The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations

In my role of church leadership, the missing 18-35 age group has been a major concern. I can also identify with this mindset because I'm a Gen-Xer too. I do also agree that this approach to worship gatherings cannot just be thrust upon an established congregation, especially in the South. It is nice to realize that in the South we usually get these things last, so reading this book gave me a "heads up" on how young people are progressing around us. I think that what I have learned from this book will be useful in the years to come.

Here's the thing...the times, they are a changing. Dan Kimball clearly explains the needs of the new generation and how we, as the church, can reach them with the timeless message of the Gospel. If you're trying to reach those pesky teens and twenty-somethings, but can't seem to get them into your doors, take a look at this book and see if it answers any of your questions.

While the American church has been focusing evangelism efforts primarily on international targets, a generation of young Americans has emerged that includes many possessing no Christian experience or education. This is a population that has learned its spirituality from pop-culture icons, non-Christian parents, a liberal media, and secular high-school and college professors. In The Emerging Church, Dan Kimball identifies a broad age-range of people who do not have a background in Christianity. They have not grown up in the church, have not received a Christian education and generally do not trust the proclamations of preachers or Christian leaders. He defines this group as the "post-modern" and "post-Christian" culture. The purpose of The Emerging Church is two-fold: 1) to describe characteristics of individuals in the post-modern generation, and 2) to discuss actions the church must take to appeal to members of this emerging culture. Dan Kimball comes across as a true expert on reaching members of this group with the gospel of Jesus. He is the founding pastor of a ministry for the emerging generation. He is a disciplined student of the Bible and of Christian leaders. Much of what he writes is based on his own experiences of success and failure in ministry. He also writes from a rich education in church history and in both traditional and contemporary spiritual studies. Kimball's essential message is that what has allowed churches to reach previous generations will not work with the emerging generations of people who are not Christians. Kimball prescribes a return to "vintage Christianity" for churches that wish to attract young unbelievers. Kimball describes vintage Christianity as raw, basic, unapologetic, and authentic Christianity. Vintage Christianity is what Kimball advises as a "post-seeker-sensitive" style and approach to ministry. Kimball has learned that post-modern people seeking the truth about Christianity want to be immersed in a spiritual experience that reveals Jesus and his gospel. In his book, Kimball offers a plethora of practical ideas and plans for creating a church environment that will impact this group. He encourages readers to not merely change the processes of the church but to change the mindset of how church is defined. The format of the book is unique. By interspersing commentary by several prominent Christian authors in it, Kimball provides alternate perspectives on his topics. Kimball includes several charts explaining changes in the values and views of the emerging generation and how this effects ministry. By the nature of the topics he addresses, Kimball makes some broad generalizations of subjects that in reality are less concrete and more ambiguous. Despite such generalizations, he makes important points that should not be overlooked. He repeatedly emphasizes that overall, "the emerging church is about the Spirit of God producing missional kingdom-minded disciples of Jesu

i was rather stunned to see the names of rick warren and brian mclaren on the same book cover. however, after reading the book it made perfect sense. this book does not point fingers or bash modernity or postmodernity - but allows a healthy discussion from both perspectives of what direction the emerging church is moving. i love that this book FINALLY goes beyond all the chatter about culture and postmodern theory and gives some helpful examples (but not a model) of what we in church leadership should try to do. i own virtually every book out there on postmodernism and the church, and this by far has been the most practical in giving helpful direction of stimuating ideas for our local context. i will be giving a copy to my staff as well as key volunteers.

Without throwing stones Dan Kimball has written a challenging book for Christians who come in touch with people living in post-modern America. He clearly defines the way people learn from, interact with and relate to their world differently than people did twenty and fifty years ago. He's an obvious student of popular culture, and offers insight to how the church can relate to people saturated in it. It's not just a book for pastors or theologians but it challenges all Christians to approach evangalism and discipleship in a culture-appropriate manner. The book is well thought out, and is peppered with comments from a variety of church big shots, which are encouraging and sometimes challenging. Kimball has a heart for people and although the layout is lighthearted, the tone of the book is humble and the content sagacious.