Alternative worship
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Alternative worship, also known as alt.worship, is a synonym for the Emerging Church movement. This loosely organized, grass roots Christian movement dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s. Like most major events or changes in history, no one really agrees as to how or when it started. The movement most likely traces its origins to the UK - it quickly spread to New Zealand and Australia, but took somewhat longer to reach the US.
For decades, fewer and fewer people were involved with Christian churches in the UK. This was especially true of young adults. Alternative worship was initially an experiment in making church more relevant for spiritually minded people outside of the church. The early models grew out of the popular rave and club culture.
Alt. worship can be described as an "ancient future experience". While embracing the newest in technology, music and culture, its also a return to an earlier form of Christian spirituality. While modernism placed an emphasis on reason, science, conquest and objectivism, Postmodern Christian experience values community, art, multisensory worship and tolerance. Alternative worship can incorporate elements of Christian meditation such as Labyrinths.
External links
- Alternative Worship.org (http://www.alternativeworship.org/)
- Fresh Worship (http://www.freshworship.org/)
- Church of the Apostles, Seattle (http://www.apostleschurch.org/)
- Visions (http://www.visions-york.org/)
- San Diego Tribune Article (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20040318-9999-news_1c18worship.html)
- NY Times article (registration required) (http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/national/18WORS.html)