Emergence

Welcome to Emergence

Emergence is a Gospel-centered, missional, multiplying community committed to telling people the good news of Jesus Christ through Bible teaching, serving the poor, small groups, and leadership development. We long to see the Church full of equipped missionaries, filled with vision and purpose in the north Jersey area.

Frequently Asked Questions about Emergence:

What is the vision of Emergence?
Emergence is a progressive/culturally astute worship service which boldly proclaims Christ and challenges its people to become a community that “Loves Jesus and Loves People” and (as a result of life transformation) then “Plows a Counter Culture.”

Loving Jesus:
Jesus’ teaching in John 15 is clear that if you want to make a difference for God’s glory, you must abide in Jesus. Therefore, first and foremost at Emergence we hold firmly that we will make no difference as a church unless Jesus is loved, preached, worshipped, submitted to, and abided in.  All other hopes for change will simply be legalistic religion or social gospel mysticism.  Like Paul writes to the Romans, we believe the gospel of Jesus is in fact the power of God, for salvation.  So at Emergence we place a high value on the gathered worship experience on Sunday where we lift Jesus high, proclaim his truth, and focus on him as the hope to make a difference where he has placed us for his glory.

Loving People:
Personal renewal always leads to relational renewal. We believe that we can love because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19).  In our relationships people sin against us, deceive us, fail us, and frustrate us… and as we abide with Jesus we realize we do the same thing to Jesus.  Yet, his response to us is grace, patience, and love.  The hope is that because Jesus is our Lord, we will learn to love others as he does.  The primary strategy we take to intentionally being people who learn to love others is through our Missional Communities (small groups).

Plowing a Counter-Culture:
Finally, if you have enough people in a close enough area being renewed by Jesus, whose relationships are changed for Jesus, then the local culture can be influenced for the glory of God.  We love North Jersey and exist to serve Jesus here. We realize that sadly, many people settle for false gods and idols in North Jersey.  The idols of worship of North Jersey are like many other places in the world today--sex, money, power. Jesus has a way of turning those idols on their heads and using those things for the glory of God.  Therefore, at Emergence, we are not a retreatist group of disciples. Rather, we engage the culture—contending both for the Gospel and sound doctrine (Jude 1:3)—and seek to do it humbly as servants, contextualizing to the culture to best serve, love, and minster to it (1Cor 9:22).  The primary ways we plow a counter-culture are:

1. Church planting – at Emergence we believe we are placed culturally upstream.  What that means is we are located in the NYC area, in an area that culture flows from rather than flows to.  Due to this fact, it is an area replete with multiple cultures, and young professionals who are seeking opportunity.  At Emergence we hope to plant churches in hubs of influence (Hoboken, Montclair, Jersey City, Nyack) in the hopes of proclaiming the gospel to those who will ultimately be shaping culture.
2. Missional small groups – While small groups are the environment for relationships and discipleship, we believe that environment is broken outside of service.   Our small groups are built around a local mission, to the communities in and surrounding where God has placed us.  Small groups have ranged from heading into some of the most dangerous areas of NJ, to do kids camps, and ministry renovation, to working with local disabled people in the community.

Who makes up Emergence?
Emergence is largely comprised of families worshiping together. It is a multi-generational community of believers. The attractional aspect of Emergence seems to lend itself toward those who are un-churched, but specifically those who are de-churched--individuals who, over time, have become disillusioned with the institutions of the church. As evidenced by this disillusionment, many of these people would identify with a progressive worldview—which some would label as post-modern.

What can I expect if I attend Emergence?
At Emergence, we try to keep things simple. Largely, there are two things we do in services. We teach the Bible together and we worship together. We also practice the sacraments that Jesus has given His church--those of Baptism and Communion.

Other things you might see are multimedia, and our cafe area.

You can come in jeans, wear a hat--whatever. If you come dressed up, you might find you feel a little out of place, though feel free to throw the ol' tie on if you so choose. A word of warning: the parking lot can get a bit crazy--so you might want to leave a little time for that--or not.

The music can be loud, and we largely teach through books of the Bible--chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and line by line.

More than any outward stuff, though, you'll hear about Jesus. He's why we get together, and He's who we're there for.

How do you balance cultural awareness and sound doctrine?
We accomplish this mission by taking a “closed hand/open hand” approach to our community. The closed hand hangs onto the non-negotiable tenets of the Christian faith: sin is the problem, Jesus is the answer, the Bible is true, and Jesus is God.

The open hand, however, allows room for differences when it comes to secondary matters; we allow freedom for conscience and wisdom to guide where the Bible is silent.  The open hand fosters unity among the diversity of expressions found in the Emergence congregation: Democrats and Republicans, soccer moms and indie rockers, carnivores and vegans, trendy bohemians and Wall Street businessmen.

Hence, Emergence is a place of laughter, celebration, and tons of diversity.  In this way, we are seeking to simultaneously heed the Bible’s commands to have sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16, Titus 1:9, 2:1), to love our brothers and sisters (1Peter 4:8, 1John 4:7-21), and to avoid unnecessary divisions (Romans 16:17, 1Corinthians 1:10, 12:25, Titus 3:10).

Why is the service called Emergence? Are you affiliated with the Emergent/Emerging Church?
One common point of confusion is the word “Emergence” as it relates to the emergent church movement. The “Emergent Church” means different things to different people, and ranges from mystical (and often heretical) church movements to doctrinally orthodox, culturally engaged churches. In our context we call ourselves “Emergence” because we see ourselves as a community thinking about culture and attempting to influence by the power of the Gospel how people (and then their culture) "emerge" or "come to life."

