sweet! You'll hear from me soon!

Very interesting conversation going on at Ryan Bolger's blog. Do you know of any ChOG churches who have working alternative communities?

Lori,
I know of alternative services. I know of programs not culture. The only ones I know of arent emergent perse. I know of anglo congregations that share their building with a Spanish speaking churchs or Chinese speaking. Hmmmm, differant cultures...this could be a door, ya think? WE speak a differant langue, some differant values and expression....ooooh, I'm brain is going on that one. "Grayareas" could speak about this...he just started a church plant to get out from under the same roof.

There aren't very many working alternative communities, CHOG, Methodist, even grassroots ones. We will definitely need to go down the path of defining what it means to be emergent, because for some, lighting candles and reading ancient liturgy means being emergent. It is hard to work with this label, because that is what it has become(or is becoming), instead of a movement. Things like this always perk the interest of us CHOG folk, because our movement stopped moving a long time ago, so if it is purpose driven, willowed, emergent, heck I have seen in the south how the charismatic movement has taken hold in the CHOG, they are all areas where some life has sprung up. The difference with emergent is that it cannot be defined right now. Some emergent types are doing the multicultural thing, some are doing ancient liturgy, and what I like about it, is that it isn't a 10 step program, a discovering through bookstores paraphanalia what God's purpose is, it starts with stripping away everything but God, and starting from there. This is a friggin long comment, dude, I gotta get a job.

I am wondering if we can leave the elements of emergent to each body. Like the UP picture, there are so many differant communities. Well any place...say like the USA! The total is made up of some many differant parts. Can we also apply Paul's disscussion of the Body of Christ directly to the Body of Christ? Differant parts for differant functions. In this realm, functions to meet the need in a curtain population. This population wants a differant culture, and ethos. Not just a littergy. At least thats what I want. It seems that's what most of this thinktank wants. Am I hearing right?

i think you're exactally right about the emergent body looking different for different places. in our 'wal-mart/mc donald's' effort to offer the same thing everywhere, we diminish the personal creativity and individuality that God so loves.
we also talk about diversity, many times in the sense of racial diversity [as well we should]. but didn't God create us with a wealth of gifts and abilities, not giving all to just a handful of people? didn't He spread those out? seems to me He did.
so when the church tries so hard to look like someone else, to do what we've seen elsewhere without putting our finger print on it are we missing the creative/indigenous boat that our church should look somewhat different than the mega-church 'successful' model?
i say yes.
just for the record - i love wal-mart.
so, having said all that...
i do think that the emergent thing looks different and holds different elements based on where you live and what things you're dealing with.
i think that's why ron martoia's article in rev.mag.03 makes a lot of sense to me.
http://www.revmagazine.com/archived/2003/0103/feat_001.htm
it talks about evengelism, but touches on the fact that we're a part of an organism and that it's going to look different than a mechanical model of doing church.