As a college student I attended a campus Christian fellowship that always had a book table of Christian literature. There was a little booklet there called Doubters Welcome. I remember my surprise at the title, because as a young believer I thought that Christians frowned on doubters and wanted them to just take that leap and have faith. But I came to realize that the Bible has a more balanced view. While we want doubts eventually to give way to faith (John 20:28; James 1:6), we should be merciful and patient with those who are still in their doubt-troubled period (Jude 1:22). On that campus the Christian fellowship was inviting to skeptics and doubters, and there were always many of them mixed in with the believers. I always wanted to be part of a church that had that spirit.
When we started Redeemer Presbyterian Church, its life began in home meetings, then public worship, and finally our first Sunday morning worship service in September 1989. From the beginning, an “outward face” was part of why we existed. One of Redeemer’s “core values” is that we be a place where those who are not believers (or who are not sure what they believe) find their questions invited, their doubts and difficulties respected, and their struggles anticipated.
The natural tendency of any church, however, is to become ingrown as the years go by, and Redeemer has not completely escaped that. As we have grown and now transitioned to become a family of three churches, the pastors, leaders, and staff of each church must work intentionally to prioritize and strengthen their commitment to being communities known for welcoming doubters and their questions. They also must offer training to equip their congregants with the tools to become better listeners and confident, winsome sharers of their faith. Read More
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