What is the Transitioning Church? The transitioning church is the invisible church that connects the modern church era to the postmodern church era.

This transition is marked by 5 strong trickling brooks that lead to the bigger stream.

1) the reboot of the micro church
2) the reboot of intentional community
3) the reboot of missions as life, rather than a ministry
4) the development of online communities and a net culture
5) the emergence of the Alternative/Spiritual/Mystic Church movement

During the mid to late nineties and continuing into the early parts of the millennium many saw the cultural need to move away from traditional systems of "how we do church" to a less structured format of "being church". However, in making this step our humanness intervened. We brought back many of the same traits that we left behind. A stubborn belief that "our way" of doing church was the right way. It was in the unseen transition of being church to doing church that we revert back to the Modern Era. It was the same problem that tore apart the early church. When they moved from "being church" to "doing church" they needed a strong hierarchal and structural setup. It's easy to fall back into this. But that is why I call it the "Transitioning Church".  A key trait of the "Transitioning Church" is its struggle with issues the modern Church had concrete answers for and knew how to handle. These key issues mark the beginning of the divide.
 
The modern church knew their enemy. They declared their enemies were homosexuals, liberals, and those who abort the unborn. They sought to alienate these from culture and from the church. But in declaring this strange war they alienated those they were supposed to be reaching with the Good News. But they didn't just alienate there "enemies", they often alienated their own. Church abuse ran rampant towards the end of the modern era. And thus began the exodus. 

While there have been many mini-exoduses since what I consider the big exodus of the early nineties the root cause is always the same; control and authority. The reason the churches who are left from the modern era haven't accepted the church's of the transition is because they fear them. Just the same reason the Pharisees feared Jesus. They are afraid they will lose their control and their authority. However, the tranisitioners have their assortment of problems and still smell a little like fisherman, and prostitutes. But you learn to love this diversity because we are a people who passionately love God, and our neighbors. If there is anything that stands out to me during this transition it is passion.
Some of that passion can be misplaced. I like what Todd Hunter has to say about the various models of the church in transition.

"Merely messing with models of church is not going to get us where we want to go."

 "But, the people I most admire and respect in life are not focused on "church" as a place, event or thing. They just quietly participate in non-descript churches and submit themselves to be used by God, to be ambassadors of his Kingdom in those communities of faith…as everywhere else in there their life: no dualisms. That attitude-whole life self-surrender-is rooted in a different kind of life: life from above, eternal life. It is what we must pursue for our selves and those we serve. It will make most models work."

"But again this does not mean we abandon our pursuit of better models. It means that models are second; spiritual transformation is first, in community, for the sake of the world."
- Todd Hunter

Too often during this time of transition we have returned to the theory of "my model is right". At first I didn't understand this. But later when reading Thomas Merton it all became clear. Here is what Thomas Merton says:

"Modern man believes he is fruitful and productive when his ego is aggressively affirmed, when he is visibly active, and when his action produces obvious results."

To often in the transition we are still seeking a model that will produce fruit and make us feel successful. Herein lies something we must seek to overcome. Because their will be as many models as there is diversity on this planet. That's a good thing. All of God's creation is diverse.  I think as time continues we must continue to be ourselves. As knew followers of Christ join in community we must be able to allow their character, their gifts, to also shape the church in transition.  We can't let the church in transition turn into the institution of the postmodern era.  I like what Dwight Friesen says:

"- an institution's first concern is self-preservation - not Christ; he lays down his life for those he loves,
- an institution needs money - Christ has no place to lay his head, even Paul built tents,
- an institution has an image to protect - Christ puts on a towel and washes feet,
- an institution guards power - Christ empties his,
- an institution gathers its members - Christ sends his out,
- etc.

Don't get me wrong God is in, and is using our institutional churches, but we don't need plant more of them - today's small relational Christ-communities will be tomorrow's institutions, unless these Christ-communities can begin to see the Kingdom gain of their
loss."

These are the things we left behind. We have to leave them there. Not getting complacent. So what's the solution?  People who aren't afraid to live out the gifts God has given them as willing servants not paid staffers. The gift God has given you is what makes you come alive.

To quote John Eldredge:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

The church in transition is desperately seeking a leadership distinctively different than what they walked away from. But it's unclear what that leadership is supposed to look like. We can't sell out and hire someone to "do the work" because that's easier than getting our hands dirty. But I think it's the same answer that I encourage the church to do. Be yourselves. Do what makes you come alive.  You couldn't pay me to do what I love to do. You can't pay me to love someone. I do it because I love them.

To quote Brian McLaren:

"I wasn't the only one who thought that the best image of the successful pastor was the CEO, the alpha male, the armored knight, the corporate hero. Thousands of us tried on that armor, and the results - in our churches and in our personal lives - weren't pretty. Of course, the suit fit some of us but most of us eventually realized that if we were going to be of any use to God, we'd better be ourselves."

More and more I see people being themselves. That's great. That's exactly what the church in transition needs. Leaders of the transitioning church are beginning to materialize and that's a good thing. The leadership of the church in transition isn't the CEO. It isn't the charismatic preacher. It isn't anything like we had in the modern era. It's all that and more. But I want to make one thing clear. It's not about egos. It's not about control. And it's not about our glory. It's all about His glory. Now that I have made that clear. Let's proceed.

During this time of transition I see people actually beginning to unveil their gifts for the bridegroom. I see "Pastors" acting as protectors and comforters of the heart, soul, mind, and body of the church. I see "Teachers" being guides and gurus of the rocky trails of the long awaited mountainous journey called faith. I see "Evangelists" telling stories and parables to bring back the truth and clarity of the Kingdom where the unwanted are wanted. I see "Prophets" being visionaries and dreamers of the future encouraging others to walk with God. I see "Apostles" facilitating and networking to encourage the entire Kingdom to press on in journey called faith. I see Jesus in every one of them. Yet, I see Him on the other side. Waiting patiently for the time when He will rescue us from the rocky cliffs He knows we are marching towards.

If you take away anything from this time of transition, the most important thing is that the model of church is not what's important it's about you and me and our hearts. They are the holy of holies and that's what God wants. He wants us to walk with him in Community. Community is about one with another and one another with God.

Church in transition, be of good cheer. He is coming soon.

I could make the link to your www.iggie.com site work.
--Tony Dale ( tdale at thekarisgroup dot com ) on 1/14/2005; 3:58:02 PM

Iggie, your excellent article deserves a very wide readership. Can we publish it on the www.simplechurch.com site?
--Tony Dale ( tdale at thekarisgroup dot com ) on 1/14/2005; 3:44:55 PM