While this blog has been a little slower than I’d like lately, it doesn’t mean I’m any less in touch with what’s going on in the emerging church. A positive trend I’m starting to see is that the emerging church has begun moving away from being a “youth thing” in the popular perception.
Sure, it’s getting battered by the fundies and a lot of conservative evangelicals, but of note is that the emerging church is no longer considered a young man’s game.
Which is probably why the heat has been turned up over the past year and a half by critics of the emerging church. Youth groups and college ministries get away with a surprising amount of crap in evangelicalism, but when you start seeing thinking adults moving away from the establishment, you ruffle some feathers.
I think by and large, the emerging church has begun shedding the perception of being a youth movement due to several key factors. For one, The most visible leaders of the movement are all over 40 (anyone care to correct me on this? I can only think of a few guys who might qualify, and they’re pushing 40 if not already there). While a lot of those leaders have a certain “cool” factor, they still connect deeply with the disenfranchised adults within and currently outside of the established church.
Another key factor: What youth and young adults actually want
If anything, youth are actually more attracted to established churches than emerging churches. The programs implemented in established churches provide at least the appearance of a better social network. While I would vehemently defend the quality of relationships in smaller emerging churches, a single guy whose biggest concern is finding that perfect woman (no comments, please… 
) is not exactly thrilled by the close, intimate social network of a house church. Or a church of a hundred that keeps planting other churches instead of growing itself into mega-status.
The emerging church is an adult movement.
A trend I see is that larger churches who fit a more established church model in reality rather than their perception as an emerging church are gobbling up the younger adults. It is the more mature adults who most resonate with the smaller, organic models of church we talk so much about in the movement.
Please understand that I’m not speaking in absolutes here. Certainly there will be younger and older adults in all types of congregations. What I’m doing is analyzing trends and offering some opinion about why these trends are occurring.
Mostly, I see this as a positive thing, though it does bring some issues to mind.
Are the youth’s perceived needs of the established social structure something that should be disregarded, or are they needs which should be met by the church? If it is the latter, much thought and action should be given to connecting with the numerous smaller churches in an area. This could be done through values the emerging church holds dear… community outreach, ministry to the oppressed/disenfranchised, social justice, etc. Basically, I’m wondering if we could develop something that goes beyond the parachurch model and beyond the mega-church model to find ministries that several local churches bond together to achieve common goals. It would expand the social network for the younger adults and also further the work of the Kingdom of God.
What say you all?
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