Dissing Illusionment
What unhappy 20s want from church.
January 1, 2007
Sarah Cunningham has left the church, at least as most of us know it. But she believes in "keeping the faith" and "tradition." The 28-year-old PK and former megachurch staffer now teaches high school history and is part of a house church in Jackson, Michigan (www.crazyhomechurch.com). She is the author of Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation (Zondervan, 2006). Are you a "friendly outsider" or a "provocative insider" in relation to the church? Definitely a provocative insider. I was raised in a pastor's family and went to a Christian college. I do have a really firm grasp on doctrine, and I have a strong hold on tradition as well. I feel a sense of tension in trying to speak the truth, of not trying to keep the silence, but please know that I am also keeping the faith. If you could say one thing to church leaders, what would you tell them? I would say that faith systems that don't compel transformation are empty. I feel like a lot of the reason that Generation Y has come to a point of cynicism and disillusionment is because we misunderstand what it means to follow Christ. It's not that people had a bad intention. No one stands at the altar and says, "How can I over-formulize or systemize Christianity?" But few people see Christianity as a shift of allegiance that prompts us to make personal changes in beliefs, habits, and lifestyles. We must continually examine our churches to make sure our message is one that requires transformation. There is some talk that leadership skips a generation, that the twenty-somethings are reclaiming the leadership mantle from Generation X. Would you agree? I feel like it's yet to be determined. No matter where I go and talk with people in my age group, I find it very easy, Christian ...
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