Did you know that in Christianity “the church” is not a building, is not a hierarchy of preachers and priests and is not a place that we are dragged to each week?

“The Church” is a group of believers coming together who have similar beliefs, similar goals and who wish to gather together to worship and to participate in service to others. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which has the defination of “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” It follows then that “the church” in the Christian sense is a Christian social network where the participants gather to support each other, to enhance each other’s lives, to learn and grow together and get stronger in their common beliefs. It also follows that by participating in a community that brings them joy, they wish to have others join them in their Christian journey, to experience what they are experiencing – the joy, the growth, the grace and above all, the love.

If a group and their chosen leader decide to evangelize then this becomes a mission of that particular group. Not all groups (churches) aggressively evangelize and not all churches believe that congregants must all believe the same exact thing. Denominations are organizations that churches built up over time and were originally formed to bring like-minded churches together to expand the network, so to speak. Some denominations were put together by groups who had very stringent views and imposed very defined beliefs on each church and each church member that joined, other denominations took a more open road. Like any organization that brings mere humans together, structures are put in place and have the potential to overshadow the original objective. Herein lies the major confusion. Christians become confused with denominations - both outwardly and introspectively. The denomination has the potential to become a god that is worshiped and in some cases, decisions are made based on what the denomination says rather than their own christian beliefs.

It's Okay to Question

Probably one of the most open Christian demoninations in the US today is the United Church of Christ (not to be confused with the “Church of Christ”). Their motto is “wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here”. I find this to be a very liberating statement. While certainly the expectation is that the journey together will lead one closer to a fuller understanding of God and what it means to live a Christian life; “how to”, “when to” and “musts” never enter the picture. When I questioned several UCC spokespersons about this concept, they said that every congregant is allowed the freedom to question - even encouraged to question and allowed the freedom of their own beliefs in God to develop. UCC churches offer a safe haven for seekers, a safe haven for those with expanded beliefs or understandings and a safe haven for marginalized persons. All are encouraged to network with others in a Christian community and each church is free to develop their own pathways. One conference minister in the denomination sums it up like this "In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things love." Interestingly enough, the phrase does not define what the essentials actually are.

Spiritual support during a church’s journey and opportunities to serve communities and throughout the world are offered by the denomination with an overriding message of God’s all encompassing love for each and every person no matter how diverse along with a message of God’s mercy. They are there to help church groups help each individual congregant find a deeper personal relationship with God in their own time and in their own way. The UCC’s own polity fosters the message that “God does not coerce, God invites”. While catechisms for some dominations and churches are long and specific, the UCC only asks three things before a person joins their church with the first two being: “Do you believe in God?” and “Do you believe in Jesus?” They are simple questions, simple words and none of the three specifies how or under what circumstances. The one thing that the UCC expects is that since the seeker is afforded the respect and the time to develop, each congregant is expected to afford this same respect to others. It isn’t always easy, humans being what they are, mistakes will be made, hurts can occur but moving through these with mercy and love is what the UCC fosters.

“The Church” then is made up of participants, seekers, and persons of beliefs much like your own. Damning the whole Christian community for the way certain churches go about their missions or for their beliefs is much like damning you for something that occurred in the town you reside in – irrational, ill-mannered and uninformed. Finding a "church" is just a matter of finding a group of christians who share your beliefs or are open to listening to you and allowing you to find your answers in a loving and accepting environment. Social networking offering support and unbiased love through shared ideals and service is really what "church" is all about.