TODAY'S CHURCH HAS IT BACKWARDS
Yesterday was Easter. It's the one of the most highly attended serves each year for churches across America. It is one of the days with the most visitors, most seats filled with non-believers (or people who's faith is not evidenced in their local church involvement). It is a day that many churches target these visitors. There entire service can become about reaching those people. And this way of thinking has affected the way many church leaders function on all of the other Sundays of the year. Churches are often driven by the "seekers." Our weekly services have become "seeker sensitive," if not "seeker driven." Sunday's are all about those people who don't consider the church as a priority, nor their center for spiritual direction. It is about the "lost."
So what is there for the believers? What are these churches doing to empower and disciple believers? In some churches there is a separate "believers'" service. This one to me seems strange - that we would have a service to get you to join us, but once you're in, we show you what it's really like. This boarders on a "bait & switch." Plus, consider that when "seekers" come to visit a church, they are expecting to be out of their comfort zone. They come with expectations to engage in unfamiliar activities and to watch believers as they passionately worship their God.
In other churches, there are small groups. These are usually Bible studies that help to engage people on a deeper level and move them forward in their faith. But I think, THIS IS BACKWARDS, and on a number of levels.
First, the odds of having a lasting powerful impact on someone who is "lost" by making a Sunday service that is sensitive to their desires is slim. The number one issue that the "lost" have with The Church, is being told that they are going to Hell. But really, when we design our services to be about seekers, this is what the message becomes every week. We may not exactly mention "hell" but the point comes through.
Second, people don't change when they see the light, they change with they feel the heat. A person is not going to feel the heat in an unfamiliar environment listening to a stranger talk about a God that he doesn't believe in. But he will "feel the heat" when he sees, first hand, the evidence of a life impacted by God in his neighbor or co-worker.
Third, the number of people who will grace the doors of a church is minuscule to the number of people who will have a conversation with neighbor. And they are much more open to a friend talking about God, than a pastor/stranger.
Therefore, I am convinced that we should begin to move our services back to educating, inspiring, and empowering believers to "go and make disciples" while counting on the "small groups" of neighbors, or co-workers talking about what God is doing in their lives.
I think we need to quit worring about "seekers" because they are already seeking God. They may not have given their lives to Him yet, but they are on their way. We need to focus on those people who would never enter a church. We need to focus on those who are not seeking, and strive to change that. We need a change. I wonder how long until it happens?
So what is there for the believers? What are these churches doing to empower and disciple believers? In some churches there is a separate "believers'" service. This one to me seems strange - that we would have a service to get you to join us, but once you're in, we show you what it's really like. This boarders on a "bait & switch." Plus, consider that when "seekers" come to visit a church, they are expecting to be out of their comfort zone. They come with expectations to engage in unfamiliar activities and to watch believers as they passionately worship their God.
In other churches, there are small groups. These are usually Bible studies that help to engage people on a deeper level and move them forward in their faith. But I think, THIS IS BACKWARDS, and on a number of levels.
First, the odds of having a lasting powerful impact on someone who is "lost" by making a Sunday service that is sensitive to their desires is slim. The number one issue that the "lost" have with The Church, is being told that they are going to Hell. But really, when we design our services to be about seekers, this is what the message becomes every week. We may not exactly mention "hell" but the point comes through.
Second, people don't change when they see the light, they change with they feel the heat. A person is not going to feel the heat in an unfamiliar environment listening to a stranger talk about a God that he doesn't believe in. But he will "feel the heat" when he sees, first hand, the evidence of a life impacted by God in his neighbor or co-worker.
Third, the number of people who will grace the doors of a church is minuscule to the number of people who will have a conversation with neighbor. And they are much more open to a friend talking about God, than a pastor/stranger.
Therefore, I am convinced that we should begin to move our services back to educating, inspiring, and empowering believers to "go and make disciples" while counting on the "small groups" of neighbors, or co-workers talking about what God is doing in their lives.
I think we need to quit worring about "seekers" because they are already seeking God. They may not have given their lives to Him yet, but they are on their way. We need to focus on those people who would never enter a church. We need to focus on those who are not seeking, and strive to change that. We need a change. I wonder how long until it happens?
posted by Tony at
1:00 PM
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