| The Northwest
is widely known for its low church attendance, but
Seattle is the home of a growing number of worship
centers - which are being started and attracting
people in their 20s and 30s who say neither traditional
nor contemporary churches speak to them. According
to "The Seattle Times," ministers of the
new types of congregations call themselves "emerging
churches," dedicated to finding alternative
ways of presenting the message of Christ - ways
that they say are more in line with current culture.
"I genuinely believe that God is raising
up a new generation of 20- and 30-year-olds that
are reinventing and bringing renewal to the church,"
said Tom Sine, of Mustard Seed Associates, which
tries to come up with creative ways churches can
respond to a changing culture. "It's a breath
of fresh air for the church."
The "Times" said such churches include
Seattle Urban Foursquare, which meets in a pizza
parlor; Emmaus Road, which has doubled in membership
every 18 months since forming six years ago; Grace
Church Seattle, which attracts about 230 people
to its weekly services; Quest, which recently
opened a 4,500-square-foot coffeehouse/community
center; Mars Hill Church, which moved earlier
this year to a 40,000-square-foot warehouse; and
the 110-member All Saints Church.
"Often these churches are relatively small,
dedicated to fostering personal relationships
among members and not setting the pastor above
the members," the newspaper observed. "They
value experiential, intuitive experiences of God.…
They meet anywhere - from churches to members'
houses to restaurants and cafes."
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