“Our society needs more `meaning makers’…people who make sense of life…people who make sense of God…people who have integrity…people who reside in today’s world revealing with their lives and their lips that Jesus’ death is the source of vital life.”
–Don Posterski, Reinventing Evangelism
This week, presbyteries are submitting the names of the ministers and elders who will attend the Emmaus Project event. It is exciting to see that so many people are keen on being there and exploring how God might be transforming the church. It is also quite something to see the short biographical sketches that accompany their names. Many of the people coming to this conference are not only ministers and elders in their own congregations, but serve in presbyteries, synods and at the national level, too. And that is just their church work. These are hard-working, busy people.
Seeing those biographies, it strikes me that the registration process is not just a list of names. It is a bold statement. People from all over the country are giving four whole days of their life to this event. They are setting aside every other demand on their time (and for most people, there are many). They are placing the church at the top of their priority list. They are saying the church is worthy of their time, energy, and effort. That is significant.
It is significant because fewer and fewer people seem to have time for church. Even among the ones who identify themselves as Christians, and even among those who are part of a believing community, being physically present at church is not regarded as particularly significant. Many families come to Sunday worship, but only in between hockey and soccer seasons, or when they are not visiting their in-laws, or when it is a special season like Easter or Christmas. We’ve all heard the “I can appreciate God on the golf course” speech.
Not that a lack of church attendance is always due to a lack of faithfulness. Nurses work shifts, children get sick, business requires travel. Our world is increasingly busy, and many of us who value Christian community still struggle to find the time to be regularly present for one another. There is a reason the church adopted a year of Sabbath a few years ago.
This registration is not just about compiling a list of names—it is an affirmation of faith. People across Canada are placing value on being present for one another and seeking God together. We are choosing to talk face to face, pray side by side, and let our voices mingle in worship. We are willing to share the precious gift of time in pursuit of God’s future for our denomination.
That is a welcome sign of hope for a weary church.