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My
career
as
a
minister
led
me
to
found
a
church
in
midtown
Atlanta.
Inspired
by
an
experience
in
a
conference
with
Dr.
Richard
Moss,
for
ten
years
I
worked
to
create
a
new
church
for
the
21st
century.
In
so
doing,
I
came
to
realize
that
much
of
what
we
have
known
as
church
is
a
distortion
of
Jesus'
original
intent.
Jesus
was
a
teacher
of
consciousness
-
he
sought
to
induct
his
students
into
the
God-realization
he'd
attained.
Of
course,
he
was
terribly
misunderstood.
The
result?
Churchianity
-
the
propensity
to
build
religious
structures
rather
than
spiritual
communities.
Church
can
be
a
vehicle
for
transformation.
Applying
the
principles
of
Jesus'
teaching,
“Where
two
or
more
are
gathered
in
my
name,
there
am
I
in
the
midst
of
them,”
it's
possible
to
use
group
energy
to
bring
about
a
heightened
awareness
of
spiritual
presence.
Rather
than
talking
about
God,
through
spiritual
practices
we
can
enter
into
a
direct
experience
of
God.
A
Rave
Without
Drugs
The
“new”
church
form
I
developed
is
called
a
Spiritual
Practice
Session.
One
participant
describes
the
Spiritual
Practice
Session
as
a
“rave
without
the
drugs.”
Combining
body
awareness
(stretching,
movement,
and
dance)
with
meditation
and
personal
sharing,
the
Spiritual
Practice
Session
opens
us
to
an
energy
larger
than
our
ordinary
sense
of
self
typically
allows.
The
Spiritual
Practice
Session
is
a
radical
departure
from
other
church
services
and
is
not
for
everyone.
The
good
news,
however,
is
today
we
can
see
that
“One
Way”
church
is
a
thing
of
the
past.
The
Choice
is
Yours
Is
it
part
of
your
New
Year's
resolve
to
find
a
church?
Consider
that
your
needs
may
have
changed
since
the
last
time
you
went
to
one.
Different
types
of
churches
will
serve
different
needs.
“Old”
church
tends
to
offer
an
authoritarian
structure
and
a
promise
of
future
salvation.
“Transitional”
church
gives
you
a
space
for
emotional
healing
and
personal
empowerment.
“New”
church
forms,
such
as
the
Spiritual
Practice
Session,
provide
a
context
for
transcending
the
ego
and
fully
engaging
the
present
moment.
Feel
guilty
about
leaving
a
church
you've
grown
out
of?
Growth
occurs
naturally
as
our
needs
are
met.
Remember,
when
they
get
too
big
for
the
nest,
birds
fly.
Your
spiritual
growth
may
be
a
sign
that
your
previous
church
has
done
its
job.
Ellie
Harold
is
the
author
of
Where
Two
Or
More
Are
Gathered:
A
New
Church
for
the
21st
Century.
For
information
on
her
book
and
Spiritual
Practice
Sessions,
call
678.421.1981.
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