What To Expect
Radical Hospitality: Love of God/The Divine, Love of Neighbor, and Love of Self are Christian principles that resonate globally. We open our doors to all, that we might inspire curiosity of faith and lend encouragement for the journey.
Complete Authenticity: A movement for wholeness and to make the most of the Divine nature within all of us. To share in a “safe or brave” space means we must have a respect for our Tenets and a commitment to walk alongside another on their own path to God, even if it looks different from our own.
Thoughtful Diversity: Diversity looks different depending on who is looking and who is being looked at. But in Ekklesia, we are trying to be both sensitive to the expected and needed diversity in our faith communities, and also to the range of diverse perspectives that make for meaningful faith conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Ekklesia,” as it’s commonly referred to, (Ekklesia Global) is a multi-faith community of people finding and sharing their own path to God. We encourage each other through inclusive, judgment-free community, open and thought-provoking conversations about God, and inspiration from our neighbors’ faith experiences. Many Ekklesia members also belong to a “denomination” or “religion” and supplement their journey through these conversations and encouraged to express their beliefs as part of our conversations.
Ekklesia is not a church in the traditional meaning of the word. We do not have a
building for worship and do not plan to have one. We do not rely on a professional
minister for leadership. Everyone is welcome to lead, and several professional ministers have joined as participants in our circles. We do not teach a particular belief and welcome learning about different theologies.
While many of our members are Christian, we do not limit ourselves to Christian faith stories and presentations. Part of the Ekklesia experience is to meet the needs of your small group “circle” participants, and support authentic expressions of faith from each person.
We have learned a lot when people from other faiths share their stories. Some members have been hurt by people within traditional Christian churches, and no longer call themselves Christian. Some of them prefer to call themselves “followers of Jesus.” While not exclusively Christian, we have members represented in other traditions and we observe holy days of all traditions.
No. We do meet in homes (and other spaces) but we do not have a traditional church service in homes. We gather over varied topics of faith in our daily lives and share our personal faith journey stories as a source of encouragement for each other. Sometimes we worship traditionally to share and support each other in meaningful ways for some members, but others see our “conversations” as a form of worship as well.
We worship wherever we are and at any time we wish. We meet in small groups in Circles (see page 4) and talk about God and our individual faith journeys. Most often we meet in homes and share a meal afterwards. We have communities gathering with people all over the US and Canada.
No. Our members come from many faith traditions and some continue to attend churches. We enjoy learning from all denominations and religions.
We welcome and respect all faiths. We are curious about all faiths and seek to
learn from them and how they can help us on our individual paths to God. We are about “connection, not conversion.”
Sounds like Unitarian Universalist? Some confuse us with them because of our radical hospitality. We welcome and respect all faiths. We celebrate each person’s expression of their particular faith and encourage them to share their own faith journey with honesty and authenticity. If one person believes in Jesus and another does not, we want each person to express their belief fully and openly so we can celebrate their journey and learn from them.
No. Everyone is free to join and leave as they wish and express whatever beliefs
they have as long as they are respectful of others.
“Better” is an individual judgment so we will leave that to you. Instead of a traditional service in a church building we have discussions about God in small circles.
We do not have a common religion or faith statement but respect each individuals belief. We do not have a professional minister as faith leader, nor do we teach a specific theology. Although we enjoy having ministers as presenters and as part of the group.
While we do not employ ministers or elders for these services, Ekklesia does have chaplains and pastors in our communities. There may also be individuals in the community who can offer wedding or funeral services. We encourage members to also consider seeking these services and baptism from traditional religious organizations of their choice.
Yes. We sometimes meet for a Christian service. We especially enjoy Easter Sunrise service on a lake. We often celebrate communion as part of these services. At Jesus’ table, all are welcome and never refused communion.
We are a registered 501(c)3 organization as a charity. We are not registered as a church or religious organization at this time.
Belief about the Divine is up to each individual. We believe in supporting each person as they find their own path to God. It is our vision that all people keep growing in faith, revealing a more just and loving world.
Donations are welcome (& encouraged), but not required.
We meet in small group “circles” — usually eight-to-twelve people. We meet in homes, on Zoom, or anywhere each circle chooses for meaningful conversations. Each meeting is lead by a presenter–sometimes a member of the group and sometimes an invited guest.
The subject may be a faith topic or it may be someone sharing their faith journey. Questions and discussion are an essential part of the session. A great session is not determined by the quality of the presentation, but by getting everyone to participate freely and honestly. The goal of each session is to help each of us on our path to God.
We meet in small groups and at retreats around the U.S.
Email us at info@ekklesialove.com
Subscribe to Daily Inspiration emails, attend our spiritual retreats, or learn how to form a group near you.