Mainstream and Margins of the Church
On Tuesday, August 14, I joined up with BikeMovement at Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana. An early activity addressed the question, “What has been an experience of church?” with participants enacting a variety of scenes including meditation, shoulder-tapping, finding oneself inside a box, praise, and consolation. Strikingly, when two people began singing “Amazing Grace,” many other participants joined in, with virtually all participants joining the four-part a capella verses. After the third verse, one person said, “Amen,” was echoed by the body, and the exercise ended spontaneously as most began sitting down.
The dynamic surrounding “Amazing Grace” provided fruitful ground for discussion in small groups as many found parallels to their experience in the church. Some noted that from a diversity of experiences, unity can be found through song. Others pointed out that the singing had overshadowed some negative experiences and that in fact not everyone had been singing. Such dynamics represent how certain traditional church trends (four-part a capella, current structures of committees, prevalent views about what is acceptable to discuss in church, etc.) can be positive for some while leaving other people out.
Discussion in small groups then included a variety of topics such as the exploration of how the church can be more aware of making space for people on the margins. One theme expressed by a number of young adults was the desire for such spaces to be ones of mutual vulnerability, where more established people and structures are also open to be changed by dynamic conversation. Specific conversations about engagement between youth and the church focused on the roles of both Prairie Street and young adults in the new Mennonite Voluntary Service unit being established in Elkhart.
The next morning, before heading off to Goshen and Fort Wayne, the bikers visited Mennonite Mission Network/MC USA Office and led the staff in a chapel service. The sharing at chapel included bikers expressing a desire of young adults to engage the church theologically, to be taken seriously as full members of the body of Christ. A time for questions then ended with an offering and valuable time for individual discussions.
At the lunch break from biking, discussion among riders turned to the variety of positions held by members of the group. Upon reflection, a number of riders were unsure if the diversity of experiences among the riders (and often within each person as well) had been communicated with people at Prairie Street and the Elkhart offices; someone noted, “Not everyone is here to try to save the church.”
Speaking personally, I have found it important to note that for many of the young adults involved in the discussion, the end result of BikeMovement haiku, “Cultivating a relevant community through conversation” is still up in the air: To what extent will we find that relevant community in the church?From these discussions, I have felt empowered by learning that my experience of desiring fuller engagement with a community is not unique. Many young adults are wrestling with how participation in various aspects of church can happen, and attempting to discern how that connects to our needs for practical, relevant community. I hope that more young adults—as well as others who are often on the periphery of the church—can feel supported in speaking clearly and with impact in their congregations and the broader church.
Jason Shenk