A Path to Change

Written by @thisbrokenpastor.

As a pastor, I’m supposed to find hope in church. But too often, I don’t. It’s not that hope isn’t present—it’s just that, too often, I look out over the congregation, and what I feel isn’t hope, but something else entirely: stagnation. I leave many services with the same emptiness I felt walking in.

I remember years ago at a conference for Christian youth workers, sitting in an auditorium and wondering, “What are we doing here? Where is Jesus?” Each day, we’d pass by a group of young people hanging out on skateboards outside the venue. I couldn’t shake the thought that Jesus was more likely to be with them than with us inside the building. That’s my struggle with church, too often I wonder what we are all doing in a holy huddle in a building when Jesus spent the majority of his earthly ministry outside the buildings.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon Rockaway Park, an old quarry scrapyard transformed into a vibrant creative hub. It’s a place that defies easy description; you have to experience it. It’s not for everyone, but to me, it’s an inspiring creative community. There’s a tangible sense of welcome, a melting pot of creativity and inclusivity.

Rockaway describes itself as…

“A joyful, inspirational, subversive gem – bringing together DIY art, music, performances, open studios, workshops, sculpture park, community forest garden, vegan food, and much more.”

There is this wonderful sense of welcome and community. It is a beautifully eclectic mix of folks.

The owner of the site, Mark, envisioned a church—an unusual church, unlike any I’ve seen, it’s not a Christian church but (and to Mark’s surprise) I’d say you’ll likely find Jesus there. I don’t know how Mark would describe his beliefs—maybe atheist, maybe agnostic, maybe spiritual—but his church, The Chapel of Unrest, is something special. It’s known as “The Congregation of Agitation,” Mark says the purpose is “to build a church.. a monument.. a movement.. that stands for the disenfranchised, the visionaries, the dreamers and misfits.”

In my view too many churches focus in the comfort of their congregation, rather than following the disruptive footsteps of Jesus. I can only dream of a world in which the church followed the Jesus of the Bible, disrupting religious, political and cultural norms. Visiting Rockaway Park and The Chapel of Unrest, I’m struck by how much more I see of the Jesus of the Gospels there than in many traditional church settings, ironic for a group that probably considers them godless. This is a community that embraces disruption, that challenges the status quo. It embodies the kind of church I can only dream of. I long for a church that follows the radical footsteps of Jesus, who upended religious, political, and cultural norms. I wonder if that’s something thebrokenchurch could become.

I recently attended a screening of The Old Oak at Rockaway Park, a film by one of my heroes, Ken Loach. Before the screening, Ken said something that stuck with me: “Hope is to see a path to change.” It’s a powerful thought. He went in to explain, “If you have hope you have confidence. If you have confidence you can organise. If you can organise you can create change.”

I would add that creativity is the seed of hope. The God of the Bible is a Creator, one who causes change. And if we’re made in God’s image, we too are creators of change.

On days when it all feels lost, may we hold onto hope, knowing we have the power to create change.

✏️ @thisbrokenpastor

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📧 If you’re interested in sharing a little hope between 5th March and 17th April 2025, get in touch (abrokenpastor@gmail.com) with your contribution. It can be an article, blog post, artwork, poem, song, photo… there are no rules others than it be your original work and offers a little bit of hope.