In May of 2009, Pastor Diane Martin launched the first gathering in Colorado Springs for “Quantum Christians.” It is a nontraditional worship gathering—that is what this group of believers is all about. In general, they are Christians who love God but don’t do church. It is called Unchurch.

It is pastored by Diane Kay Martin, an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ who earned her Master of Divinity degree at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, in August, 2003. She completed her first two years of seminary studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Regis University, also in Denver; and an Associate of Arts degree in journalism from Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue. I’m proud to announce that in July of 2009 she became a chaplain for the Penrose-St. Francis Hospital system in Colorado Springs.

Traditional Christianity proposes the separation of God and man. Rev. Diane leads a group of believers who believe nothing is separate. They see themselves as evangelistic, impacting their communities, as organic rather than organizational. They see themselves as “Quantum Christians.”

In physics, a quantum is indivisible, basic, quantifiable, and is related to energy and momentum. The entire universe, including you and I, are in reality pure energy. It is through our thoughts that we transform this energy into what we perceive to be reality. Quantum physics in no way denies the existence of God but requires a different interpretation. They believe faith anchors the soul, not one’s circumstances. It may be nothing more than an outreach to a field not served by the mainstream structures. The new work may also point the way to the future of the Church.

Sites such as the http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=2229 and http://www.brinerinstitute.org/Summit/m03_reports.htm note that individuals in their twenties are pulling out of traditional churches in record numbers. If they're not leaving church altogether, they're moving into house churches, where they hope to find an "unchurch" experience. Is this next generation ushering a new awakening so to speak, a less rigid, more individualized belief system?

In recent studies across the board it is evident that Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God. Unchurch is trying to be one answer to that.

The first noted difference is that Unchurch desires to stay reasonably small and they prefer to meet in small comfortable group settings and they don’t meet on Sundays. There are no membership rolls, and everyone is welcome -- really, everyone.

Rev. Diane is a well-educated and witty woman who has been married for 13 years, and her unique approach to Christianity is being widely embraced by the people of Colorado Springs. Diane is charming and fun but overall very sincere in her faith and her love for God. She is not afraid to be controversial: she and her group at Unchurch marched in the Pride Parade, which is very controversial to most Christian Churches in Colorado, yet her stance was, “If you're not comfortable with this, or if it's not exactly where you are ideologically, please don't feel obliged to participate, but know you are a part of us not because of what you believe but because you are loved.” There is a freedom that Rev. Diane has experienced in her newfound faith as pastor of Unchurch. It is a church that seeks truth and offers a non-judgmental attitude. For more information about the Unchurch visit their Web site at www.unchurchcs.com.

For more reading material on groups like Unchurch, here are a few books you may want to reference.

Graham Cooke's A Divine Confrontation
George Barna's Re-Churching the Unchurched
Jim Kitchens’ The Postmodern Parish
Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Dan Kimball’s They Like Jesus but not the Church