We usually think of different cultures defined by the food, dress, music, art, etc. of different countries (ie. American, French, Chinese, etc.). However, culture is much deeper than that. Culture is the fabric of understanding through which a particular group sees the world and lives within it. This includes food, music and dress, but also language, symbols, religion, values and perceptions. It shapes the kinds of questions we ask and the assumptions that we make. It is the background that we use to compare things in order to understand if something is true, good, bad, important, ridiculous, etc. Culture determines what has authority and what does not. Downtown culture in cities all over the United States has changed dramatically over the past several decades. There have been surges of immigrants, who have bought with them their own thoughts and ideas, which spread and mix with everything else. Rather than the melting pot scenario that was imagined during the industrial era, the emerging multiculturalism is a fragmented and dynamic jumble of competing cultures vying for space and self-propagation. The cultural values and forms that descended from European Judeo-Christian roots are waning from their central defining role in the society. Next time you are walking down city street look at the people walking all around you. Do you have anything in common with them? What would you talk about over a cup of coffee? Or, do they even drink coffee? Maybe they drink tea. Maybe they don’t talk about things over coffee or tea. Maybe they don’t even want to talk about things that seem important. Maybe what is important to them is different than what is important to you. Maybe they think you’re weird. Maybe you feel unsafe. Maybe…. and the moment passes as your the steps on the sidewalk. Nothing is accomplished, except a lingering feeling of isolation. Traditional churches in our downtowns are experiencing a very similar feeling as they attempt to reach out to the downtown around them. As this urban culture continues to transform in our cities, the church is losing its footing as a central authority. Rather than looking at this situation as a need to get people back into the church building or as a need to increase charity and social services, the church has a wonderful opportunity to be missional in its own setting.

Why should the church be thinking about the culture of downtown?

We usually think of different cultures defined by the food, dress, music, art, etc. of different countries (ie. American, French, Chinese, etc.). However, culture is much deeper than that. Culture is the fabric of understanding through which a particular group sees the world and lives within it. This includes food, music and dress, but also language, symbols, religion, values and perceptions. It shapes the kinds of questions we ask and the assumptions that we make. It is the background that we use to compare things in order to understand if something is true, good, bad, important, ridiculous, etc. Culture determines what has authority and what does not.

Downtown culture in cities all over the United States has changed dramatically over the past several decades. There have been surges of immigrants, who have bought with them their own thoughts and ideas, which spread and mix with everything else. Rather than the melting pot scenario that was imagined during the industrial era, the emerging multiculturalism is a fragmented and dynamic jumble of competing cultures vying for space and self-propagation. The cultural values and forms that descended from European Judeo-Christian roots are waning from their central defining role in the society.

Next time you are walking down city street look at the people walking all around you. Do you have anything in common with them? What would you talk about over a cup of coffee? Or, do they even drink coffee? Maybe they drink tea. Maybe they don’t talk about things over coffee or tea. Maybe they don’t even want to talk about things that seem important. Maybe what is important to them is different than what is important to you. Maybe they think you’re weird. Maybe you feel unsafe. Maybe…. and the moment passes as your the steps on the sidewalk. Nothing is accomplished, except a lingering feeling of isolation.

Traditional churches in our downtowns are experiencing a very similar feeling as they attempt to reach out to the downtown around them. As this urban culture continues to transform in our cities, the church is losing its footing as a central authority. Rather than looking at this situation as a need to get people back into the church building or as a need to increase charity and social services, the church has a wonderful opportunity to be missional in its own setting.