What’s it all about?

This site contains a lot of ideas on church in the twenty-first century in Sydney, Australia – and by extension, elsewhere in the first world. It comes from my experience of almost 60 years as a christian in several different denominations and congregations, plus reading many books on the topic and attending a few seminars (a brief reference list is below).

Jesus didn’t save his sharpest words for sinners. He saved them for systems that had stopped serving the people they were meant to welcome. This site starts from the belief that the church, in the US, in Australia, and elsewhere, is at one of those moments.

I still hold to the message of Jesus: love of God and neighbour, forgiveness and new life from God, mercy over judgment, good news for the poor and the overlooked. And so asking how we can be the church in a way that makes sense now.

What does the title mean?

The title comes from the last verse of an epic Bob Dylan song, Señor (Tales of Yankee Power):

Of course the title also echoes Jesus’ actions (e.g. in Mark 11:15) of overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple, in an enacted prophesy that old covenant worship and sacrifice was about to be replaced by the new covenant.

Who’s writing this stuff?

My name is Eric Hatfield. I’ve been a christian for over 60 years in several different types of churches. I have a Bachelor of Divinity degree, for what that’s worth.

I’ve been a church elder, a preacher and a leader of alternative church services (cafe church, all-age, and two micro churches). I’ve been a Beach Mission leader, a Sunday School and youth group leader and a young adults mentor.

I wouldn’t claim to have done any of them well, but I have learnt a lot.

Perhaps more importantly, I read a lot, both books and on the web. I’ve attended seminars and discussion groups and listened to speakers on alternatives to conventional church. I’ve spoken to and questioned experienced leaders and thinkers.

And I’m a keen observer. I listen to friends who wouldn’t go near a church except for weddings and funerals and I sympathise with how they feel. Most of what I write comes from what I have learned from others.

References

• Brian Sanders: Life After Church and The Underground Church. Possibly the most revolutionary and exciting church ideas being put into practice.
• Mike Frost & Alan Hirsch: The Shaping of Things to Come. Over a decade old, but still brilliantly innovative and thought provoking.
• Mark Scandrette teaches ways to practice the way of Jesus and not just talk about it. I can’t recommend his approach too highly.
• Pete Ward: Liquid Church. A prescient book about christians in a postmodern culture, written a while ago now.
• Kathleen Ward: Church in a Circle blog. Sadly Kath hasn’t been updating this blog for years since it was hacked and taken down. But a copy of some of the pages can be foundon this site, courtesy of the Wayback Machine.
• The late Martin Bragger: Unbounded Church. A good friend and a retired minister with a gift for evangelism shares some telling insights – sadly he passed away in 2026..
• Fresh Expressions. Innovative and growing churches in the UK. And now Fresh Expressions in the US.

Listen to the Bob Dylan track Senor (Tales of Yankee Power).