Throughout history, the concept of church has evolved significantly from early house churches born out of persecution to cathedrals throughout Europe and then modern church buildings that paved the way for our understanding of church. But, in today’s world, church is being reimagined in a variety of places and spaces.
Brenda Renderos, one of Communitas’ newest board members, states, “The church is manifesting anew as faithful believers envision and embody the church in different ways.” For Brenda, church isn’t confined to traditional structures; it can occur anywhere, from a nail salon, to a pub, to a park. “It feels like this beautiful playground to be in; it’s invitational, it’s re-engaging!”
In California, Brenda and her husband welcomed people describing themselves as orphaned or exiled from institutional church settings into their home during Christmas. These friends were missing some of the familiar aspects of worship that come with the Christmas season, including Advent. These gatherings offered a safe space for those feeling displaced to experience community and spiritual engagement.
Activities involved lighting candles, reading devotionals, and practicing visio divina, an ancient form of Christian prayer which engages the heart and mind in silence, to hear from God. They had a friend create artwork and a short devotional. Then people found a quiet spot to reflect individually or as a small group on what they had heard. “It was a super simple format, but it was inspiring. And honestly, it really blessed my heart to see parents and young kids being able to have those conversations,” Brenda recalls.
Everyone enjoyed their time in this space and wondered if they could gather during Lent. So, participants recently started coming together again. Central to these experiences is the practice of starting with questions. “How are you coming into this space right now? What’s happening within you? How did you connect with God during your week?” This allows everyone to be part of the conversation.
There are three reasons why they are starting this way. One, it’s a form of celebration. Two, it’s a reminder that we all relate to God differently. And three, it’s an encouragement to explore different avenues of spiritual engagement. Someone listening might be feeling stagnant or stuck in their faith. As they hear other ways people are connecting with God, their curiosity may be sparked. They might think, “He showed up when you were gardening? Let me try that. He showed up when you were on a run? I never thought about praying while running.”
Brenda states, “I don’t have a name for this. We’re not quite willing to give it a name. With my background in church ministry, someone might say, ‘Oh you’re planting a church!’ But I’m not ready to call it that. All we’re saying is that there are people around us that love the Lord, want to grow, are hungry for the Word, and desire community. We want to provide them with a safe space for that.”
Brenda shares that sometimes Christians say that those who have left the traditional church setting have left God, or that they’re being lazy and don’t want to come back. She mentions that she hasn’t found that always to be true, “Sometimes, there’s something stirring in them that is inviting them to reimagine a different way and that’s literally what we’re doing.”
Her desire is to create a place where individuals can heal, grow, and discern their spiritual paths, whether it involves re-engaging with traditional churches or exploring alternative expressions of church. “I hope this would be a reprieve from society where we’re being pushed to pick one side or the other. Living in the tension is really hard.” But, rather than forcing individuals to choose one side, conventional church or another way, Brenda believes there’s room to embrace both, respecting each person’s unique spiritual journey.
Communitas embodies this ethos by encouraging diversity and creativity in worship where people can explore and grow in their faith journey, within a supportive community.
We recognize that God works through various personalities and backgrounds and cannot be confined to a single expression of worship. God is on the move and cannot be put in a box. Jesus once said, “an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). As people worship in Spirit and in truth, they are honoring the Lord.
