About
What The Church?! aims to be a safe place where we can discuss church life and reflect on what is good, what needs to change and what people envision it could be. The purpose is to broaden our understanding of why church life is no longer relevant to people in the 21st century.
By removing the four walls of our individual churches, we can collaborate with others to engage in healthy discussion, evaluate the way we connect and promote safer spiritual care practices.
LINK TO PODCAST
Also available on Spotify, Apple and iHeartRadio.
Is the Christian church in decline?
#Deconstruction
Over recent years there has been a greater emphasis on church management and less focus on spiritual formation. Over the same period of time, the church as a whole, has seen a decline in engagement. Some church leaders are blaming Covid, but the trend has been there for years.
In 2013 Australian based McCrindle Research reported that 61% of Australians identified as Christian, yet 47% didn't go to church because it was irrelevant to their lives. 26% didn't agree with how it's taught. Churches responded by investing more time and resources in social media to communicate their message, yet people have continued to leave the church.
What is driving the exodus?
What are we missing?
Are people attending to their social and spiritual needs elsewhere?
#Podcast
The What The Church?! podcast aims to unpack these questions by speaking to every day people of faith. I interview people with a lived experience of religious harm, and health and spiritual care providers, to identify why people are leaving the religious institution.
We have spent decades (or should I say centuries!) listening to church leaders and now it's time to listen to the experiences of people in the pews, and those with a lived experience of religious harm.
Each person’s story improves our understanding of unhealthy Christianity, and their insights will empower us to deliver health and spiritual care in a safe and trauma-informed way. We will also look for answers in pop culture, which often mirrors back to us the human experience.
#Religious Trauma
Like family violence, it is critical that we acknowledge the damage that has been done in our religious institutions. We must improve both physical and psychological safety in churches if we are to continue our role of spiritual carers.
As Maya Angelo said, "we do better when we know better".
And most importantly, churches will regain the trust of the community when they repair relationships and collaborate with the broader community. What The Church? believes breaking free from coercive religious practices is essential to improving the health and wellbeing of church communities.
#IWantToBreakFree
I hope you find our discussions helpful for your recovery. I hope it fuels your spiritual journey. I hope you find comfort in knowing others are working on creating safe, spiritual spaces that churches were intended to be.
Let's love and learn.
About Jacqui
I am the founder of What The Church?! I am a Public Health Practitioner and Mental Health Counsellor and I believe education and advocacy are the pathways to changing systems that cause harm.
For more information on me and why I created What The Church?!, check out the first podcast episode here.
Support services
There is a growing number of counsellors providing religious trauma counselling in Australia. Many have a lived experience and can provide you with the specialist counselling you need. Check out the options below.
Nursing The Mind
If you would like to connect with me for religious trauma counselling, contact Nursing The Mind.
The Religious Trauma Collective
For those wanting to connect with a counsellor in their local area, The Religious Trauma Collective has a list of practitioners in Australia and New Zealand.