A while ago I posted a blog with this same title. However, it’s still on my mind. Yesterday I watched a local spotlight feature on Tucson’s new urbanism which got me thinking of church planting (of course). The big “a-ha” with new urbanism is to basically create pedestrian-friendly, walkable, efficient, and aesthetically appealing urban streetscapes. This could range from widening sidewalks to more vegetation to creating more community-oriented neighborhoods / developments. Like I mentioned in my last post on high gas prices I think there are things going on culturally that have the opportunity to pave the way for a new breed of churches.
Could the future of the chuch in America not be the bigger-is-better mentality but instead creating more organic neighborhood churches that are focused on community development and community transformation? This would open the door to simpler expressions of church and more and more non-paid religious professionals leading these niche churches. This doesn’t mean mega-churches are wrong or that they would or should go away, but these smaller churches would back fill all the cracks and crevices where the big churches cannot penetrate. Or better yet, maybe there’s this symbiotic relationship between these niche churches with a large regional church. Instead of competing they’re working together and sharing resources.
Who knows? All I know is that across our urban landscapes developers and city officials are creating more space for this new urbanism and I believe that the church can also be a partner in this discussion as churches have the potential of adding great value to a neighborhood and people’s lives can be transformed as well.
