Saturday 15 June 2013

It's the faithful that leave church

This quote really resonates with me. It's Carolyn Kitto, on ABC's Sunday Nights, in a discussion about changes in society, and churches who are aware of that:

You know, people are not necessarily leaving the church because they're losing their faith. They're actually leaving the church because they're wanting to express their faith in the rest of the world.

The host expanded on her thought by adding "- and they don't want to put up with having to give their lives to sustaining (what they consider) a boring waste of time on a Sunday morning."

Later on, Carolyn gave churches the tip:
Church needs to leave the building and be part of God's mission. Where churches are discovering that, they're discovering a different way of being. ... It's not a program of the church - it's a different way of being church. It's not for the sake of the church, it's for the sake of the mission of God.

In a way, it can sound like bad news for churches. People leaving, and the need for change aren't things churches usually like. But there's an tremendous opportunity if churches are willing. It's actually one of the things that keeps Carolyn hopeful for the future.

Another thing that's bringing me hope is the number of people who are leaving the church for the sake of their faith. Who are saying I've gotta figure out a way that my faith works in the rest of the world. And they're wanting to have those conversations with other Christians that are in that situation. But they're wanting to have that conversation with people who they are rubbing shoulders with every day, because the fundamentally believe they've found a framework that makes sense in this world, and a God who is the God of the universe.

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