Snapshot #3 Outside The Square

The ‘Rebels’ Group. Many years ago now, my family attended what was then one ofthe larger congregational churches in Australia. This was (and still is) an excellent church, with a wonderful menu of effective ministry programmes and all manner of groups and people networks ranging from playgroups to craft groups, from financial advice to low cost accommodation. Back then, there was a large staff team and on weekends, we scheduled five or six different worship services, a massive Sunday school, and youth programmes. To serve there was exhilarating, worthwhile, but exhausting.

This was a fascinating time as that congregation had slowed growing numerically and had been on a plateau for at least five years. I saw how challenging it is for a large and successful church to appraise and change its paradigm. I also learnt, back then, how church growth and mission were closely related to strategic planning and corporate management. Back then, we often assumed the presuppositions, methodology and practises of the large, successful (mostly Northern American) regional churches.

Whilst we were great at asking demographic, marketing and organising questions,  we struggled to do the deeper work of thinking through together what our theological 'lenses' should be. We engaged in little contextual theology or in challenging unbiblical cultural traits. Instead, we tended to imitate the approach of other larger churches if they increased numbers. I recall planning meetings where issues were raised such as whether we ought to remain a geographically “local” church or evolve into a “regional” church; whether demographic segmentation was appropriate or not; whether we ought to implement a central, top-down management structure or rather decentralise through becoming a more inclusive home group network; whether we ought to organise functionally or organically; or whether the cultural assumptions under-girding suburban Australia ought to be imitated or challenged. 

The telling thing was not what was decided, but that nothing was decided on most of these questions. These issues were benignly seen as irrelevant to the process of articulating a strong mission statement, core functions, long term goals, growth and so on. Provided we were reaching out and moving off the plateau, bringing people in, then that was more the priority.  

After five years, I had moved into different vocational work, but we remained at the edge of this very large congregation. In the midst of this massive professional effort, we came to miss that sense of localised, permanent, intimate, and messy community. 

We craved a smaller group of people who knew each other well, shared the same life “rhythm,” and connected with each other and each others’ non-church friends in a regular, unscheduled, face-to-face way. We posed to ourselves the question as to how what we had been constructing was community. 

Certainly there were a large number of very committed people conducting all manner of God honouring programmes, but was this primarily “community” or some form of “para-church” association generating worthwhile ministry? Large organisations take a lot of energy, continually, to just sustain themselves.

A small group of six of us, with the approval of the church leadership, decided to meet over a weekly meal with our children to quietly reflect on being community. We would be honest about what faith meant or did not mean. We would read and reflect on Scriptures rather than work through prepared notes. We would bring our own songs or poetry to our liturgy; we would support each other as we engaged our non-church friends. One of the members invited another couple to join in, a young couple that had been burnt-out by their previous church experiences and now attended nowhere.

Within a few short months there were twenty-five adults and five children who became part of the group. Many were in their mid-twenties, persons who had drifted out of the larger establishment churches, hence the sobriquet of ‘the rebels’ group. They could not identify with highly produced and practiced programmes and worship events. Some had come to profoundly question their faith. All of them craved community, a band of fellow travellers with whom to dialogue and explore. The group was diverse – a retiree, a doctor, social workers, musicians, disability pensioners, stay-at-home mothers, and a tradie or two. My wife’s and my role as leaders was refreshingly different from that of a pastor’s. We facilitated, encouraged, and suggested ideas for consideration, occasionally provided background knowledge, whilst the members took responsibility for forming the activities, mutual care, and values of the group.

For me it was revealing how many ordinary, “uninvolved” Australian Christians were hungering for the intimacy of community, perturbed by the models of a more “corporate” church they had assumed was the rule, eager to commit, and eager to engage and include their non-religious friends. 

Frequently, I would answer the door to find someone standing there totally unknownto me: “I’ve come for the meal. My friend said a community met here.” Often they came early, or on other days, just to talk. Out of these unscheduled coffees came long remembered kairos moments. I don’t believe this was just the modern need for associational connection. Much conversation revolved around the “communitas” nature of church. This was not just a quest for “my type of people doing worship my way”. The diversity of the group members and variety of lifestyles was very helpful reminder of this.

I saw again that there is a deep desire in the hearts of many disenfranchised churchgoers for Kingdom community. Their frustrations with existing forms of church are an inarticulate reaction against the scaffolding of modernity. When this is stripped away, latent commitment joyfully resurfaces. It raises the pressing question of what sort of leaders and conditions can facilitate this desire. (See also: Alan Jamieson, “A Churchless Faith.” 2002).

For me, these three snapshots (see previous blog-entries) speak of the indefatigability of God’s renewal of the Church – even in the post-modern west. No matter the context, God’s Spirit is at work amongst us, creatively building or rebuilding Kingdom Community for the world. The good news and the grace of God still transform people into Kingdom community. It is often in times of social transition or catastrophe that hope appears! 

We in the West are living through such a time, when the stories and structures that have served us unfailingly, are failing. Yet the prevailing paradigms are often strongest in their death throes and deflating of leaders who question them. 

Our hope is that as we come closer to 'opening the doors' on Haven community, that it will be a welcoming and safe space. If you are interested in getting involved, let me know!

I’d also like to read your stories! What are your stories of God’s renewing work?  Send them to me via email HERE