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Being Church in the 21st Century: Themes from the Emerging Church
This collection of resources attempts to provide an entry into the amoeba-like movement of the emerging church. It includes past and present voices that help us wrestle with ongoing change and cultural shifts. Saint Augustine reminds us to say amen! to what we are, the Body of Christ in the world. And so as baptized people of God, we receive Christ’s body and blood at the communion table boldly responding, Amen! May we continue to look for ever more meaningful ways to be church–sharing, living, and proclaiming the radical news of Jesus Christ and God’s overwhelming love and mercy.
Featured Resources:
- A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything by Brian McLaren
- A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
- “Why Christian?” by Douglas John Hall
- Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
- The Emerging Christian Way edited by Michael Schwartzentruber
- Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church and Home by Another Way
- What Would I Believe if I Didn’t Believe Anything? A Handbook for Spiritual Orphans by Kent Ira Groff
- Leadership on the Other Side by William Easum
- The Practicing Congregations by Diana Butler Bass
- From Nomads to Pilgrims by Diana Butler Bass
- Passion for the Possible, Credo, Letters to a Young Doubter by William Sloan Coffin
- The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg
- Present Future by Reggie McNeal
- Jesus Against Christianity: Reclaiming the Missing Jesus by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer
- Leadership on the Other Side by Leonard Sweet
- Practices of Faith Series by Dorothy Bass
- Worship for Postmodern Times, Unfettered Hope, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down by Marva Dawn
- How Shall We Worship? by Marva Dawn
- Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose by N. Graham Standish
- Who is Our Church? Imagining Congregational Identity by Janet Cawley
- Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers: Exploring Christian Faith by Marty Martin
- Public Church: For the Life of the World by Cynthia Moe-Lobeda
- Why Worship Matters by Robert Rimbo
- Searching for God Knows What, Blue Like Jazz, and Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
- A New and Right Spirit: Creating an Authentic Church in a Consumer Culture by Rick Barger
- Central Things by Gordon Lathrop
- Be Not Afraid: Building Your Church on Faith and Knowledge by Fredric M. Roberts
- Spiritual Questions for the Twenty-First Century edited by Mary Hembrow Snyder
- Called to Question, Heart of the Temple and In Search of Belief by Joan Chittister
- The Upside Down Kingdom by Donald Kraybill
- The Problem of the Enculturation of the Church by Walter Brueggemann (audio)
- Authentic Religion by Richard Rohr (audio)
- Rebuild the Church by Richard Rohr (audio)
- All of Life is a Holy Festival by Joyce Rupp (audio)
- Home by Another Way by Barbara Brown Taylor (audio)
- Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope by Joan Chittister (audio)
- Fulfilling the Promise by Joan Chittister (audio)
- Apocalypse Now and Then: the Next Millennium by Barbara Rossing (audio)
Videos:
- The NOOMA Film Series by Rob Bell
- An American Prophet - William Sloane Coffin
- Transfiguration Ministry to a Wounded World - Joan Chittister
- The Reign of God - Richard Rohr
- How Do We Help? The Goal of Christian Ministry - Richard Rohr
- Faith and Reason
- Living the Question
- Making the Connections: Worship and Evangelism
- Christianity at the Turn of the Century - Tony Campolo
- Called to Freedom - Tony Campolo
- “Seeing God Again: What’s at Stake” by Marcus Borg
- The God They Never Told Me About - Joan Chittister
- The Prodigal God by Desmond Tutu
- “Now You Know that You Need One Another” by Desmond Tutu
- We All Get Healed by Jim Wallis
Featured Links:
- Emergent Village (external link)
- Soul Tsunami (external link)
- The Sarcastic Lutheran (external link)
- Resonate (external link) - the emerging church in Cananda
- emergingchurch.info (external link)
- Jonny Baker (external link)
- The Ooze (external link)
- The Thoughtful Christian (external link)
- Leadership Buzz (external link)
- Everything is Spiritual - Rob Bell (external link)
Churches:
- The Spirit Garage (external link) - Minneapolis, MN
- Church of the Apostles (external link) - Seattle, WA
- Mars Hill (external link) - Grandville, MI
- House of Mercy (external link) - St. Paul, MN
- Solomon’s Porch (external link) - Minneapolis, MN
- Mercy Seat (external link) - Minneapolis, MN
- The Church at Matthew’s House (external link) - Oceanside, CA
- Mosaic (external link) - Austin, TX
- Cedar Ridge Community Church (external link) - Spencerville, MD