What does it mean to be a different church? Has what we have been doing wrong? Does it mean changing what we believe? Changing our building? Does it mean ‘we’ have to change or just what we’re doing? Change curriculum? Change service times? Dress different? Does it mean we’ll loose the good things we have? Change leadership? Change technology?
Yes it does mean these things. And no it doesn’t mean these things.
We say that we want to be a different church, but those words can mean so many things. Whether your soul jumps with excitement to hear the words “A Different kind of Church”, or whether you feel caution, or even fear with those words, there needs to be clear understanding of what these words means.
The problem with this is so much is undiscovered right now. It’s as if right now we have a treasure map. We can give our whole lives to find the treasure at the end of the map, and dedicate ourselves to this, but what if the map is wrong. What if there isn’t really a treasure, it’s just an illusion. What if the treasure isn’t really worth all you had to give to get there? What if?
For those of us whose souls long for a new kind of church, we don’t know for sure that this journey will be worth it in the end, all we know for sure is that we’re longing for something more. I will speak for myself now, I am well aware that going after a new kind of church will cost me everything. Everything. I am also aware that in the end it might not be worth it. But to tell my soul to ‘be quiet’ to ‘not long’ will also cost me everything, for it will cost me who I am.
“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” – Lloyd Jones
Let us be as honest as we can about what it means to have a new kind of church, and yet have grace for the unknown. And for those of us that can even excitement for the mystery of where we are headed.
Has what the church has been doing wrong? Maybe. Just because some of what the church has been knoen for doing no longer resonates with people today does not mean that it was wrong. In fact the church has people in it today because of what it was doing. Celebrate that. Has the church does things it will need to repent of? Absolutely. The church in the past has hurt, judged, and has hindered people in there spiritual journey. Should we repent of this, Yes!
From my perspective this will always be the case. To become a new church does not mean to obtain perfection. It does not mean that we will never hinder people anymore, in fact, we will. Becoming a new church means intentionally becoming a safe church. We need to become intentionally safe people, where failure is not hidden, it is celebrated. A place where the point is not the destination but the journey. It’s not about getting ‘somewhere’, but celebrating people for who they are today. It’s about a church admitting our weakness as a church, and becoming a safe place for others to be weak in our midst.
Does it mean changing what we believe? Maybe. I heard a pastor say one time that he has always preached the word of God, and he could take any sermon that he has preached in the last 20 years and wouldn’t change a thing. He was so proud. I was so sad. How sad is it to not grow in our thoughts and beliefs. So often, we ‘learn’ from people who think the exact same way that we do, we surround ourselves in settings that make us feel good, but where we are never really challenged. A new kind of church is not a church that has finally figured it all out but is ok with and even encourages growth and new thought.
What would it look like where doubt is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of being on a journey? A place where questions are encouraged, and instead of looking for the best answers, we seek the best questions. Is it possible to be a church that sees people ‘struggling’ with their faith and celebrate the fact that their faith is becoming their own.
Will we have to change our building? Maybe. Changing the building to ‘look’ different is not the goal. Becoming ‘cool’ is not the goal. But what would be left if we lost our church building? Would we loose our church? Is there enough besides our building that if we lost it all, we would not loose our identity? Our buildings will change, but they will continue to change to reflect who we are as a church. What does it look like for a new kind of church to have its identity in people?
Does becoming a new kind of church mean ‘we’ have to change or just want we’re doing? Yes and No. To become a new kind of church will mean deep gut wrenching change, from the inside out. Yes, we will do things differently, more differently than probably ever before, or maybe we won’t. Maybe it will look like it did 2000 years ago. I do know that this kind of change cannot take place without growing pains, without sacrifice, even at times mourning. However, if in the end people feel like they have to be anyone other then who God created them to be, then we will have missed the point altogether.
