Fitting in

We were talking about a book titled "Under the Overpass" and while it isn't the best writing I have ever read, the author brings up many difficult questions that Christians and churches must answer. One of the students in our ministry asked how we could help the homeless feel comfortable in our churches.

I'm not sure there is an easy answer, but I think whatever answer we have has to be sufficient for helping others feel comfortable as well.

I think we have to fundamentally rethink how we do and how we think of church. Currently, we think of church as being what we do on Sundays (or in the case of Refuge Saturdays) and we think that what we do between Sundays isn't so much church. However, the truth of the situation, in my opinion, couldn't be more different.

Church should be happening at home groups and coffee shops. Church should be breaking out in different parts of our cities and towns every day of the week. Sunday should be a celebration, a corporate gathering to rejoice in what has happened in the rest of the week, but it shouldn't be our primary outreach.

I think this is the answer to the question. It is difficult to be comfortable at a gathering if you know one or two people. But what if you have already met and gotten to know an entire group of people? What if you are homeless but you already have ten friends from home group? The same question applies to the homosexual population, single mothers, other races, basically anyone who has ever been ostracized.

This would make church growth harder. It would mean we can't rely on light shows and super-sermons to draw people in. It means we need to get to know people for who they are and not the number the represent. But I think it is doable. I think if we can start to do this somehow, then we will be rewarded with churches full of variety and life. We will see people with depth to their relationships and people come face-to-face with the call of God in their lives. My hope is that we can start this at Refuge, but it will take strength and perseverance.