resonate: Bono Christians

I've had a lot of conversations recently with parents of 20- and 30-somethings. The conversation goes something like this:

"You know, I want you to meet my son. He's 29. He's a Christian and all - he loves Jesus - but he isn't attending church. He's disconnected. He's looking for a place where it will excite him rather than frustrate him to no end. He wants to be a part of a community where he can get plugged in with other people that feel the same way. Do you think Sunday night will be a place where he might feel connected?"

I call these types of Jesus-loving/church-dispising people "Bono Christians." Bono, the lead singer of the band U2, is a believer, but he  is vocal about the fact that he has become disillusioned with the Church and doesn't attend any longer. These types of people, in the words of Dan Kimball, "love Jesus but hate the church." [It's a complex issue. I'm not making judgments here as to why this is, just simply making the point that its pervasive. Maybe you feel this way right now and are resonating with these words. If you don't grasp why or how this could be, I won't go into it now, but follow me on this one.]

There are lots of Bono Christian out there. More than most of us think. It's my prayer that Bono Christians [and others far from the faith] will find a place in this new faith community we're starting in the fall that's willing to re-think what and why and how a community of faith remains attentive to God. I think they will...resonate with what we are doing [sorry...I just had to do it].

If you ever wonder if there is a need for this type of ministry keep your eyes and ears open and see if you know a Bono Christian.

Listen for these types of conversations.

Or look around in your church (wherever that may be) on a Sunday morning and estimate what percentage of people under 35 are in attendance. Ask yourself what the median age is of the church you attend. Ask yourself, 'If something doesn't change, what will happen in the future of my church? In twenty years who will be the attendees, the volunteers, the elders, the staff, the senior pastor?'

Or just ask a handful of 50-something parents about the faith journey of their adult child.

It seems these Bono Christians still haven't found what they're looking for...

Comments

[DougG]

JR, Couple thoughts:

a. From a 50+-something, who was concerned with your same issue, to a 20-something, " .. and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will teach others also ..."

b. A 70-something I (a 40-something) meet with every week (see (a) above) said he met an elder from an eastern mega-church, rhymes with 'pillow speak', who said they are struggling with this issue.

PS. Greatest Christian song ever by Whiteheart: http://whiteheart.lyrics-songs.com/lyrics/515922/

DougG

[Sarah]

JR -

One thing I really resonate with here at my church in Washington is that it is a place filled with 2 things - a)authenticity and b)grace. I can't be grateful enough for these things and from someone who was a Bono Christian for a long time, I really feel passionate about making a place for community and jesus and love and grace to exist alongside asking the tough questions and telling the truth. My prayers are with you as you seek the right way to do this.

Sarah

[Ed C]

Speaking as a Bono Christian, I think it's helpful to mention that I don't "hate" the church, but rather find it a hard place to fit in. I should also distinguish between formal churches and gatherings of Christians. Formal churches are much harder to be a part of than an informal group of Christians who gather together.

I also think that Bono Christians are generally not interested in flaunting their lack of church attendence. It would be much easier sometimes to just go with the flow and show up on Sunday. Getting to the heart of one's motivation for going to church is perhaps the most difficult thing to do.

Why don't I go to church? I haven't found the investment in relationships and the desire to gather around Jesus in the churches in my area. Of course I'll never find the perfect church, but I simply cannot give in to the current church system in good conscience.

God is blessing others for being a part of it, but he is also blessing some for breaking away from it and seeking something else.

Perhaps we need to redefine church and community. If I were in your (JR's) area, I would prefer meeting at someone's home over attending an alternative service.

Can we be comfortable enough to create a space for Christian community that does not have a specific agenda beyond meeting around Jesus? That's what I'm working toward and what I hope to find sooner than later.

[Jimmy Chavez]

Let me first say that I agree with Ed. I too am a Bono Christian and don't hate the church. Instead, I feel that God has placed a burden on me to 'be' the church instead of attend one. Contrary to what formal church has taught us, we need to remember that the church has already been defined in the by Jesus as the people, not the building, the worship services, or the programs which those places sponsor.

Ed says that some of us are 'seeking something else'... I believe that many Bono Christians are seeking to be in relationship with God and in relationship with others daily. It seems to me that many churches may claim to have that desire, but lack the intentionality to practice it daily in a way that resonates with gen x. While not attending chruch, we are trying to 'be' the church 24/7; we are trying to shed this this compartmentalized view that was taught to us which says 'go to church on Sunday'. I think being the church has multiple facets, but basically it allows the people (believers and non-believers alike) to infiltrate our lives while we influence the lives of others not just Sundays but the rest of the week as well.

Starting an alternative worship service may be good. But I believe there is more to it than just creating a different time/space/style for worship. Attenders need to be willing to not just attend, but be that community called the church. I believe that is a hard thing to create within the confines of an already established church - which is why I too feel strongly that the meeting place should be (out where life happens) outside traditional church walls... JR, you have your work cut out for you. It will be interesting to see where it all leads.

[Patty]

Good post. Good comments. Great challenge. Where's that mountain? Let's go.

[RC of strangeculture]

Never heard the term Bono Christian, but I like it and think it is an accurate term.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com

[john henson]

You are right. This view is pervasive and will only grow with emerging generations.

[Bob Thompson]

According to George Barna in his book REVOLUTION, there are thousands of Bono Christians and the number is growing and will continue to grow because the church is broken. Barna personally sees no problem with the church going away - a bit of a problematic view for evangelicals.
What church leaders are to do about the current move away from traditional church is not going to be solved with a cookie-cutter solution, but by humbly seeking the mind of Christ.

[Beth]

I know what you mean by the term Bono Christian, and I hope you attract many of them to your new effort. But it's a bit unfair not to give Bono credit for having over the past several years been just as vocal about how wrong he was about the church. If you haven't heard this, check out his sermon at the National Prayer Breakfast for a very public example.

[ABLE]

Personally, I don't care for the term "Bono Christian" in the sense that it is being used here. What I believe stands out about "Bono style Christianity" is not that he doesn't regularly visit a building with a steeple on a Sunday morning (which, given his fame would distract people from Christ) but that he, like a certain Bible character I once heard about, loves the poor with reckless abandon and fights against injustice. Yeah, in as much as I think Bono reflects Christ more than many who don't drink, smoke, or swear but show up to a building every sunday...I NEED to be more like Bono.

As for the whole, "showing up at a building every Sunday"... and Barna's REVOLUTION...It seems that many people, my pastor/boss included (Yes, I work for "the institution"), seem to believe that Barna is suggesting that it's okay for Christians to "leave the Church". Maybe I read it wrong, but I don't see that at all. Rather, he seems to be saying, "BE the Church", even if it means you don't "buy in" to the institution. As Christians we need to be in regular fellowship, etc. with each other, but I've read my Bible many times and I have yet to find the place where it says that needs to take place in a building, with a steeple, from 10:00-12:00 on a Sunday morning. BTW - if you haven't read REVOLUTION yet, pick it up. (Yes, Jimmy Chavez, I'm talking to you!)

[Tomislav]

I'm really glad that ABLE points out that we don't GO TO church, WE ARE THE CHURCH... the time and place are not the thing... the thing is that fellow followers of Jesus are helping each other do just that, follow Jesus...