As for the rest of the questions: curriculum, what will we loose, what does it look like? And many other questions. That’s the mystery, that’s the journey. I don’t think the world needs for us to know what it looks like to be a new kind of church, as much as it needs for us to be longing for and, to be journeying towards one. If we try to wait until we figure it out before inviting people to join with us, then we’ll never grow, because we need people who think different, who look different, who talk different than us to help us figure out what it really does look like….
To Be a New Kind of Church.
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ReplyDeleteMy only concern with changing churches is that sometimes they go a little too far. A friend of mine showed me a dvd of a typical service at her church. There was secular music that had absolutely nothing to do with glorifying God in any way. It was just to "bring people in". Get people interested. Some of it even had a little mild cursing in it (damn, hell, things like that). If Christians aren't a little different from everything secular, then what are we? How does "the world" know who we are, if we don't "throw off the old man, and put on the new"? The sermon their pastor preached basically was about whether everything in the Bible is true: How do we decipher the difference between fairy tales, fables, and stories in the Bible? Was Jonah really swallowed by a giant fish? Well, who knows. See, the Bible wasn't written down right away, it was passed on through stories. Maybe the stories were stretched. Well...the Bible was inspired by God to the people who wrote it...either ALL of it is true, or NONE of it is! Not just parts! How can we trust the Bible if a pastor tells his church, "maybe" parts of it are exaggerated! A tv evangelist also commented on a book by a popular pastor about "growing churches", and some of his suggestions, like removing crosses from the church, making it more appealing to non-Christians, and less like the churches of old. Not singing hymns, which have a LOT of Biblical truth in them. (And I'm in my 20's). The Bible even says to sing hymns and spiritual songs. Change is necessary for growth, yes. But never stray from the absolute truths of the Bible, and do be skeptical, and always ask God to show you the way.
ReplyDeleteSo agree with the above comment.Sometimes, things are taken to an extreme too much to the other side that God is taken out of everything in order to accomodate everyone. Church is beginning to lose its roots and quite often the Bible is not honored in the way it should be. Although change is good one we must be careful not to bend too much the other way.
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't mean to discourage you with my first comment (from yesterday, the 1st one on the page). You have to continue growing and changing, and some churches get so stuck in their tradition, and aren't current enough for anyone to be interested. But you can go too far the other way, and it seems like a lot of churches are buying into these "church building" schemes, like removing crosses, taking the word "church" out of their name, to appeal to everyone. Or questioning the truths of the Bible, even. Or preaching "feel-good" messages, and avoiding a lot of what the Bible says, so as not to offend anyone. But your father is a great pastor, and a wise man, and I'm sure your church will make sound, reasonable decisions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for challenging "status quo" thinking, Joy. I believe the Church stands on the verge of a new day. (Perhaps the "new day" will reflect the "old days", meaning what is modeled in Acts) I just want to be in a place where God can use me as part of His plan for reaching the lost and creating a New Testament type of community of Christ-followers.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand. I just read an entire blog about a "New Kind of Church" yet there was not one single mention of Jesus or the Bible.
ReplyDelete"Does it mean changing what we believe? Maybe." What?
"A place where the point is not the destination but the journey. It’s not about getting ‘somewhere’, but celebrating people for who they are today."
The destination(Heaven) IS the point. It IS about getting 'somewhere'(Heaven) and celebrating Jesus(not people) and the fact that God purposely sacrificed Him so we(Christians) do have a destination and get to live with them forever.
"What would it look like where doubt is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of being on a journey? A place where questions are encouraged, and instead of looking for the best answers, we seek the best questions."
Doubt? The Bible leaves NO room for doubt. This is where I sensed a little Rob Bell influence. I hope I'm wrong.
We need to realize that church is not some place or some building. Church is what we do and is what we are as Christians. The church should completely revolve around Jesus since it's all about, all for, and all because of Jesus. Everything else(music, programs, sermon series, etc.) is an accessory that may or may not have to change over time to better serve people and to better show them the love of Jesus.