CHURCH REIMAGINED

Organized religion has increasingly gotten a bad wrap. Christians in particular have been labeled as hypocritical, judgmental, greedy and bigots. Churches are filled with Christians and the result is that the unbelieving world has, by their own perception, good reason to not trust organized religion.

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." What we have discovered, is that many people have already written off the Church before they've even interacted with us. Conversely, many people have had traumatic church experiences and have disassociated from the church and organized religion altogether. Fortunately, where the church has failed, Jesus has not. Much like Gandhi, people resonate with Jesus - his compassion, his mercy, his love and his teachings. In this, we the church, have common ground. What if we stripped away the "organized" part of religion and we simple focused on the Jesus that the early church was so enamored with?

Imagine a church, that begins in marketplaces, parks, grocery stores or over a cup of coffee and is lived out in those same sectors of life. This is the Harvest Gate Network. The form can take any shape: a coffeehouse, a yoga studio, a dog walking service, a shared workspace, a law firm, insurance company, a living room or kitchen; the possibilities are endless. The idea is simple: we live our lives through our God given passions, and as we meet people and grow in relationships in our common spaces, we invite them into our lives. And we gather - frequently. We share meals, study the scriptures, pray for one another, care for one another needs, we partake of communion together and we serve together. All while learning Jesus and listening to the Spirit together, in community. Strip away the programs, the productions, the politicking, the committees, power struggles, and simply be the Church.