Chris Summerfield
Like most Christian people I know who are under 40, none of us really like the idea of going to church. Sentiments like I’m spiritual or I’m a Christian just not religious are more common than not. My friends and I did not slowly drift from church as we drifted from our faith. On the contrary, it was as we took our faith more seriously we found it harder to continue going to church.
Unpack the issues...
Ask those friends of mine what they don't like about church and they might mutter something about a distain for institutions and how Christianity went down hill after Constantine. For many of them it's really hard to articulate exactly what they dislike about church because the answer is, 'pretty much everything.'
They have been disenfranchised for so long that they are no longer thinking, 'what would I like to change about church' but rather, 'why would I go in the first place?'
It's easy to point the finger at how church is done. Sermons rarely lack the academic rigor and insight of interviews with theologians you can download for free off the net. Communal singing, be that contemporary worship music or hymns, can just seem strange to those of us who grew up on a diet of alterative rock. And, social outreach programs rarely reach the quality or effectiveness of those run by larger NGOs (non-government organisations).
But there is far more to it than just the “how” of church.
I once heard of church youth group leader asking their youth group…
(a) what are the biggest issues facing the church at the moment?
They wrote all the answers in a list.
Then they asked…
(b) what are the biggest issues facing the world at the moment?
They wrote these answers in a list.
Then they looked at the two lists. There was no overlapping issues on either list.
Despite all this, after years of not being part of a 'proper church', my wife and I started the painful process of looking for a church. Partly driven by us working for Christian organizations where we were supposed to be 'actively involved' in a local church.
As we searched from happy clappy mega church to small liberal church I felt a common vibe amongst all of them. A sense that this is the way we do things here and we were welcome to join in or, if we didn’t like it, not.
Eventually I decided I didn’t want to get anything out of church. I was looking for a church were I could give something.
After all, like many of my peers, I had been a Christian for a long time and I had loads of experience. It was only when my now minister said he’d be up for me trialing a few different ideas I had floating around in my head, that I thought this might be the place.
Now I am proud to be a member of my church and it's not my ideal church, far from it. What's more I hope never is my ideal church.
There far too few people who would want to be part of a church designed to pander to the wants and desires of a middle aged man who has been a Christian almost all of his life and likes to do church one particular way.
Chris Summerfield works for DrugARM WA. You can find out more about him at achurchlessfaith.blogspot.com, where he has recently been blogging about his decision to candidate as a minister in the Uniting Church.
Unpack the issues...
Think
- Why do you/don't you go to church?
- How do you negotiate the line between private faith life and the institutions of Christianity?
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written by Dr Wendy Beresford-Maning , October 28, 2009
What a refreshing read, Chris. It's a while since I was 'under 40' butback then I too went through the same experience and ended up looking for a church where I could contribute something. I suspect that(certainly in my congregation) there are people older than me who share your freelings and frustrations. Bonhoeffer floated the idea of religionless Christianity before his death. If he were alive to day I supect he would be talking baout churchless faith. Shalom, Wendy
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