Tribal Church "Innies" and "Outies"

"But once again, we risk being divided into “innies” and “outies” and falling into the false dichotomy our flesh so craves. Whether you go to “a church” or whether you don’t is a distinction without a difference. What matters is whether people are following Jesus and being transformed by his love. What I hope comes out of this study of the so-called “Dones” is those inside and those out recognize that the church is bigger than most of us would dare to believe, and that his church takes expression wherever people engage each other with his love and purpose. For those who claim that attendance at a local congregation is mandatory to be part of his church, I hope they reconsider that false idea. Being part of his family is about following him, not belonging to an institution. Over the last twenty years I’ve found incredible followers of Jesus both inside them and outside. I hope this research draws all those into a conversation where in and out becomes less important than loving and affirming his kingdom, however it takes shape in the world. But it will take a significant number of voices across the Christian landscape to fight for a better conversation than those we usually have. I am convinced that people who truly know Jesus will want to reach across this divide, not exacerbate it. We don’t need identifying labels, especially ones that make us feel superior to others in the family. When Jesus becomes more important to us than finding identity in any particular tribe of it, then the conversations that most express his kingdom will grow in the world. Instead of demanding that others conform to our view of the church, we will recognize her in the most surprising places as we find connection and fellowship with those who know the Jesus we know, even if they don’t follow the rituals we follow. Then we won’t need labels to divide us. Brother, sister, and fellow saint will be more than enough identity for each of us, and loving each other in a mutual celebration of Jesus himself will allow his church to flourish where we live."

- Wayne Jacobsen