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ChurchMorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities
It is estimated that 80 percent of churches are either stalled or in decline. In Church Morph, internationally known church observer Eddie Gibbs goes beyond an analysis of causes to show how many churches and faith communities are actually breaking the downward trend. He expertly maps current converging church movementsemerging and missional churches, mainline renewal groups, megachurches, urban mission, new monasticism, alternative worship, and expanding networksand offers a positive assessment of the reshaping of today's church. The core of the book identifies trends and movements that provide signs of the kingdom and reveals how different faith communities are working out what it means to be "church" in a changing world. This stimulating and encouraging book will appeal to pastors, church leaders, and students interested in ministry, the emerging church, Christianity and culture, and mission. Excerpt The morphing of the church relates to the church transitioning to a new identity as a missional presence in the West. There is a growing realization among leaders committed to mission that the challenge will not be adequately met by adding new programs to ensure the local church, or a denomination's, institutional survival. Such leaders are talking about an unfettered reimagining of the church, resulting in a comprehensive change in its selfunderstanding and its reconfiguration.Frequently the term "deconstruction" is used by radical voices within the emergent church. But this technical term is often misunderstood, being perceived as too threatening and confrontational. It is heard to imply demolition and destruction, which is not what is intended. Deconstruction refers to a particular method of literary criticism that seeks to get behind the text to reveal the embedded assumptions. Among Emerging Church leaders, "deconstruction" signifies, not destruction, but a breakthrough. It means to
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
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About the author
Eddie Gibbs
29 books3 followersEddie Gibbs (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is director of the Institute for the Study of Emerging Churches at the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts and a senior professor in the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author of numerous books, including Emerging Churches and the critically acclaimed ChurchNext (winner of a Christianity Today book award), and is cohost of the popular Church Then and Now Web site.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 26, 2016
The church in the western world is undergoing significant transition and it isn't yet clear what the church of the future will look like, so says Eddie Gibbs in churchmorph: how megatrends are reshaping christian communities.
Gibbs identifies five trends of today's western world. The transition from modernity to post-modernity; the transition from the industrial to the information age; the transition from Christendom to post-Christendom contexts; the transition from production initiatives to consumer awareness; and the transition from religious identity to spiritual exploration (p.19).
Gibbs briefly explains and introduces each of these five 'mega-trends' and then looks at a variety of responses from the church including missional church, the emergent church, the new reformed movement, the current impact of mega-churches, the new monastic movements, urban (as opposed to suburban) churches, expanding 'apostolic' networks and the alternative worship movement.
Under each of those headings brief introductions are given to major or prominent players in each of those areas. Most are brief but a few Gibbs expands where he has taken a particular interest.
It's reasonably interesting as an overview and if the big picture is your thing then this is worth a read, although it really needs following up in 10 years time to revisit and assess the impact and significance of these movements. Which withered and died, which blossomed and grew, who were the flash in the pan five-year wonders that are now fading into the gloom?
You could take some issue with the themes themselves and argue for the inclusion of others; no mention is made, for example, in the south and eastern shift of Christianity's power base and so this book remains a resolutely western one. It is western societies issues and the western churches response and then mainly the Anglo-Saxon ones at that, that are considered.
I felt the book lost a little focus by not really asking whether some of these movements were consciously engaging with the mega-trends that Gibbs identified. Some snappy articulation of their theological response would have made it clear that the church is being proactive. As it is I was left with the distinct impression that the church is being almost unconsciously shaped by these vast forces which they little understand or recognise.
As a sociological overview it's interesting. I recognise I'm in the missional camp with some emergent tendencies while being allied to a new apostolic network; which may mean I've not thought things through properly! But I'm not quite sure what the application or outcome of this book is: what do I do with this information, what use is it to me? And I'm not sure of the answer to that question.
Gibbs identifies five trends of today's western world. The transition from modernity to post-modernity; the transition from the industrial to the information age; the transition from Christendom to post-Christendom contexts; the transition from production initiatives to consumer awareness; and the transition from religious identity to spiritual exploration (p.19).
Gibbs briefly explains and introduces each of these five 'mega-trends' and then looks at a variety of responses from the church including missional church, the emergent church, the new reformed movement, the current impact of mega-churches, the new monastic movements, urban (as opposed to suburban) churches, expanding 'apostolic' networks and the alternative worship movement.
Under each of those headings brief introductions are given to major or prominent players in each of those areas. Most are brief but a few Gibbs expands where he has taken a particular interest.
It's reasonably interesting as an overview and if the big picture is your thing then this is worth a read, although it really needs following up in 10 years time to revisit and assess the impact and significance of these movements. Which withered and died, which blossomed and grew, who were the flash in the pan five-year wonders that are now fading into the gloom?
You could take some issue with the themes themselves and argue for the inclusion of others; no mention is made, for example, in the south and eastern shift of Christianity's power base and so this book remains a resolutely western one. It is western societies issues and the western churches response and then mainly the Anglo-Saxon ones at that, that are considered.
I felt the book lost a little focus by not really asking whether some of these movements were consciously engaging with the mega-trends that Gibbs identified. Some snappy articulation of their theological response would have made it clear that the church is being proactive. As it is I was left with the distinct impression that the church is being almost unconsciously shaped by these vast forces which they little understand or recognise.
As a sociological overview it's interesting. I recognise I'm in the missional camp with some emergent tendencies while being allied to a new apostolic network; which may mean I've not thought things through properly! But I'm not quite sure what the application or outcome of this book is: what do I do with this information, what use is it to me? And I'm not sure of the answer to that question.
February 12, 2011
Eddie Gibbs does an excellent job of laying out the basics regarding new movements in the church world-wide and how it is interacting with the culture. My only complaint is that because this book is meant more as a "survey" instead of a discussion, I wonder what the author's answers are to how the church is to move forward? And it appears that the new 'up-and-coming' does not reflect the Christian community as a whole, not interacting with the older and younger generations that tend to be divided. And the author admits to not having the full picture since these "technics" are in their beginning stages.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews