Emerging Worldviews Part 5 (What if Church Wasn’t a Show?)

We’ve been taught to think of church in some pretty specific ways: as a place to go, a service to attend, and a message to listen to. But what if we’ve missed the point? What if church isn’t meant to be consumed like a product, but lived like a way of life or a community to belong to?

As more people walk through deconstruction, they’re asking new (and better) questions. They’re not looking for the next big thing—they’re looking for something real. Something they can feel in their bones.

Here are three shifts that might help us find our way.

1. Experiencing > Consuming

Let’s be honest: a lot of churches feel more like a brand than a community. Services are tight. The lights are perfect. The band sounds like a Spotify playlist. And for a while, that worked. Churches were told to attract people like businesses do—offer great programs, keep people coming back, make it convenient.

But here’s the problem: Faith isn’t something you get. It’s something you live.

Today, more people want to encounter the living God—not just hear about Him. They want to participate, not just watch. We see this everywhere—from immersive art to interactive fitness classes. People want experiences that engage their hearts, minds, and bodies.

The same is true in faith. We’re craving spaces where we don’t just consume content—we meet God, wrestle with our questions, and walk it out in everyday life.

Doug’s response:

We need to understand where the consuming impulse comes from. We live in an individualistic consumer culture. So it’s natural for people to approach church like we approach going to a restaurant or choosing a new car to drive. When we act like church is just there to give us stuff—like a spiritual store—that's blending in worldly thinking that doesn’t match what following Jesus is really about. This approach centers you and not Jesus. Church gets reshaped to fit people’s lives rather than being a community that shapes people to become more like Jesus. 

Here’s the danger. If the next generation doesn’t learn from these mistakes, then experience just becomes the more updated and relevant church to consume. We’ve talked about centered set thinking. We have to ensure it’s Jesus at the center and not ourselves.

2. Authenticity > Polish

As a pastor and follower of Christ, I try to think of myself as “A place where legalism comes to die.” I’ve found over the years that this is disarming to people. And as someone who pastored and led within the belly of the church growth movement at multiple megachurches, I can’t stomach inauthentic behavior. My BS detector goes off pretty quickly. If I get a sense that someone is trying to impress, pose, or create a persona, I have a very hard time trusting that person. 

There was a time when churches believed they had to look “professional” to be taken seriously. Great production, smooth preaching, top-notch music. It made sense: the world is full of high-quality content, so churches tried to keep up.

But somewhere along the way, polish started replacing honesty.

Let’s face it—most people aren’t looking for a perfect show. They’re looking for real people with real stories. We’ve all seen too many influencers, too many polished posts, too many churches that say “we’re authentic” but don’t show any cracks.

Now, people want leaders who are honest about their struggles. They want to follow Jesus with others who are still figuring things out—not pretending they’ve got it all together.

Real > impressive. Every time.

Doug’s response:

The worst lies we tell are the lies we tell ourselves. Authenticity starts with repentance and confession. When was the last time you were a part of a leadership meeting where that happened? I confess that even writing these posts, I’m thinking about how I’ll be perceived sometimes as much as what does the Spirit want me to say. The spiritual practice I need to better embrace is slowing down, listening to the Spirit, sharing my fears, and then boldly following the Spirit’s leading.  

3. Community > Crowds

For decades, big numbers were the goal. If you had thousands in the seats, that meant success. But here’s the thing: crowds don’t equal connection.

You can be in a packed room and still feel completely alone.

We’re living in a time where loneliness is everywhere. People don’t just want to be in the room—they want to be known in the room. They want friendships that go beyond surface level. They want to ask real questions and be met with grace, not judgment.

The early church didn’t grow because of flashy services. It grew because people gathered in homes, shared meals, prayed together, and cared for one another deeply. That kind of community is what people are looking for again.

Doug’s response:

Real community is one of the best ways to show people who Jesus is because a lot of people today are just looking for a place to truly belong. Life these days doesn’t naturally create that kind of connection. And to be clear, big crowds aren’t the problem, you can have real community in a large church.

But the issue comes when church gets reworked to fit into people’s busy lives like just another appointment. When that happens, people might show up—but they stay lonely. The church is supposed to be different from the world. It’s meant to challenge us, not just cater to us. It should shape us to live and love more like Jesus. But too often, churches just aim to keep Christian(ish) people comfortable rather than calling them into a deeper, transforming community.

If you’re walking through deconstruction, you’re not crazy for wanting more than a Sunday show. You’re not alone for craving something real, raw, and rooted.

We believe the future of faith isn’t about building better stages—it’s about building deeper relationships.

And that starts with us.