Lately I have lost track of how many Christians I am meeting who ask me if I know of any churches in their area that they might be able to join. Some of them are not currently attending a church, others are at a church but find it unsatisfying. We know of course that this is nothing new. The Church in the West is struggling in the liminal space in which it is placed today. We are unsure of the purpose, relevance and level of engagement the church should have today. We turn to often used biblical images of the church such as temple of God, family, bride of Christ and we wrestle with how to apply these pictures today. They are still true, but what do those illustrations look like in a society that has virtually lost its memory of Christendom, where in some quarters Christianity is being used as a political tool and in a culture where there is deep suspicion of the church? So many Christians are affected by this in-between space that we are in. There is a sense of confusion and disorientation among many of us. We read statistics about how many Christians have given up on the church altogether, the millennials are leaving the church we are told, and other Christians quietly sit in the pews each week bored, numbed by religion and perhaps wonder what the relevance is of what is coming from the platform to their daily lives at work and play. Continue reading Why are so many Christians looking for churches?