Church

I have a 23 minute commute to State Street every day from my house.  We’re hoping to get our house put on the market and move closer to the LP soon but it hasn’t happened yet (my fault…).  On my commute I usually spend time (1) catching up on phone conversations, (2) driving in much-needed silence, or (3) listening to podcasts.  One of my favorite podcasts is one called Off the Map.

Off the Map has different guest speakers talk about various theological, church, or philosophical matters in 40-50 minute podcasts.  One of the sessions that I just finished was led by a guy named David Kinnaman.  Kinnaman is a researcher and President of the Barna Group (the mecca of sociological findings surrounding the church and people).  He (and Gabe Lyons) wrote a book a couple years ago called UnChristian about the habits and personalities of the millennial generation and their spiritual lives.  It was an informative read and the podcast really complimented his presentation given in the book.  One of the quotes that stuck out most to me in his talk was one that, being a part of the millennial generation AND a pastor, I think really has some traction and weight.  He said about the millennials,

They feel like we’re [the church] operating off of a talking point sheet, like we can’t engage in good listening.  We can’t hear where they’re coming from. We can’t bend on any of the things that we’ve learned in life because we’re know-it-alls.  It’s hard to think about that reality but we’re not known as listeners to a generation that says “We want to talk”. There is spiritual potential in conversations. – David Kinnaman, Off the Map Podcast

Our church community, State Street Community Church, is one that I’m blessed to lead and invest in.  I was having a conversation with a fellow State Streeter and we were talking about our demographics.  He said, “I bet there’s not 10% of our church that is over 50 years old.”  We sat and tried to count the more “seasoned” people and couldn’t come up with more than 20 that were active parts of our community.  Though the guy I was talking to was a part of that boomer demographic, he summed up our findings with, “That’s why we won’t reach certain people.  We’re young and different.  But, you know what, as an older guy, I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Why does it matter, though?  It matters because people matter and people change.  People have changed drastically in the last 20 years and the church, thus far, has went unaltered in a world that has changed around it.  What my parents struggled with and their environments are far different than what my children will grow up with.  The lives of children today are influenced and molded through things that were foreign to me when I was their age (Yo Gabba Gabba, anyone!? Holla!).  The way technology has infused itself in our lives has changed us.  The cultural normalities that were once taboo has changed us.  The changed world has changed her people.  People (especially younger people) have changed the way they think.

What we do in the church and how we do it matters.  How the church adapts to a changing world matters.  Kinnamon, in his book, writes this paragraph;

How common are these [negative] perceptions?  It is one thing to encounter a person on the street who says audacious, brash things about Christianity, but quite another if these perceptions broadly define the Christian faith among young people.  In our national surveys with young people, we found the three most common perceptions of present-day Christianity are anti-homosexual (an image held by 91 percent of young outsiders), judgmental (87 percent), and hypocritical (85 percent).  These “big three” are followed by the following negative perceptions, embraced by a majority of young adults; old-fashioned, too involved in politics, out of touch with reality, insensitive to others, boring, not accepting of other faiths, and confusing.  When they think of the Christian faith, these are the images that come to mind. This is what a new generation really things about Christianity. - Kinnaman/Lyons, UnChristian

Most of my friends that don’t follow the way of Christ would gladly spend the day with me but don’t want to spend an hour on a Sunday in “church”.  Granted, when they do, they often enjoy State Street but getting them to attend can often use all the relational clout that I have with this person.  Why is that?  Is it because of something Christ has done or something that the “church” has done?  Or, is the problem on the person?  Or both?

I’ve met people that have come to State Street and felt uncomfortable with the way we do our services, the people that attend, and/or the ministry philosophy that we employ.  I’ve tried to be forthright and admit that we’re not a church for everyone.  We’re just not.  We’re a place to ask questions (by the way, we’re in a series called FAQ… all are welcomed…), seek truth, and to be who God is calling you to be.  I don’t want to change you.  That’s really the work of the Holy Spirit.  I don’t have it all figured out.  Most close to me really know what a mess I can be.  I don’t have all the answers.  I’ve got ideas about cosmogony, creation/evolution, the trinity, eschatology, liturgy, and other theological presuppositions.  But, many of them are just ideas and I truly believe that I (along with my ideas and beliefs) are a work in progress.

The truth is, the church is just a place where we can take all of our flawed selfs and meet other flawed people that are getting blown away by the hope of Christ.  I don’t know it all but I know the hope that I have.  Maybe the church needs to stop being experts in everything political, social, and cultural and start being experts in grace and hope and love.  That’s really what I know best anyway.  Or, at least that’s what I’m learning most…