THE EMERGING CHURCH: MISSION IN POSTMODERNITY aame postmodernity, emerging church
Note from Rowland: Ross Langmead has kindly made these course notes available – excellent resources here on The Emerging Church.
THE EMERGING CHURCH: MISSION IN POSTMODERNITY
2nd Semester 2004
Anne Wilkinson-Hayes, Alan Hirsch, Ross Langmead
COURSE NOTES
1 Course outline
Introduction & introductions Ross Langmead
The emerging global cultural context Alan Hirsch
The evolving church culture Anne Wilkinson-Hayes
Webs and blogs and all that Darren Rowse
Stories of emerging church, 1&2: New Community & The Junction Troy Arnott & Kim Hammond
Missional ecclesiology Alan Hirsch
Stories of emerging church, 3&4: Ya Chasin’ & UNOH Marcus Curnow & Lindy Croucher
Missional discipleship Anne Wilkinson-Hayes
Missional leadership in the emerging church Alan Hirsch
Stories of emerging church, 5&6: Living Room & Sth Yarra Community Baptist Church Nathan Nettleton & Darren Rowse
Stories of emerging church, 7&8: Organic Life & Brunswick CofC Richard & Kate Rees & John D’Alton
Innovative leadership in the emerging church Olivia MacLean
Models of the emerging church Anne Wilkinson-Hayes
Review and looking forward Anne Wilkinson-Hayes & Ross Langmead
c Celebration
2 Reading for each week
You are asked to read the following chapters for selected weeks of the course. Several of the chapters come from Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, The shaping of things to come, which is a highly recommended text and worth buying. The other reading will be provided in photocopied form.
Wk 1 Frost & Hirsch, Chap. 1
Wk 2 Murray, Post-Christendom, Chap. 1
Wk 3 -
Wk 4 Frost & Hirsch, Chaps. 2 & 3
Wk 5 -
Wk 6 [to be set]
Wk 7 Frost & Hirsch, Chap. 10
Wk 8 -
Wk 9 -
Wk 10 [to be set]
Wk 11 [[to be set]
Wk 12 -
3 Assessment
Students enrolled for the BTheol will do a tutorial paper (1000 words), an essay and a field project (1500 words). At second level (DM243) the essay is of 2000 words. At third level (DM343) the essay is of 2500 words.
Students enrolled for the MDiv or GradDipTheol will do a tutorial paper (1000 words), an essay (3000 words) and a field project (2000 words).
In all cases the tutorial paper, essay and project are worth 20%, 50% and 30%.
You may submit just one copy of assignments. Please ensure that you can produce another copy if needed. Leave plenty of room for comments on the page, either using double spacing or wide margins. Use the cover sheet available outside the Theological Office.
Please follow normal academic conventions, footnoting where appropriate and including a bibliography.
Assignments are graded with a Fail (less than 50%), Pass (50-64%), Credit (65-74%), Distinction (75-84%) or High Distinction (more than 85%).
A brief descriptive sketch of these categories is as follows:
F Inadequate understanding of the subject; little knowledge of the area; little insight or reading in evidence.
Doesn’t even know what the questions are.
P Adequate understanding of information concerning the subject, but little critical awareness or insight shown.
Knows what the questions are.
C Competent grasp of information on the subject, plus an awareness of some important missiological themes and critical issues.
Knows some of the major answers to the questions.
D Clear grasp of information and major missiological themes, plus an ability to offer constructive comment on these themes and critical issues.
Able to critique the major answers.
HD As for D, but showing in addition an ability to integrate the insights from contemporary resources, missiological tradition and personal experience in mission.
Able to provide some answers of their own.
Clearly other factors come into play as well. Answering a question which is not quite the question asked will attract a lower grade. An assignment in which part of the task is completed well but another has been ignored or treated inadequately will also attract a lower grade. Poor expression or poor presentation (such as a missing bibliography or footnotes) may warrant a lower grade.
On all assignments submitted you will be given a descriptive response based on these categories, as well as a formal grade.
4 Tutorial paper Due Week 6 (31 August) Einstein wrote that if you can’t imagine it you can’t do it.
Write a short paper (of around 1000 words) in which you use your imagination to describe a yet-to-exist missional faith community you could see yourself a part of.
Which cultural groups is it most suited to? In what ways is it church? How is it missional? What shape does its life take? What is emerging?
While this is an exercise in imagination and a bibliography is not required, your tutorial paper will be stronger if you link it to reading you have done.
All students will hand their papers in on Week 6 (31 August), regardless of when they present their paper to the class.
