The Unchurch
Image by David Wiese
It seems I am meeting more and more people who love God, live Kingdom, and are completely (or nearly completely) disconnected from church - at least church in the way most people think of it. They are from all walks of life, all ages, and are living life as the ‘unchurch’ for a multitude of reasons.
Some are cynical or angry. Some are curious. Some are disenchanted. Some are tired. Some simply know no other form.
I think the thought of Christians following Christ outside of the context of a traditional church mindset or model is one that is discomforting to many Christians out there. They simply have no box to put people in other than “in the church” and “rebelling” (basically anyone not in regular attendance at the very least in a Sunday morning worship setting).
I’ve had the chance to talk with and get to know these people. Part of what I want this blog to be is a place to share the stories of others. I’ll be posting more from these conversations in the next week or so.
Before I begin, though, I’m curious.
What’s your take on the concept of those following Christ outside the confines of church ‘as we know it?’
I have my opinions, but I’ll save them for later posts.
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What Are Thin Places?
"Thin Places" are rich in Celtic tradition. They are the places in our lives where the divine and the natural worlds come so close together that we can catch a glimpse of God. For the Celtics these places were very real - places within creation where we could physically go. The Thin Places in our own lives are those moments where the space between us & the Kingdom is thin, when we are introduced to a greater glimpse of Who He is through our experiences and through the stories of others.
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on 03.23.2009.
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"What Story Will You Tell?"
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"YMCA - A Better Picture of Discipleship? on Threads This Week"
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brian Jennings shared their voice on 03.24.2009:
I may be over-generalizing, but I think the key question is, “Is someone following Christ outside the confines of church ‘as God intended it?’” God intended us to live in community. If a community is loving, studying, worshiping, serving & sharing God’s love, that’s great. If they are organized out of arrogance or shallowness, I’m not OK with it (and the same goes for more formal church models).
I’ve talked to plenty of people who are uncomfortable with those who are part of a church that is not ‘as we know it’ but I don’t feel their same uneasiness.
I’ve also talked to plenty of people who say “I have my own spirituality.” That’s certainly not what God has called us to.
Good topic for discussion.