Emergentness

Emerging Times:

Here’s my shot at throwing out some thoughts about the Emergent, alternative worship, small cafe communities...thing.

I saw this in one article: “For some, traditional Church is something they have walked away from (or been forced from), for others it was simply something that never connected with them. Others maintain a foot in both camps, though most would say that their energy and passion is invested in the emerging church experiences.”

What exactly does that all mean?

From that, I have two main questions:
1. Why are people being "forced from" traditional churches?
2. I don’t buy the idea that so many people have become somehow disillusioned with traditional church, that lots leave. I'm sure it's been going on for a long time, yet with the spike in online technology providing a way for people to better network, it's thriving. So then, what in an “emergent setting” is most appealing to...the emergent?

As I’ve thought about it, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it. Sure, some aspects sound great, and sound actually, like they’d be more practical (let along alternative). In other models, they actually resemble the original house churches of the first century Christians. So, what are Christians actually looking for? Is it a break from authority or centralized pastoral-teaching, the need for a sense of belonging, maybe a combination?