When presenting the tutorial paper to the class the time available for discussion will depend on the number of students to be fitted in. Please keep to 1000 words.
You will be assessed on the creativity and potential of the proposal, the preparation evident, the missiological and ecclesiological insight demonstrated and the clarity and interest of your presentation.
5 Essay Due Week 9 (5 October) Write an essay on one of the following topics, or one of your own choosing, as long as it is negotiated with Ross Langmead.
1 Outline and discuss several implications for Christian mission of the Australian postmodern context.
2 Discuss the proposal of Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch in The Shaping of Things to Come that the 21st century church needs to be incarnational, messianic and apostolic.
3 “Churches for the emerging generations are likely to be small and decentralised.” Discuss.
4 How does the mission of a church relate to its worship? Discuss with reference to the Australian postmodern context.
5 “It is not enough to be alternative or cool. A missional church aims to make visible the alluring Good News of Jesus Christ.” Discuss.
6 Choose an Australian sub-culture, describe some of its distinctives and explore their implications for engaging with it as followers of Jesus.
An essay is an extended argument for a position or strategy, in discussion of a question or a statement. It may have elements such as definition of terms, an outline of the background, reference to the literature, your opinions argued, and some attention to opposing views. It is marked on its grasp of issues, the quality of the argument and its awareness of the relevant literature.
6 Field Project Due Week 11 (19 October) Investigate and attend an ‘emerging church’, which for these purposes can be defined broadly as any alternative to the traditional models of church. Exclude your own faith community.
Reflect on your visit(s) and what you discovered through other conversations or investigations. Assess the strengths and challenges of the group’s approach.
You may wish to include in your report elements such as:
ˇ a brief description of things that were new or different for you
ˇ a brief overview of the group (its background, history, emphases, statistics, vision and so on)
ˇ how some of those who attend feel about it
ˇ what cultural groups it would best suit
ˇ what you feel are its strengths
ˇ what you feel are challenges facing it
ˇ assessing its missional strengths
ˇ assessing its ecclesial strengths
ˇ any other critical insights (‘critical’ here means ‘independent’, ‘analytical’, ‘evaluative’, ‘perceptive’, ‘appreciative’, ‘making judgements’)
ˇ how it relates to what you have been learning in the unit so far
ˇ how it relates to your own journey in relation to the emerging church.
A field project asks you to go out and discover things by attending, asking, observing, gathering and reflecting. As this assignment is due late in the course, you are expected to at least link your reflections to reading you have done, as well as report on the field research you do. So some sort of bibliography is expected, though not as much as for an essay.
You will be assessed on the thoroughness of your investigation, the clarity of your reporting and the insights you demonstrate in critically reflecting on your experience.
7 Extended bibliography The list that follows will help you find some of the material available. The class is invited to add to it as the unit progresses. Most of the printed material is available in the Whitley library.
1 A new kind of church [A CD of talks and interviews from a conference held in November 2003]. Sutton, UK: Emergent UK/Oasis church.co.uk, 2003. (See Ross Langmead to borrow it.)
2 Bandy, Thomas G. Christian chaos: Revolutionizing the congregation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999. WA20.
3 Braaten, Carl E and Robert W Jensen, eds. The strange new word of the gospel: Re-evangelizing in the postmodern world. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002. WB23
4 Brierley, Peter. Future church: A global analysis of the Christian community to the year 2010. Crowborough, UK: Monarch, 1998. WA20
5 Burke, Spencer and Colleen Pepper. Making sense of church: Eavesdropping on emerging conversations about God, community, and culture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. (Requested for library)
6 Burke, Spencer. ‘From the garage: The story of TheOoze’. <http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=827>. 2003. Accessed 21-7-04
7 Carrell, Brian. Moving between times: Modernity and postmodernity: A Christian view. Auckland: The Deepsight Trust, 1998. HH48
8 Carson, D A, ed. Telling the truth: Evangelizing postmoderns. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. WB22
9 Clapp, Rodney. A peculiar people: The church as culture in a post-Christian society. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997. UA23
10 Docker, John. Postmodernism and popular culture: A cultural history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. HH48
11 Dockery, David S, ed. The challenge of postmodernism: An evangelical engagement. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997. QH3
12 Erickson, Millard J. Postmodernising the faith: Evangelical responses to the challenge of postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. JF16
13 Frost, Michael and Alan Hirsch. The shaping of things to come: Mission and imagination for the emerging church. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. WA20
14 Gibbs, Eddie and Ian Coffey. Church next: Quantum changes in Christian ministry. Leicester, UK: Inter-Varsity Press, 2000. WA20
15 Gibbs, Eddie and Ryan Bolger. ‘Tracking the emerging church’. Journal of the American Society for Church Growth 15 (Winter 2004): 3-10. (Photocopy in DM243 folder)
16 Green, Michael, ed. Church without walls: A global examination of cell church. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2002. UA23
17 Greer, Robert C. Mapping postmodernism: A survey of Christian options. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003. QH4
18 Grenz, Stanley J. A primer on postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. SA70
19 Guder, Darrell L. The continuing conversion of the church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. NR
20 Guder, Darrell L, ed. Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in North America. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998. NR.
21 Harvey, Barry. A Another city: An ecclesiological primer for a post-Christian world. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1999. UA23
22 Horseman, Colin. Good News for a postmodern world. Cambridge: Grove Books, 1996. HH48
23 Hughes, Philip. Christian faith in a postmodern age. Zadok Paper S74. Hawthorn, Vic.: Zadok Institute for Christianity and Society, 1995. (See periodicals section)
24 Hughes, Philip and Sharon Bond. Youth spirituality: A summary of published research relating to youth spirituality, religiosity and values. Melbourne: Uniting Education, 2002. PW48
25 Hunsberger, George R and Craig Van Gelder, eds. The church between gospel and culture: The emerging mission in North America. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. NR5.
26 Hunsberger, George R. ‘Features of the missional church: Some directions and pathways’. Reformed Review 52 (1998-99): 5-13. (Photocopy in DM243 folder)
27 Hunter, George G, III. Church for the unchurched. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996. WB23
28 Hunter, George G, III. The Celtic way of evangelism: How Christianity can reach the West … again. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000. LS25
29 Jamieson, Alan. A churchless faith: Faith journeys beyond evangelical, Pentecostal and charismatic churches. Wellington, NZ: Philip Garside, 2000. WA31
30 Johnson, Philip. ‘Postmodernity, New Age, and Christian mission’. Lutheran Theological Journal 31 (1997): 115-124. (Photocopy in DM243 folder)
31 Jones, Tony. Postmodern Youth Ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001. (Requested for library)
32 Jones, Tony. Soul Shaper. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. (Requested for library)
33 Kelly, Gerard. RetroFuture: Rediscovering our roots, recharting our routes. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
34 Kimball, Dan. The emerging church:Vintage Christianity for new generations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004. (Requested for library)
35 Kirkpatrick, Kathy, Mark Pierson and Michael Riddell. The prodigal project: Journeying into the emerging church. London: SPCK, 2000. UA20
36 Kohn, Rachael. The new believers: Re-imagining God. Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins, 2003. OC
37 Lynch, Gordon. After religion: Generation X and the search for meaning. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 2002. PW48
38 Lyon, David. Jesus in Disneyland: Religion in postmodern times. Cambridge: Polity, 2000. RA43
39 Lyon, David. Postmodernity. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994. SA70 (x2)
40 McLaren, Brian D. The church on the other side: Doing ministry in the postmodern matrix. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. RA43
41 McLaren, Brian. A new kind of Christian: A tale of two friends on a spiritual journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. XB58
42 McNeal, Reggie. The present future: Six tough questions for the church. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. (Requested for library)
43 Morgenthaler, Sally. ‘Resources: Worship in a postmodern culture’. http://www. emergingworship.com/resources/resourcesheet.pdf. Accessed 21-7-04
44 Moynagh, Michael. Changing world, changing church. London: Monarch, 2001. WA20
45 Murray, Stuart. Church planting: Laying foundations. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 1998. WA20 (x2)
46 Murray, Stuart. Post-Christendom. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2004. (Ordered for library)
47 Murray, Stuart, and Anne Wilkinson-Hayes. Hope from the margins: New ways of being church. Grove Evangelism Series, No. 49. Cambridge, UK: Grove Books, 2000. WA20 (x2)
48 O’Donnell, Kevin. Postmodernism. Lion, 2003. QH4
49 Preece, Gordon. How do you post to postmodernity? Christian education and communication in a post or hyper-modern age. Zadok Paper S107. Hawthorn, Vic.: Zadok Institute for Christianity and Society, 2000. (See periodicals section.)
