It seems so sad that church has become a place to go rather than an experience to have each day of life. Too often the routines of our church participation fuels disengagement more than deepening our engagement in the faith walk and our church relationships (inside and outside church walls).
Believers are no doubt busier these days, but most are not better as a result of divine encounters that bring transformation of heart, values and life experiences. Now that those who lead, give and fill positions and pews are losing interest or attending with less engagement, energy and participation, church leaders are beginning to pay attention. After all, they remind us, “We cannot do church without people who lead, give and participate!”
This very mindset might just be the seedbed for why so many once-active church leaders are dropping out or reducing their participation. Of course, I agree that lives have gotten busy and church programming has become more demanding and packed, as other consultants point out. I also understand and validate that many families are dual-career, time-poor families who are searching for time to be family or check on aging parents or build community relationships or friendships. Maybe, just maybe, these are hints about how we might increase the value of and engagement in, through and as church in today’s world. (I discuss these three expressions of church in greater detail in my Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age: Building Bridges Instead of Barrier.)
The last five ideas, have once again, emerged from our leadership class surveys, dialogues and community prayer times and collective theological and personal reflections. We continue to find new hope, health, healing and deepening of faith, understanding of Scripture and relationships as we journey together in, through and as church through each day and week.
Church is no longer a place to go or a routine or obligation to fulfill. Church is now a way of life that is guided by God, empowered by the presence of the Spirit and the fellowship and life reflection with a group of seekers, searchers and believers who seek together a deepening of engagement and participation in faith and church.
Many will certainly say about now, “How do you pay the bills and keep the church doors open?” What we are experiencing is that those, of all ages, who experience a deeper engagement and who discover an added value in participating fund the mission, not the institution. It also has helped many to see the value of a gathering place to mobilize and equip for the mission. It’s Ephesians 4 and Acts 2 all over again! We are caught up in the mission of God in the world rather than caught up in the activities of the institutional church.
But no doubt we are engaged and committed to the mission as the church in the world of today. Money is better than ever and it follows the depth of engagement in the mission and the community we experience in, through and as church. People give to what they believe in and are engaged in, not what they are expected to just attend or sustain.
The last five summarized ideas are venues we are using to deepen our engagement in and commitment to being people of faith in a 21st-century world as the church in the world.
Provide pastoral care and theological reflection opportunities in workplace and communities. Our membership (we have missionaries not members) is not about caring for each other; it is about going on mission with each other. If you do not go on mission you are not considered to be (learning to be) church. Our caregiving is not focused on those other missionaries who are part of our church. Our caregiving efforts are about how/where/when/how can we care as missionaries in the mission field God has planted us in today. Many times our Bible studies and worship efforts are informed by our missionary experiences during the week. In fact, most often our collective worship is led by the missionaries who are pastoring, teaching, and leading in the world during the week (not our pastor). The pastor keeps us focused on the mission, not the maintenance of an institution.
Provide Christian coaches as a part of the transformational and incarnational extension of gathered church opportunities. I am increasingly convinced that the coach approach to leadership and teaching is a primary strategy for today’s and tomorrow’s church. Helping persons (at any stage in life or faith) is served as a coach explores, focuses, makes connections and builds in accountability to that which the person is led to move into. The power of a coach’s presence, discernment of the Spirit and efforts at following the Spirit, rather than an expected program, uncovers hope, healing efforts and sets the stage for reconciliation. It also provides redemptive conversations that restores the Body and provides insight and hope for the future.
Create safe and sacred space for regional faith life dialogues and community networking. Much of what a coach does creates and holds the agenda of others in a sacred space and place that allows for God to work. The dialogues that emerge from powerful questions — more than powerful dictates — inform, encourage, energize, mobilize and focuses people to follow God’s calling and their divine mission to make a difference in the world. People want to be a part of that and they find meaning in such participation.
Provide library collections in print, online, visual, audio and e-book that speak to faith-life and community network issues. Create learning labs or book clubs to deepen relationships and knowledge base. People learn in different ways. We now find meaning and extreme usefulness of in online and libraries of relevant timely resources that touch people at their point of hunger and use their preferred learning style.
Share biblical and faith life connections as an opportunity for peer learning and a deepening of bible knowledge and interfaith relationships. We have no Sunday school or discipleship training programs. All of this is done as we go as missionaries on mission where we are during the week. What a different way of doing/being church. I’m not sure I can ever go back to the traditional model. It has served well during our church culture age, but we are no longer in that time in our history. The God of the past is leading us into the present and trusting the divine message with those of us who embrace and are energized by the divine mission and the Great Commandment of loving our neighbors (whoever and where ever they are) as ourselves.
Part 1 of this column can be read here.