Today I received an email that made me think again about how I am evaluating churches. Part of the challenge (that I'll address here) was to look at a church in terms of what can I do as a member of that church rather than what's this church going to do for me. And this is a very valid point, in fact the heart of the matter and what makes church surfing so difficult and what makes evaluating a church so intangible.
It is true that we can only really get to know what it is like to be part of a church community once we are part of a church community. Unfortunately I have just moved into an area with heaps of churches of heaps of different flavours, most of which I think I could give something too and could learn something and be a part of that faith community. However the problem is that if I "test out" each church community by being there for say four months, I could spend 2 years just "testing out" only 6 churches. So to some extent there is the dilemma of judging what it would like to be part of a church (on the inside) by just observing it (from the outside). Hence, the appeal for suggestions on how to judge a church. Perhaps the appeal should be more specific...
What are some things someone should look for in a church to find out what that church might be like to be a part of, without actually being a part of that church?
My surfing will start in earnest next week - I don't intend to post critical reviews of different churches rather I'll chart my journey in trying to find a spiritual home in a new community.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Am I looking from the outside in, instead of from the inside out?
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Hi Chris
You're wondering about how you'll surf churches, how you'll evaluate the waves.
I'm part of a network of what you could call 'churchless Christians'. Quite a few of us are linked with a home group or two in the network. Some people meet with only one or two people over coffee. Occasionally a lot of us gather for a barbecue or a celebration. The group I'm part of doesn't meet every week. We don't sing much. Relaxed conversation, swimming, karaoke, doing something practical - these are more common expressions of our life together.
It's not a typical 'Sunday morning' or 'Sunday evening' experience of church. And so it misses the energy that comes from gathering with a large group of people who like singing and notices. But it means you can drink your coffee while influencing what happens in the group even though you're not the 'leader'.
The criteria our core team apply to all of our experiences:
Is it relaxed?
Is it relational?
Is it relevant?
I'm looking forward to seeing how you go with your church surfing over the next whenever.
Duncan
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