Creating a Sense of Place

This week the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “A Church in Big Easy Walking Distance” about a pastor who moved to New Orleans in order to start a Presbyterian church near Tulane University. The church was intentionally designed to be within walking distance of its parishioners, most of whom are in their 20s and 30s.

What fascinated me about the article is why the pastor planted a church where he did: he told the WSJ he wanted to focus “on one geographical area and really minister to that” in order to create “a sense of place.”

A sense of place. Interesting. There’s actually a theological term for it -- theology of place. It’s the idea that God’s connection to His people is often rooted in a specific geographical location.

Justin Timberlake at the
Western Wall
(photo: nydailynews.com)

Take, for example, Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. This one spot saw lots of action in the Bible: 1) it was the place God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, 2) then became the site of Solomon’s majestic temple, 3) and then Herod’s temple after that. Today Mt. Moriah is the location of the Western Wall, and an important pilgrimage site for Christians and Jews (as demonstrated last week when Justin Timberlake posted a controversial picture of his visit there).

So why is a theology of place important?

Many believe that in today’s globalized, mobile society we are losing our sense of place and, with that, true community. This is especially true of Millennials who, as research shows, are becoming more and more socially isolated even as they are connected virtually more than ever through social media. One can draw the conclusion that virtual community is no substitute for real, intimate relationships.

That’s why many Christian leaders are starting neighborhood churches like the one in New Orleans. In doing so, they can meet people right where they are, creating a sense of place that is tangible, meaningful, and real Christian community.

Here is an example in London that I think is so cool I’m tempted to hop a plane just to visit it… On a busy street frequented by Millennials, a missional church movement called Fresh Expressions opened a coffee shop that doubles as a church:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLEEh1K_W8g

The result is a trending away from the megachurch model that has dominated evangelical Christianity for the past few decades, which often involves driving far distances in order to attend. Instead, a pastor is choosing one geographic area and planting a church smack dab in the middle of it.

"Love in Motion" Church
across from my home

Here is an example in my own neighborhood:

I live in a young, hip Dallas neighborhood with lots of foot traffic. Just across the street from me a furniture store has starting offering church in their warehouse on Sunday mornings called, “Love in Motion.”

Millennials, if you are hungry for Christian community and the megachurches don’t do it for you, consider finding a neighborhood church such as these.

If you are a church leader, you might consider planting a church in a neighborhood that is lacking Christian community.

And if you are the parent of a Millennial who has fallen away from church, my hope is that this article encourages you. More and more of these neighborhood churches are popping up all over the country, and it may just be a matter of time before your child finds their new sense of place.