Ten Theses for Renewal
I recently (and probably without sufficient reflection) posted a series of tweets arguing that the most undervalued currency of the Church is morale. I never imagined the response it would get. It obviously struck a chord. As lovely as that has been, it has left me with a sense that Twitter offered me too few characters to do the subject justice. Moreover, I could be accused of doing something I loathe: moaning about the Church without offering any alternative ideas. So, here are my Ten Theses for Church Renewal:
The Church as Place and Memory
The local church is not merely a venue for worship or programmes; it is an inherited place, inscribed with the prayers, labours, and loves of those Christians who came before us. It is a community of the living and the dead where the men and women of today are formed as the Body of Christ.
Formation Over Activity
A church is not alive because worship occasionally fills its walls. A living church is one where men, women, and children are formed by Scripture, sacraments, prayer, fellowship, and care into God’s peculiar people—a community unlike any other.
Ministry as Shared Work
Ministry belongs not to clergy alone but to the whole Body of Christ. Clergy and laity work together to build a community that worships well, teaches faithfully, and cares deeply.
Worship as Orientation
Worship is not an event to attract others but a faithful offering to God. Its purpose is not to entertain but to glorify, not to seek numbers but to orient hearts toward God. The goal of evangelism is worship as the goal of creation is praise.
Catechesis as Renewal
There is no renewal without teaching. The Church immerses its people in the faith—not as a set of rules but as a way of life, rooted in Scripture, that forms the mind, heart, and imagination. Without catechesis, no Christian community can thrive.
Hospitality as Witness
The Church must be a hospitable place, offering not only welcome but deep belonging. True hospitality is risky; it demands entanglements of love that bind us to our neighbours in their joy and suffering alike.
Memory & Responsibility
The Church must remember its debt to the past and its obligation to the future. Inherited buildings, liturgies, and stories root us in time and place, reminding us that faithfulness requires tending both what we have received and what we will pass on.
Locality as Faithfulness
National renewal begins with local faithfulness. A church rooted in its place nurtures its community, works for its flourishing, and resists the temptations of a consumer culture that trades belonging for convenience.
Joy as Witness
The Church must be a place of delight—a delight rooted in God, creation, and each other. Worship, teaching, and fellowship should reflect the joy of salvation, the beauty of holiness, and the love of neighbour. Joy, rightly ordered, is irresistible.
Conviviality as Mission
The Church’s mission is to embody a life of neighbourly love. By living well with God, creation, and each other, we witness to a better way—one that nurtures, sustains, and draws others into the reconciling work of Christ.
You may have a different list. Perhaps more practical than these. I’d be interested to hear what they are.
