I call the model the "Inclusive Model" and on the surface it is difficult to see what a map or the idea of an emerging landscape has to do with being inclusive. The whole point of the model is to create a ministry that helps student reach outside the church youth group into the community of unbelieving students in order to invite them into a group that is loving and accepting. This would be opposed to a model that is exclusively geared to students inside the church. I realize that many people may feel that all student ministry is inclusive and should be inclusive but more and more (as student ministry becomes more of a profession and less of a movement) churches are hiring and instructing student ministry pastors to focus predominantly on the church kids and if they happen to reach out to others that is OK as long as it does not take the focus off the church kids. The goal of the inclusive model then is to bring the emphasis on creating an environment where students can love God and love others - including others outside the church. The idea behind the map then was to illustrate a process of inclusion that involves students on the inside reaching out to students on the outside.
When I began to research the model the one thing that kept coming up is that postmodernist and emergent church experts reject the very notion of models because of their linear thinking. A model is like a factory. Every widget starts at one end and ends up as a mega-widget at the other end. Their complaint is that people are not widgets and therefore should not be treated as such. People grow at different paces and from different experiences. Some may jump right into theological issues and find their answers while others may need an emphasis on the basics. People do not progress at the same rate and sometimes their progression slows, stops or even reverses. I agree with that so when I wanted to come up with a picture of the discipling process that would help people move from milk to meat I wanted something that had clear destinations with out clear paths. Thus the Emerging Landscape map was born.
I myself can say that I hung out in the Distant Islands for many years. Every now and then I would visit the Isles of Wonder and it would have an effect on me. Each experience chipped away at my armor and my world view began to slowly change. Eventually I hung out most of the time at on the Isles even after I became a Christian. I did not really get a whole lot out of the Safe Harbor ministries at the church. I tried but my heart was still connected on the Isles. I also began to make journey's back to the Distant Islands with the express purpose of reaching my friends. By my senior year I was a leader on my campus and made a strong connection with the City of Refuge ministry. I learned about worship and loved it. I began to pray for and with my friends and was inspired to grow. The goal of the ministry was to build loving and caring relationships centered around the word of God and that is what I experienced. I had made a leap right over the Safe Harbor and into the City.
And my faith did not collapse.
I have known people who went from the Distant Islands straight to the City of Refuge with no problems. I have seen people come from the Isles of Wonder and catapult into the High Places in a very short period of time. And they turned out OK too.
So the map is designed to show some important locations that Christians need in their spiritual journey but not show the path or even give an indication of the amount of time spent in each place. That is as non-linear as I was able to make the model.
When I began to research the model the one thing that kept coming up is that postmodernist and emergent church experts reject the very notion of models because of their linear thinking. A model is like a factory. Every widget starts at one end and ends up as a mega-widget at the other end. Their complaint is that people are not widgets and therefore should not be treated as such. People grow at different paces and from different experiences. Some may jump right into theological issues and find their answers while others may need an emphasis on the basics. People do not progress at the same rate and sometimes their progression slows, stops or even reverses. I agree with that so when I wanted to come up with a picture of the discipling process that would help people move from milk to meat I wanted something that had clear destinations with out clear paths. Thus the Emerging Landscape map was born.
I myself can say that I hung out in the Distant Islands for many years. Every now and then I would visit the Isles of Wonder and it would have an effect on me. Each experience chipped away at my armor and my world view began to slowly change. Eventually I hung out most of the time at on the Isles even after I became a Christian. I did not really get a whole lot out of the Safe Harbor ministries at the church. I tried but my heart was still connected on the Isles. I also began to make journey's back to the Distant Islands with the express purpose of reaching my friends. By my senior year I was a leader on my campus and made a strong connection with the City of Refuge ministry. I learned about worship and loved it. I began to pray for and with my friends and was inspired to grow. The goal of the ministry was to build loving and caring relationships centered around the word of God and that is what I experienced. I had made a leap right over the Safe Harbor and into the City.
And my faith did not collapse.
I have known people who went from the Distant Islands straight to the City of Refuge with no problems. I have seen people come from the Isles of Wonder and catapult into the High Places in a very short period of time. And they turned out OK too.
So the map is designed to show some important locations that Christians need in their spiritual journey but not show the path or even give an indication of the amount of time spent in each place. That is as non-linear as I was able to make the model.
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