"Liquid Church"

written by Pete Ward

Reviewed by Murray Brown

In his most recent book Liquid Church, Pete Ward presents an argument for a more “liquid” approach to church – one that stands in contrast to what he calls “solid” church, typified by church buildings, growth goals, and a “come to us” mindset.

“Liquid” church on the other hand is flexible and changing, always evolving as it is immersed in a changing liquid culture. This postmodern liquid culture is fluid, and marks a move away from modernity which prized, analysis, certainty and predictability.

Much of the book is devoted to a theological examination of what is church, combined with a sociological analysis of youth culture, and how these two might be brought together.

At a theological level, Pete Ward examines the concept of the church as a body that is “in Christ”. The Holy Spirit, he argues, is liquid in nature, ever flowing and leading us onwards in a dance that sees the body evolve to meet the needs of the surrounding culture.

Sociologically, he focuses on the concepts of networking and consumerism. Whereas solid church is based around a central meeting place and point, liquid church is founded on a range of relational based gatherings that are networked together by lines of communication.

When it comes to church and faith, people are increasingly “believing not belonging”, and Pete Ward explains this in part by a growing consumer mentality in which people continually sift through a range of choices searching for better and more meaningful. This search is a liquid search – a changing and evolving search in which new connections are forged and forsaken and spiritual nourishment is drawn from a range of helpful sources. Rather than sign people up to a programme and invite membership as solid church would do, liquid church buys into the consumer mentality and offers options based on interests and relationships, realising the fluid nature of these.

Furthermore, in connection with consumerism, he holds to the belief that everyone has a spiritual desire and that the church should design itself around this desire. Choice, he says, becomes an indispensable requirement to reach people as it is only through choice and options that we can create environments where people can explore this desire by being open to a real and profound experience of God Himself.

The primary focus of the book is theoretical. Pete Ward himself admits that liquid church is still a dream, although he does set out in the final chapter to provide some descriptions of what it could look like based on the trends he sees emerging. In this “not yet” emphasis lies the book’s greatest weakness. While asserting that liquid church can, must and will work, “how” it will work is less clear. Even if we buy into the theory the reader is left wondering and pondering this question which in itself is not entirely a bad thing as it causes us to think and reflect at depth, seeking God for how we might turn theory into practical reality.

Over all his perspectives are helpful and provide much for us as youth workers to consider. For many it raises the issue of how to work in solid churches with a generation immersed in a liquid culture. If Pete Ward is right do we need to move away from a “one youth programme fits all” model, and if so how do we manage the logistics of this? How do we replace a gathered approach with a networked approach which stands or falls on communication? What will it mean for us to be more consumer oriented in our approach and where is the line between a consumerist approach and simply selling out to a “me centred” worldview? How do we minister in ways that tap into young people’s inherent spiritual desire without sacrificing the integrity of the Gospel and our call to be church?

Liquid Church will not answer these questions but it will provide a solid theoretical base on which we can explore them.

- Pete Ward teaches at King’s College London where he is involved in research into theology and culture. He is the author of a number of books including, God at the Mall, Youthwork and the Mission of God, Growing up Evangelical, and Youth Culture and Gospel. “Liquid Church” is published by Hendrickson Publishers (2002).

- Murray Brown is the Director of YouthTRAIN