Hi there. You know that saying “It’s easy once you know how”? The following FAQ is an attempt to answer some common questions about The Table. Our hope is that if you are new to the community, just checking things out, or are just browsing some variation of “churches in Winnipeg” and stumbled across this site, some of your introductory questions will be addressed in a way that makes the whole process feel easier. If the following frequently asked questions don’t include the one(s) you care about, just click on the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of our home page, and fire off an email. We will reply.
Where can I find your statement of faith or beliefs?
You can’t. It’s not because it’s a secret…it’s because we don’t have one. That might make some people nervous, but the reason is simple. We exist to provide a space for people to explore what they believe. Most of the people in the community have some background with Christianity in common, and that of course informs the vantage point from which exploration is launched. However, posting a “we believe” statement in our context feels a bit like saying, “At The Table, you can paint your spiritual room any color you want…as long as it’s blue.”
You still want a statement? O.K., let’s try this: At The Table, exploring what you believe means everything is open for examination. Don’t assume – explore.
I found your church listed on http://gaywinnipeg.ca or a similar site, but I can’t find anything on your website about your position on matters related to sexuality, gender identity, gay marriage, etc.
Being positional about issues that are controversial can be divisive. Not being clear about issues can make people feel unsafe. That creates tension, and in a community that is committed to being a safe place to explore that can be counter-productive. On this question, clarity and the relative safety it may reinforce win out. The Table is an affirming community. You won’t run into some kind of glass ceiling because you’re not a cisgender person in a heteronormative relationship. To put it another way, all humans are (actually) fully welcome into all aspects of the life of the community.
Why do you keep changing locations? You can be hard to find…
First of all, we’re not trying to make an already challenging thing (looking for a spiritual community) harder. We’re a small group, committed to not owning infrastructure when existing spaces could be used. We also tend to keep it simple. These days, those values have led us to the gallery space on the lower level of VA Café (171 McDermot Avenue) in the Exchange. We’ve included an orientation video below.
You’ll pass the coffee bar on the way in. If you like fresh brewed, locally roasted (as in, roasted in the same room) coffee, pause and place an order. It’s one way we can “shop local”, and also show some love to VA Café, who continue to graciously host our weekly gatherings.
Is The Table a “Progressive” church?
Labels can be helpful, and they can also short-circuit the valuable work of exploring something for ourselves. It’s much easier to be dismissive when we can categorize something. Are we a community that agrees about all the more common values of what often gets labelled “Progressive Christianity?” Nope…no more than we all agree about any other theological tenet or position. That said, more than a few of us would find ourselves feeling quite at home with the values identified with that movement. For instance, it would be quite difficult to authentically make room to explore belief if you think that there is only one “right belief”, and that you already know what that is. One of the common identifiers of progressive Christianity is to “affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey”, as articulated on the website <progressivechristianity.org>. If you self-identify as a Progressive Christian, you’ll probably feel quite at home. If you identify as someone that doesn’t care much for labels, our hope is that you will feel much the same. If you don’t feel any need to explore what you believe, then…well, you probably won’t like The Table all that much.