There are Christians who remain theologically evangelical but who have journeyed philosophically from being comfortable within church as the one way to live church. I suspect that I cannot talk about this in an open way in most of the church circles in which I am known. To suggest that some people may actually satisfy their spiritual hunger outside the church, may be perceived as criticism of church, which is not my target. Yet this is among the issues with which Christians and churches should engage. A trickle of people have stopped going to church over many years. The trickle is a stream according to some reports. I am certainly aware of numerous friends and acquaintances who no longer attend church. They still love the organized church for the foundation it provided to them when they were young and when they were growing up spiritually. They have found, however, that they are uncomfortable within the culture of the westernized church. They require something else.
I have been advocating that Christians inside churches should work at understanding rather than at suspicion. I am not convinced that all of those who leave have taken or are taking steps appropriate to spiritual development. It is easy to become lethargic. If spiritual disciplines were lacking while attending a church, they will not easily emerge outside it. So while I advocate to the insiders, I implore the outsiders as well to act on the conviction that allowed them to leave - namely, church is not the main or only place where we worship God.
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