Radiant

A couple of years ago I wrote here about a driving passion in my life: that the church would be radiant. Recently, I’ve been overcome by particular gratitude for the church and the incredible church people who have impacted my life. Since I’ve been a believer (and before) I’ve been part of churches. I’ve seen some ugly moments and sometimes I’ve seen the ugly moments in me. But many, many more times, I’ve seen the beauty in this crazy God-idea of people gathering in a way like no other. This is not just a social club. This isn’t just for the good people, nor just a hospital. It’s for good and bad, saints and sinners; it’s a hospital for healing hearts (and bodies) but it’s also a bootcamp for life and the most joyful place on the planet. It’s family. It’s the first place people should think of when they need hope, healing, purpose, and life.

I had the privilege recently of travelling to San Diego, a beautiful city in southern California. (I drove there which took 11 hours. I didn’t feel so beautiful when I arrived.) There’s an amazing park in the centre of the city, and in the centre of the park I saw all sorts of food stalls and so on – and a stall which was staffed by people advertising the humanist church. So fascinating. People who’ve rejected the claims of Christianity and claim not to believe in God nevertheless have a belief that something is needed: the church. Granted, it’s their own ‘church’ which doesn’t talk about God. But they have recognised something that is innately woven into our being: the need for a family that transcends blood relatives; a brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity; a sharing in our human being-ness.

Jesus believes in the church. He once said that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, because He is building it. Gates can only prevail against something that stops at them. Gates are not able to take territory. Jesus builds us. He builds a family that won’t stop at the gates of hell but will storm them, to see the Kingdom of heaven advance. Jesus believes we are radiant. In His close friend’s John’s introduction to His life, it’s written ‘The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’ Of course – darkness cannot overcome light. Light is more powerful. Light moves through space and time. Darkness does not. Light encroaches on dark territory, like the sun peering above a hill at the break of day. The church is radiant and we’re getting brighter every day.

I believe we’re living in a great time of opportunity for the church. The world has been shaken and we have a foundation nothing else can match. People are searching for light and we have Him, hidden within us like jars of clay. For the past year I’ve had on my heart to help churches without any youth ministry get started by offering a simple consultancy service. This will help those churches who’ve never done youth work and also those whose work may have faltered through the pandemic. And I’ve also had an idea to help churches within another area of passion for me – creating beautiful and welcoming and useful rooms and spaces where people can encounter the love of God.

This week, I’m launching a new consultancy service to help with these two areas. If you know of a church that might need help transforming a space for their mission and ministry, or may want to launch or relaunch youth ministry, please spread the word and direct them to my consulting website – radiant.consulting – where they can find out more. Please take a look too and let me know what you think!