You asked for the characteristics of a pioneering spirit. From my personal experience I would say a willingness to accept a wilderness experience where others just cannot understand - basically because they are unable to leave their own comfort zones.

There is another world outside both the traditional churches and the emerging/emergent church - and I believe that they all have their place at this time in history.

Tens of thousands of people have been, or are going through wilderness experiences over the last 10-15 years. I find it amazing the way in which many of us are now coming together and sharing our very different journeys.

I’m convinced it is a work of the Spirit.

Thanks for sharing your story. I can certainly imagine in that part of the world stepping out into something different would be met with hostility. I am so sorry that you guys experience this. It sounds like you are involved with and have been blessed with some wonderful stuff though.

I’ll certainly have a look at your blog. As Traveller wrote above, stay on the journey.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I really concur with them. It is definitely a hard and frustrating journey, make sure you stay on it too.

God bless you.

In our part of the world, religiosity is the power to be reckoned with. As house church leaders for nearly 8 years in a land filled with mega-churches–and actively seeking a more vibrant relationship with God outside the walls–we don’t see as many glazed eyes as we feel stony glares–especially by local church leadership. More than just people not “getting it”–we often get the distinct impression that we are perceived as a threat.

I suppose when people seek a more excellent way, others who trust in the old ways take it personally sometimes.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello from across the pond. I recently started a blog myself to begin processing my many thoughts about these matters. Feel free to stop by. Thanks for a great post.

1. Yes, emerging folks are pioneers but many are pioneers only as reformers of the current institutional expression of church. So, many are looking to settle down again soon.

2. It is very difficult to know how to respond to people whose eyes glaze over. It can be very frustrating. This causes me to reflect upon how frustrated Jesus must have felt when people did not “get it”.

3. Pioneers are often lonely in their journey. By definition only a few are pioneers and only a few go along with the pioneers. Later as many see the pioneer’s vision they do join. By then, of course, the pioneers are on the move again!

4. This is all a process that takes time. There are tremendous changes coming as we transition from Modernity through Postmodernity to ??????. All the indicators are that the church is in a dramatic transformation as well. But it will take time probably beyond our lifetimes. So, patience and perseverance are important.

5. It is hard.

Stay on the journey.

“Yet, when we speak of these things, although people don’t verbalize it, it is easy to tell that they are thinking “but church is fine how it is.” Sound familiar?”

Yes- it sounds quite familiar. So much so that I have to admit I now go for very long stretches without even trying to talk to anyone face to face about it.

But I’m not a pioneer. I’m a pragmatist. And I feel strongly (how can I say that to the 10th degree?) about authenticity. So, even though I like to know where I’m going before I get there, when I see that what I’m doing isn’t working and all around me I find inauthenticity, then off I go into the wild blue yonder with you pioneer types.

I see lots of types of people being drawn away from “church as we knew it.” Like you, I see an abundance of folks- my description would probably put a little more emphasis on those who are prophetically inclined. But not everyone is prophetic. It takes more of those pioneers and prophets to get things moving I suppose. Now I see God pulling in all types of folks. Just like you’d find in a local congregation.

The online emerging church community is forming in many ways like a local congregation. Teachers, encouragers, prophets, servants, etc- we have everybody. I have to admit, though, I’m not sure where to go from here. Maybe you pioneers can tell us which way to aim our wagons now.