50 Putnam, Robert D. Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Touchstone, 2001. SI20
51 Roberts, Paul. ‘Liturgy and mission in postmodern culture: Some reflections arising from “Alternative” services and communities’. 1995. http://seaspray.trinity-bris.ac.uk/~robertsp/papers/lambeth.html. Accessed 21-7-04
52 Roxburgh, Alan J. Reaching a new generation: Strategies for tomorrow’s church. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. RP20
53 Roxburgh, Alan J. The missionary congregation, leadership and liminality. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1997. NR2
54 Sayers, Mark. ‘The right DNA’. 2004. http://www.emergingchurch.info/stories/ marksayers/index.htm. Accessed 21-7-04
55 Smith, David. Mission after Christendom. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 2003. NR
56 Stetzer, Ed. Planting new churches in a postmodern age. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003. (Requested for library)
57 Sweet, Leonard, Brian D McLaren and Jerry Haselmayer. A is for abductive: The language of the emerging church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. HH48
58 Sweet, Leonard ed. The church in emerging culture: Five perspectives. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. IC32
59 Tacey, David. Re-enchantment: The new Australian spirituality. Sydney: HarperCollins, 2000. MW64 (x2)
60 Tacey, David. The spirituality revolution: The emergence of contemporary spirituality. Sydney: HarperCollins, 2003. XU
61 Thwaites, James. The church beyond the congregation: The strategic role of the church in the postmodern era. Paternoster, 1999. UA23
62 Tiplady, Richard ed.. PostMission: World mission by a postmodern generation. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2002. NR
63 Tiplady, Richard. ‘Let X = X: Generation X and world mission’. In Global missiology for the 21st century: The Iguassu Dialogue, ed. William D Taylor. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2000. 463-475. NR
64 Van Gelder, Craig and William D Taylor The essence of the church: A community created by the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000. WA20
65 Ward, Pete. Liquid church. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2002. WA20
66 Webber, Robert E. Ancient-future faith: Rethinking evangelism for a postmodern world. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2001. JH
67 Webber, Robert E. The younger evangelicals: Facing the challenges of the new world. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003. JH
68 Wheatley, Margaret J. Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world. Rev. ed. San Francisco: Berret-Koehler, 2001. (Ordered for library)
8 Resources on the web Let’s collect sites and share them with each other. Here are just a few.
Alan Creech | Kentucky, USA | |
Alternative Worship | UK | |
Backyard Missionary | WA | |
Breathing Space | ||
Café Church | Melbourne | |
Church of the Apostles | Kentucky | |
Church.Co | UK | |
Embody | UK | |
Emergent Village | ||
Emerging Church | UK | |
Emerging Church | USA | |
Emerging Kiwi | NZ, Steve Taylor | |
Emerging Worship | USA | |
Faith Maps | USA, Stephen Shields | |
Future Church | USA, Thomas Hohstadt | |
Future Church (NZ) | NZ | |
Gink World | USA | |
Grace | UK | |
Graceway | NZ | |
Holy Space | UK | |
Holy Trinity | Sth Melbourne | |
House Church Blog | USA | |
Jason Clark | UK | |
Jonny Baker | UK | |
Labyrinth Australia | Melbourne | |
Labyrinth Online | UK | |
Levis Table | St Louis, USA | |
Living Room | Melbourne, Darren Rowse | |
Matthews House | USA | |
Moot | UK | |
Neurotribe | Melbourne, Stephen Said | |
Northern CCC | Melbourne | |
Open Source Theology | UK | |
Ordinary Community | Cincinnati, USA | |
Phuture | Melbourne [currently disabled] | |
Prodigal Kiwi | NZ, Paul Fromont | |
Sacramentis | USA, Sally Morgenthaler | |
Seven Magazine | USA | |
Si Johnston | UK, Si Johnston | |
Signposts | Melbourne, cf NCCC | |
Small Fire | UK | |
Small Ritual | UK | |
Solace | Melbourne | |
South Yarra Baptist | Melbourne | |
Submergence | USA | |
Surfside UCA | Ocean Grove | |
Tall Skinny Kiwi | NZ, Andrew Jones | |
The Cube | UK | |
The Junction | Melbourne | |
The Next Wave | USA | |
The Ooze | USA | |
Theol & Discipleship | Australia | |
Vaux Greyspace | UK | |
Vine & Branches | Kentucky, USA | |
Vineyard Central | USA | |
Vintage Faith | USA |
Ross Langmead, 26-7-04
Related Articles:
- Review: The Faith of Leap: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure & Courage, Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch, Baker, 2011
- Why do Ex-College students Leave Christianity?
- Effective Evangelism: 18 Obstacles
- WAS JESUS GOD?
- COUNTRY CLUB TO MISSION BASE: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF THE PASTOR
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