Post-congregational narrative

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Post-congregational narrative is a term used by followers of Christ (Christians) to describe the experience of intentionally pursuing their faith outside the traditional congregational setting. The word "narrative" in this sense refers to their stories or journeys, both individually and collectively. Likewise, "congregational narrative" had become a term that many of these people had used to describe traditional church life in their assertions that it wasn't necessarily the only way to follow Christ.

It should be noted that many of the people using this term to describe their Christian practice are no less intentional about following Christ and connecting to other Christians, and in many cases, they have created new types of congregations, sometimes functioning over long distances through the internet. Some of the good works of the traditional congregation are replicated in these more loose associations. Meetings, when they occur are more often impromptu.

People living the post-congregational narrative will tell you that personal relationships are the starting point of their connection to the church, rather than personal relationships being a product of a connection with a traditional congregation.

There is a lot of overlap between people identifying with the post-congregational narrative and other movements, especially the emergent, or emerging church and what gets loosely referred to as "post-modern" Christianity. Some shared areas of concern between these three groups (it is not the purpose of this article to define the other two terms or movements) are significant spiritual transformation, experiencing real community, social justice and the environment. Many of these Christians have grown up in theologically conservative evangelical churches that were also politically conservative and have concluded that the former kind of conservatism does not necessarily require the latter.

Some authors who have struck a nerve in this community are Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart; George Barna, author of Revolution; Wayne Jacobsen, co-author of So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore and Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.

Related terms:

  • "Churchless Christians"
  • "Out of the Box Christians"
  • "Church Dropouts"
  • "Church Leavers"
  • "Out of Church Christians"
  • "Covenant Community"

[edit] Selected Articles

[edit] Selected Publications

  • Jamieson, Alan. A Churchless Faith. London: SPCK, 2002.
  • Jamieson, Alan et al. Church Leavers: Faith Journeys Five Years On. London: SPCK, 2006.
  • Colsen, Jake. So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore. Moorpark, CA: Lifestream Press, 2006.

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