Rainer: one church drop out's story

Travis was a bit reluctant to talk. He is a hefty construction worker from Louisville, Kentucky, with a shaved head, three earrings, and a crooked smile. While we found him to have a rough exterior, he is a teddy bear inside. He claimed to be a Christian.

We had started the conversation with small talk about the upcoming college football season. The twenty-seven-year-old is a die-hard University of Kentucky football fan. He rarely misses a chance to watch the Cats play, whether he watches them on television or goes to Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. He remains an undeterred optimist about the potential of his beloved Wildcats. Despite the lackluster performance from the middle-tier football school, Travis keeps his hopes high for the future. They may not have done so well last year, but he knows this year is the year for the Cats.

Then we asked him about his church.

“My church?” His tone changed quickly. And his end of the conversation shifted from passion to reluctance.

“Yes, Travis, tell us about your church.”

“Not much to say, I guess.”

“Which area church do you attend?”

“Depends.”

“Do you go anywhere on a regular basis?”

“Not really. I guess I left my old church about nine years ago. To be perfectly honest, I could never find a church that I was passionate about. My church was good for me when I was a child, but now I just don’t feel like I can plug in anywhere. I don’t like wishy-washiness and flaky worship. If there was a church out there that was real, up-front, and in-your-face about what really needs to happen in your life, then I might give it a shot.”

“You haven’t written off church then?” We were trying to get to the heart of why he stopped attending church.

“Not at all.” Travis was beginning to open up. “My parents went to church mostly. My grandparents were there three times a week. Everyone in my family is a Christian. I even went to a Christian school for a while.

So I guess I really don’t have much of an excuse. But when I commit to something, it's all or nothing. I’m a loyal-to-the-bone kind of guy. I don’t do anything halfhearted. All the churches I ever went to didn’t have a place for me. I mean, it's not like they make eighteen-year-olds deacons or anything. I just didn’t want to wait around to serve, so I left.”

“I just didn’t want to wait around to serve, so I left.”

Maybe it was the earrings. Maybe it was Travis's sometimes gruff demeanor. But for whatever reason his church didn’t make a place for him to serve.
I think we all know someone like Travis—somewhat of a loose cannon but also someone you can count on for anything. People like him make loyal friends. They are the ones helping you load up your U-Haul when you move. They are the ones showing up at the hospital for your outpatient surgery. They are the ones replacing the brakes on your car to help save you a buck or two.
Churches desperately need people like Travis. But the church remains unattractive to them. The church let Travis head right out the back door. And he feels like he isn’t the slightest bit missed. After the interview, we wondered if his previous church even knew he existed.

Rainer, T., Geiger, E., & Rainer, S. S., III. (2010). Essential church. Nashville: B&H.

Sam Rainer will be speaking as part of the All Star Sunday School Training team in Jackson, MS on August 23, 24. David Francis and Josh Hunt will also be speaking.

To schedule an All Star Sunday School Training event, see http://allstarsundayschool.com/ or contact Josh Hunt at josh@joshhunt.com 575.650.4564