Frodos need Gandalfs

I just ripped this off of a blog at http://dankimball.typepad.com/
Cool insight on the difficulties of emerging an "Alternative Church" out of an existing one. The new needs to be flexible and not too demanding, the old needs to be willing to let go and to change.

I read on Scot McKnight and Marko's blog about the announcement this past week regarding the ending of the Axis worship gathering at Willowcreek Community Church. I don't know all the behind the scenes discussions and what led to the decision to stop the gathering, so I cannot make any guesses about what were the actual reasons behind the reasons. I have talked with some of the Axis staff throughout the years, so I have a general understanding of the history and changes made since it started. I even wrote a chapter specifically about Axis in the Emerging Worship book. But whatever the reasons for shutting down Axis, I can say, that from an outside perspective it saddened my heart - but I was not at all surprised. I am surprised it didn't end sooner actually.

Willowcreek and Axis was one of the first churches to experiment with launching an alternative worship gathering within an existing church. I have followed what they have been doing since before they began it. There were really good reasons behind it as they were noticing that even in wonderful large megachurches, there are value differences and cultural differences in local populations and between generations. Because of these differences, if one is truly missional and being a missionary to various cultures with a larger culture, it means various expressions of evangelism, worship, teaching, learning, spiritual formation then occurs. This should be a natural thing, and to my understanding was the reason behind birthing Willowcreek itself back in the seventies.

Generational vs. Worldview(s) differences makes all the difference
However, when launching a new worship gathering in an existing church, the question is - are the changes occurring out there, mainly generational (music style, appearance, language) which changes every generation? Or are the changes bigger than that in worldview(s) and more about how people learn, specific values people have, how people think of God and the spiritual world etc. If it is just a generational change, then might as well just change the music, add some candles and create hip environment and play a video of the senior pastor. That's doing some outer dressing work - and I think that if we really peeled back the layers of the majority of these alternative services in existing churches - that is what you would find.

The generational focused worship gatherings may have a younger pastor with a goatee or funky glasses and who wears his (usually is a male) shirt untucked and easily look like they could be a band member from Death Cab for Cutie. They have some freedom, but their hands are tied to really make holistic change to the church at large - as the whole things needs to fold into the systems and values of the larger church they are within. There are value differences and philosophical differences between cultures and generations - so that is only natural and should be expected. That tension is part of the mission of doing this.

But when these new worship gatherings within a church are only generational and not considering the worldview changes - what mainly happens is that they then cater to those who grew up in that church or another church. People come to where they have better music, cooler environment and be around people their age and can do the healthy single flirt with others. Because of the power structure, they report to the senior pastor or Executive Pastor at a church. To some degree, and I say this with respect, it is somewhat of a glorified youth ministry in most cases. So these are generational changes and catering ministry to a generational change. However, if the changes in culture are bigger than that though - then it is absurd to think that creating a different aesthetic environment and changing the music is really being missional.
If we are specifically looking at a mission - to our culture, then it means looking at community different, spiritual formation, evangelism, membership, leadership, communication etc. - the whole culture of a church will change. Not just what happens in a worship gathering. That is why only changing the worship gathering is not the answer.

This is why so many of these worship gatherings launched within a church last 3-5 years which are truly more missional, end up imploding generally due to all kinds of reasons, generally it is a senior pastor vs. younger pastor whom have value differences and struggles as they try to squeeze a new cultural form of ministry within an existing church. The power lies with the senior leadership, so the decisions are made from top to bottom and the alternative worship gatherings are not at the top tier in leadership structure within a church. So it is usually the new alternative gathering that gets changed by the wishes of the upper leadership to fit within the whole. Lots of conflict, pain and difficulty in many cases, and I have so many stories of sad things that occurred in staff situations.

Axis certainly served a purpose and perhaps stretched things as far as the larger church could extend to. I remember it used to have I believe around 1,800 people at it at one point when it was thriving. I was close to an Axis staff person at that time and heard such wonderful things going on there. I assume Willowcreek will have specific college and twenty-something activities and retreats going on to cater to that age group specifically. But, it is the story of yet another one of the alternative gatherings that happen using different staff (not a video of the senior pastor) ending.

