The book is finally out in USA. Brits need to wait until Feb 06. Its called "Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Communities in Postmodern Cultures" by Ryan Bolger and Eddie Gibbs. I read the manuscript 6 months ago and spent quite a long time on the phone with Ryan. I am really excited about this book and am glad its finally released. The reason this is the best book on the emerging church [so says my endorsment on the back cover] apart from being true [Jonny agrees] is because my own book on the subject - a thrilling, masterful, penetrating analysis and breathtaking sweep of the global emerging church in all its glorious potential for saving the planet, at once sensational and penetrating, glorious and sublime, "a Ken-Follet-meets-Luke historical whirlwind that will convert both WillowBack roadies and the skeptics on Fundy Row" - . . . has . . . ahhh . . . not actually seen completion.
So in the meantime, while you wait for my book, Eddie and Ryan's book will suffice. In fact, it will also open your eyes and introduce you to key people that you have not met. Brits will be happy to read previously unpublished history of NOS [Nine O'Clock Service] from the 80's and Americans will see that the emerging church is a lot bigger than they had previously thought.
I know most of the contributors, but not all of them. About 50 people were interviewed so many of us do not agree with everything that is being done or said that is currently going under the "emerging church" label. In fact, I think i am the only one in the book who says that the history of EC goes back to the 1960's countercultural movement. But . . hey . . always good to have multiple perspectives when tackling a huge subject. And I think my historically dissenting voice makes it into the final edit [dont know because the publishers have not yet sent me a copy, despite late night phone calls with Ryan]
Very cool also to have people like Andy Thornton (Glasgow's Late Late Service in the 80's, Greenbelt Festival Rescuer in the 90's) give their thoughts and memories.
Kiwis, Aussies, Asians, Continental Europeans, and Latin Americans looking for the story of their country's emerging church scene to be told with passion, equity and justice will just have to wait a little longer for my book.
Or . . . a quicker solution . . you might find some of your own countries em. church stories on a Lausanne Occasional Paper. Co-author Ryan Bolger took part in the 2004 Forum hosted by Lausanne Committee For World Evangelism. Ryans group, led by Wilbert Shenk (his previous boss at Fuller School of World Mission) came up with an Occasion Paper [No. 42] that you can download and read: The Reality of the Changing Expressions of Church (PDF). The paper lists 23 different expressions of emerging church on page 50 and gives some good stories from all continents.
BONUS: Eddie Gibbs made available a paper called The Emerging Church(doc). Eddie also reviewed D. A. Carson's book "Being Conversant with the Emerging Church" for Christianity Today with an article called "Emergent Solutions - and Problems"
