CCP9: On Unchurched Christians

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the exodus of Christians from the Church who are trying to recreate “church-like” experiences elsewhere - whether that's an exercise class, a group Bible study, a parachurch ministry, etc. Their conversation takes a look at what cannot be surrendered to have a biblically functioning Church, and how many evangelicals have a terrible understanding of the doctrine of the church - either devaluing the Church or shaping it into their own image. One thing is clear, there is biblically no such thing as an unchurched Christian.

Episode Links

The conversation kicked off with a discussion about the online church, a prescient decision to end Mecklenburg Community Church's multisite model, and the need to be a hybrid, phygital church - embracing both the digital and the physical. Dr. White has written several blogs that will serve as helpful additions for you to read. “They're Not Coming Back” explores the adjustments that the Church must make as we grapple with the fallout of a decline in attendance that began long before the pandemic. For churches that did experience online growth during the pandemic, the blog “The Importance of Affirming Online Attendance” discusses the need to continue to have a thriving online campus. In “Why We're Ending Our Multisite Approach” you can read about the decision made by Meck's leadership team to end the multisite model, a decision that proved to be a critical missional shift. And finally, “The Shift From Gathering to Connecting” examines just how well people are able to find thriving community through the church, even online.

Then the conversation turned to the doctrine of the Church, and how even Christians can find excuses to devalue the Church and to try to shape it into whatever they want it to be. Here, you'll find the blog “The Unofficial Religion of American Culture” to be an interesting read about people who would equate yoga classes with a church-like experience. And finally “This Is Church” that outlines when you have the church being the church.

Along those lines, Dr. White delivered a series at Mecklenburg Community Church called “Being Church,” with four installments that outline what Jesus had in mind when He said, “... I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out…” (Matthew 16:18, Msg).

A final resource that will serve this conversation is a book written by Dr. White titled The Rise of the Nones that you can find on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller.

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