, Seattle

Draft Criteria

• Church website with sufficient description for analysis
• Evidence of EC connection (links, logos, etc) of church and/or leader(s)
• Pastoral leaders who are published voices (via blogs, articles, books, etc) in the emerging conversation

Some of these churches do not claim to be emerging, yet one or more of their pastoral leaders have added their voice to the emerging conversation. My intention is to understand these churches in connection with their pastoral voices, and vice versa and to develop as broad a picture as possible of the emerging church. Such a project necessarily involves those who exist at the fringes and may have differing opinions among themselves regard their EC status. Every effort will be made to understand each church and each voice on its own terms before attempting to articulate any commonalities.

Clarifying questions, comments, and suggestions are, as always, quite welcome. In addition, if you participate in any of the above churches, I'd love to read your stories, insights, etc.

NOTE: This is a rumination ("1. The act of pondering; meditation. 2. The act or process of chewing cud." American Heritage Dictionary) in search of synergy ("1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.")

Tag(s): missional ecclesiology

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