Here's a little different approach to the blog this week. I'm posing a question about the kind or types of churches that exist today. There are characteristic traits of each. For example, a Classic Church is considered a church that is multi-generational because of the familial history, has a global missions emphasis, and is traditional in its worship. Do a little research and see if you can identify these church types.
Areas of differentiation might include preaching, worship, missions, outreach, language, structure, and discipleship models.
The question is:
Looking at the definitions of the three types of churches (Classic,
Deep, and Emerging), list four areas of uniqueness and give a real church example
of each type of church.
Classic Church - 4 traits and a real life church example
Deep Church - 4 traits and a real life church example
Emerging Church - 4 traits and a real life church exampleAreas of differentiation might include preaching, worship, missions, outreach, language, structure, and discipleship models.
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DeleteTeng VU
DeleteTime Square Church in New York is a Classical Church –
They are very Pentecostal, Aggressive, Old school, Spirit-filled, Deep theology
Preaching is very Bible centered, and powerful truth! Worship is traditional hymns and Choir oriented. Missions are Global and local. Outreach also local, gangs prostitutes, and outcast. Language is more formal. Structure very traditional
and discipleship models. Bible study, and youth groups.
I have heard that River Valley is a Deep Church –
I have not experienced their service before but only heard it in class. I’m assuming.
Substance Church is an Emerging Church
Their aim is to be culturally relevant. They are primary young adults. Very people oriented
They can be Funny. Their environment seems fun, relaxing, and Very casual wear. Their preaching is not as deep and very informal. Their Worship is very modern, missions local, and global. Their Outreach is the same. Language is very informal. Structure is multi sited. And discipleship models are small groups.
I found it interesting that Time Square Church in NY was considered a classical church. I guess it goes to show that some churches will stay traditional no matter how much the culture shifts, especially in such a big city. I wonder how successful they are in bringing in people and keeping them. I felt like you could have explained a little better with the definition of a deep church., maybe even have done a small amount of research to find out more about River Valley (personally I would consider it a Deep Church). I was also interested in your example of an Emerging Church. It is difficult to say for me whether Substance is moving towards the Deeper type of church or not. I would be careful saying that there preaching is not very deep. Peter Hause does a great job getting into the scriptures, exegeting texts and applying God's word to our lives. If you meant not deep as in a traditional sense I would agree with you, however I would not use that language. Just a thought. Good work.
DeleteI actually enjoyed that you took churches and applied the distinctions to them by giving examples. I also like the simplicity, although the example of the deep church was maybe too simple ;). While I agree with Michael about your wording, at the same time I still agree with you that they are an Emerging Church from what I understand, just a more conservative type in recent times. It's hard for sure to say what to describe it as, but I think ultimately understanding a churches emphasis is what makes this assignment important rather than the title the church might be classified as.
DeleteLooking at the definitions of the three types of churches (Classic, Deep, and Emerging), list four areas of uniqueness and give a real church example of each type of church. For example:
ReplyDeleteExample: Classic Church – Central pastoral leadership, global missions, etc. And, an example of this type of church would be Summit Assembly of God, St. Paul, MN
Generally speaking, a Classical church is centered around Pastoral leadership and typically features a vertical emphasis with worship which includes a focus upon God that holds greater priority than the setting in which the church meets. These types of churches very often possess a rich heritage of commitment and loyalty among their members. A final characteristic of a Classical church is its emphasis and focus on spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, giving, meditation, and worship. An example of a classical church would be Christian Life Assembly in Camp Hill, PA
An Emerging church emphasizes a more cultural setting rather than a traditional one like the Classical church. The leadership of this type of church is shared as opposed to the traditional centralized version consisting of a lead pastor. Because these types of churches are relatively new, their congregations are more fluid, lacking a significant history. Among these types of churches, there is danger found in the possibility of an extreme over-concern for post-modernism and the comfort of the audience. Many times, these churches teach inductive ideologies as opposed to preaching and teaching deductive doctrine. An example of an Emerging church would be Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, MN.
