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Church as truly a neutral 3rd place?
Starbucks' success is based on the premise that it is the 3rd place in American society, the place between work and home where people enjoy a cup of coffee and a conversation. It's a place for connections. A 3rd place, according to Ray Oldenberg is: neutral, inclusive, promotes equality, frequented by regulars, welcoming to newcomers, nonpretentious, and playful.
What about the church? New churches can easily create themselves into a 3rd place that embraces all of the above qualities except one. For most established churches, like the one I serve, the task is much more difficult. It's a 3rd place for some (the regulars), but not generally not for newcomers. However, whether the church is established or new, we all struggle with neutrality. It seems to me that our message of Jesus makes us unique in culture and somewhat biased. Placing a coffee shop inside our church buildings might make us "relevant" but if we think it will make us more of a 3rd place in society, I believe we might be mistaken.
Is the church truly a neutral place in society? Should it be? The Unitarians to me seem to be purely a neutral place...where anything goes religiously. I'm don't want to head down that path as a leader. Which is the best path?
What about the church? New churches can easily create themselves into a 3rd place that embraces all of the above qualities except one. For most established churches, like the one I serve, the task is much more difficult. It's a 3rd place for some (the regulars), but not generally not for newcomers. However, whether the church is established or new, we all struggle with neutrality. It seems to me that our message of Jesus makes us unique in culture and somewhat biased. Placing a coffee shop inside our church buildings might make us "relevant" but if we think it will make us more of a 3rd place in society, I believe we might be mistaken.
Is the church truly a neutral place in society? Should it be? The Unitarians to me seem to be purely a neutral place...where anything goes religiously. I'm don't want to head down that path as a leader. Which is the best path?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alex McManus on -
Mike, That's why we created the Culture Pub Network. The Culture Pubs are truly 3rd spaces. The IMN trains Culture Pub producers as part of its mission. Voxtropolis, in a sense, is a way for us to move Christ following leaders out of the 20th century and into the 5th dimension. A little about this here.
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Permalink Reply by Darcy Staniforth on -
The church is not a truly neutral place, because many churchs still hold biases and discriminations towards people. Gays are still not welcomed in many churches, there are churches in the south that are still segregated, I've even seen people turned away simply for how they look.
The 3rd place is going to start from the inside out. The current congregants of any church need to open their minds first so they can truly open their doors. Starbucks can make the 3rd place happen because ANYONE is truly welcome. Come as you are. Until churches, their boards, and their members truly welcome those who come as they are, the 3rd place is not gonna happen.
Aren't we all made in the image of God? Then why can't we recognize God's image in others, even if it's different than the one we see in the mirror.
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Permalink Reply by Danny Schaffner Jr. on -
I really agree with your post. The church is a spiritually biased organism. Therefore, while it can coexist within other thoughts and realms of society, the goal of the church is transformation.
The church cannot be Starbucks, but that should not hinder us from being relevant or inclusive. The church is the great dichotomy. It holds both the sacred and secular, faith and doubt, sinner and saint. That's why I believe the church should be, as it has tried to be, traditionally relevant - that is always changing and morphing as the Spirit of God drives the church to reach humanity.
Create the venue. Embrace it as tool. But never loose the reality and wonder that God is biased. He knows He is the best God going!
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Permalink Reply by Rob Nicholls on -
No, I don't think church can be a neutral people or space. I do think we are called to go into neutral spaces though and I agree that Culture Pubs and that kind of idea can be third places where we are at mission and, maybe, others are too. That's true neutrality.
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Permalink Reply by Alex McManus on
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just a clarification. starbucks is not neutral. they only sell starbucks coffee there. culture pub 3rd spaces are hugely biased and missional. it's the bias that matters.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Weaver on -
Excellent point
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Permalink Reply by Jaymes Lombardi on -
I would have to say that this idea of neuatrality is one that most people don't really resonate with. They assume they embrace the idea of being neutral because what they really want to embrace are the ideas of unconditional love, acceptance, forgiveness, mercy and grace. Which I think, some people wrongly assume means they can't have any convictions. I believe that there is a unique difference between these ideas.
Being neutral, in my mind, implies someone who is not taking action. They are not moving in any real direction. So in my mind a neutral church is a community of people who would not be taking serious the message of God demonstrated through the life of Jesus...which is to love all humanity and creation with a selfless, sacrifical love that restores everyone to their originally state with God.
I would say that a church that has learned to be a community of people striving to display the unconditional love of all humanity, the unconditional acceptance of people where they are on their journey of life, continuous forgiveness for those that wrong us, unending mercy upon those who wrong us, and ultimate grace to all those around us...is the most un-neutral church there could be.
If a community of Christians were to start living life this way...how different would the community they lived in be? I mean the people they come in contact with could potentially really experience the reality of God's love for all humanity. And I would argue that hardly qualifies as neutral.
To me the issue would seem to be not an issue neutrality...but rather a lack of action.
In my mind, the third place environment has less to do with people who are trying to find a place where they can just be neutral...but more or less a place where they can share ideas...be themselves and open up about their passions, hurts, joys, and confusion. Which then, the goal isn't being neutral but being influential...accomplishing a purpose.
The reality would appear to be that they're really is no such place as a "neutral" third place envirnoment...because at the core...everything is trying to either serve an agenda or fulfill a purpose. Starbucks agenda is simply to sell coffee, but they realized that in embracing the quality of acceptance of everybody, they can greater accomplish their goal.
So it would seem to follow that if the church's purpose is to be a part of God's redemptive story and to be able to fulfill that purpose, the church must radically move into action in learning how to live out in everyday life the very message of Jesus which was an unconditional sacrifical love.
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Permalink Reply by Jean on -
I'm not sure I understand this question? The Church as the body of Christ cannot really be neutral if we are obedient as His students
We can go to Starbucks or the refectory or the Pub and be with people, be aware of His presence as we listen and relate to whoever we meet. I usually pray that the Spirit will guide me tosomeone and prepare him or her too-. One of the new churches did start by regular informal meetings in a local Starbucks!
Again we can invite people to join us in our home. friends of mine did just that. The Coracle Trust is a gathering of Young Adults who are able to natter and share about work, family relationships, or the meaning of life it has grown and developed as they s learned more about walking with God in the everyday. My friends are both Ministers and the groups has gone away to greenbelt, gone on retreats; a group of young Mums are studying the Theology of Motherhood (www.thecoracletrust.org.uk )
Is this the sort of thing you mean?
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