Something quite interesting, yet also of concern, came up during one of my discussions with Bruce about the Covenant in Oaxaca. The oldest Covenant church in Mexico is in Oaxaca, and there are currently over 50 congregations in this country.

However, they are having a difficult time these days keeping young people connected to the Church--just as we are here in the U.S.! The reason for this seems very similar to what happened in our denomination in its early years in America, and to what can be seen again today. The mentality of the churches in Mexico is one of withdrawal from the culture; of separation from the influences of the world that surrounds them. However, youth who have been raised in the Church are not accepting this approach to Christian life anymore. They appreciate their culture, and want to engage with it--the same way many young adults in American churches feel about their lives today. When the Mexican churches ignore or resist this desire, their young people leave the church--again, the same way many young adults in the U.S. are responding to old understandings and values in our churches regarding faith and culture.

Bruce said he is thinking about proposing to the leadership in Oaxaca a radical idea: opening a coffee house near the zocalo where people can gather to talk, listen to music, host art exhibits, read poetry, watch movies, enjoy some food and coffee, and just get to know one another. Coffee houses are huge in Oaxaca; people go to them all the time, and this would provide a culturally relevant way for Oaxacan Covenanters to connect with people who do not yet know Christ. However, Bruce is not sure the leadership is quite ready yet for such a radically different consideration.

When I heard this, I realized how much broader and widespread these issues of Church and culture really are--even across different ethnic groups. The dynamics are so similar too. Yet the response from older, established leadership is also similar: Resist! Don’t change! We must be cautious and careful, for this is dangerous territory. The purity of our beliefs and actions might get compromised. It’s starting down a slippery slope to ???

But to not open up to new ideas and perceptions about life and faith is causing serious decline in our churches, not only in numbers but in influence and meaning within our communities. I’ve addressed this reality in previous blogs, and the number of books, articles, studies, statistics, and other sources with relevant data is staggering. The evidence is clear. Reality is shining its light in our faces, not only here in the U.S. but, clearly, in Mexico as well. I ask again: how will we who are comfortable with “church” as it is, and who have certain understandings and assumptions of what a faith-filled life is about, respond to the situation facing the Church in America today? Are we secure enough and truly free enough in Christ to give up our preferences and familiar methods and appreciations to do whatever it will take to reach a generation and a culture that continues to slide farther and farther away from Christianity?

In conclusion, a year ago the Covenant’s summer VBS project was raising money for health screenings for Oaxacan children as they enter school. A number of Covenant mission teams have been involved in these screenings, and I’m thinking that this might be a good mission trip option for people who aren’t interested in painting soccer field walls or pouring concrete or spending five days doing rebar work! The trip would take us into the mountain pueblos of Oaxaca and put us in touch with hundreds of people, while performing an important, much-needed service to children and their families. All that’s required for this kind of mission team is two professional medical personnel (nurse, doctor, EMT, etc.); everyone else is trained to do various parts of the screenings not requiring medical knowledge. Interested? Let me know, and we’ll see what we can put together.

Finally, a big THANK YOU to JoEllen, Bruce, Katy, and all the Oaxacan Covenanters who made our team’s mission trip experience so memorable and meaningful. I hope we can meet together again soon. I really like those chili-flavored chapolines...