Church is Messy

How does a church honor its history without becoming trapped by it?

Following Vision Sunday, Rick and Svea reflect on Autumn Ridge’s nearly 170-year history and the generations of people who have carried the church’s mission forward. While locations, leaders, programs, and methods have changed, one thing has remained at the center: a desire for people to know Jesus.

But a long history brings both gifts and challenges. Rick describes the past as something that can become either a foundation or a landlord. Churches can fall into the ditch of nostalgia, allowing cherished experiences and preferences to dictate the future, or the ditch of amnesia, forgetting the wisdom and faithfulness of those who came before. The goal is to cherish the past without trying to recreate it—and to keep asking whether our methods are still serving our purpose.

Rick and Svea also talk about the courage required to change, experiment, and even fail. A healthy church can let go of methods that once worked, try something new, learn when it doesn’t work, and keep moving forward. That requires knowing clearly who we are, who we’re becoming, and why we exist.

Ultimately, every generation is simply running its leg of the race. The work we do today should honor those who came before us while laying a strong foundation for those who will come next—a church centered on Jesus, committed to spiritual formation, welcoming to people who are curious or skeptical, and prepared to hand the baton forward well.