What Kind Of Church Are You?

I was playing poker on Tuesday night with a few friends and a bunch of people who may become friends at some point. I was sitting next to another church planter and we began to talk shop. We talked about a lot of things, but one question stood out. It is a question I get all the time and I never really know how to answer. He looked at me and said, "What kind of church are you?" I wasn't sure what he meant so I asked him to clarify. he proceeded to ask if I was Emergent, Purpose Driven, or whatever.

I am so sick of hearing this question I can't stand it!! Why do I have to bow at the alter of the mega-church? Rick Warren was purpose driven before purpose driven was purpose driven (Ya, I got confused writing that, but read it 3 or 4 times and it will make sense). Before McLaren, McManus, and McKimball the word emerging was only used as an adjective in dime store novels (I don't think it is fair that Dan Kimball didn't get a Mc in front of his name). Why can't our church just be biblical? Why is it I have to find some other "model" to follow other than just preaching the gospel and loving the lost?

As far as I can tell there is nothing un-biblical about Purpose Driven and being an emerging church may or may not be un-biblical depending on the church. Nor do I have any problem with learning from those who have gone before us.

I wonder if we are learning from those who have gone before us are the wrong things? Are we learning programs designed for a specific context that may or may not transfer to ours or are we simply too lazy to come to our own conclusions about the way we should do ministry where we live.

If you find it helpful to follow a model of ministry someone else came up with go ahead, but don't ask me which model I follow. I do my best to follow the model of the early church while still adapting to the culture in which I minister. Maybe that is what all of us should do?