Difference Between U.S. and Canadian Seekers

As a result of my previous post, various people have asked me to detail what I see as the difference between U.S. and Canadian seekers. So here's my best shot.

1. The United States is much more churched than Canada. A church planting friend of mine from the States tells me that areas in the U.S. that have 30-40% church attendance are thought of as prime places for a church plant. In Edmonton, where I'm pastoring, a recent study showed less than 10% church attendance on Sunday morning. What this means is that attending church makes you a part of a small minority. It's not at all "the thing to do" on Sunday morning or Saturday night. Many newer Christian who have started to attend our church have met with real skepticism from their friends and family ("You're going to church????")which makes their choice to follow Christ that much more challenging.

2. Canadian Universities are much more anti-church and are much more aggressive in questioning the validity of Christian truth claims. The history of this would make an interesting graduate study, but I suspect this reality is rooted in two things. First, the turning of the political system against the church during the Quiet Revolution in Quebec during the 60s which influenced how the church is treated in Canada in general. Second, a defining of Canadian identity over against U.S. fundamentalism. To this day, most Canadians percieve evangelical Christianity in Canada and U.S. fundamentalism (a la George Bush) as essentially the same thing. And let me tell you, this DOESN'T help!

3. Canada is much more multi-cultural than the United States. Over the last 30 years, Canada has swung its doors open to immigrants from all over the world. While this is something I celebrate, it has made Christianity one of many religious "options" in Canada. Moreover, the claims of Christianity, especially the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, sound bigoted and even anti-Canadian in the ears of many Canadians.

4. The largest churches in Canada including the United Church, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church have done little or nothing to promote a winsome form of Christianity in Canada. In fact, one could argue (especially in the case of the United Chuch) that they have been more a part of the problem than the solution. Unlike the States, healthy evangelicals are a small minority in Canada.

As such, Canadians are harder to reach. They are skeptical, indifferent and in some case even hostile to Christianity. Starting a church plant in Canada requires real innovation and an ability to patiently build trust with the unchurched. It is very much a person by person, family by family enterprise.

All this being said, there are some upsides.

1. There is absolutely no competition among Canadian church planters. There are plenty of lost souls to go around.
2. I think some of the most innovative churches (especially in how they communicate) are emerging in Canada right now.
3. Being a christian in Canada feels a lot more like living the book of Acts. Put it this way, we're praying for a lot more miracles these days.