In the midst of that and the glacial pace at which churches sometimes move it’s easy to feel stuck, or powerless. The Generous Faith conference earlier this month captured this tension well with its theme of “turning up the tuned out”; a reminder that so many people have quietly stepped away from church, not because they’ve stopped searching for God, but because they’ve stopped expecting to find safety, value or belonging in our spaces.
It’s left me reflecting on the signals we send, intentionally or not, about where we are at. Which brings me to shibboleth*, those subtle codes that tell us who is “in” and who is “out”. For those who’ve been excluded or harmed, these signals aren’t abstract. They’re essential survival tools.
Inclusion is a journey. Joining IC is a waymark on that journey, not a destination. But waymarks matter. They help people know where they are, and whether they’re safe. Waymarks are practical and necessary, visible reminders of a journey, an intended route. They can bring a helpful sense of focus, direction and allow us to mark our progress. They communicate something. This is something churches can (and should) habitually incorporate in their practice. Something as simple as displaying a poster that explicitly shows your affirmation and awareness of the barriers IC has identified as focus areas to consider, or reviewing what you are not saying. (If you don’t explicitly say yes, people will assume no). These considerations can be the difference between someone risking a first step or staying away entirely.
Let's try and make sure our churches are places where people don’t have to spend ages decoding hidden signals to work out if they are actually included and can be a full valued member of that church community. And it just so happens that we now have some print-ready resources here to help you decode the shibboleth of church life.
Even when life feels a bit “6, 7”.
*I am not the only one who learnt about this from West Wing right? | 
