It was in a moment of reflection about the church plant that we’re part of that I thought about/explored the artwork and wording used in some of the material we share with people to let them know about our church faith gathering.
That’s when I saw what could be an issue. Did you see it?
The question then, does that phrase “family faith gathering” confuse people in our Australian suburban context, or should we use ‘church” (with all of it’s cultural and emotional baggage that people associate with it)?
We’re called to be an alternative to the Empire and yes, that means our way, Jesus’ way, is alien to the culture. Perhaps we take that too far and enter into forms of church — even attractional church that is often too alien for people.
Should we not start with a recognised form of worship/name and move towards a more authentic form of church/worship while not confusing the people in our culture? That it to say, people know what Church is from our culture. Are we doing ourselves and the people we’re trying to engage by not using the term ‘church’?
Interestingly, as I was writing this, there was an article on ABC 23 news about Bell’s Beach. One of the original surfers — “Sitting with my mates in the swell at dawn — that’s the closest you’ll get me to church.”