The Deep Church is, in many ways, a compilation of the Classical and the Emerging churches. There is an emphasis placed upon both the cultural and the classical setting and there is a mix of staff leadership ranging from an eastern mindset or family structure to a Euro or image structure. Within a deep church, small groups and interest groups focused on spiritual formation create both fluid connection within the church as well as the beginnings of a historical richness. The Deep church also uses satellite and community churches in order to extend campuses into other communities. The Deep church focuses on both global and local mission commitments, including both justice and classical missions. An example of the Deep Church would most likely be River Valley Church located in several different campuses in Minnesota.
This is a good definition of all these types of church, you can really tell you comprehend the differences in between each type of church. I really liked how you highlighted the difference of preaching styles between the Classic (deductive) and Emerging (inductive) church. Good work!
DeleteThis post shows that you understand the distinctions between these three types of churches. I like that you incorporated the roots of the leadership mentality that a Deep Church would have. I think one extra thing that would have strengthened this post is detailing the varying ideologies Emerging Churches could have. For instance their are some that are more conservative and deductive where some are more liberal to the possibility of being an Emergent church. Other than that this was a great post describing the three types.
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ReplyDeleteLooking at the definitions of the three types of churches (Classic, Deep, and Emerging), list four areas of uniqueness and give a real church example of each type of church.
ReplyDeleteIn the Classic church, a few of the general characteristics would be more of a focus on a classic, traditional setting, rather than a cultural one, more centrality on pastoral leadership, emphasis on the spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting giving, meditation, worship, etc.), and a emphasis on global missions. An example of this type of church would be Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, AZ.
For the Emerging church, the emphasis is going to be more on cultural setting rather than a traditional one. The Emerging church has an over concern for post-modernism, and the comfort of the audience. Pastoral leadership is generally spread out over many, rather than one person. The outreach is generally more local in nature as well. An example of a church like this would be Second Baptist Church.
The Deep church will share characteristics from both. There is an emphasis upon both a cultural and classic setting. Staff is generally mixed between the two other cultures, both shared and an emphasis on central pastoral leadership. In the Deep Church, small groups are central to spiritual growth. There is also a balance between local and global projects in outreach. An example of this type would be River Valley Church in Apple Valley, MN.
I like your brief definitions between each church type as well as your examples. I found it interesting that an example of an emerging church was actually a Baptist church. I wonder if there was an extreme transition from the Classic church in that case. I also agree with your example of a Deep Church. River Valley Church in Apple Valley is a great example of a church that is trying to reach out to the culture around them without changing doctrine. Good Work!
DeleteThere were 3 specific types of churches that we have been talking about in class, Classic, Emerging, and Deep churches.
ReplyDeleteClassic church: These types of churches really focus on their roots and history rather than adapting to new cultural happenings. Classical churches are often very committed to its history and all the generations that have been involved. There is great focus on God's presence rather than a setting changes. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, giving, meditation, and worship are emphasized and their missions involvement are often global. To sum it up, a Classic church's focus is on God and focuses less on physical presence. An example of this type of church would include Gateway Church in North Richland Hills, TX
Emerging church: There is an emphasis on cultural setting unlike the Classic church that has a historical setting emphasis. The Emerging church is constantly looking over what they can do to be more approachable to a post-modern audience. There is a general leadership that everyone shares rather than a structured leadership system. The focus of missions is set upon causal outreach in the local community. To sum it up, it is very seeker friendly, and tries to present practicality but may lose some depth of scripture in the process. Again, it may lose depth, but not necessarily. Some Emerging churches can be more conservative or move on to an in between stasis of Emerging and Deep. An example of this would be Substance as described in class.
Deep church: This is a church that tries to combine the best of Classic church and the Emerging church. It tries to be the “in between” rather than focusing on extremes. There is an emphasis on family structures that in the process build the church body as a whole. This church makes commitments to support missions globally but serves as a church to serve the local community. An example of this is Newbreak Church in San Diego CA.