How much pressure will I feel to participate?

The “first rule” of Continuum Church is that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. When we gather on Sunday mornings, we invite people to participate by discussing, reading, praying, giving, etc. But we realize that not everyone is comfortable with these activities.

Even though we say that participation is optional, cynics will still anticipate a group dynamic designed to guilt them into participation. Such paranoia usually afflicts those of us who have had bad church experiences. While we can’t guarantee the absence of every flashback-inducing trigger, we are sensitive to this issue. Just know that we will do our best to treat you the way we would want to be treated when visiting someone else’s religious group.

The only thing we require is respect for others. Another person’s expression of spirituality might differ from your approach. But we ask that you not judge anyone’s decision either to participate or to sit on the sidelines.

What is the dress code?

All advice about books and covers aside, people routinely judge others by their appearance. Our clothes often reveal our social location—life stage, gender, geography, ethnicity, career, income, sports affiliation. Because our congregation includes people from a number of backgrounds, there is no single dress code. Most who attend Continuum Church dress casually on Sunday mornings. Jeans are just as prevalent as slacks. T-shirts are just as welcome as button downs.

What should I expect at a Sunday gathering?

Typically our Sunday morning gatherings include a welcome, a reading, a prayer, a time of discussion, a talk from the Bible, an invitation to pray, and an opportunity to give.

The welcome orients us to the reason for our gathering. One of our leaders will briefly explain Continuum Church and introduce the morning’s big idea. We neither point out our guests nor ask them to identify themselves.

The reading enables us to enter into the story of the Christian scriptures. By concentrating on these words, we gradually discover how we fit into God’s plan for our world. Sometimes the reader will allow us simply to listen. At other times, the reader will invite us to stand and read aloud in unison.

The prayer invites God to interrupt our hectic lives and places our attention squarely on our source. While no one can manufacture a spiritual experience, we do invite people to be open to the divine. Having prayer leaders of various ages, genders, and races allows us to hear how different people in our community talk to God.

The discussion involves talking with a neighbor about a specific question. People who would rather not interact are invited to keep their eyes straight ahead as a sign they prefer to be left alone. Those who do wish to interact keep our gatherings from becoming a passive lecture.

The talk centers on a story, poem, or letter found in the Christian Bible. We do our best to figure out what the message would have meant in its original setting. Then we invite that idea to shape our participation in what God is doing in our world. Rather than arrogantly supplying “right” answers, the talk helps us ask better questions—questions that promote growth rather than reinforce forgone conclusions.

The opportunity to give allows people to express their support for Continuum Church in a tangible way. No one will pressure you to donate because doing so would contradict the entire point of giving. At least ten percent of all gifts we receive are redistributed to good causes in our community and around the world. Many of our members view giving as a way to honor God.

Why are your gatherings so interactive?

Besides making the church experience less boring, being interactive reminds us that the medium is the message. When listening to a traditional sermon, we hear opinions about God and the scriptures. But we also detect unspoken cues from the entire process. We learn that the sermon—and religion in general—is to be heard and absorbed, not questioned and digested. Instead, we believe that God wants to interact with us and that his nearness can be experienced directly. Therefore, the method of our discussion is just as important as its message. We think that learning about God in an interactive setting increases the odds of actually interacting with God in daily life.

But what if I’m an introvert?

You’ll be in good company as we have plenty of introverts in our community. First, you will never be asked to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Every time we invite people to chat with their neighbors, we remind them that they can look straight ahead if they prefer to opt out of discussion. At Continuum Church this isn’t a sign of rudeness. It’s simply a nonverbal cue that you’d prefer to be left alone. Even the extroverts who are having a bad morning dig this idea.