Emerging Church Discussion Draws Large Crowd

An audience of 150 filled Payton 101 for a presentation Thursday evening, March 2, by professors Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger on the topic of their new book Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures. The evening included a brief video, presentation by the two professors, and a time for questions, answers and lively discussion. It concluded with a book signing.

A new type of church, popularly called the “emerging church,” is increasingly taking root across the U.S. and U.K., Gibbs and Bolger explained. “It’s a small movement, but it’s growing,” said Bolger. “We’re seeing its influence spread across the spectrum.”

“There’s a widespread conversation among church leaders who recognize that existing structures are not working well for all people,” said Gibbs. Traditional churches are experiencing challenges and declining numbers, he said, and the emerging church movement is a response to this across denominations and theological traditions.

Gibbs and Bolger described their field research that went into the writing of the book, which included years of visits and conversations with a variety of emerging churches. They discussed specific ways these churches are working to be relevant to contemporary cultures—through decentralized leadership, an emphasis on relationships over structure, and strong community service, for example.

“These are communities that are very organic, very simple—looking to follow Jesus’ way in this culture now,” said Bolger. And although the churches are seen predominantly among the under-35s, it is not solely a youth movement, Gibbs emphasized. The churches they have seen operate as extended families, with a strong desire for mentoring by older generations as well.

“The emerging church is a church that’s turning itself inside out,” Gibbs said, “to bring those outside in.”

Eddie Gibbs is Fuller’s Donald A. McGavran Professor of Church Growth and the author of several other books as well, including the critically acclaimed ChurchNext, winner of a Christianity Today book award. Ryan K. Bolger is assistant professor of Church in Contemporary Culture.