This summer I have been reading several books. "Emerging Churches" by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K Bolger is one of the books I have enjoyed. There are lots of practices among the so called emerging churches I don’t fancy, but I like the focus on the Kingdom of God that I find in this book. They claim that an emerging church community seeks the Kingdom in all realms as it serves as a way of life for its people. Then they present this definition of emerging churches: Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures.

This definition encompasses the nine core practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the strangers, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (/) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.