Jonny Baker reckons this could be the best book yet on the emerging church phenomenon - Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger, Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Academic, 2005).

the best book yet on the emerging church - 'the best book yet on the emerging church' is andrew jones comment on the back of ryan bolger and eddie gibbs new book emerging churches. i think he's right. this really is a must read. one of the reasons... [Jonny Baker]

From Jonny Baker's blog entry on the book:

one of the reasons is that it is a research book. it has taken 5 years to produce from lots of visits to emerging churches in the uk and the usa and interviews with people involved in the movement. (it is a shame that the research was unable to include other places in the world - especially new zealand and australia but that was down to the budget). from listening to the voices from below eddie and ryan offer the following defintion of emerging church:

and they identify nine practices of emerging churches - emerging churches 1) identify with the life of jesus 2) transform the secular realm 3) live highly communal lives. Because of these they 4) welcome the stranger 5) serve with generosity 6) participate as producers 7) create as created beings 8) lead as a body 9) take part in spiritual activities.

Certainly sounds worth a read. The book is out in the USA, published by Baker Academic, and will be published in the UK in February by SPCK.