Do we have realistic expectations for others?

When I began the journey toward a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and freedom from the tyranny of “religious performance and religious obligation” (to borrow a phrase from Wayne Jacobsen), I felt a strong compulsion to defend my decision and, more than that, to convince others to do the same thing. It was an instinctive [...]

Living in our communities, sharing God’s story

Here’s an excellent video clip by Alan Roxburgh regarding “A Tale of Three Churches & A New Age Mall in Toronto.” Based on one of his earlier books, Reaching A New Generation. At the end of this brief clip, Roxburgh says,
I keep meeting all kinds of people who are tired of the “go to church” [...]

They don’t go to church because…

Common misconceptions and clichés and false assumptions abound when such terms as “churchless Christian” or “post-congregational” or “free range believers” get introduced into a conversation. It’s understandable, in some respects, because most people equate faithful church attendance and being a good Christian. In their mind, there is NO category for followers of Jesus who neglect [...]

A typical week “outside the box” of organized religion

When one’s life has been so focused within institutional Christianity (whatever you choose to call it), there is a predictable pattern or routine that recycles every seven days: Sunday worship services followed by an optional menu of mid-week events, such as prayer meetings, Bible study, choir rehearsal, men’s & women’s ministry meetings, church-based sporting events, [...]

“Free Range” Christians

Wayne Jacobsen shares an interesting experience from his recent trip to Pennsylvania:
Someone was talking about a wine list they saw at a restaurant that was offering “free-range wine.” They were asking me what that was, knowing I’d grown up on a vineyard. The term really tickled me. According to Wikipedia “Free range is a method [...]

How does it feel “outside”?

Len Hjalmarson shares his own experience in “Leaving the Church?”
What if someone steps outside the well worn paths? What if we stop assuming that the Sunday gathering should be the pre-eminent experience of the Christian life?
Suddenly a lot of other answers that were taken for granted are less than obvious. The journey in search of [...]

How do we simplify our Christian life?

A great article on “Simplifying the Journey” over at The Thin Edge of the Wedge.