I actually believe our former pastor may mention our names at least in an elder meeting. Because one of us was overheard talking about the church, I just wonder what will come of it? During the call, my husband shared that he cannot possibly stop telling people who ask why we left the church honestly what he thinks. The pastor then said something like, “so likewise, I can share about you spreading rumors and saying things we don’t agree with.” My husband said he didn’t care what they say. It may have not been that harsh, really, from the pastor. It was what I thought my husband said, but it was along those lines. At any rate, I wonder if there will be some sort of larger group that will hear about this? At any rate, it is what it is.
I don’t believe we ever said the former church was 100% emergent. I do believe we said there were emergent phrases and authors popping up in sermons, and that the youth camp was emergent. The type of prayer has been mentioned as a problem to pastors, one even contacted the youth camp to get the example of prayer off the web site stating it’s not Biblical. Last time I checked, it’s still there. The pastor told my husband about Noomas being shown to the youth…and this was not something we’d ever heard. It was in the context of, “I thought we agreed to be discreed about [minister X] and the Noomas.” Huh. So, though it wasn’t my husband who had this discussion, and I don’t recall us talking about minister X, someone has AND at least one Nooma has been shown to youth somewhere, somehow through this church. Yet there is denial of emergent creeping in? The pastor still was frustrated that we made connections based on who was quoted in sermons. Okay, truthfully, it wasn’t just quotes. A sermon was framed right from Donald Miller’s stuff. I heard a podcast and the idea came directly from the podcast of Miller’s. Even if only one pastor on staff was saying this stuff, it shows he is into emergent teaching and he promoted it right from the pulpit. To NOT address this is wrong. So, yeah, since that pastor is still on staff, there is an emergent element in our former church.
One thing that has been true of our former church is they have been on the Warren P.E.A.C.E. plan. So, I guess we can call them what? Seeker friendly? The pastors all read Dallas Willard and many recommended his works to me to read. So, we can call the church what? Contemplative/Spiritual Formation influenced? The church itself uses terms like “Bible based” and “Missional.” So, it’s an emergent/contemplative/Spirtual Formation/Missional/Bible influence church. ECSFMBIC
Of course, we’re supposed to never say this church is emergent because that movement is dying, according to what the former pastor said. Huh. Bet there was a day when someone thought the Mormon church was dying too when it was in it’s early years. Of course, renaming yourself or infiltrating churches through the back door, and many times through the front, doesn’t make you a “church” so much as it makes the churches you. But, no, pastor…it’s not dying. It’s doing what it has been made to do, it’s evolving.
I am a C...I am a CH...I am a CHRISTIAN 
Hello, I have been reading your blog for a while. I am very much helped by your posts! Now I know I’m not the only one going throught this.
Im still in my church. I’ve been hanging in there for loyalty’s sake. I don’t really know what to do though. But I am sure glad theres someone out there who knows what I’m talking about.
What I’m trying to figure out is, if someone is saved, and they start watching Nooma, is it dangerous to the point of them going apostate? What is the danger of all this emergent teaching exactly? Is it truly heretical?
endtimegirl
I wish I could tell you about salvation…I am pondering this about my former pastor. I do believe that watching a video won’t make anyone loose their salvation. I also have mostly held to the “once saved always saved” belief. However, I am not a theologian and I wish I were more studied in this area. I wonder if someone falls for this wholeheartedly (without question) if they were saved at all? Or, maybe I’m wrong and salvation can be lost once gained? I would look at my blogroll/links and ask this question of some of these people. I do believe Rob Bell is in heretical land. I cannot judge his heart, but his fruit is very bad. He’s leading people astray, and may or may not realize it.
I do beleive some can believe in God but not be saved, those may be the ones that follow after false teachings to the point that they never come out. I do believe that Jesus calls his out of these false doctrines. I had a hard time when I realized I knew there were wrong things being taught in my former church, and I knew the truth. I couldn’t figure out why my husband and I were aware and our pastors weren’t. Many times I had large red flags flipping in front of my eyes, many times. I would ask around distressed and upset, only to have friends assure me things were okay. Eventually, it got to be too much and my husband couldn’t pin it down but couldn’t sit through another message. We tried to get good out of that church in the last year, but it wasn’t happening. I am of the opinion that before, there was still enough safe teaching going on and so we could get good things out of it for our kids, and for us. When we became in danger of being led astray completely, we were shown the truth and the veil was opened. When the light was shined, we saw the truth and it wasn’t pretty. Of course, at first we weren’t sure we were right. Our former pastor’s reactions to us lately have really confirmed we are right. He is getting kind of scary in his self righteousness, and in his approach to us. Of course, maybe he thinks we’re being self righteous.
I am so sorry you are going through this yourself. I pray for you to be able to convince those who are supposed to be convinced. I pray you stay only as long as you should, and I hope your church sees it’s errors and humbly turns. One thing, our former pastor is being challenged and he is trying to “get into the word” in sermons more. Not sure what that means…if he’s going to be okay in the end.