Post-Christian Era (PCE) is a ministry based in Covina, CA that is dedicated to helping Christians build communities of individuals dedicated to living out the Christian faith in every possible way.
PCE is born out of the following ideas:
American culture has lost its memory of the Christian faith. It has moved on to something new. It is post-Christian. The ideas and practices that overwhelm our culture — in schools, on social media, in homes, on television, in politics, in academia, and even in our churches — are no longer traditional Christian ideas. The culture’s ideologies (belief systems) and practices are anti-Christian, and its view of traditional Christianity is one of ridicule and contempt. The culture’s ideologies are that of:
- Secularism; meaning that reality is understood through physical observations and natural phenomena. Essentially, this means science is the only source of truth. No longer is truth or meaning derived from something’s relation to God and His purpose, but from its function and activity.
- Individualism; meaning that the highest value is placed on the individual’s beliefs, feelings, identity, and rights. To infringe upon any of these is commit the gravest cultural sin. Truth and significance is whatever each person wants it to be.
See our article: Is our era really post-Christian?
Much of the Church in America has become inadequate to help Christians maintain their faith. Over the past century or so, the Church in the United States has gone from rejecting the culture to desperately trying to be like the culture. Whether it is a watered down Gospel, rock star worship music, feminization of the Church, or acceptance of gay and trans lifestyles, the American church cares so much about fitting in, that it has ceased to consistently produce faithful Christians from within. The American Church is asleep; unaware of its own ineffectiveness amidst an ingeniously effective culture.
See our article: The Weakened State of the Church in the West
Without some dramatic shift in the way Christians live the faith, we are doomed to ride the wave of secular culture, and eventually live a shallow Christian life or leave the faith altogether. Many have left and are leaving the Church. Christianity in these United States will not survive, at least not in any significant way, without a radical counter-cultural response. I put a face to that by telling myself that my friends, family, and children will have no faith to cling to unless the status quo of the Christian life is altered dramatically.
See our post: A Strategy for 21st-Century Christian Radicals
PCE exists because in our contemporary era, living the Christian life faithfully (not just going to church), is an increasingly difficult task. Yet I have met many people who sincerely desire to be committed to and serve Christ. They want to feel, know, and act on their beliefs every moment of the day, but many are left with a Christianity that does not seem real or all that important.
PCE is an acknowledgement of and a response to a post-Christian culture. The response we propose and seek to foster is that of radical and communal Christian living. By “radical” we simply mean allowing the Christian faith to dictate every aspect of one’s life; from our minds to our hearts, from our jobs to our leisure, from our education to our profession, from our church to our homes. By “communal” we mean radical living that is consistently done alongside other believers.
We want to grow and foster Christian communities of radicals who will not sit idle and allow the culture to dictate its commitment to Christ. Communities who will live the Christian life together strengthen each other for the journey and through the storms.
Many will acknowledge, but few will respond. However, if you would like to be committed to radical Christian living, I encourage you — along with whatever Christian community you belong to (church, family, group of friends, etc.) — to follow us (on this site or on Facebook).
Interact with us. Tell us what you are dealing with. Tell us and how we can help. Tell us how your community of radical Christians stays committed to the faith. You will help us and others in your participation.
I pray that the Lord uses committed individuals to grow our communities in these tumultuous times.
