(RNS) — This year, former Christian musician Michael Gungor launched a novel spiritual gathering in Los Angeles that kicked off not with traditional hymns or sermons but with bubbles. Titled “Play,” Gungor envisioned this event as an exploration of worship, integrating activities such as painting, dancing, singing together, and meditation, all without a defined religious doctrine. He describes it as an occasion that seeks to reshuffle the meaning of worship.

“I want to be in a room and connect with others—seeing their faces, sharing scents, and hearing them sing off-key. That’s something inherent to us as humans,” Gungor expressed. “It’s something truly grounding and profoundly human.”

Gungor’s reimagined perspective on worship stands in stark contrast to his previous career, where he was a celebrated figure in the Christian music scene. His band, Gungor, found mainstream success with songs like “Beautiful Things” in 2010, which quickly became a staple for youth groups. However, by 2014, Gungor began to critique the conventional Christian music industry and expressed views that Julia Genesis should be read symbolically instead of literally. This led to his estrangement from the Christian music sector. Following a period of doubt and self-exploration, which he discusses on his podcast “The Liturgists,” he now prioritizes being present in the moment over adhering strictly to religious beliefs, even though he acknowledges Christianity as his cultural background.

For people like Gungor, who have “deconstructed” their faith—a term that describes the process of questioning and sometimes abandoning traditional religious teachings—there remains a yearning for community and ritual. He recognizes the significance of shared experiences and intends to create inclusive music meant for communal gatherings, whether or not they are labeled as religious.

“We’ve shed some of the shame-based aspects and dogmas that caused harm, but now we find ourselves aimlessly wandering… What can we rediscover?” he pondered.

In the past two decades, a number of influential figures from the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) scene, including Audrey Assad and Kevin Max, have distanced themselves from the industry. Many of these artists found that their critiques of the industry’s theological norms rendered them unwelcome in traditional CCM spaces. After years of challenging their beliefs, a select few are now exploring faith anew while crafting music for an audience that may lean more toward spirituality rather than strict religion. Their departure from conventional Christianity and pursuit of broader belonging reflects a growing trend in religious sentiments across the nation.

Jennifer Knapp, one of the earliest CCM artists to openly leave the industry, initially made waves in 1998 with her album “Kansas.” Although she admired the teachings of Christianity centered around love and dignity, she found that the boundaries established by the CCM world limited who was welcomed within it. Her lyrics that explored Christ’s humanity and questioned key aspects of traditional doctrine faced scrutiny.

“Critics told me I wasn’t Christian anymore, especially as I began to reflect on my sexual orientation,” Knapp recounted. In 2002, she decided to exit the Christian music scene and her faith, returning in 2010 as an openly gay musician who no longer marketed herself as a Christian artist.

William Matthews, a former artist with Bethel Music, found the rigidity within the industry stifling. Coming from a Black Church of God background, he was drawn to spontaneous worship styles from various ministry leaders. Despite establishing himself in evangelical circles, by 2015, he was increasingly uncomfortable with the prevalent conservative biases within the industry and the apathy he witnessed towards systemic racism.

“It ultimately led me to step away from the Christian music scene,” Matthews commented. He noted that the industry appears to cater predominantly to a particular demographic, which influences music censorship and reinforces a conservative agenda.

Derek Webb, another notable musician, shared that the CCM landscape offers a false sense of security to its audience. He emphasized that the restrictions artists face are more about financial gain than any firm moral compass.

Leaving the Christian music industry typically results in the loss of record labels and festival circuits, presenting challenges in connecting with a broader audience. While some daring artists like Semler and Flamy Grant have found new success through social media, many former CCM figures find themselves not fully accepted in either mainstream or religious music environments.

“It’s almost like being in a strange limbo,” Gungor remarked. “Even now, more listeners connect with my earlier work like ‘Beautiful Things’ than with anything I produce now.”

Though crafting music for an undefined spiritual audience may not bring guaranteed commercial success, many ex-Christian musicians find the authenticity it allows to be invaluable. Webb acknowledges that his unorthodox songwriting capabilities cause him to lose a significant portion of his audience periodically while simultaneously attracting new fans. After three decades in the industry and a personal transition away from Christianity, Webb produced an album that contemplates Christian themes even as he identifies as agnostic today.

“I want to delve into the remnants of my past beliefs with the precision of a surgeon rather than the recklessness of an axe-wielder,” he expressed regarding his work’s new direction.

Webb’s return to his musical roots coincided with the re-release of a re-recorded album for the 25th anniversary of his band, reflecting a trend among various artists reclaiming facets of their spiritual journeys.

Over a decade post her musical resurgence, Knapp launched a new edition of “Kansas 25” in May. After graduating from Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2018, she now sees Christianity as a source of insight that fuels her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. The support for her reissue helped her recognize the positive impact of her early works, allowing her to reconcile with the complexities of her past in evangelical circles.

Gungor’s upcoming project aims to produce songs focusing on universal themes like love and community rather than religious doctrine. This autumn, he and a group of songwriters convened in Colorado to initiate the “The Mystic Hymnal” project.

Similarly, Matthews, now back in the creative sphere, is working on new music centered on honesty about spirituality. Earlier this year, he collaborated with evangelical authors on an album titled “Return to Love,” designed to resonate with believers and those wrestling with their faith.

“I often find myself questioning, does church still hold significance for me?” Matthews shared. He leads worship at an inclusive church in Los Angeles that attracts many former evangelicals, reflecting on the cyclical nature of returning to one’s roots or finding new expressions of belonging and home in their spiritual journey.