"Intergenerational" church does not happen by sitting in the same worship gathering
When I hear someone say they want an "Intergenerational" church - it usually means they want everyone to sit in the same room for the 60-90 minute worship gathering each week. It seems odd that this is seen as being "intergenerational" as all you are doing is sitting in a chair looking at the backs of heads of others and watching someone speak on a stage and singing together. I don't see intergenerational relationships occurring that way, especially in larger churches where everyone then floods out as there is another worship gathering happening in 30 minutes.That isn't any different than attending a movie together. You do have the same emotional and learning experience, but then you leave without relationships being built. Relationships occur outside the time you sit in a chair and watch what happens on the stage and sing. And then the never ending not pleasing anyone if you try to get all ages together "stylistically" for worship blah blah blah so it causes frustration any way you may look at it.

Can alternative worship gatherings in a church work?
The common way to do this now seems to launch it via video, where the senior pastor is seen a video screen and then the music is more hip and youthful and candles are other aesthetically-oriented things are changed in the room. I won't comment on my personal feelings of those things here. But in terms of churches launching actual worship gatherings with a different pastor and team - the only ones I know that I know that have made it so far longer term is Frontline which is part of McLean Bible Church. They have lasted the longest to my knowledge and I respect them for going through all the struggles and tension, yet still pushing onward. I have also been at and met with the staff at the Upper Room in Minneapolis which is part of Christ Presbyterian Church. The Upper Room has been going now on for several years as well and seems to be doing OK.

I also am trying to keep a pulse on Illuminate at Overlake Christian Church, a megachurch in the Seattle area. Mike, the pastor there of the new "Illuminate" gathering is a really sharp thinker and when I met with him he seemed to really be asking all the right questions. However, they have an interesting situation developing where I recently heard that the new alternative worship gathering is now surpassing the existing ones from the main church in attendance. That should cause some interesting discussion internally there.

What is the answer - I don't know. For me, it turned out in my specific situation after leading an alternative worship gathering and ministry within a church - that we had to plant a new church. The more I pondered "what is church?" and all the things that caused tension and questions because of value and philosophy differences in a single church - we realized that the differences were too great, and the mother-church did not want to allow us to truly change further beyond just the worship gathering itself, but more or less conform the the systems and values of the mother-church. The mother-church actually began adopting some of the things we were doing with more contemporary music and added art and things to their worship gatherings - but those are externals and without rethinking spiritual formation, evangelism, what is community, leadership etc. holistically - it didn't work. It is much bigger than the worship gathering itself in what we need to rethink if we are truly missional today.

Frodos need Gandalfs
So we found it could not work in our specific situation. But I truly do wish that it could work. I wish that churches could launch alternative worship gatherings within churches and see them continue. To me that is the best way to not constantly be spending money on buildings and facilities, and also even if there are alternative worship gatherings that have a generational attraction to them where they worship at different times - they can create relationships and community outside the worship gathering. One of the best things we had going at Graceland (the alternative worship gathering within a larger church I led) was older couples from the main church mentoring the younger. Many of the older couples did not go to Graceland, but they had a heart for younger people. That was beautiful - and that sadly is missing from many younger church plants. I believe that Frodos need the wisdom of Gandalfs. Younger people in the church desperately need the wisdom of older people. But it doesn't mean you get and develop intergenerational relationships that by sitting in the same worship gathering. It is what happens outside of those worship gatherings - so I am perplexed when churches force it the other way to keep them in the same room for the 90 minutes of a worship meeting.

But - who knows...... I truly wish these alternative worship gathering and ministries within a church would work - but they usually don't.

Oh Jesus, lead your church. Keep our own human egos and control issues out of the way - so we can let others lead who are in tune with different cultures that we may not be in tune to. May we yield to those placed in leadership above us if serving on a staff. This is your church Jesus - may we never forget that and may we serve you in the way you want us to for your Kingdom and the mission.

Farewell Axis - Cheers to you - You served a wonderful purpose in the Kingdom and helped so many, many people through the years and inspired so many of us to experiment with launching new gatherings within a church. Thank you for pioneering new experimental ways and even though you are now shut down, your influence and inspiration was wide spread.