Recently in Church Category

Why do people stop going to church? This big question is the subject of Julia Duin's small book, Quitting Church: Why teh Faithful are Fleeing and What To Do About It. Duin is not a disinterested observer of the phenomenon of church-dropping; rather, she's a churchgoer who wants churches to work well, and also a skilled reporter who knows how to apply the tools of her trade. 

The result is a book that makes for uncomfortable reading for anyone invested in good church ministry; Duin is straightforward in her examination of the myriad ways churches can fail Christian believers. But she's not without hope in American churches and their ability to find a way forward. 

Duin took on some questions via email. Our exchange appears after the jump. 

That's the apt headline over the New York Times Magazine's profile of Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll. Fascinating story, not least because there is so much theology in it--Molly Worthen does a commendable job of summarizing Driscoll's neo-Calvinism and capturing how a theology so severe can appeal to so many young people. 

I'm very much in support of this kind of thing. (I imagine Donna Freitas and Lauren Winner are, too.) Not long ago, a friend of mine who pastors college students at New Life Church in Colorado Springs asked his congregants (about 1000 each Friday night) to share their secrets and woes, privately submitted on index cards. Overwhelmingly, people were struggling with sexual issues. They were aching for spiritual development in their sexuality. 

When the Ted Haggard crisis unfolded around us at New Life in 2006, I reflected on this issue a lot. As Alexandra Pelosi's documentary "Friends of God" made clear, Haggard enjoyed talking and joking about sex in close company (or, in that case, in front of a camera). But the church also addressed sex more seriously in men's ministry meetings, which were a chance for guys to confess their sins and hear instruction on dealing with sexual temptation. When Haggard was exposed, I realized just how shallow had been our approach to sex. We should have done closer studies of sexuality. We should have modeled transparency. We should have reflected and prayed together, making sexuality a matter of spiritual discernment and discipleship. Our talk of sex was usually framed by discussions of morality and marriage--great places to begin, for sure, but not nearly equal to the complexity of human sexual experience. Kudos to New Life's college pastor, Aaron Stern, for venturing into this area. 

I've not read the full report that was released today, but upon first reflection, it strikes me as urgent. Here's to richer and more honest approaches to sex in religious circles.