About

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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. We will hear from everyday believers about their church experience; the good, the bad and the ugly. We will hear from people who have left the church and those who have rarely attended. The purpose is to broaden our understanding of why church life is no longer relevant to people in the 21st century.  

#ChurchLife

Over recent years I have observed 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. While there is plenty of content available for individual study, there is an increasing disconnect from the collective gathering. CV19 further impacting this trend.

Some church leaders are blaming CV19, 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? 

What The Church?! aims to unpack these questions by speaking to every day people. We have spent plenty of time listening to church leaders and now it's time to listen to the experiences of people in the pews and people with a lived experience of religious harm. 

We will also look for answers in pop culture, which often mirrors back to us the human experience. 

I hope you find our discussions helpful. I hope it fuels your spiritual journey. I hope you find comfort in knowing others want church to create safe, spiritual spaces which church was intended to be. 

#Religious Trauma 

We will also unpack the impact of religious trauma . Like family violence, we need to acknowledge the damage that has been done if we are to improve psychological safety in churches. As Maya Angelo said, "we do better when we know better". Churches will regain the trust of the community when they repair relationships and collaborate with the broader community.  

Logo by Jo Adams Creative