Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 October 2007 19:38:53
The short series which I'm beginning today is going to be an exploration of some of the issues that face us if we spend too much time in the Christian sub-culture. It will attempt to be more of an adventure than a gynological examination in it's nature and will aim to throw in some helpful book recommendations along the way. Oh and in case anybody wonders this is the vehicle I'm going to be using to trying to answer some of my current questions about "church" in it's widest sense - so yeagh it's introspective self-indulgment, but it's introspective indulgence I hope other people might find useful / interesting aswell.
Piece of wreckage number 1
"They're middle-aged and middle class, I just don't fit in"
Ok, so the English Church Census Data could kind of support this, depending upon your definitions of middle-aged and the way you choose to interpret the data. And to listen to your average 30 something complaining you would be amazed to hear how many of us feel we don't quite fit.
This isn't a new problem, infact pick up any decent Christian biography and you'll hear some variation on this line. The interesting thing these days, though, is the group of us most vocal in making this complaint are invariably very middle class ourselves. I know that when I've fallen into these discussions with people and we start talking in these terms I will be with professionals (generally working in the public sector) who are educated to degree level (and often above).
Take a stroll through books like A Churchless Faith or any of the other post-evangelical or emerging titles and you'll be bound to fall over this accusation being made by people like us. Let's face it, if churches are so middle class it's because they are made up of people like us.
Ok, so churches are middle class, and on that basis people like us should fit exactly but we don't. So let's move onto the age thing. This might be a tad more relevant, if you are in that mid 20's - mid 40's bracket and particularly if you aren't in a large church your age group may be under represented.
Because of the focus on yoof during the first part of this decade, when people really did think there was going to be a missing generation you might find there are early 20's groups and mid-life groups by nothing for people like you. Well there may be some truth in this, but hey, since when were churches meant to be generational interest groups? The whole thing about them is they are inter-generational households.
Also take a look around about who you actually sit and have a chardonnay with outside of the building. I'd almost put money on the fact that even it's only small scale you have in fact started your own 30's group.
So at today's conclusions yes lots of churches may be overly middle-class and middle aged, but most of us throwing this accusation about are equally middle-class and rapidly edging towards becoming middle-aged ourselves.
Perhaps tomorrows crawl over the wreckage will help us get nearer to finding the answer.