This definition was last rewritten in 2005. Since then the picture [and my own understanding] has moved on in some regards, notably the emergence of the neo-monastic approach and the curation model for worship leadership. However the intention of this definition has always been to give a broad view of the generalities of the movement without too much attention to sub-genres.

What:

• Christians reinventing faith expression for themselves within their own cultural settings
• a response to postmodern Western society and cultural change
• faith expression within culture not in a parallel 'Christian' culture
• reconsideration of all inherited church forms and structures, including recent modernising ones
• rediscovery of ancient and alternative Christian traditions as resources for the present and future
• shift from centralised into networked forms of church

Not:

• not intended to transition people into existing forms of church
• not an attempt to reach particular social or cultural groups
• not about making Christianity appear cool or fashionable
• not a restyling of existing forms and structures

Who:

• a diverse network of individuals and small groups, practitioners and theorists
• no single centre or authority
• no single theological position or statement of beliefs but mostly within Christian orthodoxy
• sometimes working within existing church structures, sometimes forming separate churches
• crossing denominational and theological boundaries, even within single groups
• variety of forms - full-time ministry, spare time, emphasis on events or community, result of lay or clergy initiative
• high levels of friendship and exchange of ideas throughout movement
• many of the people in positions of influence or leadership are not ordained or church employees

When:

• beginning UK late 1980s
• Nine O'clock Service, England, 1986-95, first deliberately postmodern 'club culture' church but its hierarchical structure was unlike other groups
• numerous smaller groups inspired by NOS appear in the late 80s - early 90s
• movement established in Australia and New Zealand by mid 90s
• facilitated by simultaneous rise of the internet - the movement contained many technological early adopters exploiting its openness to new contributions
• collapse of NOS in 1995 due to abusive leadership caused period of suspicion and difficulty for other groups in Britain
• movement emerging in USA/Canada/Europe since 2000
• Church of England 'Mission Shaped Church' report 2002 and subsequent 'Fresh Expressions' initiative marked institutional acceptance and encouragement of the movement in UK
• Emergent Village as focus for movement in USA during 00s
• emergence of denominationally based groupings with varying emphases in late 00s

‘Alternative worship’ and ‘emerging church’:

• movement known as 'alternative worship' or 'alt.worship' c. 1990-2000
• original reference to alt. groups of early internet
• 'emerging church' general use from c.2000
• reference to science of emergence, ie self-organising systems
• both labels ambiguous, 'emerging church' more representative of intentions
• however 'emerging church' label identified by some only with 'low church' 'postmodern evangelical' tendency
• consequently 'alternative worship' label reclaimed by some to indicate liturgical 'high church' background
• 'Fresh Expressions' umbrella term in England covering many things beyond alternative worship/emerging church
• 'neo-monastic' groups emphasise community built around a rhythm of shared spiritual practices, rather than creative worship events

Values:

• authenticity - faith expression that truly represents the people who make and take part in it
• faith as journey, to be facilitated rather than controlled
• giving people space for their own encounter with God
• an exploration of creativity - in everyone, not just a gifted few
• risk-taking, experimental - openness to failure and mistakes
• holistic - life not divided into sacred and secular
• any part of our lives and abilities as potential material for faith expression
• participation - involvement encouraged, passive consumption discouraged
• minimal exclusion - shaped by whoever gets involved
• consensus - not one person imposing their direction
• low threshold of permission - in general if you want to do something go ahead
• high quality, as good as we can make it - culturally aware
• awareness of ourselves as part of God's creation, and a concern for its welfare
• the entire expression of the faith community seen as 'church' not just one event
• reluctance to draw boundaries that determine who or what is in or out of God's kingdom
• openness to God's presence in any area of life or culture
• worship is gift - gift is whatever you can bring
• belief that everybody is creative because they are made in the image of God

Kingdom:

• belief that God is active and emergent in the material and cultural world
• if this is so then the visible Church is not the only potential place of encounter
• the Church as servant/enabler of the Kingdom rather than its container
• serving the Kingdom means being/doing whatever God is, not just 'Christian ministry' - salt dissolved
• an emphasis on growing the Kingdom - everything that is of God - not just growing the visible Church

Implications for church services:

• church service as 'clear space' for examination of the Kingdom as experienced in the world
• no specific rules about content of service, because anything might be a site of encounter with God
• implications for power structure: it's not possible/appropriate for one person to do all the reporting/creating; open or representative access, openness to the unexpected/unusual
• a more radical conclusion: the church service is not the public interface with Christianity but a resource for Christians - a point of renewal/reconnection

Mission:

• "if we fix the service, they will come" - we fixed it, they didn't
• life as chief instrument of mission not church service
• non-believers won't come to church to receive 'product'
• so 'product' must leave church as point of delivery
• encounter with Christ through individuals and communities rather than through events
• mission as actions of individuals and communities in world, resourced by their communal events and practices

Community:

• community as means of personal formation/discipling
• framework or 'rule' - explicit declaration of values and practices to shape life of community
• community as support for countercultural living
• prophetic community - public demonstration of alternative values and possibilities
• community as missional tool - undertaking and enabling christian action in the world

Leadership:

• leadership as facilitation of the faith journeys and gifts of others
• leadership from different people at different times according to circumstances and inspiration
• no fixed roles or hierarchies - leadership expected to be temporary and passed on within the community
• the ‘core team’ are not an elite group delivering expertise to the community, but a representative group creating something for the use of the community
• gifting understood in a very wide sense - not just preaching/teaching/music
• re-empowering people who think they have nothing to offer, or have nothing to offer that fits within the confines of a conventional church event

Events:

• events created and led by many people not one or two
• congregation are active not passive participants
• emphasis on community worshipping together rather than team leading congregation
• elements and activities that emphasise hierarchy or authority generally avoided
• behaviour generally relaxed, informal - permission to use the space as you wish, to not take part
• movement and discussion often encouraged
• learning by exploration and interaction, not located in a single 'teaching' slot
• periods when people can do different things at the same time
• rituals and liturgies often newly created for specific events or communities
• pre-existing rituals and liturgies usually adapted and mixed with new elements
• events not restricted to conventional church timetables or venues

How events are made:

• curation model - organiser assembles team, shapes contributions into coherent event, but is not sole or dominant voice
• events often planned around a chosen theme which determines all of the content
• no fixed or obligatory elements
• almost anything permitted if it makes sense within the event context
• shape of event worked out in group
• individuals take pieces of the event to do
• event comes together on the day, generally without rehearsal, in accordance with the shape agreed during planning
• high level of trust in people's ability to deliver appropriate content

New forms of church environment:

• avoidance of arrangements that embody hierarchies, such as stages, pulpits, pews
• non-directional space - no front to face, things happen all around
• centralised space, symbolising community
• cafe spaces and communal tables - eating and drinking together
• informal seating arrangements - comfortable and domestic in style, or sit or lie on floor
• atmospheric lighting for intimacy, warmth, a sense of mystery - spotlights, candles, projections
• installations and artworks
• ambient music - often as background to everything including speech and prayer
• ambient video - relevant to event content but not attention-grabbing
• creative use of available technology and media, including from home or work
• technology and media used for environment or art as well as presentation tools
• venue may not be existing church building