Church as an institution has failed because it has been made to service the needs of Empire and to inflict harm on individuals and groups of people alike. There is no more palpable evidence of this than the prominence of Christian Nationalism on display in the United States right now – itself a product of Manifest Destiny and so-called Christian colonizers who oppressed, enslaved, and murdered indigenous people in the Americas in the name of the Church.

challenging church is an intentional rethinking of how people might gather and follow in the Way of Jesus. The origins of the word “church” can be traced back to ancient Greek and some etymologists believe it may have pre-Christian roots.

But even if the origins of the word are not certain, what is certain is that the Way of Jesus is one that relies upon relationships, interdependence, and interconnectedness. Followers of Jesus are never alone. So when we talk about challenging church, we mean that we are gathering to challenge the ways that Church has been used to harm us and others and we are gathering to be challenged by church (our community) to deepen our relationships with each other and seek ways to deepen relationships with our neighbors, whom Jesus commands us to love.

challenging church is what I have decided to call community gatherings. Sometimes they may look and feel a lot like the church services we’re used to, and sometimes they may not. I I envision these to be times of interactive learning, worship, sharing, growth, and…challenge.

Stay connected with pastorhank.com to make sure you know when and where to be!