You need to check out this post:
We Quit Going to Church
Pay special attention to the responses.
What do you learn from these responses?
and is quiting church a valid response to what is wrong with the church?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership, Quiting Church,
Monday, January 01, 2007
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3 comments:
I don't think it's a black and white answer...as far as whether it's missional to quite church.
I've become more missional outside the structure of traditional church. ( We attended a homegroup in the interim.) For me, I had to leave the 'trappings' so-to-speak, that surrounded Jesus in order to re-discover who he was/is. I feel my past church was abusive as well, and had many mentors encourage me to disengage for a while.
Regarding the comments/responses on Brant's blog, I sensed lots of fear from those questioning him. I noticed as well that the scripture was brought in...and many times that's where the dividing line comes. There's a scripture for every side of every argument.
I think quitting can be missional, and I think sticking with it can be missional. How's that for wishy-washy? Each person needs to decide what things are getting in the way of finding thier 'groove' in the Kingdom Mission. Some will need to leave, some will stay, some will reconfigure.
Hello Jerry,
I didn't have time to read through all of the comments, however the ones I did read showed a pretty keen interest in what Brant brought up. I have this hunger myself - kind of, but in a different form. A desire to just throw away the trappings of much of what's wrong with church today. However, that through process can quickly become subjective and judgmental.
An interesting thing I noticed: the people of God, Christians, are talking about "quitting church". This shows how bad our collective understanding of ecclesiology is (me included). Christians are the body of Christ, the church. It's not an organization you join or "go to" but it is an identity. We are the church... Yet I catch myself making the same mistake often. It's more than symantics, it's more deep rooted I think.
Happy New Year.
Jerry,
I'm not sure they've quit anything. They've quit going to a specific building. That' not the church anyway.
Sounds like they've developed some great relationships and it sounds like they are carrying out all of the functions of a healthy, though small church congregation.
I'm part of a simple church and am hopeful that we'll be starting a simple church among the homeless in Dallas. In both cases they look very much like Brant's experience in this article. The relationships are genuine and we are missional, more so than in any traditional church I've been a part of.
Frankly most of the arguments against it are red herrings. Someone mentioned "having preaching pastors." We have one, but he keeps his portion relatively short, and opens it up for real discussion.
I can't go back to a traditional church. When I first visited Awakening (where I am now.) I wasn't planning to leave my more traditional charismatic church. It's a great church by the way.
But the life I felt pour into me that first time at Awakening just changed everything. I've tried going back to visit two traditiona services. It's actually painful to sit throught the services.
I'm not saying this is for everyone, but it really is important for me.
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