[This is part of a series on Thriving in the City.]
Whenever we have the opportunity to introduce someone to the wonder of Marmite my wife always cautions them with a brief tale. Years earlier she had watched an American friend lather on thick lashings of the stuff onto a piece of toast. He was fully expecting to bite into a mouthful of chocolate spread, and was utterly horrified at the gooey saltiness he experienced, and spat it all out. Eating salt when you expect sugar is not at all pleasant.
But, eating salt when you expect salt is a wonder. Hence, the matchless joy of Marmite.
Expectations are massively important in life. Something we might enjoy if we have our expectations set right may become a source of misery when not anticipated. Nobody wants to be doused with water when they’re not expecting it. But all of us (I hope) step under the shower each day.
Expectations are therefore vitally important when it comes to our experience of church in the city. This took me a long time to grasp.
You see, I grew up in a church in a small city. That church had grown from around 60 in the early 1980s (when I was born) to more than 500 people before I left in 2002, and I think I knew everyone’s name in that church. I’d grown up there, and many who were part of the church had been there for years.
City centre church life could not be more different. In the seven or so years since we planted Grace London we have said goodbye to around three times as many people as are currently part of the church! That takes a while to sink it. (I should also stress that in most cases this is because they have left London, not for some lame reason.) This means we experience a dizzying pace of rapid change.
If your expectation for church life is permanence, you will grow weary of church in London. Instead, you have to understand the city dynamic and adapt accordingly.
One friend put it well. He said that a city centre church has two kinds of people: there are the birds and there are the bushes. The birds are around for a short time, but the bushes are long-termers who put down roots in the city.
I’m deeply thankful for the people at Grace who have put down roots and become community formers and builders. Many of you are in committed membership, lead home groups, give generously, serve on volunteer teams, and generally just show up at most gatherings. Without you church would be impossible.
But I’m also profoundly grateful for those who are with us for brief stints. I feel the privilege of our church impacting so many lives, and I feel confident that for many, we are a significant waypoint in their discipleship journey. As people leave London they carry something of the spiritual ethos and culture of our church, and many have gone on to live changed lives and to impact the places where God puts them.
I won’t pretend that it isn’t difficult saying goodbye so often. But because I understand how church in the city works, I aim to keep my expectations set right. There is something incredible about the way we experience church life here in the city. It can never grow stagnant. And who knows how far and wide the gospel impact – like seeds from a dandelion – can spread?