An Honest, Creative Church for a New World

by Pete, (for CRC journal), c. 2003...

The church leaders flocking to Willow Creek to learn new ways of doing church from its corporate-style approach may be missing the mark for the next generation of souls. The polished, suit-and-tie performances of the seeker services may attract affluent boomers, but they do not appeal to the more earthy busters.

"The Place,", not far from the University of Victoria, is no grand show, but it is hard to find a seat. This "community within a church" is hosted by the non-denominational Lambrick Park Church, and uses their sanctuary space for weekly Sunday night gatherings. If there is a dress code, it is jeans and a shaved head. The music is up-beat: a mix of Christian, mainstream (eg. U2), and home-grown. Everything from announcements to sermon is relaxed and unpretentious.

One of the announcements on this February Sunday night is regarding a documentary on drug abuse that is showing in a local theatre. "I think we should go," says the pastor, "and check out the discussion forum afterwards." There are a few more announcements and then someone says, "Check out our web-site for details, and please turn off your cell- phones."

The sermon is on Exodus 15 and 16, and the topic is "tests". After a short comedy-routine on the speakers’ many failed drivers’ tests, he launches into a story-by-story exegesis of the Israelites sojourn in the wilderness. Regarding the manna and quails, he says, "God provides for us in some pretty bizarre ways." Regarding all the wilderness tests, he concludes, "This is the purpose of the test of life: God is fitting you for a promised land. Will you trust and obey him?"

Pastor as Jester in Jeans

What attracts this standing-room only crowd of 600 twenty-something young adults? The web site lists four core values: orthodoxy, engagement (with broader culture), community, and beauty. But the front of their introductory brochure sums it up best: "exploring authentic faith." The Place accepts you as you are: broken, searching, sinful. "The gift this congregation has given is that I’m allowed to be myself," says Randy Hein, one of two full-time staff at the Place and generally known to be the visionary although "reluctant" pastor. "Some pastors are lonely, but I want to do, play, and be church with my friends. Some pastors are dishonest— not allowed to be vulnerable—but I want to lead out of weakness and vulnerability. I want to take God seriously, but not ourselves. I’m not the authority. I’m more of the jester."

You would not know Hein was the leader of this Christian community experiment. His name is hard to find on the literature. He does not always preach. When he does come up to make announcements his unbuttoned flannel shirt and goofy antics grate against all ministerial stereotypes. He has degrees in philosophy and theology, but he does not advertise them. He only mentions his inspirations as Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Jacques Ellul, and Brian McLaren when pressed. "The emphasis must be on the community," he insists. "The Place is not just that Sunday night service," he explains. "It’s the drink and fellowship afterwards at the pizza joint. It’s the small groups, the Koionia Garden that harvests vegetables for the poor." He adds that the mix of church kids, drug dealers, addicts, anarchists, single mothers, and navy personnel that make up the community would not come to just a conventional church worship service.

One of their original songs puts it this way:

Might not fit in anywhere
Might be tired of being scared…
But grace is for the weak
Rest is for the weary
And Solace for the freaks
And the best is for the needy.

Generationally Exclusive?

When asked about the lack of generational diversity in The Place (the average age is @ 25), Hein says they never promote this community in age-specific terms. "In fact," he defends, "we deliberately communicate a value for the elderly. They know I have mentors who are over 60. We know we are young in faith and maturity, and we have to be careful."

The Place may not wave the banner of youth, but they do certainly promote and celebrate the gift of creativity. Art exhibits, special concerts, and open mike evenings are part of the regular venue. The Place has also produced its own worship CD entitled "Under the Rubble."

Additionally, they have just come out with the second issue of their own journal of poetry, art and writing called Disclaimer. "Café Suburbia" is a warm, candle-lit space down the hall where one can enjoy a specialty coffee, pizza, or piece of home-made cake after a service or concert. "I was at a conventional church this morning," says one man in a Hawaiian shirt with a mocha. "It was dry and boring. I come here because its uplifting." "Yeah," says a Navy man beside him. "This place is alive."

Away from Christian Sub-culture

The Place isn’t all novelty, though. They read scripture, pray, take an offering, baptise, provide childcare, and celebrate communion every other week. They have two leadership teams, one is the vision leaders (the "elders") and the other is the core leaders (the "deacons").

Their web site www.theplace.ca gives a clearer picture of what is behind this movement: its begins with a deep dissatisfaction with the church today, and more specifically, the Christian sub-culture the leaders grew up in. Writes Hein, "They had TV, we created ‘Christian TV’ They had rock, we had ‘Christian rock’. We just imitated everything that the world did. Only it wasn’t as good. It was just more sanitary." The Place grieves the cultural life of the church, "where everything seemed so second rate… almost dishonest."

This is their vision: "We desire—we are striving—to be relevant. To show Jesus is real and accessible to this post-Christian generation. We desire to engage the culture that we live in… We are sceptical—irreverent— but it has made us uncomfortably honest. We are willing to take risks and explore…"

The Place is an eclectic mix of the loud and celebratory and the liturgical. It wants to be a safe place where questions can be asked. It strives to be a community of love and dialogue. In one sentence, this is the difference with the corporate-style churches: "We are more interested in
something that is honest than something that is polished."

Dissatisfied with Dissatisfaction

The Place is a risky venture that does not attract every demographic in town. Another young Navy man in town declines the invitation to check it out. "The fact that they are ‘dissatisfied’ with the church says everything," he explains. "That’s not me. I like the hymns and the organ. And that they are self-described as ‘irreverent’—I don’t like that."

One may question many aspects of this endeavour: whether it is centred on a personality or entertainment, what deeper theological tradition it expounds, and how discipline, accountability, and stability are valued and implemented. Its future is uncertain, but no one questions the organic nature of this new community. Organic, after all, is culturally savvy. And dissatisfaction? That’s where church reformers like Calvin began as well, both vocationally and theologically.

"We want to engage the culture in its language, we want to be a beacon of light in a dark place," muses Hein. "Anything that perpetuates that light, no matter how little, we want to continue that."