How do I learn more about God at Emergence?
Our hope at Emergence is that we would see a community of people who worship God (both individually and corporately), connect with others, and serve in their giftedness. Emergence provides a few ways to engage in those disciplines.

Worship: The primary avenue of corporate worship is at our Sunday services. It is in those services that you'll be challenged by the Bible, have the opportunity to respond in musical worship and engage in prayer at some level to open up communication with God. True worship can only be experienced by those who have come to saving faith in the person of Jesus Christ--understanding that by His death and resurrection God has provided payment for your sin and forgiveness to overcome condemnation.

Connection: The primary avenue for connecting with others is through small groups. It is in those groups that you'll be challenged by the Bible, share life on life and motivate your smaller missional community to make a difference together in the community you have been placed.

Service: The book of James tells us that your faith without action is incomplete. Our lives have never been meant to be cul de sacs of God's goodness. We were meant to pass it on and work through our gifts to serve Him (this is also called worship!). Through small groups and strategic service opportunities, as well as mission trips and ministry partnerships, Emergence seeks to provide opportunity for exercising your spiritual gifts for Christ.

How can I receive care and counseling at Emergence?
The Bible calls us to love, comfort, and edify one another--to rejoice and mourn with one another. We all face some pretty jacked up times in our lives and we need some people around us to help bear the weight of it. At Emergence, there are a few avenues to help do just that.

Small Group: A small group at Emergence is like a spiritual family. It's in those groups you'll find real people to share your life with throguh the good as well as the bad times. Many people have found that in their toughest times, their small group has been their greatest source of help, as those are the people that know them best.

Physical Needs: Sharing material things with those in need is our privilege. Whether food, money, clothing, or something else, we'll do our best to help. We recommend that provision begin in your small group, but if you are not in one or your group cannot help, we will not let your needs go unmet.

Individual Counseling: If you are hurting and need someone to walk through a difficult time with you, we have a team of people ready to help share your burden. We can't promise to have all the answers, but we will listen, pray with you, and explore the Bible to help heal and restore you.

What is baptism, and how do I get baptized at Emergence?
Baptism is a symbolic demonstration that a change has taken place in your heart and life. While baptism does not transform or "save" you, it states publicly that you have given your life to Jesus and that it is no longer yours. Baptism also publicly invites others to celebrate with you and help you to stay the course.

We baptize people because it is biblical. Jesus Himself was baptized and told the church to go about baptizing others. (Matthew 28:19) For those being baptized, it is an important step of faith--as it is commanded that we be baptized as believers. For those in the church, it is a reminder of the mission of the church and a cause for corporate celebration.

We baptize people at least once a year, in a setting allowing us to follow the biblical example of complete immersion in water. When a new time for baptism is approaching, an opportunity will be given for you to sign up. Following the sign-up, a short class is offered to explain baptism more thoroughly.

How do I become a member at Emergence?
Membership at Emergence is in the form of a covenant between members and God as well as members with each other. Membership is opened up for new people to join periodically. Currently, our next round of membership is scheduled for Fall of 2012. 

What is the philosophy of musical worship at Emergence?
Worship is far more than music. However, in the western church culture, music seems to be the central focus of worship attention. Every church must decide what its music will sound like, what its content will consist of, and what its philosophy of worship music is. At Emergence, we have made a conscious decision to make the musical portion of our services "normal."

By normal, we mean that it reflects both a relevant style and volume of live music in progressive culture. Part of the reason for this choice is that faith should be a natural part of a believer's life. The idea of my "church life" and my "real life" is a foreign thought in the Emergence culture, and we seek for that to be reflected in all areas of worship.

While the style is reflective of culture, the content is biblically sound. At Emergence, we value loud and soft, hymns and modern worship. Worship at Emergence is diverse, but we do understand it is not the preferred style for everyone. Understanding this, each week, we have come to love our "audio missionaries"--the folks who use the provided earplugs to reduce volume. They are committed to the mission and have decided to be missional in the preference and style.

As time moves on, and as things change, worship will change with it. We fully expect that a year from now... two years from now... five or ten years from now... worship of God will reflect the heartbeat of the people. Emergence will always empower the next generation of worshipers to speak their own language--so long as the language reflects and brings glory to Jesus.

How do I prepare for or care for my marriage at Emergence?
Marriage is way more than an exchange of vows--it is a lifetime commitment. It is a covenant with God. We believe preparation is key in maintaining and thriving in a marriage. Because of this, we have both pre-marital and marital counseling available. Pre-marital counseling is required for any couple being married by our staff. Marriage counseling is done in partnership with Family Life Ministry as well as area counselors.

Is Emergence Hiring?
Emergence is a growing community that has changing needs. As such, there will be positions announced from time to time. Click employment opportunities through the bar at the top to find out the latest positions. 

I'm Engaged! What is the process for getting married at Emergence?
First, congratulations! We're sure that the next months of your life are going to be busy ones--and it is important to invest in your marriage prior to your wedding day.

Here at Emergence, we believe that preparing to be married is an essential piece of the pre-wedding plans. This is why in order to be married by a pastor from Emergence, you must participate in pre-marital counseling. If our names are on your certificate, we want to know you've put the work into ensuring a solid marriage.

The first step of this process is to fill out a wedding application. You can find an online version here. We will contact you shortly after we receive the application and begin the rest of this exciting preparation!