Creating New Uncontested Spiritual Space

The St. John’s strategy is to find new uncontested spiritual space, which provides new opportunities. Space can be created by expanding current boundaries or going beyond the boundaries.

The traditional rules for building the church are common to all church strategies. Boundaries are defined and accepted. This means by attracting enough people, a congregation can support the ministry team, administration, building expenses etc.
With fewer people wanting to attend churches, churches are competing with one another to attract new members.

Rather than competing with other churches such as Evangelical or Pentecostal churches for people seeking a more conservative theology or with more high church leaning Anglicans or Roman Catholics with a more liberal and traditional theology, St. John’s has been seeking to create new space for other people beyond those attracted to church to develop their sense of spirituality and interest in Jesus.

In market terms it means focusing on non-customers rather than on customers. In religious terms it means focusing on those outside the church rather than those who attend church. Rather than trying to attract church attendees with certain styles of worship the focus is on engaging with those who do not ordinarily attend church services. This engagement may take the form of partnering or collaborating on certain projects or activities. For example providing physical space for groups involved in issues of social transformation.

By interacting with people outside the church and by providing space for people to do what they want in the church along the lines of activities compatible with St. John’s values, an income has been generated which has freed the church council from having to focus on the numbers of attendees to finance its on going ministry.

St. John’s is going beyond traditional boundaries and creating uncontested spiritual space.

About St. John's Uniting Church, Neutral Bay

St. Johns Uniting Church is more than a congregation of people who attend worship on a Sunday morning. The community of St. Johns is made up of the expected Sunday worshipers, the children and families associated with our child care centre, the participants of various fellowship groups held during the week, local artists, meditation groups, and other who wish to explore their spirituality.

We at St Johns acknowledge that we are human and accept all the associated struggles that this brings. Saying this, we also want to recognise the value of inquiry, discussion and the gift of the intellect. We believe that there is more than one way to be in and part of the church. We believe, that we, the church, exist for people other than our members. We do not believe in forcing our religious beliefs on other people; but we do believe in supporting people who are spiritually searching. Our mission is to be Christ’s ever present light in a broken world.