The church should be a safe space. A place that is pro-, not anti-. A place that heals and not traumatizes. We strive to be such a place as we seek to follow Jesus and be a local center of hope, love, and witness.  

Behind this series is a question church members may ask themselves from time to time; certainly many of our neighbors are asking: “Why Church?” The Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life reports that nearly a quarter of American adults report that they have no religious affiliation, an all time high. The majority of these persons say they are “spiritual, but not religious.” American young adults, persons in their 20s and 30s, share common critiques of “organized religion.” A majority of them say the church is full of people who are judgmental and hypocritical. Further, they say the church is anti-gay, anti-women, and anti- (you fill in the blank). 

At the same time Diana Butler Bass, a scholar on church trends writes that progressive mainline churches are seeing the post-pandemic arrival of ex-evangelicals looking for different spiritual communities and seeking new theological perspectives. In this series, we will explore these criticisms as we seek to answer the question: Why Church?  We hope we can be a safe harbor for those who have wanted to give up on the church, but are still in search of hope. 

The church should be a safe space. A place that is pro-, not anti-. A place that heals and not traumatizes. We strive to be such a place as we seek to follow Jesus and be a local center of hope, love, and witness.